cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Do Alterations in Intercellular Coupling Play a Role in Cardiac Contractile Dysfunction

Myocardial stunning1 and hibernation2 have been subjects of intense laboratory and clinical investigations to elucidate mechanisms responsible for contractile dysfunction after transient ischemia or chronic hypoperfusion. Considerable evidence has implicated the generation of oxygen-derived free radicals and derangements in myocardial energy metabolism and excitation-contraction coupling as major contributors to the pathogenesis of myocardial stunning and hibernation.3 4 Despite enormous progress in this area, however, our understanding of the cellular pathophysiology of contractile dysfunction in ischemic heart disease remains incomplete. In this issue of Circulation , Kaprielian et al5 provide evidence for a novel mechanism involving alterations in intercellular coupling that might contribute to the pathogenesis of contractile dysfunction in hibernating myocardium. Using digital image processing techniques and confocal immunofluorescence microscopy, they measured the amount of the major cardiac gap junction protein connexin43 (Cx43) in left ventricular samples obtained from patients at the time of coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Biopsies were taken from well perfused, normally contracting wall segments (identified with preoperative thallium scans and magnetic resonance imaging studies) and from “reversibly ischemic” segments (showing improved thallium uptake on stress/redistribution images but no improvement in contractile function after revascularization) or “hibernating” segments (showing improved contractile performance in postoperative MRI studies). Mean gap junction area, determined by measuring the amount of Cx43 immunoreactive signal at intercellular junctions and expressed per unit of intercalated disk area, was reduced by ≈23% in reversibly ischemic segments and by 33% in hibernating tissue compared with normally perfused regions. The average size of an individual gap junction was also reduced by 13% and 30% in reversibly ischemic and hibernating regions, respectively, due mainly to loss of the largest gap junctions in myocytes of dysfunctional regions. The authors suggest, on the basis of these observations, that reduction of Cx43 content in gap junctions …
Beam dynamics in SLC

Beam dynamics issues affect many different aspects of the SLC performance. This paper concentrates on the multi-particle beam dynamics in the linac and the associated limitations that are imposed on the overall SLC performance. The beam behavior in the presence of strong wakefields has been studied in order identify ways to optimize the performance and to predict the expected emittances in high performance linacs. Emittance measurements and simulations are presented for the SLAC linac and are compared in detail. As the overall SLC performance depends on the accelerator stability, the tuning stability is discussed. Results are shown and the consequences for the performance of the SLC are discussed.
BioBin: a bioinformatics tool for automating the binning of rare variants using publicly available biological knowledge

With the recent decreasing cost of genome sequence data, there has been increasing interest in rare variants and methods to detect their association to disease. We developed BioBin, a flexible collapsing method inspired by biological knowledge that can be used to automate the binning of low frequency variants for association testing. We also built the Library of Knowledge Integration (LOKI), a repository of data assembled from public databases, which contains resources such as: dbSNP and gene Entrez database information from the National Center for Biotechnology (NCBI), pathway information from Gene Ontology (GO), Protein families database (Pfam), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Reactome, NetPath - signal transduction pathways, Open Regulatory Annotation Database (ORegAnno), Biological General Repository for Interaction Datasets (BioGrid), Pharmacogenomics Knowledge Base (PharmGKB), Molecular INTeraction database (MINT), and evolutionary conserved regions (ECRs) from UCSC Genome Browser. The novelty of BioBin is access to comprehensive knowledge-guided multi-level binning. For example, bin boundaries can be formed using genomic locations from: functional regions, evolutionary conserved regions, genes, and/or pathways. We tested BioBin using simulated data and 1000 Genomes Project low coverage data to test our method with simulated causative variants and a pairwise comparison of rare variant (MAF < 0.03) burden differences between Yoruba individuals (YRI) and individuals of European descent (CEU). Lastly, we analyzed the NHLBI GO Exome Sequencing Project Kabuki dataset, a congenital disorder affecting multiple organs and often intellectual disability, contrasted with Complete Genomics data as controls. The results from our simulation studies indicate type I error rate is controlled, however, power falls quickly for small sample sizes using variants with modest effect sizes. Using BioBin, we were able to find simulated variants in genes with less than 20 loci, but found the sensitivity to be much less in large bins. We also highlighted the scale of population stratification between two 1000 Genomes Project data, CEU and YRI populations. Lastly, we were able to apply BioBin to natural biological data from dbGaP and identify an interesting candidate gene for further study. We have established that BioBin will be a very practical and flexible tool to analyze sequence data and potentially uncover novel associations between low frequency variants and complex disease.
Effect of bubble formation on microdroplet cavity quality factors

