cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sex and age modify the relationship between life circumstances and use of a firearm in suicide deaths across 17 U.S. states

Abstract Background Suicides are of growing public health concern in the United States. Although the demographics of firearm suicides are well established, the sex and age differences in the role that life circumstances play in the risk for firearm suicide are not known. Methods We used suicide deaths from the National Violent Death Reporting System from 2003 to 2011 in 17 U.S. states to assess the difference in the relation between six life circumstances and risk of firearm versus non-firearm suicides across sex and age groups. Mixed effect logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results The risk of using a firearm as compared to other means for suicide were greater among white, male, non-Hispanic, older (>50 years of age), and currently married U.S. residents. Among all age and sex groups, the odds of firearm use were 21–29% greater in the presence of a recent crisis. Having a financial problem was significantly associated with firearm use among younger men (OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.07–1.21), younger women (OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.02–1.39), and older women (OR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.05–1.39), while physical health issues were associated with risk of firearm suicide among older men (OR = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.65–1.92). Limitations Misclassification due to multiple data sources. Conclusion The life circumstances associated with a preference of using firearm for suicide differ by sex and by age.
Cross Jurisdictional Boundaries to Build a Health Coalition: A Kentucky Case Study

Cross-jurisdictional sharing is accomplished through collaboration across jurisdictional boundaries to deliver essential public health services and solve problems that cannot be easily addressed by single organizations or jurisdictions. Partners across 10 counties and three public health jurisdictions of the Barren River Area Development District (BRADD) convened as Barren River Initiative to Get Healthy Together (BRIGHT), a community health improvement coalition. Focus groups and interviews with BRIGHT members indicate that the use of effective strategies to focus collaborative health improvement efforts fosters a cohesive coalition even when the group is populated by individuals from across public health jurisdictional boundaries. Focusing strategies identified included: the importance of organizing workgroups so members can draw upon expertise, adoption of a community engagement model for health assessment and improvement; and use of a facilitator, who offers guidance and administrative support to groups and focuses members on accomplishing goals.
The nucleosome: a little variation goes a long way.

Changes in the overall structure of chromatin are essential for the proper regulation of cellular processes, including gene activation and silencing, DNA repair, chromosome segregation during mitos...
On Bonding Rubber to Glass

This paper deals with the relationship between strength of adhesion and density of chemical bonding at the interface between an elastomer and a glass substrate. Reactive sites of varying surface density were obtained by treating glass plates with mixtures of vinyl and ethyl silanes in varying proportions. A layer of polybutadiene or poly(ethylene-co-propylene) containing dicumyl peroxide (DCP) was then pressed into contact with the treated glass surface and cross-linked in situ by heating to the decomposition temperature of DCP. Interfacial chemical bonding via vinyl groups (when present) in the silane-treated surface was assumed to occur simultaneously with the cross-linking reaction. Evidence for this was obtained from near-infrared spectroscopy of model systems, using finely-divided silica in place of glass.
Genomic Enhancers in Brain Health and Disease

Enhancers are non-coding DNA elements that function in cis to regulate transcription from nearby genes. Through direct interactions with gene promoters, enhancers give rise to spatially and temporally precise gene expression profiles in distinct cell or tissue types. In the brain, the accurate regulation of these intricate expression programs across different neuronal classes gives rise to an incredible cellular and functional diversity. Newly developed technologies have recently allowed more accurate enhancer mapping and more sophisticated enhancer manipulation, producing rapid progress in our understanding of enhancer biology. Furthermore, identification of disease-linked genetic variation in enhancer regions has highlighted the potential influence of enhancers in brain health and disease. This review outlines the key role of enhancers as transcriptional regulators, reviews the current understanding of enhancer regulation in neuronal development, function and dysfunction and provides our thoughts on how enhancers can be targeted for technological and therapeutic goals.
Somatosensory interactions reveal feature-dependent computations.

Little is known about the neural computations mediating feature-specific sensory interactions between the hands. We show that vibrations experienced on one hand systematically modulate the percepti...
High-Speed, Low-Cost Simulation of Power Electronic Systems—A 50+ Year Collaboration

Ship’s electric power systems use many power converters to generate the ac or dc supplies needed by a wide variety of loads. The switching frequencies used in these converters continue to increase, reducing unwanted harmonics and the size and weight of transformers and other components. Higher switching speeds pose problems for simulations of these systems particularly where real-time execution is necessary. The development of low-cost, high-speed simulatiosn of power electronic systems has been a goal of research at California State University, Chico for over 20 years. This research was the result of a collaboration that began in the UK over 50 years ago.
Programmable terahertz chip-scale sensing interface with direct digital reconfiguration at sub-wavelength scales.

