cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Góngora and Christóvão de Moura: Portraits in Nature in the Sonnet “Árbol, de cuyos ramos fortunados”

Like many writers, the Spanish poet Luis de Gongora y Argote employs images of nature in his verse to illustrate the evanescence of life or to make moral comparisons between mankind and the external world. Like some authors, he also uses these symbols to depict individuals and politics of his day. This essay tells how, with arboreal, ornithological, arthropodan, and other images of nature in the sonnet “Arbol, de cuyos ramos fortunados,” the poet describes himself and the Portuguese nobleman, Christovao de Moura, whose patronage he tries to win with both praises and threats. More importantly, the article presents Gongora as a masterful portrayer of and commentator on people and events of Golden-Age Spain.
Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: Characterizing the Problem and Implementing a Sustainable Solution

Objectives To characterize ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in our pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), implement an evidence-based pediatric VAP prevention bundle, and reduce VAP rates. Study design The setting is a 25-bed PICU in a 475-bed free-standing pediatric academic medical center. VAP was diagnosed according to Centers for Disease Control and National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System definitions. A pediatric VAP prevention bundle was established and implemented. Baseline VAP rates were compared with implementation and post-bundle-implementation periods. Results VAP is significantly associated with increased PICU length of stay, mechanical ventilator days, and mortality rates (length of stay VAP 19.5 ± 15.0 vs non-VAP 7.5 ± 9.2, P P P = .01). The VAP rate was reduced from 5.6 (baseline) to 0.3 infections per 1000 ventilator days after bundle implementation; P Conclusions PICU VAP is associated with increased morbidity and mortality rates. A multidisciplinary improvement team can implement a sustainable pediatric-specific VAP prevention bundle, resulting in VAP rate reduction.
The Imperative to Prevent Diabetes

Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. and increases the risk of death twofold over age-matched individuals. Even these are conservative numbers, as diabetes has been found to be underreported on death certificates (1). These findings are even more remarkable for the recent decline seen in diabetes mortality rates due to improved management of cardiovascular risk factors (2). Despite remarkable advances in our understanding of the disease and pharmacological interventions for its treatment, diabetes remains the leading cause of renal failure, nontraumatic lower-limb amputation, and blindness in working-age adults. Improved therapeutics and health care delivery have brought remarkable declines in the incidence of both diabetic microvascular and macrovascular complications, with a 50% reduction in amputations from their peak in 1997 and ∼35% reduction in the incidence of end-stage renal disease (3). Similarly, 10-year coronary heart disease risk dropped from 21% in 2000 to 16% in 2008 (4). The observed decline in the event rates of complications and death due to diabetes is swamped by the increase in the number of individuals affected by the disease. The multiplier effect of a growing population with diabetes converts a declining incidence of complications into an increase in the total number of events observed. Among adults aged 18–79 years, the number of individuals with diagnosed diabetes in …
Scattering anisotropy-weighted mesoscopic imaging

We report that when tissue images are formed via a small solid angle in the backward direction (i.e., back-directional gating), the image intensity is dominantly determined by tissue scattering anisotropy. Thus, this configuration allows for scattering anisotropy-weighted imaging that can provide an intrinsic contrast by capturing tissue structures and organizations. To demonstrate the immediate feasibility, we apply scattering anisotropy-weighted imaging to tissue blocks including basal-cell carcinomas as a pilot study. The main feature of our imaging approach is the high sensitivity to tumor locations and the simplicity for large-area visualization. We further envision that scattering anisotropy-weighted imaging could potentially be used to visualize tissue microenvironments in a mesoscopic (between microscopic and macroscopic) imaging setting.
The motion in emotion — A CERT based approach to the FERA emotion challenge

This paper assesses the performance of measures of facial expression dynamics derived from the Computer Expression Recognition Toolbox (CERT) for classifying emotions in the Facial Expression Recognition and Analysis (FERA) Challenge. The CERT system automatically estimates facial action intensity and head position using learned appearance-based models on single frames of video. CERT outputs were used to derive a representation of the intensity and motion in each video, consisting of the extremes of displacement, velocity and acceleration. Using this representation, emotion detectors were trained on the FERA training examples. Experiments on the released portion of the FERA dataset are presented, as well as results on the blind test. No consideration of subject identity was taken into account in the blind test. The F1 scores were well above the baseline criterion for success.
Measuring plasma fatty acid oxidation with intravenous bolus injection of 3H- and 14C-fatty acid.

