cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Normal villous architecture with increased intraepithelial lymphocytes: a duodenal manifestation of Crohn disease.

Objectives To assess a possible association between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and the histologic finding in duodenal biopsy specimens of increased intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) with normal villous architecture. Methods We identified all patients with duodenal biopsy specimens obtained between 2000 and 2010 showing increased IELs and normal architecture. Among the 74 such patients who also had IBD, we characterized the clinical features of IBD and reviewed all available upper gastrointestinal biopsy specimens. Results Fifty-eight patients had Crohn disease, 13 had ulcerative colitis, and three had IBD, type unclassified. No duodenal sample with increased IELs had other histologic features of IBD. Among gastric biopsy specimens from 34 patients with Crohn disease, nearly half (16) had focal gastritis. Conclusions We propose that Crohn disease be included in the differential diagnosis for increased IELs with normal villous architecture in duodenal biopsy specimens, particularly when gastric biopsy specimens show focal gastritis.
Analysis of a magnetically suspended, high-performance instrument pointing system

This paper describes a highly accurate auxiliary instrument pointing system which can provide fine pointing for a variety of solar-, stellar-, and Earth-viewing scientific instruments during extended space shuttle orbital missions. This system, called the Annular Suspension and Pointing System (ASPS), consists of pointing assemblies for coarse and vernier pointing. The 'coarse' assembly is attached to the spacecraft (e.g., the space shuttle) and consists of an elevation gimbal and a lateral gimbal to provide coarse pointing. The vernier pointing assembly consists of the payload instrument mounted on a plate around which is attached a continuous annular rim. The vernier assembly is suspended in the lateral gimbal using magnetic actuators which provide rim suspension forces and fine pointing torques. A detailed linearized mathematical model is developed for the ASPS/space shuttle system, and control laws and payload attitude state estimators are designed. Statistical pointing performance is predicted in the presence of stochastic disturbances such as crew motion, sensor noise, and actuator noise.
Use of information systems as management tools in health care

Information systems that can be used as effective management tools in healthcare do not exist. This is because current information systems do not accurately reflect reality and because they do not provide information to important end-users, i.e., clinicians. To reflect reality, healthcare information systems must assess total health care costs. These not only include the direct economic costs (dollars paid) but also the indirect economic costs (dollars lost, spent, or saved) from having a person ill. These systems must also accurately assess the adjusted, qualitative costs of human life and human pain and suffering resulting from the illness and healthcare provided. Once information systems reflect reality, they can be used to manage healthcare by profiling utilization, projecting need, modeling programs, assessing quality of care and establishing guidelines.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Intrahippocampal injections of gallamine impair learning of a memory task.

Recent evidence has suggested that gallamine may act as an antagonist on presynaptic M2 muscarinic receptors which regulate acetylcholine release. The possibility that gallamine may potentiate learning by enhancing the release of acetylcholine was examined using a behavioral paradigm known to depend on cholinergic activity. Rats were cannulated bilaterally for intrahippocampal (i.h.) injections and adapted to a T-maze before the series of injections was initiated. The effects of bilateral i.h. injections of saline or gallamine (10 micrograms total) were examined on the learning of a win-stay, paired-run task in a T-maze. During the first few sessions, both saline- and gallamine-treated animals achieved below 50% correct responses. Both groups of animals gradually improved performance on the task although, contrary to expectations, gallamine-treated animals did not learn as rapidly as saline-injected animals. To verify the deleterious effects of gallamine on learning, the experiment was repeated using a second group of rats. Similar results were observed; gallamine-treated animals learned to perform the task at a slower rate than the saline-injected controls. The results suggest that treatment strategies with cholinomimetics may impair, rather than enhance performance after long-term administrations.
Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms: Does a family history of pancreatic cancer matter?

Abstract Background/Objectives The purpose of this study is to compare surgically resected intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) in patients with and without a family history of pancreatic cancer to gain insight into differences that may suggest the need for differential management. Methods A retrospective review of patients who underwent resection of an IPMN at the Massachusetts General Hospital (1990–2011) was conducted. Three hundred and twenty-four patients of whom 45 (13.9%) had a family history of pancreatic cancer were identified. Patients with (PFH) and without (NFH) a family history of pancreatic cancer were compared. Results There were no differences in demographic characteristics between groups. Extra-pancreatic malignancies diagnosed prior to the IPMN were more common in those with a PFH (35.6% vs 20.1%, p = 0.03). There were no differences in IPMN characteristics between groups including no difference in the presence of invasive disease ( p = 0.55). Concurrent pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas were more common in those with a PFH (11.1% vs 2.9%, p = 0.02). The survival in the PFH group was marginally lower than the NFH group, a difference found to be attributable to the higher prevalence of extra-pancreatic malignancies. Conclusion Characteristics of surgically resected IPMNs are not different between patients with and without a family history of pancreatic cancer. Most importantly, the incidence of invasive disease is not different, suggesting that these lesions may not be more aggressive when they occur in the presence of a family history of pancreatic cancer.
Single-user sparse channel acquisition in multiuser DS-CDMA systems