The ability to sense terahertz waves in a chip-scale technology operable at room temperature has potential for transformative applications in chemical sensing, biomedical imaging, spectroscopy and security. However, terahertz sensors are typically limited in their responsivity to a narrow slice of the incident field properties including frequency, angle of incidence and polarization. Sensor fusions across these field properties can revolutionize THz sensing allowing robustness, versatility and real-time imaging. Here, we present an approach that incorporates frequency, pattern and polarization programmability into a miniaturized chip-scale THz sensor. Through direct programming of a continuous electromagnetic interface at deep subwavelength scales, we demonstrate the ability to program the sensor across the spectrum (0.1–1.0 THz), angle of incidence and polarization simultaneously in a single chip implemented in an industry standard 65-nm CMOS process. The methodology is compatible with other technology substrates that can allow extension of such programmability into other spectral regions. Chip-scale, room-temperature terahertz sensing can potentially enable many applications, but remains restricted in terms of spectrum, angle of incidence and polarization. Here the authors report a methodology for a CMOS-based, programmable THz sensor surface that allows dynamic adaption in all three properties.
Mode de procès et dimensions aspectuelles dans De l’Angelus de l’aube à l’Angelus du soir

AbstractThis reflection on the collection De l’Angelus de l’Aube a l’Angelus du soir, by Francis Jammes, is situated in the framework of verbal aspectual values and of modes of process. A review of...
Calculated Decisions: Ottawa Ankle Rule

The Ottawa Knee Rule describes criteria for knee trauma patients who are at low risk for clinically significant fracture and do not warrant knee imaging.
The 2019 coronavirus: Learning curves, lessons, and the weakest link.

In the space of just six weeks, a new coronavirus, from a family that historically was not viewed as a global health concern, has become daily headline news around the globe The 21(st) century marked its arrival with the emergence of three previously unknown coronaviruses SARS-CoV (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus) was recognized in November 2002 [1, 2], MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) in June 2012 [3, 4], and 2019-nCoV in December 2019 [5] Previously, human coronaviruses, known since the 1960s, were viewed as being only marginally relevant to the clinic, except for infants, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals [1, 6, 7]
Variant sella morphology and pituitary gland height in adult patients with Chiari II malformation: potential pitfall in MRI evaluation.

Abstract Purpose To systematically evaluate the sella morphology and pituitary gland height on brain MRI of Chiari II malformation (C2M) patients to understand the observed high incidence of apparent enlargement of the pituitary gland. Methods Brain MRIs of C2M patients at a single tertiary care adult institution were retrospectively reviewed. We also evaluated two age and gender-matched control groups-patients with normal brain MRI (C1 group) and chronic ventricular shunts (C2 group). The heights of tuberculum sella, dorsum sella, and pituitary gland were measured and compared. The presence or absence of dural thickening was noted. Results 21 patients were included in each group. In C2M group, a pituitary adenoma was suggested on 24% of the MRIs. The dorsum sella was significantly smaller in the C2M group (4.8 mm) compared to both the C1 group (7.4 mm, p Conclusion C2M patients have shallow sella which can accentuate the pituitary gland height. The mean pituitary height was larger in C2M patients, but no functional pituitary pathology was present. It is important to consider sella morphology when evaluating the pituitary gland of C2M patients to avoid unnecessary medical and surgical interventions.
A prospective cross-sectional study examining the documented evaluation of patients at high risk for mild traumatic brain injury.

Abstract Objectives Annually, the CDC reports that 2.5 million Emergency Department (ED) visits occur due to Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) with nearly 75% classified as mild TBI (mTBI). Generally, these injuries are thought to be under recognized. This study was done to determine the proportion of patients, who were considered high risk for an mTBI, that had documentation of an mTBI evaluation. Methods A prospective cross-section of patients was identified using a 3-question screen at the time of triage: did an injury occur; was the mechanism consistent with mTBI; and was there a period of altered mental status. Chart review was completed for these patients who were thought to meet a minimum threshold warranting an evaluation for mTBI. Results 38,621 patients were screened over 16 weeks, of whom 441 (1.14%) were identified as being high risk for having an mTBI and met inclusion criteria. Recommended portions of an mTBI evaluation occurred in fewer than 50% of patients. In total, 98 subjects were diagnosed with an mTBI, and 49 received mTBI discharge instructions. The odds ratio for the subgroup of patients who had documented criteria sufficient for diagnosis revealed that an isolated head injury increased a patient's odds of a documented diagnosis by 2.1 times (95%, 1.3–3.4). Conclusions Many patients with a possible mTBI did not have significant portions of an mTBI evaluation documented, and roughly half of the patients with a documented mTBI diagnosis did not receive discharge education. Changes in clinicians' approach to mTBI must occur to ensure patients receive appropriate evaluations, management, and education.
More (of the right strategies) is better: disaggregating the naturalistic between- and within-person structure and effects of emotion regulation strategies.