Accurate measures of plasma FA oxidation can improve our understanding of diseases characterized by impaired FA oxidation. We describe and compare the 24 h time-courses of FA oxidation using bolus injections of [1-14C]palmitate versus [9,10-3H]palmitate under postabsorptive, postprandial, and walking conditions. Fifty-one men and 95 premenopausal women participated in one condition (postabsorptive, postprandial, or walking), one tracer (14C- or 3H-labeled), and an acetate or palmitate study. Groups were matched for sex, age, and body mass index (BMI). At 24 h, cumulative [3H]acetate recovery as 3H2O was 80 ± 6%, 78 ± 2%, and 81 ± 6% in the postabsorptive, postprandial, and walking conditions, respectively (not significant). Model-predicted maximum [1-14C]acetate recovery as expired 14CO2 was 59 ± 12%, 52 ± 8%, and 65 ± 10% in the postabsorptive, postprandial, and walking condition, respectively (one way ANOVA, P = 0.12). When corrected with the corresponding acetate recovery factors, 24 h time-courses of FFA oxidation were similar between [1-14C]palmitate and [9,10-3H]palmitate in all three conditions. In contrast to previous meal ingestion studies, an acetate-hydrogen recovery factor was needed to achieve comparable oxidation rates using an intravenous bolus of [3H]palmitate. In conclusion, intravenous boluses of [9,10-3H]palmitate versus [1-14C]palmitate gave similar estimates of 24 h cumulative FFA oxidation in age-, sex- and BMI-matched individuals.
Linearly compressed pages: a main memory compression framework with low complexity and low latency

Data compression is a promising technique to address the increasing main memory capacity demand in future systems. Unfortunately, directly applying previously proposed compression algorithms to main memory requires the memory controller to perform non-trivial computations to locate a cache line within the compressed main memory. These additional computations lead to significant increase in access latency, which can degrade system performance. Solutions proposed by prior work to address this performance degradation problem are either costly or energy inefficient. In this paper, we propose a new main memory compression framework that neither incurs the latency penalty nor requires costly or power-inefficient hardware. The key idea behind our proposal is that if all the cache lines within a page are compressed to the same size, then the location of a cache line within a compressed page is simply the product of the index of the cache line within the page and the size of a compressed cache line. We call a page compressed in such a manner a Linearly Compressed Page (LCP). LCP greatly reduces the amount of computation required to locate a cache line within the compressed page, while keeping the hardware implementation of the proposed main memory compression framework simple. We adapt two previously proposed compression algorithms, Frequent Pattern Compression and Base-DeltaImmediate compression, to fit the requirements of LCP. Evaluations using benchmarks from SPEC CPU 2006 and five server benchmarks show that our approach can significantly increase the effective memory capacity (69% on average). In addition to the capacity gains, we evaluate the benefit of transferring consecutive compressed cache lines between the memory controller and main memory. Our new mechanism considerably reduces the memory bandwidth requirements of most of the evaluated benchmarks (46%/48% for CPU/GPU on average), and improves overall performance (6.1%/13.9%/10.7% for single-/two-/four-core CPU workloads on average) compared to a baseline system that does not employ main memory compression.
An analysis of alpha-beta pruning

Abstract The alpha-beta technique for searching game trees is analyzed, in an attempt to provide some insight into its behavior. The first portion of this paper is an expository presentation of the method together with a proof of its correctness and a historical discussion. The alpha-beta procedure is shown to be optimal in a certain sense, and bounds are obtained for its running time with various kinds of random data.
KOREAN-LATINO RELATIONS IN LOS ANGELES AND NEW YORK

This paper examines Korean-Latino relations based on the results of my own research in New York City and review of other empirical studies conducted in New York and Los Angeles. Korean-Latino relations have been established mainly through the employment of Latino immigrants in Korean-owned stores. Since Korean immigrants' heavy dependence on very disadvantaged Latino workers involves labor exploitation, it has been a source of Korean-Latino conflicts. There have been many cases of picketing against Korean stores by Latino employees in both New York City and Los Angeles. But Korean-Latino business-related conflicts have been much less serious than Korean-Black business-related conflicts. Moreover, the relationships between Koreans and Latinos have some positive aspects. First, due to cultural similarities and mutual benefits derived from the employer-employee relationship, many Korean merchants maintain strong personal ties with Latino employees, informally helping them and often sponsoring their applications for green cards. Second, Korean ethnic organizations staffed by 1.5- and second-generation Koreans in Korean enclaves in Los Angeles and New York City have recently expanded their services to Latino immigrant workers and Latino children. In particular, the efforts of the Korean Immigrant Workers Advocates in Los Angeles to protect Latino workers from exploitation by Korean merchants have greatly contributed to establishing cultural, social, and organizational linkages between the two communities.
Quantifying fluctuations in market liquidity: Analysis of the bid-ask spread

Quantifying the statistical features of the bid-ask spread offers the possibility of understanding some aspects of market liquidity. Using quote data for the 116 most frequently traded stocks on the New York Stock Exchange over the two-year period 1994‐1995, we analyze the fluctuations of the average bid-ask spread S over a time interval Dt. We find that S is characterized by a distribution that decays as a power law PhS . x j, x ˛zS, with an exponent zS< 3 for all 116 stocks analyzed. Our analysis of the autocorrelation function of S shows long-range power-law correlations, kSstdSst +tdl ,t ˛ms, similar to those previously found for the volatility. We next examine the relationship between the bid-ask spread and the volume Q, and find that S , ln Q; we find that a similar logarithmic relationship holds between the transaction-level bid-ask spread and the trade size. We then study the relationship between S and other indicators of market liquidity such as the frequency of trades N and the frequency of quote updates U, and findS, ln N and S, ln U. Lastly, we show that the bid-ask spread and the volatility are also related logarithmically.
Object localization using crossbeam sensing