Single-user channel estimation in multiuser DS-CDMA systems for the case of sparse channels with large delay spreads is addressed. In addition, practical pulse shapes are considered. In sparse channels, the efficient way to estimate the parameters is to estimate the continuous delays of each path, instead of using the typical discrete tapped delay-line model. Due to the facts that the desired delays are not drawn from a simple finite set and that band-limited pulse shapes are employed, the resulting methods require numerical optimization techniques. To facilitate estimation, it is proposed to optimize the spreading code employed during the training, or estimation, phase. The optimal single-path spreading code is derived and extended for estimation in the multipath scenario. Both single-path and multipath channel estimation are considered. The proposed algorithms are evaluated through simulation and via the determination of the Cramer-Rao lower bound on the estimation variance. Analytical approximations of key performance measures are also derived and are seen to be tight for a variety of scenarios.
A simple tunable method for Profile Control - Least-squares configuration

For multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) process control, when inputs and outputs are equal in number, a widely adopted scheme in practice is to first decouple the process using a low-frequency square pre-compensator, and then ‘tune’ the decoupled loops as single control loops. Within the MIMO class, there are also problems having more process variables to be controlled than the available control inputs. This is referred to as the Profile Control (PC) problem. For PC problems, pre-compensation decoupling cannot apply. Applicable methods for PC include Receding-Horizon based real-time optimization and Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) based mode-decoupling configuration. We describe in this paper a simple alternative, the least-squares (LS) configuration, which employs an intuitive post-compensator, and retains the easy-to-tune decoupling control feature. Under mild conditions, we show convergence of this scheme to the steady-state LS solution. We also discuss its robustness against output disturbances, and its flexibility to accommodate actuator range limitations.
A subspace rotation-based technique for estimating 2-D arrival angles using nonlinear array configurations

This paper presents a subspace rotation based method to estimate 2-D direction-of-arrival (DOA) angles of narrowband signals radiated by far-field sources using planar and volume arrays. The new approach automatically pairs 2-D DOA angles by computing them directly from the normalized eigenvectors of a newly derived signal space matrix (SSM). This eliminates the constraint on subarray spacing and the need for a search procedure. Other advantages include adjustability in the accuracy of the DOA angles and maximum detectability of the master array. >
Glycogen content and release of glucose from red blood cells of the sipunculan worm Themiste dyscrita

SUMMARY The coelomic red blood cells, or haemocytes, of the sipunculan worm Themiste dyscrita (Fisher, 1952) were found to contain high concentrations of glycogen: the haemocytes accounted for approximately 56 % of the total glycogen in the organism. Haemocytes, incubated in a glucose-free medium in vitro, released D-glucose into the medium. At 10°C and at a physiological haematocrit, the concentration in the initially glucose-free medium reached physiological plasma levels of D-glucose (0 27 mmoll" 1 ) in about 3h. The cells continued to release D-glucose and the medium concentration reached about 0 - 65 mmol I" 1 after 24 h. Cells resuspended in plasma also released D-glucose to produce medium concentrations that also appeared to exceed physiological levels. Kinetic analysis of membrane transport of D-glucose suggested that membrane transfer was not the rate-limiting step in this release. Mammalian insulin, epinephrine and glucagon were not effective in influencing D-glucose release. No reduction in the medium concentration of D-glucose could be detected when haemocytes were incubated in 2 mmol I" 1 D-glucose in plasma or sea water. The results suggest that the haemocyte is involved in the glucose regulation of the organism, although the regulatory mechanism(s) remains to be elucidated. Furthermore, the results suggest that, in addition to its function in oxygen transport, the red blood cell is the principal storage tissue for glycogen in this organism.
Long-Term follow-up in patients with incessant ventricular tachycardia

Abstract Seventeen patients with coronary artery disease, idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy or no organic heart disease who presented with incessant ventricular tachycardia (VT) were studied and followed for a mean period of 51 ± 35 months. In these patients the incessant VT included ≥3 episodes of sustained VT at a rate of ≥120 beats/min and frequent episodes of nonsustained VT over a 24-hour period. No patient had electrolyte disorder, prolonged QT interval, drug-induced arrhythmia or myocardial infarction
Splanchnic Amino Acid and Glucose Metabolism During Amino Acid Infusion in Dogs