Although people often use multiple strategies to regulate their emotions, it is unclear if using more strategies effectively changes emotional outcomes. This may be because there is no clear, data-...
Equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy

This article discusses the history and signalment, clinical signs, differential diagnosis, pathology, etiology and pathogenesis, and treatment and prevention of equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy.
Differentiable Optimization for the Prediction of Ground State Structures (DOGSS)

Ground state or relaxed inorganic structures are the starting point for most computational materials science or surface science analyses. Many of these structure relaxations represent systematic changes to the structure, but there are currently no general methods to improve the initial structure guess based on past calculations. Here we present a method to directly predict the ground state configuration using differentiable optimization and graph neural networks to learn the properties of a simple harmonic force field that approximates the ground state structure and properties. We demonstrate this flexible open source tool for improving the initial configurations for large datasets of inorganic multicomponent surface relaxations across 32 elements and the relaxation of adsorbates (H and CO) on these surfaces. Using these improved initial configurations reduces the expensive adsorbate-covered surface relaxations by approximately 50% and is complementary to other approaches to accelerate the relaxation process.
Inflammation as an orchestrator of cutaneous scar formation: a review of the literature

Inflammation is a key phase in the cutaneous wound repair process. The activation of inflammatory cells is critical for preventing infection in contaminated wounds and results in the release of an array of mediators, some of which stimulate the activity of keratinocytes, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts to aid in the repair process. However, there is an abundance of data suggesting that the strength of the inflammatory response early in the healing process correlates directly with the amount of scar tissue that will eventually form. This review will summarize the literature related to inflammation and cutaneous scar formation, highlight recent discoveries, and discuss potential treatment modalities that target inflammation to minimize scarring.
Clostridioides difficile infections: Epidemiology, correlations and treatment in a Lebanese cohort with use of ATLAS scoring.

INTRODUCTION The objectives of the present study were to investigate epidemiology, correlations, severity, and therapeutic response of Clostridioides difficile infections in a Lebanese tertiary care hospital. METHODOLOGY In this retrospective cohort study, patients having at least one positive Clostridioides difficile test (antigen glutamate dehydrogenase/GDH with toxins, or PCR) were studied. RESULTS Among 58 patients, 20 (34.5%) and 53 (91.4%) had positive antigen GDH and toxins, respectively. PCR was performed in 25 (43.1%) patients without any positive ribotype 027. Fifteen (25.9%) patients were immunocompromised, 35 (60.3%) patients received antibiotics prior to the infection and 34 (58.6%) on proton pump inhibitors. Fifty-four (93%) patients had a resolution of their symptoms after a mean period of 4.2 days of treatment. Twenty-two (38%) participants were treated with oral vancomycin, 11 (19%) with intravenous metronidazole and 23 (39.6%) with both antibiotics. Resolution of symptoms was significantly more rapid with monotherapy (p = 0.007) with no significant difference between vancomycin and metronidazole (p = 0.413). A positive correlation was found between ATLAS score and delay to symptoms resolution (r = 0.553; p < 0.001; N = 54), as well as between ATLAS score and prevalence of complications (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS History of treatment with antibiotics, proton pump inhibitors, and hospital admission during the previous year were prevalent among our patient cohort. Rates of symptomatic resolution were similar with monotherapy and dual therapy.
The Illiberalization of American Election Law: A Study in Democratic Deconsolidation

For many years, the dominant view among American election law scholars has been that the Supreme Court’s constitutional jurisprudence of democratic practice got off to a promising start during the mid-twentieth century, but has since then slowly deteriorated into incoherence. In light of the United States’ recent turn toward populist authoritarianism, that view needs to be substantially revised. With the benefit of hindsight, it now appears that the U.S. Supreme Court has functioned, in its management of the constitutional jurisprudence of democracy, as a vector of infection – a kind of superspreader of populist authoritarianism. There is, sadly, nothing unusual these days about an apex court reinterpreting a formerly liberal constitutional jurisprudence to support a populist authoritarian regime. Typically, however, constitutional courts pivot toward authoritarianism suddenly, after they have been captured through aggressive court-packing or coercive threats and intimidation. In the United States, however, federal courts retain real independence, and the process of illiberalization has been correspondingly slower and less immediate. In particular, the U.S. Supreme Court has slowly illiberalized American election law in a two-stage process: first, by deconsolidating a liberal jurisprudence into incoherence; and then by reconsolidating it into a form more conducive to authoritarianism. The main strategy by which this has occurred has been an increasingly aggressive deployment of an ever narrower palette of individual rights, gradually narrowing a complex and conceptually rich jurisprudence to a single dimension – a judicial strategy that, in its radical anti-pluralism, is deeply populist, fundamentally illiberal, and profoundly destructive of the inherited liberal democratic settlement of the late twentieth century.
A grafted peptidomimetic for EGFR heterodimerization inhibition: Implications in NSCLC models.