A localization technique using reliable, highly accurate, robust, inexpensive light beam sensors designed for mechanical assembly and manufacturing is presented. The technique involves passing polyhedral objects through a set of crossed beams and storing the positions when any beam is broken or reconnects. The geometrical constraints simplify the correspondence problem, so that it is solvable in linear time or can be solved using a precomputed hash table. The global minimum least-squared error pose is computed exactly using methods from algebra and numerical analysis. The limitations of this technique result from the beam sensor's limitations. >
Reliability of photovoltaic concentrator modules

The cost goals and calculations in the Five-Year Plan for the National Photovoltaics Program assume that photovoltaic (PV) concentrator modules will have a reliable output and an operational life expectancy of 30 years. Although the modules in the few PV concentrator systems fielded to date have so far been reliable, they have not been in the field long enough to establish performance levels for 30 years and are not necessarily representative of newer concentrator designs. Thus, extensive testing and analysis are required to evaluate and establish the reliability of current concentrator module designs. Considerable research has been done to establish appropriate qualification tests, to understand component failure mechanisms, and to obtain reliable materials and designs. Surveys of fielded systems have been conducted and test and analysis techniques have been developed in the process. Recent research on PV concentrator reliability is described, and the issues that are currently of concern in this area are discussed. Included are discussions of proposed changes to the existing qualification specifications for PV concentrators, results from a solder fatigue experiment, a description of a test technique for evaluating cell assemblies, and a discussion of the importance of quality assurance. >
Portal vein hypoglycemia is essential for full induction of hypoglycemia-associated autonomic failure with slow-onset hypoglycemia

Antecedent hypoglycemia leads to impaired counterregulation and hypoglycemic unawareness. To ascertain whether antecedent portal vein hypoglycemia impairs portal vein glucose sensing, thereby inducing counterregulatory failure, we compared the effects of antecedent hypoglycemia, with and without normalization of portal vein glycemia, upon the counterregulatory response to subsequent hypoglycemia. Male Wistar rats were chronically cannulated in the carotid artery (sampling), jugular vein (glucose and insulin infusion), and mesenteric vein (glucose infusion). On day 1, the following three distinct antecedent protocols were employed: 1) HYPO-HYPO: systemic hypoglycemia (2.52 +/- 0.11 mM); 2) HYPO-EUG: systemic hypoglycemia (2.70 +/- 0.03 mM) with normalization of portal vein glycemia (portal vein glucose = 5.86 +/- 0.10 mM); and 3) EUG-EUG: systemic euglycemia (6.33 +/- 0.31 mM). On day 2, all groups underwent a hyperinsulinemic-hypoglycemic clamp in which the fall in glycemia was controlled so as to reach the nadir (2.34 +/- 0.04 mM) by minute 75. Counterregulatory hormone responses were measured at basal (-30 and 0) and during hypoglycemia (60-105 min). Compared with EUG-EUG, antecedent hypoglycemia (HYPO-HYPO) significantly blunted the peak epinephrine (10.44 +/- 1.35 vs. 15.75 +/- 1.33 nM: P = 0.01) and glucagon (341 +/- 16 vs. 597 +/- 82 pg/ml: P = 0.03) responses to next-day hypoglycemia. Normalization of portal glycemia during systemic hypoglycemia on day 1 (HYPO-EUG) prevented blunting of the peak epinephrine (15.59 +/- 1.43 vs. 15.75 +/- 1.33 nM: P = 0.94) and glucagon (523 +/- 169 vs. 597 +/- 82 pg/ml: P = 0.66) responses to day 2 hypoglycemia. Consistent with hormonal responses, the glucose infusion rate during day 2 hypoglycemia was substantially elevated in HYPO-HYPO (74 +/- 12 vs. 49 +/- 4 micromol x kg(-1) x min(-1); P = 0.03) but not HYPO-EUG (39 +/- 7 vs. 49 +/- 4 micromol x kg(-1) x min(-1): P = 0.36). Antecedent hypoglycemia local to the portal vein is required for the full induction of hypoglycemia-associated counterregulatory failure with slow-onset hypoglycemia.
ALLERGEN INDUCED TFF2 IS EXPRESSED BY MUCUS-PRODUCING AIRWAY EPITHELIAL CELLS BUT IS NOT A MAJOR REGULATOR OF INFLAMMATORY RESPONSES IN THE MURINE LUNG

Asthma is a complex pulmonary disorder characterized by reversible airflow obstruction, airway hyperresponsiveness, mucus cell metaplasia, and inflammation. Employing animal models of pulmonary inflammation induced by different allergens and Th2 cytokines, the authors have previously described the up-regulation of trefoil factor 2 (TFF2) in the lung. Given the known biological role of trefoil factors in epithelial restitution, it has been postulated that allergen-induced TFF2 might have an important role in asthmatic responses. Here the authors show that TFF2 is induced early and maintained for 2 weeks following allergen challenge in the mouse lung. In situ mRNA hybridization demonstrated expression of TFF2 primarily in a subset of bronchial epithelial cells and TFF2 immunohistochemistry identified expression in alcian blue–positive bronchial epithelial cells. TFF2 gene–deleted mice inoculated with allergen displayed a 10-fold increase in total cellularity compared with saline controls. Although this resp...
Mosasaur Predation on Upper Cretaceous Nautiloids and Ammonites from the United States Pacific Coast

Abstract A remarkable encounter between two Cretaceous mosasaurs of the same species and a sick or recently dead nautiloid (Argonautilus catarinae Sundberg) is recorded. It is possible that the mosasaur was training its young to attack shelled cephalopods. This is the first recorded attack by two mosasaurs on a nautiloid in the eastern Pacific Ocean, although ammonites preyed upon by mosasaurs are known from the west coast of North America.
Seafloor Features and Characteristics of the Black Ledges Area, Penobscot Bay, Maine, USA.