With the organ-balance technique, we studied amino acid and glucose metabolism by hepatic and extrahepatic splanchnic tissues in awake dogs in the postabsorptive state and during a 3-h intravenous amino acid infusion. Dogs received a high (1.4 g/kg body wt, n = 5) or low (0.7 g/kg body wt, n = 8) dose of amino acids. In four of the latter dogs, the dose was delivered into a mesenteric vein. During the basal period there was a net removal of gluconeogenic amino acids (particularly alanine), but not branched-chain amino acids, and a net production of glucose by the liver in all dogs. During this time there was a net removal of glucose and production of alanine by the extrahepatic splanchnic tissues. During either high- or low-dose amino acid infusion, net hepatic glucose release increased; despite this, arterial plasma glucose declined due to an increase in tissue glucose uptake at extrasplanchnic sites. The net amount of glucogenic amino acids removed by the liver during high-dose (9.1 ± 1.0 mmol · kg−1 · 3 h−1) and low-dose (4.8 ± 0.6 mmol · kg−1 · 3 h−1) infusion equaled or exceeded the infused load of these amino acids. In addition, the liver contributed to the net disposal of branched-chain amino acids during high-dose (536 ± 147 μmol · kg−1 · 3 h−1) and low-dose (341 ± 70 μmol · kg−1 · 3 h−1) infusion. During high-dose infusion, extrahepatic splanchnic tissues participated in the net removal of branched-chain amino acids (436 ± 162 ¼mol · kg−1 · 3 h−1) but not glucogenic amino acids, and net alanine production continued (410 ± 91 μmol · kg−1 · 3 h−1). The route (peripheral or mesenteric) did not appear to influence the subsequent disposal of the amino acid load. We conclude that during intravenous amino acid administration in the dog, the splanchnic bed is the major site of net amino acid disposal. The liver contributes to the net disposal of both glucogenic and branched-chain amino acids, whereas extrahepatic splanchnic tissue contributes to the net disposal of only the branched-chain amino acids. Overall, only 10–15% of the total infused amino acids was removed by extrasplanchnic (peripheral) sites, despite increased concentrations of plasma amino acids and elevated plasma insulin concentrations. These tissues may replete nitrogen stores during feeding by mechanisms other than removal of circulating amino acids.
Protestant relational ideology and (in)attention to relational cues in work settings

M. Weber (1947) proposed that exposure to Calvinist Protestantism is associated with limited attention to relational concerns in work settings. Two experiments provide support for this proposition. Study 1 showed that Protestant European Americans raised in traditions of Calvinism were less attentive to affect in spoken words when primed with a work context relative to a nonwork context, and to participants raised as Catholics in either context. Study 2 used an unconscious mimicry paradigm to measure relational focus and showed that within a work setting, male Protestants mimicked a confederate’s foot shaking less than male non-Protestants and women in either group. Within a nonwork setting, male Protestants mimicked more and did not differ from male non-Protestants. Women showed greater mimicry than men. [For the Protestant,] the world is split between the machine and the suburban garden, producing and consuming. No intimacy, affection, brotherhood, or rootedness is supposed to sully the world of work. —Hampden-Turner and Trompenaars (1993, p. 133)
Listening to Our Students: An Exploratory Practice Study of ESL Writing Students' Views of Feedback

This exploratory practice research is a collaborative effort by five university ESL instructors to investigate how students in their program's advanced writing course view, respond to, and make meaning of the feedback they receive. Through semistructured interviews with focus groups, this research aims to provide students with a forum to express their perceptions, opinions, and insights. The teacher-researchers found that participants' relationship with feedback consisted of a set of interactions with the comments and text on the writing assignment itself, with classmates during peer review, and with the instructor during personal communication. Through examining these interactions, the teacher-researchers found that student views of feedback were often driven by an emotional response that was heavily influenced by grades and the teacher's written comments. Students had mixed, and often negative, reactions to receiving feedback from peers, but they spoke positively of their one-on-one interactions with their instructors. In response to their findings, the teacher-researchers reflect on their own practice and pose questions to the field at large. They conclude by urging other teachers and administrators to create more space for students to voice their views and insights.
Family of site-selective molecular optical switches.

We describe the design, synthesis, and characterization of a family of thiol-reactive optical switches for labeling proteins and other biomolecules. Site-selective introduction of photochromic probes within biomolecules is being used as part of a new approach for optical control of biomolecular interactions and activities within cells. The thiol-reactive photochromic probes described in this report include a spironaphthoxazine and five spirobenzopyrans. The location of the thiol-reactive group on the spirobenzopyran is different for each probe; this feature can be used to control the geometry of the optical switch within a bioconjugate. The photochromes undergo rapid and reversible, optically driven transitions between a colorless spiro (SP) state and a brightly colored merocyanine (MC) state. The MC absorption of a spironaphthoxazine conjugate is red shifted by more than 100 nm compared to the equivalent spirobenzopyran, which may be exploited for the independent control of the MC to SP transition for up to two different spironaphthoxazine and spirobenzopyran conjugates within the same sample.
ORGANIZATION AND NATURE OF WORLD DAIRY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH CENTERS.