Optical cavity quality factors (Q’s) of ethanol microdroplets with internal bubbles were estimated from cavity mode emission efficiencies as a function of the dissolved gas content. Droplets were generated with a vibrating orifice aerosol generator driven by pressurized gas. With helium- or nitrogen-gas pressurization, Q’s were ∼2 × 108, a value expected to be near a practical upper limit for this size of cavity. Surface capillary waves with a rms amplitude of 1.4 nm are conjectured to limit Q values under these conditions. However, two regimes dominated by bubbles were observed when carbon dioxide–gas pressurization was used. In one regime, nominal 10.25-μm-radius hollow droplets, consisting of a concentric outer ethanol layer surrounding a 7.75-μm-radius gaseous central core, were formed when the vibrating orifice frequency was tuned to a particular value. These hollow sphere droplets displayed a higher Q of 4 × 108, a value that is consistent with the increase in outer radius. In the second regime, at higher vibrating orifice frequencies, smaller homogeneous microdroplets were formed. We conjecture that these microdroplets contain a dispersion of submicrometer-sized bubbles, leading to nonnegligible internal elastic scattering losses and reducing the highest observable Q values to as low as 3 × 105. Sound waves associated with the vibrating orifice must also contribute to the bubble formation because these effects were frequency dependent.
Plastic deformations in mechanically strained single-walled carbon nanotubes

Antiferromagnetic manipulation was used to controllably stretch individual metallic single-walled carbon nanotubes ~SWNT’s!. We have found that SWNT’s can sustain elongations as great as 30% without breaking. Scanned gate microscopy and transport measurements were used to probe the effects of the mechanical strain on the SWNT electronic properties, which revealed a strain-induced increase in intra-tube electronic scattering above a threshold strain of ;5‐10 %. These findings are consistent with theoretical calculations predicting the onset of plastic deformation and defect formation in carbon nanotubes.
Integration, inference, and management of spatial information using Bayesian networks: perceptual organization

The formalism of Bayesian networks provides a very elegant solution, in a probabilistic framework, to the problem of integrating top-down and bottom-up visual processes, as well serving as a knowledge base. The formalism is modified to handle spatial data, and thus the application of Bayesian networks is extended to visual processing. The modified form is called the perceptual inference network (PIN). The theoretical background of a PIN is presented, and its viability is demonstrated in the context of perceptual organization. Perceptual organization imparts robustness, efficiency, and a qualitative and holistic nature to vision. Thus far, the approaches to the problem of perceptual organization have been purely bottom up, without much top-down knowledge-base influence, and are therefore entirely dependent on the inputs, which are obviously imperfect. The knowledge base, besides coping with such input imperfection, also makes it possible to integrate multiple organizations and form a composite organization hypothesis. The PIN imparts an active inferential and integrating nature to perceptual organization in an elegant probabilistic framework. >
A Comparison Study of Convective Parameterization Schemes in a Mesoscale Model

A comparison study of four cumulus parameterization schemes (CPSs), the Anthes‐Kuo, Betts‐Miller, Grell, and Kain‐Fritsch schemes, is conducted using The Pennsylvania State University‐National Center for Atmospheric Research mesoscale model. Performance of these CPSs is examined using six precipitation events over the continental United States for both cold and warm seasons. Grid resolutions of 36 and 12 km are chosen to represent current mesoscale research models and future operational models. The key parameters used to evaluate skill include precipitation, sea level pressure, wind, and temperature predictions. Precipitation is evaluated statistically using conventional skill scores (such as threat and bias scores) for different threshold values based on hourly rainfall observations. Rainfall and other mesoscale features are also evaluated by careful examination of analyzed and simulated fields, which are discussed in the context of timing, evolution, intensity, and structure of the precipitation systems. It is found that the general 6-h precipitation forecast skill for these schemes is fairly good in predicting four out of six cases examined in this study, even for higher thresholds. The forecast skill is generally higher for cold-season events than for warm-season events. There is an increase in the forecast skill in the 12-km model, and the gain is most obvious in predicting heavier rainfall amounts. The model’s precipitation forecast skill is better in rainfall volume than in either the areal coverage or the peak amount. The scheme with the convective available potential energy‐based closure assumption (Kain‐Fritsch scheme) appears to perform better. Some systematic behaviors associated with various schemes are also noted wherever possible. The partition of rainfall into subgrid scale and grid scale is sensitive to the particular parameterization scheme chosen, but relatively insensitive to either the model grid sizes or the convective environments. The prediction of mesoscale surface features in warm-season cases, such as mesoscale pressure centers, windshift lines (gust fronts), and temperature fields, strongly suggests that the CPSs with moist downdrafts are able to predict these surface features more accurately.
Beyond Prediction to Explanation in Risk Assessment Research: A Comparison of Two Explanatory Theories of Criminality and Recidivism