ABSTRACT The Black Ledges, a series of islands, shoals, and ledges in East Penobscot Bay, Maine, was mapped with digital sidescan sonar and shallow marine seismic reflection equipmentA total of 38 km2 of sidescan and 600 km of seismic data was collected during four cruises in 2000–2001. The sidescan sonar reveals a surficial geology dominated by muddy sediments with frequent, patchy outcrops of gravel and minor amounts of bedrock. There are seven large concentrations of pockmarks with populations totaling over 3500 in the areas of muddy sediments. Generally circular, pockmarks range in size from five to 75 meters in diameter and up to eight meters deep. Calculations show over 2 × 106 m3 of muddy sediment and pore water were removed from the system during pockmark formation. Seismic data reveal a simple stratigraphy of modern mud overlying late Pleistocene glaciomarine sediment, till and Paleozoic bedrock. Seismic data indicate areas of gas-rich sediments and gas-enhanced reflectors in close association wi...
Fetal-maternal nitrite exchange in sheep: Experimental data, a computational model and an estimate of placental nitrite permeability.

Abstract Introduction Nitrite conveys NO-bioactivity that may contribute to the high-flow, low-resistance character of the fetal circulation. Fetal blood nitrite concentrations depend partly on placental permeability which has not been determined experimentally. We aimed to extract the placental permeability-surface (PS) product for nitrite in sheep from a computational model. Methods An eight-compartment computational model of the fetal–maternal unit was constructed (Matlab® (R2013b (8.2.0.701), MathWorks Inc., Natick, MA). Taking into account fetal and maternal body weights, four variables (PS, the rate of nitrite metabolism within red cells, and two nitrite distribution volumes, one with and one without nitrite metabolism), were varied to obtain optimal fits to the experimental plasma nitrite profiles observed following the infusion of nitrite into either the fetus (n = 7) or the ewe (n = 8). Results The model was able to replicate the average and individual nitrite–time profiles (r2 > 0.93) following both fetal and maternal nitrite infusions with reasonable variation of the four fitting parameters. Simulated transplacental nitrite fluxes were able to predict umbilical arterial-venous nitrite concentration differences that agreed with experimental values. The predicted PS values for a 3 kg sheep fetus were 0.024 ± 0.005 l∙min−1 in the fetal–maternal direction and 0.025 ± 0.003 l∙min−1 in the maternal–fetal direction (mean ± SEM). These values are many-fold higher than the reported PS product for chloride anions across the sheep placenta. Conclusion The result suggests a transfer of nitrite across the sheep placenta that is not exclusively by simple diffusion through water-filled channels.
Domain Decomposition Schemes Based on the Penalty Method for the Problems of Perfect Contact of Elastic Bodies

On the basis of the penalty method, we propose a number of continuous parallel domain decomposition schemes for the solution of the problems of perfect mechanical contact of elastic bodies. For some of these schemes, we prove the theorems on convergence. We study the problem of optimal choice of the iterative parameters. The relationship between the proposed schemes and the domain decomposition methods without penalty is established.
Nongenomic Androgen Action

The appropriate regulation of androgen activity is necessary for a range of developmental and physiological processes, particularly male sexual development and maturation, as well as the maintenance of male reproductive organs and of spermatogenesis (Cunha et al., 1987; McLachlan et al., 1996; Mooradian et al., 1987; Roy et al., 1999). The principle steroidal androgens, testosterone (T) and its metabolite 5α-dihydroxytestosterone (DHT) are thought to predominantly mediate their biological effects through binding to the androgen receptor (AR). AR, in common with other members of the nuclear receptor superfamily, functions as a ligand-inducible transcription factor. The binding of T or DHT to AR induces receptor dimerization, facilitating the ability of AR to bind to its cognate response element and recruit coregulators to promote the expression of target genes (He et al., 1999; Heinlein and Chang, 2002; Quigley, 1998; Roy et al., 1999). In addition to this transcriptional or genomic mode of action by steroids, an increasing body of evidence suggests that androgens, as well as progesterone and estrogen, can exert rapid, nongenomic effects (Falkenstein et al., 2000; Revelli et al., 1998; Wehling, 1997).
The Evolution of Antiviral Defense Systems