Summary Dairy science and technology research centers and units in FAO member countries are not as numerous as dairy educational centers and are concentrated in about 25 of the 108 FAO member countries surveyed, perhaps reflecting in developing countries the idiom that first things must come first. In this instance, students must come before scientists. A trend is apparent which indicates that interest in developing dairy science and technology research centers in various world areas, except possibly in Latin America, is strong, a trend which, however, may be arrested by the growing shortages of qualified staff in this field. Apparently, there is no shortage of dairy research problems; there is only a shortage of trained personnel to cope with them. One urgent obvious requirement for establishing new dairy science and technology research centers and for improving old centers is to entice qualified basic area scientists from chemistry, biochemistry, physics, and nutrition into the professional dairy research field and to encourage more capable young men to seek the dairy science educational opportunities which abound at universities and teaching institutes.
Genome-Wide Linkage Scan Identifies a Novel Genetic Locus on Chromosome 5p13 for Neonatal Atrial Fibrillation Associated With Sudden Death and Variable Cardiomyopathy

Background— Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, and patients with AF have a significantly increased risk for ischemic stroke. Approximately 15% of all strokes are caused by AF. The molecular basis and underlying mechanisms and pathophysiology of AF remain largely unknown. Methods and Results— We have identified a large AF family with an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. The AF in the family manifests with early onset at the fetal stage and is associated with neonatal sudden death and, in some cases, ventricular tachyarrhythmias and waxing and waning cardiomyopathy. Genome-wide linkage analysis was performed for 36 family members and generated a 2-point logarithm of the odds (LOD) score of 3.05 for marker D5S455. The maximum multipoint LOD score of 4.10 was obtained for 4 markers: D5S426, D5S493, D5S455, and D5S1998. Heterozygous carriers have significant prolongation of P-wave duration on ECGs compared with noncarriers (107 versus 85 ms on average; P=0.000012),...
Local field potential spectral tuning in motor cortex during reaching

In this paper, intracortical local field potentials (LFPs) and single units were recorded from the motor cortices of monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) while they preformed a standard three-dimensional (3-D) center-out reaching task. During the center-out task, the subjects held their hands at the location of a central target and then reached to one of eight peripheral targets forming the corners of a virtual cube. The spectral amplitudes of the recorded LFPs were calculated, with the high-frequency LFP (HF-LFP) defined as the average spectral amplitude change from baseline from 60 to 200 Hz. A 3-D linear regression across the eight center-out targets revealed that approximately 6% of the beta LFPs (18-26 Hz) and 18% of the HF-LFPs were tuned for velocity (p-value <0.05), while 10% of the beta LFPs and 15% of the HF-LFPs were tuned for position. These results suggest that a multidegree-of-freedom brain-machine interface is possible using high-frequency LFP recordings in motor cortex.
Is There Anything "New" in Management?

Two books separated by 36 years between publication dates, and both titled "The New Management," are examined in this paper. The authors present the conventional wisdom of management in 1938 and compare it with the "New Management" of 1974. The question the authors seek to answer is the title of this paper, "Is There Anything `New' in Management?" By comparing the two periods, the authors conclude: (1) that the problems facing management have remained essentially the same; (2) that there have been a refinement of techniques and further extensions of knowledge in the field of management; but (3) that there is really very little that can be called "new."
Use of Severity Scoring and Stratification Factors in Clinical Trials of Hospital-Acquired and Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia

Clinical studies of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) enroll patients with a very wide spectrum of disease, in part, related to the patient and/or host, the causative pathogen, and the severity of the pulmonary disease, severity of illness, and other comorbidities. Studies have identified the presence of some baseline variables (eg, Acute Physiologic Assessment and Chronic Health Evaluation II score <or= 20 or absence of comorbidities) as independent predictors of survival. Incorporation of severity scoring and risk adjustment in clinical trials of HAP and VAP may be a significant advancement because it has been noted that all-cause mortality varies widely on the basis of a number of these factors. In this article, we review the use of severity scoring and risk stratification factors, including time of onset, severity of disease, scoring systems, underlying disease and comorbidities, and effects of prior antibiotic therapy (including impact on treatment effect) in clinical trials of HAP and/or VAP.
Using the experiential learning model to transform an engineering thermodynamics course

Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) has long been committed to experiential learning within its undergraduate engineering programs. With one of the oldest cooperative education programs in the country, RIT firmly believes in learning through doing. This paper describes how an experiential learning model is also incorporated within the classroom in order to improve student learning within a thermodynamics course. The experiential learning model can be applied while designing a course to ensure that planned activities give full value to each stage of the process. The methodology is based on an existing educational model which includes four basic stages; active experiences, reflective observations, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. Traditionally, a course in thermodynamics is taught in a lecture style which addresses the conceptual phase of the experiential learning model. In this paper, discussions and specific details are presented on how an experiential learning model is used in order to transform an existing thermodynamics course. Preliminary assessment results based on course-end student feedback are included which indicate a high level of perceived learning in the course.
A Modified Simulated Annealing Algorithm for Optimal Capacity Allocation in Make-to-Order Job-Shops