Predictions of dangerousness, violence, and recidivism continue to play an ever-growing role in the legal system. These psycho-legal assessments determine a myriad of legal outcomes including, but not limited to, probation status (i.e., prediction of recidivism), civil commitment (i.e., prediction of danger to self or others), psychotherapist liability under a Tarasoff duty (i.e., prediction of danger to a specified victim), the imposition of the death penalty (i.e., prediction of a continued danger to society), and sentencing under the new sexual predator laws (i.e., prediction of danger to society and recidivism). Given the substantial inaccuracy of clinical predictions of recidivism, violence, and dangerousness and the extreme legal importance of these judgments, risk assessment research was undertaken during the 1980s to improve these predictions (Melton, Petrila, Poythress, & Slobogin, 1997; Monahan & Steadman, 1994). 1 Research determined that clinical predictive effectiveness was improved with specific populations under certain conditions. For example, empirical research found that clinicians were more accurate in predicting wellspecified behavioral outcomes over short time periods than they were at pre-
Erratum: Scaling studies of percolation phenomena in systems of dimensionality two to seven: Cluster numbers

Cluster statistics are obtained by computer simulation for percolation processes on $d$-dimensional lattices with $d=2$ through 7. For all $d$, ${n}_{s}$, the number of $s$-site clusters per site, is found to satisfy reasonably well the scaling hypothesis first proposed by Stauffer. The scaling functions are analyzed for dimensional dependence, and it is found that as $d$ increases they approach very rapidly the exactly known result for the Bethe lattice corresponding to $d=\ensuremath{\infty}$. Corrections to scaling are also studied, and at the upper critical dimension ${d}_{c}=6$, a deviation from scaling consistent with a logarithmic correction is obtained. Some universal quantities such as the ratio of the amplitudes ${C}_{+}$ and ${C}_{\ensuremath{-}}$ of the "susceptibility" (second moment of ${n}_{s}$) below and above the percolation threshold ${p}_{c}$ are also found to approach the Bethe lattice limit very quickly. In addition, our data suggest that $\frac{{C}_{+}}{{C}_{\ensuremath{-}}}$ already assumes the limiting value of unity for $d=6$. This is consistent with the exact relation for the asymmetric decay of ${n}_{s}$ proved by Kunz and Souillard if we adopt the hypothesis that the asymmetry of ${n}_{s}$ about ${p}_{c}$ only enters the corrections to the leading scaling term for $dg~6$.
Abstract 562: Differential Effects of Renin Inhibitors and Ca2+ Channel Blockers on Blood Pressure and Vascular Function in Caveolin-1 Null Mice

Caveolin-1 (cav-1) is a transmembrane protein identified in plasma membrane caveolae, and a potential modulator of renal and vascular function and insulin sensitivity. We have shown that cav-1 gene variants are associated with insulin resistance (IR) in hypertensive humans, and that cav-1 deficiency in mice leads to increased blood pressure (BP) and IR. To test whether these changes in the cav-1 KO involve renal or vascular abnormalities, we treated WT and cav-1 KO mice for 14 days with placebo, the renin inhibitor aliskiren (50 mg/kg/day), or the Ca 2+ channel blocker amlodipine (6 mg/kg/day) and assessed BP, fasting blood glucose, HOMA-IR, plasma aldosterone (ALDO), and vascular function. Cav-1 KO mice, as compared with WT, showed increased BP (131±7 vs. 110±2 mm Hg), blood glucose (112±4 vs. 83±4 mg/dl), HOMA-IR (1.9±1.1 vs. 1.1±0.4), lower plasma ALDO (97±10 vs. 131±42 ng/dl), and altered vascular reactivity--reduced Phe-induced vasoconstriction (0.6±0.2 vs. 1.1±0.2g), enhanced acetylcholine (ACh)-induced relaxation (65±11 vs 23±7%), and enhanced relaxation in response to exogenous NO. Endothelium removal, NOS inhibition, or guanylate cyclase inhibition abolished ACh-induced relaxation, suggesting changes in endothelium-dependent NO-cGMP pathway in cav-1 KO mice. In cav-1 KO mice aliskiren significantly reduced BP to 113±4 mm Hg, ALDO levels by 40%, and HOMA-IR to 0.9±0.1, but had no significant effects on blood glucose, Phe-induced vasoconstriction, ACh- or exogenous NO-induced vasorelaxation. In contrast, amlodipine reduced BP to 117±4 mmHg (this effect did not reach significance), had no effect on ALDO levels, and showed a trend for increased IR. Importantly, amlodipine enhanced the sensitivity to Phe in both WT and cav-1 KO, and reduced the ACh-induced relaxation in cav-1 KO mice to 47±11%. Thus aliskiren treatment in cav-1 KO mice reduced BP possibly through suppression of RAAS and improved insulin sensitivity, but did not affect vascular function. In contrast, amlodipine treatment showed small changes in BP and IR but had adverse effects on vascular reactivity in cav-1 KO mice, raising the concern that it could have similar adverse effects on vascular function in hypertensive individuals that carry the cav-1 minor allele gene variants.
Thyrotoxicosis in pregnancy.