Self-replicating genetic material presumably provided the architecture necessary for generating the last universal ancestor of all nucleic-acid-based life. As biological complexity increased in the billions of years that followed, the same genetic material also morphed into a wide spectrum of viruses and other parasitic genetic elements. The resulting struggle for existence drove the evolution of host defenses, giving rise to a perpetual arms race. This Perspective summarizes the antiviral mechanisms evident across the tree of life, discussing each in their evolutionary context to postulate how the coevolution of host and pathogen shaped the cellular antiviral defenses we know today.
Fit to Teach

(1957). Fit to Teach. Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation: Vol. 28, No. 5, pp. 31-31.
TREATMENT OF SLEEP DISORDERED BREATHING IN PATIENTS ADMITTED FOR DECOMPENSATED HEART FAILURE REDUCES 6 MONTHS HOSPITAL VISITS

Despite outcome improvement re-hospitalization of congestive heart failure (CHF) is high. Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is common and under-diagnosed in CHF patients. We hypothesized that early recognition and treatment of SDB in hospitalized CHF patients will reduce hospital visits (combined end
Continuous Solventless Extrusion Process for Producing Sodium Carboxymethyl Starch Suitable for Disintegrant Applications in Solid Dosage Forms

Sodium carboxymethyl starch (CMS) was prepared using an extruder as a continuous solventless chemical reactor. The effects of NaOH, H2O, temperature, ethanol, sodium monochloro acetate (SMCA), sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), citric acid, epichlorohydrin, and screw configuration on the degree of substitution (DS) and swelling properties of CMS were studied. Using these factors, CMS with the DS required for pharmaceutical disintegrant applications (0.22–0.35) was prepared. By modifying the water/ethanol ratio in the formulations and avoiding excess gelatinization caused by use of NaOH solution, CMS with rapid swelling properties in an aqueous medium, essential for superdisintegrant applications in solid dosage forms, was obtained. Both corn and potato starches were used to prepare the CMS. The carboxymethyl starch, with rapid swelling properties, was characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy.
An Ambiguity in Marx's and Engels's Account of Justice and Equality'

of rich and poor. Marx is better understood as defending a version of moral objectivity or moral realism. The paper begins with an example from the recent debate about justice in the international distribution of wealth to highlight the implausibility of a relativist or reductionist account. It then describes alternative views of the status of justice and equality in Marx and Engels and explores the logical structure of Marx's critique of Proudhon. A fourth section examines the analogy between Marx's and Engels's realism in the philosophy of science and their realist arguments in ethics, focusing on Marx's and Engels's non-relativist and non-reductionist conception of moral progress. The conclusion sets Marx's use of concepts of exploitation in the context of his overall moral judgments and suggests that Marx's social or historical theory rather than his moral standards are the most controversial part of his ethical argument.
Deposition of Thin Films of Silicon Carbide on Fused Quartz and on Sapphire by Laser Ablation of Ceramic Silicon Carbide Targets

Ablation of ceramic silicon carbide with 351 nm excimer radiation was used to deposit SiC films on fused silica and on sapphire. For deposition temperatures above 850° C, diffraction shows the films to be crystalline with the [111] axis preferentially oriented normally to the film. Optical spectra show an indirect energy gap at 2.2 eV, near that for the cubic polytype, although the 200 diffractions are absent. Room temperature resistivities range between.02 to.1 Ωcm. Deposition below 600° C yields amorphous SiC with no diffraction bands, low and variable optical band gap and very high resistivity.
University-based postresidency training programs in surgical oncology.

The issue of postresidency training in surgical oncology engenders much debate, particularly as it impacts on general surgery training. With the goal of enhancing instruction in surgical oncology i...
Situation Analysis and Policy Recommendations on Improving China's Grain Self-sufficiency Rate

Food security is crucial to a country's political and economic stability. Starting from the concept of grain self-sufficiency rate,the factors affecting grain self-sufficiency rate and it's present situation in China were analyzed,the aspects in which the grain self-sufficiency rate is determined were expounded,and some policy suggestions for improving grain self-sufficiency rate were put forward.
Atrial natriuretic peptide, plasma renin activity, and aldosterone in women on estrogen therapy and with premenstrual syndrome.

Estrogens are known to increase the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system and to produce fluid retention, while atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) induces an increase of the urinary output and tends to return the fluid balance to normal. The aim of this study was to test whether the levels of ANP were decreased during chronic estrogen and progestin administration, thereby possibly decreasing the amount of fluid excreted. The authors also studied women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS), because of the associated fluid retention often described with this syndrome. Levels of ANP, plasma renin activity (PRA), and aldosterone were determined in premenopausal women in the early follicular phase (EFP) and on low-dose oral contraceptives (OC), in postmenopausal patients with and without estrogen replacement therapy (ERT), and in women with PMS associated with fluid retention. The concentrations of ANP and PRA were enhanced in the women on OC, but those of aldosterone were unchanged. No differences were observed in the women on ERT or with PMS. It is concluded that the levels of PRA and ANP are affected by estrogen or progesterone therapy or the combination of the two and this response is dose dependent or additive. Furthermore, ANP and PRA do not seem to play a direct role in PMS.
The Water Quality in Rio Highlights the Global Public Health Concern Over Untreated Sewage

Summary:Water quality issues in Rio have been widely publicized because of the 2016 Olympics. Recent concerns about polluted waters that athletes may be exposed to highlights the conditions that mo...
Ultrasound Contrast Agents