This paper presents a new capacity allocation method to support decisions in the design or redesign of a make-to-order job-shop with stochastic orders and processing times. The solutions for capacity allocation can be adding/removing machines or work shifts at every work stations. A bi-criteria objective function comprising fixed costs and tardiness penalty is used to evaluate each solution. A simulation model is applied to compute the objective function iteratively in a modified simulated annealing procedure until a feasible and profitable solution is generated. Bottleneck analysis is used as guidance for the neighborhood-generation in the modified simulated annealing procedure in order to accelerate convergence. Consequently, the run time of the procedure is short enough for practical use. Different problems were tested. Solutions from the proposed method were compared to those from the classical simulated annealing and the comparison showed relatively positive results.
Effect of electrolytes on the rate of inactivation of bacteriophage during precipitation.

In view of the ease with which the bacteriophage principle is adsorbed, it is in the majority of instances carried down in the sediment when lytic filtrates are caused to precipitate. In certain cases the lytic agent remains active in the sediment and can be recovered by solution of the latter, and in other cases after adsorption it becomes inactive.For instance, if lytic filtrate, as ordinarily prepared, is precipitated by an excess of acetone, the bacteriophage can be recovered from the precipitate. However, if the NaCl concentration of the filtrate is increased to 1 per cent or over, 99 per cent of the phage is lost within a short time after the addition of acetone. The inactivating effect of salts with divalent cations is even more pronounced, and in certain instances, even 0.05 molar concentration of salt produces rapid and complete inactivation of lytic agent, when acetone is added. If salts with monovalent and divalent cations are mixed in suitable proportions, they antagonize one another in produc...
Industrial Concentration, Country Size, and Trade Union Membership

In his article, “Union Organization in Advanced Industrial Democracies” in the June 1989 issue of the Review, Michael Wallerstein advocated a model to account for cross-national differences in trade union organization rates. He argued that the size of the labor force provided the most important determinant of variation in union density. In this controversy, John Stephens takes issue with the operationalization of a key variable in Wallerstein's model—industrial infrastructure. Stephens reanalyzes the data using an alternative measure of this variable. His reanalysis supports his claim that in fact, the two variables yield results that are statistically indistinguishable. Wallerstein responds.
A difference equation approach to developing tree profile equations

A second-order constant-coefficient nonhomogeneous difference equation is presented as a template for deriving a model form to predict above breast height tree stem profiles. Comparative analysis o...
Comparative analysis of an IncR plasmid carrying armA, blaDHA-1 and qnrB4 from Klebsiella pneumoniae ST37 isolates

Objectives The objective of this study was to conduct a comparative analysis with reported IncR plasmids of a Klebsiella pneumoniae IncR plasmid carrying an MDR region. Methods MDR K. pneumoniae isolates were serially identified from two inpatients at a hospital in the USA in 2014. MDR plasmid pYDC676 was fully sequenced, annotated and compared with related plasmids. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, PFGE and MLST were also conducted. Results The K. pneumoniae isolates were identical by PFGE, belonged to ST37 and harboured an identical ∼50 kb IncR plasmid (pYDC676). pYDC676 possessed the backbone and multi-IS loci closely related to IncR plasmids reported from aquatic bacteria, as well as animal and human K. pneumoniae strains, and carried an MDR region consisting of armA, blaDHA-1 and qnrB4, a combination that has been reported in IncR plasmids from K. pneumoniae ST11 strains in Europe and Asia. A plasmid with the identical IncR backbone and a similar MDR region containing blaDHA-1 and qnrB4 has also been reported in ST37 strains from Europe, suggesting potential dissemination of this lineage of IncR plasmids in K. pneumoniae ST37. Conclusions K. pneumoniae ST37 strains with an MDR IncR plasmid carrying armA, blaDHA-1 and qnrB4 were identified in a hospital in the USA, where these resistance genes remain rare. The IncR backbone may play a role in the global dissemination of these resistance genes.
Risk Factors for Injury in Pediatric and Adolescent Sports

Analysis of sports injury risk factors in child and adolescent sport has produced a number of significant injury predictors including age, balance, body size, maturity status, gender (specific to sport and type of injury), previous injury, stressful life events, rules regarding body-checking in ice hockey, volume of training, and fatigue. There is also preliminary evidence that the growth spurt is associated with an increased risk of injury and that menstrual irregularity and low-energy availability may relate to increased risk of injury in younger adolescents. However, results of risk factor analyses in child and adolescent sports may suffer from one or more methodological limitations and therefore should be interpreted cautiously. Risk factors identified should be viewed as initial steps in the important search for predictor variables and may provide interesting characteristics for manipulation in other experimental designs.
Adolescent Social Stress Produces an Enduring Activation of the Rat Locus Coeruleus and Alters its Coherence with the Prefrontal Cortex