Abstract Among the lung cancers, approximately 85% are histologically classified as non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), a leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs) are known to play a crucial role in lung cancer. HER2 overexpression is detected by immunohistochemistry in 2.4%–38% of NSCLC samples. EGFRs have been targeted with three generations of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), and drug resistance has become a major issue; HER2 dimerization with EGFR also plays a major role in the development of resistance to TKI therapy. We have designed grafted peptides to bind to the HER2 extracellular domain (ECD) and inhibit protein-protein interactions of EGFR:HER2 and HER2:HER3. A sunflower trypsin inhibitor (SFTI-1) template was used to graft a peptidomimetic compound. Among several grafted peptides, SFTI-G5 exhibited antiproliferative activity in HER2-positive NSCLC cell lines such as Calu-3 cells with an IC50 value of 0.073 μM. SFTI-G5 was shown to bind to ECD of HER2 and inhibit EGFR:HER2 and HER2:HER3 dimerization and inhibit the phosphorylation of HER2 and downstream signaling proteins. As a proof-of-concept, the in vivo activity of SFTI-G5 was evaluated in two NSCLC mouse models. SFTI-G5 was able to inhibit tumor growth in both models. Furthermore, SFTI-G5 was shown to inhibit EGFR dimerization in tissue samples obtained from in vivo models. These grafted peptides can be used as novel dual inhibitors of EGFR dimerization in NSCLC.
Responses to Auditory Feedback Manipulations in Speech May Be Affected by Previous Exposure to Auditory Errors.

Purpose Speakers use auditory feedback to guide their speech output, although individuals differ in the magnitude of their compensatory response to perceived errors in feedback. Little is known abo...
Spontaneous seizures and elevated seizure susceptibility in response to somatic mutation of sodium channel Scn8a in the mouse.

De novo mutations of neuronal sodium channels are responsible for approximately 5% of developmental and epileptic encephalopathies, but the role of somatic mutation of these genes in adult-onset epilepsy is not known. We evaluated the role of post-zygotic somatic mutation by adult activation of a conditional allele of the pathogenic variant Scn8aR1872W in the mouse. After activation of CAG-CRE-ER by tamoxifen, the mutant transcript was expressed throughout the brain at a level proportional to tamoxifen dose. The threshold for generation of spontaneous seizures was reached when the proportion of mutant transcript reached 8% of total Scn8a transcript, equivalent to expression of the epileptogenic variant in 16% of heterozygous neurons. Expression below this level did not result in spontaneous seizures but did increase susceptibility to seizure induction by kainate or auditory stimulation. The relatively high threshold for spontaneous seizures indicates that somatic mutation of sodium channels is unlikely to contribute to the elevated incidence of epilepsy in the elderly population. However, somatic mutation could increase susceptibility to other seizure stimuli.
Objective pain stimulation intensity and pain sensation assessment using machine learning classification and regression based on electrodermal activity

An objective measure of pain remains an unmet need of people with chronic pain, estimated to be 1/3 of the adult population in the United States. The current gold standard to quantify pain is highl...
Library-based analysis reveals segment and length dependent characteristics of defective influenza genomes

Parasitic elements of the viral population which are unable to replicate on their own yet rise to high frequencies, defective interfering particles are found in a variety of different viruses. Their presence is associated with a loss of population fitness, both through the depletion of key cellular resources and the stimulation of innate immunity. For influenza A virus, these particles contain large internal deletions in the genomic segments which encode components of the heterotrimeric polymerase. Using a library-based approach, we comprehensively profile the growth and replication of defective influenza species, demonstrating that they possess an advantage during genome replication, and that exclusion during packaging reshapes population composition in a manner consistent with their final, observed, distribution in natural populations. We find that an innate immune response is not linked to the size of a deletion; however, replication of defective segments can enhance their immunostimulatory properties. Overall, our results address several key questions in defective influenza A virus biology, and the methods we have developed to answer those questions may be broadly applied to other defective viruses.
Patient–Ventilator Dyssynchrony in Critically Ill Patients

Patient–ventilator dyssynchrony is a mismatch between the patient’s respiratory efforts and mechanical ventilator delivery. Dyssynchrony can occur at any phase throughout the respiratory cycle. There are different types of dyssynchrony with different mechanisms and different potential management: trigger dyssynchrony (ineffective efforts, autotriggering, and double triggering); flow dyssynchrony, which happens during the inspiratory phase; and cycling dyssynchrony (premature cycling and delayed cycling). Dyssynchrony has been associated with patient outcomes. Thus, it is important to recognize and address these dyssynchronies at the bedside. Patient–ventilator dyssynchrony can be detected by carefully scrutinizing the airway pressure–time and flow–time waveforms displayed on the ventilator screens along with assessing the patient’s comfort. Clinicians need to know how to depict these dyssynchronies at the bedside. This review aims to define the different types of dyssynchrony and then discuss the evidence for their relationship with patient outcomes and address their potential management.
Feasibility and Patient Tolerance of Proton Based Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy.