An ultrasound contrast agent is frequently a sphere filled with a heavy gas and enclosed by a thin, elastic lipid shell. When insonified, the sphere acts as a nonlinear resonator that produces scattered waves at harmonic frequencies. This resonance is called stable cavitation; past a pressure threshold, the microbubble is pushed past its elastic limit and fragments during inertial cavitation. These spheres (about 1–10 μm in diameter) are meant to act as red blood cell tracers or contrast agents with high reflectivity enhanced by resonance. In addition to greatly increasing the visibility of blood flow, these agents are used for opacification and perfusion characterizations of the heart and other organs. Targeted contrast agents can bind to specific targets such as inflammation, thrombi, or cancers to locate and image these areas. They can be designed to carry a drug payload to the needed site and be destroyed to deliver drugs.
A Sampling Device for Aseptic Portioning of Pasteurized Milk1

Pasteurized milk poured from its original container into smaller sterile containers showed evidence that contamination occurred during the pouring process. A simple vacuum sampling apparatus was devised to transfer, aseptically, milk from the original container to smaller containers. Uniform counts and shelf-life determinations were obtained from subsamples using the vacuum apparatus.
Abstract 2862: MBD3 regulates chromatin accessibility at active promoters

Chromatin structure is tightly regulated in cells and its dysregulation is associated with diseases such as cancer. The Mi-2/NuRD (Nucleosome Remodeling Deacetylase) complex is postulated to organize chromatin structure using its nucleosome remodeling and histone deacetylase activities. MBD3 is an integral component of NuRD, which potentially targets the complex to the specific sites of the genome. Recently, we have demonstrated that MBD3/NuRD targets regulatory elements of active genes, a finding diametrically opposed to historical models depicting NuRD as a co-repressor localized to transcriptionally non-permissive chromatin. Moreover, MBD3 co-localized with RNA polymerase II (pol II) at loci where promoter-enhancer loops are formed. Although our previous findings shed light on the role of NuRD in the regulation of active genes, the detailed mechanism of how NuRD is involved in transcriptional regulation is yet not fully understood. To investigate this question, we have developed a next generation, tagmentation based chromatin immunoprecipitation method followed by massively parallel sequencing (ChIP-nexo), which substantially increased the resolution of the MBD3/NuRD mapping. ChIP-nexo defined MBD3/NuRD localization at high resolution, showing accumulation of MBD3 at active promoters with a dip at transcription start site, suggesting an active role of NuRD in modulation of the cell-type specific transcriptional network. To interrogate the detailed functions of NuRD at active promoters, we conducted MNase-seq using conditions which measures both nucleosome positioning and sensitivity, in MBD3 depleted cells. Depletion of MBD3 changed the accessibility of nucleosomes at promoters, while maintaining overall nucleosome positioning. These data indicate an active regulatory function of NuRD in fine tuning the transcriptional network by modulating transcription rates of pol II. We propose that NuRD may be involved in establishing cell type specific gene expression patterns in diverse cell types by organizing promoter nucleoprotein architecture. Citation Format: Takashi Shimbo, Christopher Lavender, Sara A. Grimm, Makiko I. Doi, Telmo Henriques, Kimberly R. Cannady, Kevin J. Murphy, Daniel A. Gilchrist, Adam Burkholder, Jeffrey J. Hayes, Karen Adelman, Trevor K. Archer, Kenneth S. Zaret, Paul A. Wade. MBD3 regulates chromatin accessibility at active promoters. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 2862. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-2862
Interactionism, haecceities, and the pairing argument

AbstractInteractionists hold that non-spatial objects (e.g. minds) causally interact with physical objects. Interactionists have traditionally grappled with the puzzle of how such interaction is possible. More recently, Jaegwon Kim has presented interactionists with a more daunting threat: the pairing argument, which purports to refute interactionism by showing that non-spatial objects cannot stand in causal relations. After reviewing that argument, I develop a challenge to it on behalf of the interactionist. The challenge poses a dilemma: roughly, either haecceities exist or they do not. I argue that the pairing argument fails in either case. While the challenge does not explain exactly how the pairing argument goes wrong, it shows that the argument fails. The challenge also explains the difficulty in pinpointing the pairing argument’s failure: exactly how the pairing argument fails depends on difficult issues concerning the nature of objects.
Towards Pervasive and User Satisfactory CNN across GPU Microarchitectures

Accelerating Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) on GPUs usually involves two stages: training and inference. Traditionally, this two-stage process is deployed on high-end GPU-equipped servers. Driven by the increase in compute power of desktop and mobile GPUs, there is growing interest in performing inference on various kinds of platforms. In contrast to the requirements of high throughput and accuracy during the training stage, end-users will face diverse requirements related to inference tasks. To address this emerging trend and new requirements, we propose Pervasive CNN (P-CNN), a user satisfaction-aware CNN inference framework. P-CNN is composed of two phases: cross-platform offline compilation and run-time management. Based on users' requirements, offline compilation generates the optimal kernel using architecture-independent techniques, such as adaptive batch size selection and coordinated fine-tuning. The runtime management phase consists of accuracy tuning, execution, and calibration. First, accuracy tuning dynamically identifies the fastest kernels with acceptable accuracy. Next, the run-time kernel scheduler partitions the optimal computing resource for each layer and schedules the GPU thread blocks. If its accuracy is not acceptable to the end-user, the calibration stage selects a slower but more precise kernel to improve the accuracy. Finally, we design a user satisfaction metric for CNNs to evaluate ourPervasive deign. Our evaluation results show P-CNN can provide the best user satisfaction for different inference tasks.
Red teaming in the age of IOT: Thoughts on framing the next generation of technical vulnerability assessment