Early life stress is associated with the development of psychiatric disorders. Because the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) system is a major stress-response system that is implicated in psychopathology, developmental differences in the response of this system to stress may contribute to increased vulnerability. Here LC single unit and network activity were compared between adult and adolescent rats during resident-intruder stress. In some rats, LC and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) coherence was quantified. The initial stress tonically activated LC neurons and induced theta oscillations, while simultaneously decreasing LC auditory-evoked responses in both age groups. Stress increased LC-mPFC coherence within the theta range. With repeated exposures, adolescent LC neuronal and network activity remained elevated even in the absence of the stressor and were unresponsive to stressor presentation. In contrast, LC neurons of adult rats exposed to repeated social stress were relatively inhibited in the absence of the stressor and mounted robust responses upon stressor presentation. LC sensory-evoked responses were selectively blunted in adolescent rats exposed to repeated social stress. Finally, repeated stress decreased LC-mPFC coherence in the high frequency range (beta and gamma) while maintaining strong coherence in the theta range, selectively in adolescents. Together, these results suggest that adaptive mechanisms that promote stress recovery and maintain basal activity of the brain norepinephrine system in the absence of stress are not fully developed or are vulnerable stress-induced impairments in adolescence. The resulting sustained activation of the LC-NE system after repeated social stress may adversely impact cognition and future social behavior of adolescents.
High-resolution seismic monitoring of instrumented buildings using a model-based state observer

Summary This paper proposes a model-based state observer to perform high-definition response estimation in partially instrumented building structures. The proposed estimator is verified in a simulated five-story shear-building structure and validated using measurements from a seven-story reinforced concrete building slice tested at the NEES-University of California at San Diego shake table. In both cases the proposed estimator yielded satisfactory results by estimating the time history of shear forces, bending moments, displacements, and strains at various points/sections of interest. The proposed algorithm can be used in instrumented buildings for various practical applications such as post-earthquake damage assessment, structural control, and building code calibration. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Congruence and the Penultimate Postulate

It is time to launch into a discussion of congruence for triangles. This turns out to be not as trivial as one might suppose. The standard conventions are somewhat misleading. There are many comments to make about the next two definitions.
A secure framework for sharing Electronic Health Records over Clouds

Healthcare providers widely use Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems due to their benefits. Shareability of EHRs among different healthcare providers has become a point of interest, and Cloud Computing offers the best platform for such a sharing service due to its scalability and availability. Cloud Computing can offer an on-demand reliable service for healthcare providers to retrieve EHRs from remote providers regardless of geographic location, time difference or working hours. However, privacy and security of stored medical data in Cloud Computing environments pose serious problems. Over the past few years, research has been done to develop access control mechanisms and security techniques for such sharing systems. In this paper, previous related work is reviewed with a focus on the security challenges associated with sharing EHRs. A framework is proposed which allows secure sharing of EHRs over the Cloud among different healthcare providers. The framework ensures the confidentiality, integrity, authenticity, availability and auditability of EHRs.
A role of Ti-Sn diffusion layer formed at the interface between Pb free solder and TiNiAu multilayer

The intermetallic compounds such as a nickel-tin (Ni-Sn) layer are formed at the interface between a solder and a backside electrode composed of a titanium/nickel/gold (Ti/Ni/Au) multilayer for power devices. In this study, a Pb-free solder was compared with a Pb-based solder and investigated the adhesion properties and the interfacial microstructures between the solders and the Ti/Ni/Au multilayers for the power device reliability. In the case of the Pb-based solder, the Ni-Sn layer existed at the Ti layer interface after a reflow soldering process. However, the Ni-Sn layer was separated from the Ti layer after a thermal shock test, and the device was peeled off between the solder and the Ti layer by a pull method. There was no diffusion layer at the interface between the Ti layer and the solder. In the case of the Pb-free solder, the Ni-Sn layer separated from the Ti layer after a Pb-free reflow soldering process. Contrary to our expectation, the device was not peeled off at any interfaces but cracked in the silicon (Si) die even after the thermal shock test. By transmission electron microscope (TEM) observation, the existence of a Ti-Sn layer was confirmed at the interface between the Ti layer and the Pb-free solder. As a result, the Ti-Sn layer was closely related to adhesion properties.
Abstract 3252: LGR5 suppresses colon cancer metastasis