Purpose/Objective(s) Proton-based stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) may provide a dosimetric benefit vs photon SBRT in certain cases, seeking to reduce toxicity risks or facilitate reirradiation, though data are limited. We assessed the feasibility and patient tolerance of proton SBRT for palliation and ablation. Materials/Methods From Sep. 2019 to Dec. 2020, 58 patients were simulated for proton SBRT to 68 lesions. Acute toxicities were prospectively recorded using CTCAE grading without attribution, and patient-reported outcomes were assessed prior to and at completion of treatment using the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI) and EQ-5D5L visual analogue score (VAS). Results 52 of 58 patients (90%) received SBRT treatment. Treatment was not initiated in 6 patients due insurance denial (n = 1), change in treatment plan (n = 1), interval disease progression (n = 1), transition to hospice (n = 2), or death (n = 1). Fractionation varied by indication and disease site with a median of 5 fractions and a median fractional dose of 8 Gy. Proton range uncertainty (RU) was ± 3.5% in soft tissue and ± 5% in lung. For bone or immobile lesions, a target equivalent to a standard photon SBRT PTV was defined and optimized with RU. For mobile targets, 4D CT was used to define an ITV for robust optimization, typically with 5 mm positional uncertainty + RU, using a PTV Evaluation for assessment of comparable SBRT plan metrics. Among 27 patients with 4D CT assessment of target motion, 20 (74%) were treated with beam-gated breath hold, 4 (15%) with abdominal compression, and 3 (11%) free breathing. Cone beam CT (CBCT) was used for image guidance at each fraction. Average conformity index was 1.06 and average number of treatment fields per target was 4 (range of 2-8). The median treatment time per fraction was 41 minutes (range 18-171 mins). There was a significant difference in treatment time for patients requiring breath hold (67 vs 47 mins, P = 0.006). Five patients (10%) required adaptive replanning due to set up uncertainties (n = 3) or tumor growth (n = 2). 11 patients (21%) had concurrent systemic therapy. 21 patients (40%) had no observable acute toxicity associated with treatment. Maximum recorded toxicities, related or unrelated to SBRT treatment, were grade 1 in 25 patients (48%), grade 2 (fatigue, depression, anorexia, proctitis) in 5 patients (10%), and grade 3 (dysphagia and hoarseness) in 1 patient (2%). Comparing pretreatment to end of treatment timepoints, there was a significant improvement in the mean VAS (68 to 76, P = 0.027, n = 33), with no significant change in the mean MDASI symptom (1.8, 1.8) or interference (2.2, 2.3) scores. Conclusion Proton-based SBRT was feasible and well-tolerated with no decrement in patient reported outcomes and a mean 8 point improvement in VAS at the conclusion of SBRT. Further follow-up is necessary for tumor control and late effects analysis.
Assembling a Program: the Main Program and the Input

This section intends to give the user of the programs some guidelines as to which of the various possible calculational methods to use and as to what kind of values to give input parameters in any given situation. We recommend that prospective users of the programs, before embarking on completely new cases, first familiarize themselves with one or more of the supplied programs, learning their organization gradually.
Prospective randomized double-blind study comparing L-epinephrine and racemic epinephrine aerosols in the treatment of laryngotracheitis (croup).

Aerosolized racemic epinephrine, but not L-epinephrine, is commonly used in treating croup. The efficacy and adverse effects of nebulized racemic and L-epinephrine in the treatment of laryngotracheitis were compared. Children 6 months to 6 years of age with a croup score of 6 or above were assigned in a randomized double-blind fashion to receive either racemic (n = 16) or L-epinephrine (n = 15) aerosols. Croup score, heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, fraction of inspired oxygen, and oxygen saturation were recorded before treatment and at 5, 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after the aerosol. Patients in both groups showed significant transient reduction of the croup score and respiratory rate following the aerosol (P less than .001), but there were no differences between treatment groups when croup score, heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate were assessed over time. It is concluded that L-epinephrine is at least as effective as racemic epinephrine in the treatment of laryngotracheitis and does not carry the risk of additional adverse effects. L-Epinephrine is also more readily available worldwide, is less expensive, and can be recommended for this purpose.
Characterization of the double mutant, Val-177/Asn-322, of the lactose permease.

The double mutant, Val-177/Asn-322, was investigated with regard to its ability to transport H+ and galactosides. In downhill lactose transport assays, the wild-type strain had a Km value for lactose uptake of 0.9 mM and a Vmax of 0.65 mumol lactose/min.mg protein while the mutant had a significantly higher Km value of 1.9 mM but a similar Vmax of 0.49 mumol/min.mg protein. In spite of its moderate ability to transport lactose downhill, the Val-177/Asn-322 mutant exhibited the striking property of being completely defective in the uphill accumulation of lactose or methyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside. Direct measurements of H+ transport, however, showed that the mutant's defect in active accumulation is not due to a defect in the ability to transport H+ with lactose or methyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside. The Val-177/Asn-322 mutant strain had a H+:lactose stoichiometry of 0.84 which was similar to that measured in the wild-type strain (0.68). These results are discussed with regard to the role His-322 plays in H+ transport, active accumulation of sugars, and sugar recognition.
Mindreading: An Integrated Account of Pretence, Self-Awareness, and Understanding Other Minds

1. Introduction 2. A Cognitive Theory of Pretence 3. Pieces of Mind: A Theory of Third-Person Mindreading 4. Reading One's Own Mind 5. Objections, Replies, and Philosophical Implications References
Influenza in pregnancy