Red teaming, as it has been traditionally practiced, cannot adequately support assessment of the kinds of system of systems that IOT and related technologies will deliver. Ways must be found to transfer responsibility for system assessment from humans to the systems themselves. This will require an intentional, fundamental reframing of how the system assessment R&D community approaches its work.
Co-inhibitory receptor programmed cell death protein 1 targets co-stimulatory CD28.

T-cell inhibitory receptors balance the activation signals provided by peptide/major histocompatibility complex and costimulatory receptors (1).
Effect of cathode energy spectrum on the depth of interaction estimation and anode signal recovery in CZT detectors

One electrode configuration frequently used in CZT detectors is the cross-strip pattern. The cathode-to-anode signal ratio (C/A) can be used to estimate the position of photon interaction in the direction perpendicular to the electrode plane. In addition, C/A is used to calibrate for the depth-dependent anode signal. Based on the design configuration of the electrode widths with respect to the CZT thickness, their measured energy spectrum varies due to the small pixel effect and charge trapping. In this work we evaluate the effect of a poor cathode energy resolution on the depth of interaction correction and anode signal recovery.
Anatomical Considerations for Resection of Chordomas and Chondrosarcoma of the Sacrum

Abstract The posterior approach to sacral sarcoma resection can be compartmentalized into eight parts. Sequentially accomplishing these eight steps offers a convenient way to study the surgical anatomy of the sacrum, spine, and posterior pelvis. This outline will be used as a guide, orienting the reader to the surgical anatomy of this region.
Saving Behavior Messaging: Gain/Loss Framing, Self/Family Orientations, and Individual Differences in Collectivism

As the United States faces low savings rates and an aging population, examining messages that encourage saving behavior is critical. Adding to this need is growth in ethnic minority groups (e.g., H...
Polar Plunge: Semester-Long Snow Chemistry Research in the General Chemistry Laboratory

An introductory general chemistry laboratory course was developed to provide an authentic research experience in environmental chemistry. First- and second-year students learned general chemistry concepts and laboratory skills in the context of snow chemistry while participating in the course-based undergraduate research experience. Students were guided through all steps of the research process, including research question development, data collection and processing, interpretation of results in the context of scientific literature, and both written and oral presentations. A key component of the course was an individual laboratory experiment in which snow samples from the Arctic were analyzed for pH and ion content. Assessment of the course via pre- and postcourse surveys indicated that students, the majority of whom were women, experienced greater gains in confidence of research skills and general attitudes toward chemistry as compared to the traditional general chemistry laboratory course. This course r...
Personalizing Affective Stimuli Using a Recommender Algorithm: An Example with Threatening Words for Trauma Exposed Populations

Experimental paradigms used in affective and clinical science often use stimuli such as images, scenarios, videos, or words to elicit emotional responses in study participants. Choosing appropriate stimuli that are highly evocative is essential to the study of emotional processes in both healthy and clinical populations. Selecting one set of stimuli that will be relevant for all subjects can be challenging because not every person responds the same way to a given stimulus. Machine learning can facilitate the personalization of such stimuli. The current study applied a novel statistical approach called a recommender algorithm to the selection of highly threatening words for a trauma-exposed population (N = 837). Participants rated 513 threatening words, and we trained a user-user collaborative filtering recommender algorithm. The algorithm uses similarities between individuals to predict ratings for unrated words. We compared threat ratings for algorithm-based word selection to a random word set, a word set previously used in research, and trauma-specific word sets. Algorithm-selected personalized words were more threatening compared to non-personalized words with large effects (ds = 2.10-2.92). Recommender algorithms can automate the personalization of stimuli from a large pool of possible stimuli to maximize emotional reactivity in research paradigms. These methods also hold potential for the personalization of behavioral treatments administered remotely where a provider is not available to tailor an intervention to the individual. The word personalization algorithm is available for use online (https://threat-word-predictor.herokuapp.com/).
From research to policy: expedited partner therapy for Chlamydia.

Research is critical to the development of public policy as it relates to the need for expedited therapy for the partners of patients with a sexually transmitted disease. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Monitoring activation of ribonuclease L by 2',5'-oligoadenylates using purified recombinant enzyme and intact malignant glioma cells.

A wide range of methods have been developed to study RNase L activation in cell-free systems and in intact cells. Many of the original methods were developed in the laboratory of I. Kerr in the early 1980s (e.g., see Knight et al.). Additional methods described in this article were developed or adapted from research in other fields after the cloning of RNase L and the appreciation of its role in apoptosis. These methods provide the basic techniques needed to induce RNase L activation in vitro and to measure some of its biological effects in living mammalian cells.
Leadership in American Surgery: Women are Rising to the Top.