Metastasis is the major cause of death for patients with solid tumors, mainly due to the lack of effective therapies once metastases begin to form. Further research into the mechanism of metastasis is therefore essential in order to have a better understanding of this process and eventually develop more efficient cancer therapies to prevent or treat metastasis. LGR5 is a leucin-rich G protein coupled receptor and a Wnt target gene. It marks the proliferating adult stem cells in the small intestine and has been shown to play an important role in the maintenance of intestine stem cell proliferation by enhancing the canonical Wnt signaling. It is overexpressed in human colorectal, ovary and liver tumors due to the inappropriate activation of Wnt signaling at the onset of those diseases. Recent studies are conflicting regarding the functional role of LGR5 in colon cancer initiation. However, its role in colon cancer progression and metastasis has not been studied. Analysis of copy number variation (CNV) of LGR5 from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database revealed that CNV loss of LGR5 is enriched in late stage colon cancer (stage III and IV) with high lymph node spread and/or distant metastasis and in patients with recurrence whereas CNV gain is enriched in early stage disease with no regional or distant metastasis. These results suggest that LGR5 expression may increase during the onset of colon tumorigenesis and decrease thereafter during tumor progression. Functional studies showed that knockdown of LGR5 expression in colon cancer cells increased their clonogenecity, survival capacity and motility in vitro and metastatic dissemination to the liver and lungs in an orthotopic model in vivo. Our results demonstrate that LGR5 functions as a suppressor of colon cancer metastasis and that reduction of LGR5 expression contributes to colon cancer progression and metastasis. Citation Format: Xiaolin Zhou, Jing Jenny Wang. LGR5 suppresses colon cancer metastasis. [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 3252. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-3252
Actualizing students' prior knowledge in engineering education

This research aims to mitigate the inhibiting factors that prevent faculty and students from excelling in their roles in engineering education. The approach focuses on the identification and subsequent usage of “prior knowledge” one accumulates perpetually with the passage of time. The approach is expected to help students and faculty alike to share their under-utilized knowledge bank in a structured manner and correlate it with the subject matter under study. Such an analogical-bridging triggers a thinking process that facilitates transfer and learning of new knowledge through mechanisms of assimilation and accommodation. The concept of analogical-bridging has been explained with examples that can be bench marked for variety of subjects. Application of this approach to diverse academic disciplines indicates suitability and effectiveness of the concept, and is expected to produce desired results in improving general understanding of the discipline among students. As such, the approach is deemed to be cost-effective, and complements the existing instructional and educational approaches. It therefore merits consideration for adoption.
Abstract P232: Screening Past B-Type Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) Values to Identify Candidates for Treatment of Systolic Dysfunction

Background: BNP testing is now common though it is not clear if the test results are used to improve patient care. A high BNP may be an indicator that the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is low ( Objective: To determine how often clinicians obtained a measure of LVEF (echocardiography, nuclear) following a high BNP value when the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was not known to be low ( Methods and Results: We reviewed the medical records of 296 consecutive patients (inpatient or outpatient) with a BNP values of at least 200 pg/ml at a single medical center (tertiary hospital with 8 community clinics). A prior diagnosis of heart failure was made in 65%, while 42% had diabetes, 79% had hypertension, 59% had ischemic heart disease and 31% had chronic lung disease. The mean age was 73 ± 12 years, 75% were white, 10% black, 15% other and the mean BNP was 810 ± 814 pg/ml. The LVEF was known to be =40% ( mean BNP value of 673 ± 635 pg/ml), and 51 (24%) had no prior LVEF documented (mean BNP 775 ± 926 pg/ml). Following the high BNP, a measure of LVEF was obtained (including outside studies documented by the primary care provider) within 6 months in only 53% (113 of 212) of those with an LVEF not known to be low. Of those with a follow-up echocardiogram, the LVEF was =40% in 95/113 (84%). There was no significant difference in mean initial BNP values between those with a follow-up LVEF =40% (704 ± 737 pg/ml), or not done (661 ± 649 pg/ml, p=0.5). Conclusions: Follow-up measures of LVEF did not occur in almost 50% of patients with a high BNP where the information may have led to institution of life-prolonging therapy. Of those that did have a follow-up study a new diagnosis of depressesd LVEF was noted in 16%. Screening of existing BNP and LVEF data and may be an efficient strategy to identify patients that may benefit from life-prolonging therapy for heart failure.
Cosilencing Intestinal Transglutaminase-2 and Interleukin-15 Using Gelatin-Based Nanoparticles in an in Vitro Model of Celiac Disease.

In this study, we have developed a type B gelatin nanoparticle based siRNA delivery system for silencing of intestinal transglutaminase-2 (TG2) and interleukin-15 (IL-15) genes in cultured human intestinal epithelial cells (Caco-2) and murine alveolar macrophage cells (J774A.1). Small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting the TG2 or IL-15 gene was encapsulated within gelatin nanoparticles using ethanol–water solvent displacement method. Size, charge, and morphology of gelatin nanoparticles were evaluated using a Zetasizer instrument and transmission electron microscopy. siRNA encapsulation efficiency was determined using an siRNA specific stem-loop quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay. Cellular uptake of siRNA-containing gelatin nanoparticles was determined using fluorescent microscopy and stem-loop qPCR assay. siRNA loading in the RISC (RNA-induced silencing complex) was determined by immunoprecipitation of argonaute 2 (AGO2) protein followed by stem-loop qPCR for siRNA quantification. Gene ex...
When off-task is on-task: the affective role of off-task behavior in narrative-centered learning environments

Off-task behavior is the subject of increasing interest in the AI in Education community. This paper reports on an investigation of the role of off-task behavior in narrative-centered learning environments by examining its interactions with student learning gains and affect. Results from an empirical study of students interacting with the CRYSTAL ISLAND environment indicate that off-task behavior generally has negative impacts on learning. However, further analyses of students' affective transitions suggest that some students may be using off-task behavior as a strategy to regulate negative emotions.
The association of post-discharge adverse events with timely follow-up visits after hospital discharge.