The 2009 pandemic served as a strong reminder that influenza-induced disease can have a great impact on certain at-risk populations and that pregnant women are one such important population. The increased risk of fatal and severe disease in these women was appreciated more than 500 years ago, and during the last century, pregnant women and their newborns have continued to be greatly affected by both seasonal and pandemic influenza. In this review, we briefly discuss the data collected both before and after the 2009 pandemic as it relates to the impact of influenza on pregnant women and their fetuses/newborns, as well as risk variables, clinical features, clues to pathophysiologic mechanisms, and approaches to treatment and prevention.
Differentiated Services with Lottery Queueing

This work investigates the benefits and drawbacks of using a lottery to schedule and drop packets within a router. We find that a lottery can provide many distinct levels of service without requiring that per-flow state be maintained in the routers. We also investigate the re-ordering within a flow that can occur if a lottery is used to pick packets to forward without regard to their flow order.
Correlation Between Fatigue Crack Propagation and Low Cycle Fatigue Properties

Fatigue crack propagation is treated as a succession of fatigue crack initiation events. The cyclic stress and strain experienced by elements ahead of the crack tip are computed by means of an elastic-plastic analysis andthe cumulative fatigue damage is evaluated from low cycle fatigue properties of the metal. If it is assumed that the appropriate element width is related to the microstructure size of the metal, a significant deviation from the log-log linear relationship usually assumed to exist between the crack propagation rate, da/dN, and the stress intensity range, ΔK, is predicted. The analysis indicates that at small values of ΔK, da/dN rapidly decreases until it approaches zero at a "threshold" value of ΔK. Fatigue crack propagation data for eight steels from Barsom's work are compared with predictions from the analysis using low cycle fatigue properties and values of the microstructure size based on Gurland's correlation between yield strength and the dimensions of the microstructural units responsible for strengthening in steels. In all cases the estimate of da/dN for a given ΔK was within a factor of two of the measured values.
Managing controversial and sensitive classroom issues

Summary form only given as follows. This presentation is designed for faculty and administration who have questions concerning and coping with mad moments in the classroom. Project specific break-out sessions on controversial subjects, angry student responses, unprepared students, learning disabilities, and gender-sensitive issues are considered. Discussion will support actions that enhance faculty members' knowledge of approaches to managing stressful classroom situations. The area of motivation is one of the content threads along which faculty will create strategies for effective coping.
X-Ray Polarimetry

We review the basic principles of X-ray polarimetry and current detector technologies based on the photoelectric effect, Bragg reflection, and Compton scattering. Recent technological advances in high-spatial-resolution gas-filled X-ray detectors have enabled efficient polarimeters exploiting the photoelectric effect that hold great scientific promise for X-ray polarimetry in the 2-10 keV band. Advances in the fabrication of multilayer optics have made feasible the construction of broad-band soft X-ray polarimeters based on Bragg reflection. Developments in scintillator and solid-state hard X-ray detectors facilitate construction of both modular, large area Compton scattering polarimeters and compact devices suitable for use with focusing X-ray telescopes.
Conformational modulation of DNA by polyamide binding: structural effects of f-Im-Py-Im based derivatives on 5'-ACGCGT-3'.

The DNA sequence 5 0 -ACGCGT-3 0 is in the core site of the Mlu 1 cell-cycle box, a transcriptional element in the promoter region of human Dbf4 gene that is highly correlated with a large number of aggressive solid cancers. The polyamide formamido-imidazole-pyrrole-imidazole-amine + (f-Im-Py-Im-Am + ) can target the minor groove of 5 0 -ACGCGT-3 0 as an antiparallel stacked dimer and has shown good activity in inhibiting transcription factor binding. Recently, f-Im-Py-Im-Am + derivatives that involve different orthogonally positioned substituents were synthesized to target the same binding site, and some of them have displayed improved binding and pharmacological properties. In this study, the gel electrophoresis–ligation ladders assay was used to evaluate the conformational effects of f-Im-Py-Im-Am + and derivatives on the target DNA, an essential factor for establishing the molecular basis of polyamide–DNA complexes and their transcription factor inhibition. The results show that the ACGCGT site in DNA has a relatively wide minor groove and a B-form like overall structure. After binding with f-Im-Py-Im-Am + derivatives, the DNA conformation is changed as indicated by the different mobilities in the gel. These conformational effects on DNA will at least help to point to the mechanism for the observed Mlu 1 inhibition activity of these polyamides. Therefore, modulating DNA transcription by locking the DNA shape or altering the minor groove geometry to affect the binding affinity of certain transcription factors is an attractive possible therapeutic mechanism for polyamides. Some of the substituents are charged with electrostatic interactions with DNA phosphate groups, and their charge effects on DNA gel mobility have been observed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Supporting information may be found in the online version of this paper
Comparison of ribavirin and oseltamivir in reducing mortality and lung injury in mice infected with mouse adapted A/California/04/2009 (H1N1).