Objective:To celebrate the increasing representation of women as leaders in American surgery and provide suggestions for increasing diversity in leadership.Background:Women were barred from entering the practice of medicine or surgery until the mid 1800's when Elizabeth Blackwell led the way as the
Pseudocryptic species of the Middle Cambrian trilobite Eodiscus Hartt, in Walcott, 1884, from Avalonian and Laurentian Newfoundland

Two species of the Middle Cambrian trilobite Eodiscus Hartt, in Walcott, 1884, E. punctatus (Salter, 1864) and E. scanicus (Linnarsson, 1883), have been reported from several paleocontinents. Howev...
Women’s Shoes

The chapter begins with a discussion of “shoe obsession” in women. An image is described that shows a woman in a shoe store with dozens of different shoes on the floor, suggesting she is having difficulty in finding a shoe she likes and reflecting the anxiety women often feel when it comes to purchasing shoes. This is followed by a discussion of the erotic nature of the foot and of the shoe and of the role shoes play in folklore. In the story of Cinderella, it is the size of her foot, which fits into her glass slipper that the prince has (which she left at a ball), that is of crucial importance.
Enhanced recovery in liver surgery decreases postoperative outpatient use of opioids.

Abstract Background Pathways of enhanced recovery in liver surgery decrease inpatient opioid use; however, little data exist regarding their effect on discharge prescriptions and post-discharge opioid intake. Methods For consecutive patients undergoing liver resection from 2011–2018, clinicopathologic factors were compared between patients exposed to enhanced recovery vs. traditional care pathways. Multivariable analysis was used to determine factors predictive for traditional opioid use at the first postoperative follow-up. The enhanced recovery in liver surgery protocol included opioid-sparing analgesia, goal-directed fluid therapy, early postoperative feeding, and early ambulation. Results Of 244 cases, 147 enhanced recovery patients were compared with 97 traditional pathway patients. Enhanced recovery patients were older (median 57 years vs 52 years, P = .031) and more frequently had minimally invasive operations (37% vs 16%, P Conclusion The implementation of an enhanced recovery in liver surgery pathway with opioid-sparing techniques was associated with decreased postoperative discharge prescriptions for opioids and outpatient opioid use after oncologic liver surgery, while achieving the same level of pain control. For this and other populations at risk of persistent opioid use, enhanced recovery strategies can eliminate excess availability of opioids.
Real and accrual-based earnings management in the pre- and post- engagement partner signature requirement periods in the United Kingdom

In order to address the concern about whether the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s recent requirement to disclose an EP’s name in the United States (US) may cause unwanted consequences such as an increase in real earnings management (EM), I investigate the effect of requiring an engagement partner (EP) to sign audit reports on real and accrual-based earnings management in the United Kingdom, a comparable test environment. I measure accrual-based earnings management as the signed abnormal discretionary accruals and real earnings management as abnormally low levels of operating cash flows and discretionary expenses, as well as abnormally excessive production. I do not find a significant change in the usage of accrual-based and/or real earnings management for firm-years suspected of beating/meeting the zero, last-year, or analyst forecast consensus earnings threshold from the pre- to post-signature period. The results are robust to alternative proxies for EM and the control sample approach. My results mitigate the concern that managers may resort to more economically costly real earnings management following the mandatory disclosure of an EP’s name in the US.
The α7 nicotinic receptor silent agonist R-47 prevents and reverses paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy in mice without tolerance or altering nicotine reward and withdrawal

Abstract Various antitumor drugs, including paclitaxel, frequently cause chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) that can be sustained even after therapy has been completed. The current work was designed to evaluate R-47, an α7 nAChR silent agonist, in our mouse model of CIPN. R-47 was administered to male C57BL/6J mice prior to and during paclitaxel treatment. Additionally, we tested if R-47 would alter nicotine's reward and withdrawal effects. The H460 and A549 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines were exposed to R-47 for 24–72 h, and tumor-bearing NSG mice received R-47 prior to and during paclitaxel treatment. R-47 prevents and reverses paclitaxel-induced mechanical hypersensitivity in mice in an α7 nAChR-dependent manner. No tolerance develops following repeated administration of R-47, and the drug lacks intrinsic rewarding effects. Additionally, R-47 neither changes the rewarding effect of nicotine in the Conditioned Place Preference test nor enhances mecamylamine-precipitated withdrawal. Furthermore, R-47 prevents paclitaxel-mediated loss of intraepidermal nerve fibers and morphological alterations of microglia in the spinal cord. Moreover, R-47 does not increase NSCLC cell viability, colony formation, or proliferation, and does not interfere with paclitaxel-induced growth arrest, DNA fragmentation, or apoptosis. Most importantly, R-47 does not increase the growth of A549 tumors or interfere with the antitumor activity of paclitaxel in tumor-bearing mice. These studies suggest that R-47 could be a viable and efficacious approach for the prevention and treatment of CIPN that would not interfere with the antitumor activity of paclitaxel or promote lung tumor growth.