Objective There has been little research to examine the association of post-discharge adverse events (AEs) with timely follow-up visits after hospital discharge. We aimed to examine whether having a timely follow-up outpatient visit would reduce the risk for post-discharge AEs. Methods This was a methods study of patients at risk for post-discharge AEs from December 2011 through October 2012. Five hundred and forty-five patients who were under the care of hospitalist physicians and were discharged home from a community hospital, spoke English, and could be contacted after discharge were evaluated. The aim of the study was to examine the association of post-discharge AEs with timely follow-up visits after hospital discharge based on structured telephone interviews, health record review, and adjudication by two blinded, trained physicians using a previously established methodology. Results We observed a higher incidence of AEs with patients that had their first follow-up visit within 7 days after hospital discharge (33.5% vs. 23.0%, p = 0.007). This effect was attenuated somewhat but remained significant when adjusted for several patient factors (adjusted OR 1.33, 95% confidence interval 1.16–2.71). Conclusion This observational study paradoxically showed an increase in post-discharge AEs with early follow-up, likely a result of confounding by indication and/or information bias that could not be completely adjusted for. This study illustrates the potential hazards with conducting observational studies to determine the efficacy of various transitional care interventions, such as early follow-up, where risk for confounding by indication is high.
A Non-canonical BCOR-PRC1.1 Complex Represses Differentiation Programs in Human ESCs.

Polycomb group proteins regulate self-renewal and differentiation in many stem cell systems. When assembled into two canonical complexes, PRC1 and PRC2, they sequentially deposit H3K27me3 and H2AK119ub histone marks and establish repressive chromatin, referred to as Polycomb domains. Non-canonical PRC1 complexes retain RING1/RNF2 E3-ubiquitin ligases but have unique sets of accessory subunits. How these non-canonical complexes recognize and regulate their gene targets remains poorly understood. Here, we show that the BCL6 co-repressor (BCOR), a member of the PRC1.1 complex, is critical for maintaining primed pluripotency in human embryonic stem cells (ESCs). BCOR depletion leads to the erosion of Polycomb domains at key developmental loci and the initiation of differentiation along endoderm and mesoderm lineages. The C terminus of BCOR regulates the assembly and targeting of the PRC1.1 complex, while the N terminus contributes to BCOR-PRC1.1 repressor function. Our findings advance understanding of Polycomb targeting and repression in ESCs and could apply broadly across developmental systems.
Comparison of denoising methods in fault diagnosis with Gabor order tracking

Based on simulations of denoising of Gabor coefficient spectrum with Gaussian dual windows, threshold filter denoising and morphological Filter denoising methods have been implemented. With conventional Gabor order tracking algorithm, Gaussian window applied as analysis window and synthesis window, a trail-and-error threshold filter denoising method reconstructed original signal without noise, the choose of value of threshold filter is a waste of time. However, morphological Filter denoising is put forward as a alternative vision solutions, flood fill algorithm looks for all nodes in the array that are connected to the start node by a path of the target color and keep this area unchanged. Mask operation sets unselected region to zero, simulations indicate that should be rapid and effective.
Labeling: The Social Worker's Responsibility:

Although labeling facilitates human transactions and serves important social functions, it does have its negative and dysfunctional consequences. Roles are suggested for workers so that the risks o...
Women Deserve Better Health Care.

The American College of Physicians position paper on women's health policy in the United States offers 7 recommendations to improve women's health services: 3 pertain to physicians' primary care pr...
Stabilization of the cubic A-15 phase of Nb3Sn

Abstract From ac heat capacity measurements, it has been found that copper-plating small Nb3Sn samples appreciably inhibits the cubic-tetragonal transformation.
Solar X-ray physics

Research on solar X-ray phenomena performed by American scientists during 1987-1990 is reviewed. Major topics discussed include solar images observed during quiescent times, the processes observed during solar flares, and the coronal, interplanetary, and terrestrial phenomena associated with solar X-ray flares. Particular attention is given to the hard X-ray emission observed at the start of the flare, the energy transfer to the soft X-ray emitting plasma, the late resolution of the flare as observed in soft X-ray, and the rate of occurrence of solar flares as a function of time and latitude. Pertinent aspects of nonflaring, coronal X-ray emission and stellar flares are also discussed. 175 refs.