Aim To compare the efficacy of ribavirin and oseltamivir in reducing mortality, lung injury and cytokine response profile in pandemic influenza H1N1 (2009) infection.
A behavioural measure of information work

Abstract Information work is defined from a behavioural perspective, as the manipulation of information, when performed by workers. A set of activities characterizing information work are identified, drawing on Blooms Taxonomy as the reference source. Using this measure, the 1977 Dictionary of Occupation Titles was content analysed to identify those occupations which could be behaviourally classified as information work. 40% of all occupations were determined to be informational in work behaviour. These occupations were found across all sectors, although they were concentrated in the service sector. Many occupations, old and new, have taken on an informational character.
Human Resource Management Challenges in Government Information Technology

Information technology (IT) personnel practices are often cited by IT scholars as requiring special treatment. This symposium seeks to merge work from human resource and IT management to address just how, if at all, IT personnel practices are, or should be, different from mainstream personnel management.
A Nearest-Neighbor Spatial-Association Measure for the Analysis of Firm Interdependence

Retail locational factors and strategies have been a focus of research among geographers, location analysts, marketing analysts, and regional scientists. Well known in the literature are the cumula...
Hygrothermal aging effects on fatigue of glass fiber/polydicyclopentadiene composites

Abstract We investigated the effects of hygrothermal aging on the tension–tension fatigue behavior of unidirectional (UD) glass/polydicyclopentadiene (pDCPD) composites. Samples were immersed in deionized (DI) water and salt water, and glass/epoxy composites were used as a benchmark for comparison. Composites of pDCPD showed less water uptake and superior fatigue performance compared to similarly aged epoxy composites, a distinction attributed to the intrinsic hydrophobicity of the pDCPD resin. Superior fiber-matrix interface adhesion in pDCPD composites accounted for the greater strength retention after aging. Degradation of fiber and interface were coupled but not synchronous: glass fiber degradation was determined by aging time, while interface degradation depended primarily on moisture level. Salt water influenced the amount of water absorption, but no salt water corrosion was observed for either composite.
Embryonic stem cell self-renewal pathways converge on the transcription factor Tfcp2l1.

Mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) self-renewal can be maintained by activation of the leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) signalling pathway or dual inhibition (2i) of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (Gsk3) and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK). Several downstream targets of the pathways involved have been identified that when individually overexpressed can partially support self-renewal. However, none of these targets is shared among the involved pathways. Here, we show that the CP2 family transcription factor Tfcp2l1 is a common target in LIF/Stat3- and 2i-mediated self-renewal, and forced expression of Tfcp2l1 can recapitulate the self-renewal-promoting effect of LIF or either of the 2i components. In addition, Tfcp2l1 can reprogram post-implantation epiblast stem cells to naive pluripotent ESCs. Tfcp2l1 upregulates Nanog expression and promotes self-renewal in a Nanog-dependent manner. We conclude that Tfcp2l1 is at the intersection of LIF- and 2i-mediated self-renewal pathways and plays a critical role in maintaining ESC identity. Our study provides an expanded understanding of the current model of ground-state pluripotency.
Late Stent Fractures after Endoluminal Treatment of Ostial Supraaortic Trunk Arterial Occlusive Lesions

Purpose Percutaneous catheter-based treatment of supraaortic trunk arterial occlusive lesions obviates the need for extraanatomic bypass or median sternotomy. Although early results have been encouraging, late outcomes have yet to be defined. Reported are long-term outcomes of supraaortic trunk stent placement with particular attention to structural failures. Materials and Methods This was a retrospective review of 27 ostial supraaortic trunk lesions managed with balloon-expandable or self-expandable stents. Treated vessels were innominate ( n = 9), common carotid ( n = 8), and subclavian ( n = 10). Access to the target lesion was achieved either antegrade via the femoral artery ( n = 13), retrograde through the brachial artery ( n = 2), or through a cutdown on the common carotid artery ( n = 12). Restenosis and stent integrity were detected with duplex imaging, computed tomography, conventional arteriography, and plain radiography. Mean follow-up time is 34 months. Results Mean age was 68 years (eight men and 19 women), and mean stenosis was 85%. Preprocedural symptoms, including stroke, transient ischemic attack, arm fatigue, digital ischemia, and angina were present in 85% (23 of 27) of the group. At 30 days, there were no deaths, myocardial infarctions, or strokes. During follow-up, three type IV stent fractures in the innominate were detected as well as two midbody stent crush deformities with significant restenosis (one innominate and one common carotid). All stent failures were identified in heavily calcified lesions. Conclusions Endoluminal stent placement in supraaortic trunk lesions is a viable early solution; however, mid- to long-term restenosis caused by bare metal fatigue and fractures, particularly in cases of calcified innominate artery lesions, are a worrisome finding.
The roles of estrogen and progesterone in regulating carbohydrate and fat utilization at rest and during exercise.

Objective: Compared with men, women use more fat and less carbohydrate to fuel exercise at the same relative intensity. Circulating levels of estrogen and progesterone are likely to play an important role in explaining this gender difference in exercise substrate utilization. Methods: Studies, mainly using animal models, have shown that estrogen increases fatty acid availability (lipolysis) and decreases carbohydrate availability and uptake. Studies conducted in humans corroborate the reduction in carbohydrate turnover and oxidation in the presence of estrogen, but the impact on fatty acid availability and utilization is less clear. Results: The effect of circulating estrogen may be mediated, at least in part, by changes in the sensitivity of stored carbohydrate and lipids to mobilization in response to epinephrine. The role of progesterone in metabolic regulation during exercise has not been systematically studied in humans. Conclusions: Understanding the role of the ovarian hormones in fat and carbohydr...
Exploratory Studies of Some Molten Potassium Salts by Potassium-39 NMR

Potassium-39 NMR study of K+ ion in molten KSCN and some molten salt mixtures show that the resonance frequency is highly dependent on the nature of the counterion and the technique can be used for...
Application of Powder-Layering Technology and Film Coating for Manufacture of Sustained-Release Pellets Using a Rotary Fluid Bed Processor

AbstractThe main objective of this study was to prepare pellets in a Roto-processor using the powder-layering process onto inert nonpareils and to evaluate the applicability of the Roto-processor setup for film coating. Nonpareils were loaded with phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride and coated with ethyl cellulose polymeric dispersion (Surelease®). The drug loading was analyzed to test the eficiency of powder layering. The effect of polymer level on the drug release from the pellets and the pore size distribution in the membrane were studied. The yields for powder layering were greater than 90%. The dissolution studies on the Blm-coated pellets showed sustained release over a 10-hr period. The time required for 50% of drug release increased and the mean pore diameter decreased with an increase in polymer coating.
Radical Retropubic Prostatectomy and Robotic-assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy: Likelihood of Positive Surgical Margin(s)

OBJECTIVES To evaluate whether the surgical approach influenced the likelihood of a positive surgical margin (PSM) adjusting for known preoperative predictors of PSM, year of radical prostatectomy, body mass index, use of nerve sparing, and patient age at radical prostatectomy. METHODS The study cohort comprised 950 consecutively treated men with clinically localized prostate cancer who underwent open radical retropubic (RRP, n = 346) or robotic-assisted (RALP, N = 604) prostatectomy by a single surgeon (J.P.R., J.C.H.) at the Brigham and Women's Hospital from 2005 to 2008 and had complete information on baseline patient and tumor characteristics. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify clinical factors significantly associated with the likelihood of a PSM. RESULTS Men undergoing RALP compared with RRP were more likely to have a PSM (adjusted odds ratio 1.9; 95% confidence interval: 1.2-3.1, P = .0095). Significant interaction (P = .0085) was noted between the type of surgical approach and whether nerve sparing was performed on the likelihood of a PSM. Specifically, a significantly lower PSM rate was observed for men undergoing nerve sparing and RRP compared with nerve sparing and RALP (7.6% vs 13.5%, P = .007), whereas opposite trend was noted (P = .09) for men undergoing a non-nerve-sparing approach. CONCLUSIONS Men undergoing RALP compared with RRP seem to have a greater likelihood of a PSM. Further study is needed to delineate whether this increase is due to an intrinsic limitation of RALP or unknown confounders.
Game theoretic analysis of multiparty access control in online social networks

Existing online social networks (OSNs) only allow a single user to restrict access to her/his data but cannot provide any mechanism to enforce privacy concerns over data associated with multiple users. This situation leaves privacy conflicts largely unresolved and leads to the potential disclosure of users' sensitive information. To address such an issue, a MultiParty Access Control (MPAC) model was recently proposed, including a systematic approach to identify and resolve privacy conflicts for collaborative data sharing in OSNs. In this paper, we take another step to further study the problem of analyzing the strategic behavior of rational controllers in multiparty access control, where each controller aims to maximize her/his own benefit by adjusting her/his privacy setting in collaborative data sharing in OSNs. We first formulate this problem as a multiparty control game and show the existence of unique Nash Equilibrium (NE) which is critical because at an NE, no controller has any incentive to change her/his privacy setting. We then present algorithms to compute the NE and prove that the system can converge to the NE in only a few iterations. A numerical analysis is also provided for different scenarios that illustrate the interplay of controllers in the multiparty control game. In addition, we conduct user studies of the multiparty control game to explore the gap between game theoretic approaches and real human behaviors.
Gold nanolenses generated by laser ablation-efficient enhancing structure for surface enhanced Raman scattering analytics and sensing.

Nanoaggregates formed by metal spheres of different radii and interparticle distances represent finite, deterministic, self-similar systems that efficiently concentrate optical fields and act as “nanolenses”. Here we verify experimentally the theoretical concept of nanolenses and explore their potential as enhancing nanostructures in surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Self-similar structures formed by gold nanospheres of different sizes are generated by laser ablation from solid gold into water. These nanolenses exhibit SERS enhancement factors on the order of 109. The “chemically clean” preparation process provides several advantages over chemically prepared nanoaggregates and makes the stable and biocompatible gold nanolenses potent enhancing structures for various analytical and sensing applications.