Abstract Thyrotoxicosis occuring in pregnancy is uncommon. There is disagreement in regard to the management of these patients. During the past 10 years at The New York Hospital, there have been 28 pregnancies complicated by hyperthyroidism. Of 19 patients, all but 2 of these patients were treated medically. The incidence of this combination in our hospital has been approximately 1 in every 1,713 pregnancies. The rate of spontaneous abortion was 14.3 per cent, and the incidence of congenital goiter was 7.1 per cent. In general, when pregnancy is complicated by thyrotoxicosis, it is best managed medically. Operation (subtotal thyroidectomy) should be reserved for those cases where medical treatment is ineffective.
Fabrication of waveguide spatial light modulators via femtosecond laser micromachining

We have previously introduced an anisotropic leaky-mode modulator as a waveguide-based, acousto-optic solution for spatial light modulation in holographic video display systems. Waveguide fabrication for these and similar surface acoustic wave devices relies on proton exchange of a lithium niobate substrate, which involves the immersion of the substrate in an acid melt. While simple and effective, waveguide depth and index profiles resulting from proton exchange are often non-uniform over the device length or inconsistent between waveguides fabricated at different times using the same melt and annealing parameters. In contrast to proton exchange, direct writing of waveguides has the appeal of simplifying fabrication (as these methods are inherently maskless) and the potential of fine and consistent control over waveguide depth and index profiles. In this paper, we explore femtosecond laser micromachining as an alternative to proton exchange in the fabrication of waveguides for anisotropic leaky-mode modulators.
Abstract 5668: Nexrutine, a phellodendron amurense extract protects against breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women with over 40,000 deaths per year in the United States. Prognosis is poor for a subset of women with estrogen receptor (ER) negative or ErB2 overexpressing ER negative tumors because their cancers are aggressive and do not respond to conventional treatment. This emphasizes the importance of developing new agents and protocols for preventing breast cancer. Numerous epidemiological studies suggest that plant-based diets are protective against many types of cancer. Nexrutine, an herbal extract from the Chinese plant Phellodendron amurense, has been used for centuries in Chinese medicine to treat inflammation, gastroenteritis, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. The anti-inflammatory properity of Nexrutine is of particular relevance considering the relationship of inflammation to cancer. Many tumors including those of the breast have high levels of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2., which result in increased levels of the proinflammatory mediator prostaglandin (PG) E2. In this study we investigated the anti-cancer effects of Nexrutine on several breast cancer cell lines. Nexrutine decreased activities of COX-2 and peroxisome proliferators activated receptor gamma (PPAR)γ; two potential biomarkers of breast cancer. Nexrutine reduced the production of PGE2, which was associated with decreased protein expression of microsomal PGE2 synthase (mPGES) and increased PG 15-dehydrogenase (15-PGDH). The Nexrutine decreased cell survival, which was accompanied by a G1 cell cycle arrest, increased autophagy, and cell death in SkBr3 and MDA-MB 231 cells. Analysis of the cell cycle regulators indicated a decrease in Cyclin D1, cdk 2, Cyclin E, and decreased phosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein and increase in p21 and p27. Based upon these findings, we propose that the use of Nexrutine could provide a novel approach for protection against breast cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5668.
China and the International Non-Proliferation Regime

There are three broad factors that help explain China’s policy towards Iran’s nuclear program, especially since escalation to a full-fledged proliferation concern since the 2000s. First, there are a set of strategic dynamics and characteristics that define and shape the environment within which policy towards Iran has been formulated by Beijing since the inception of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979. These dynamics could be analyzed as Iran’s strategic signification. Secondly, one could point at China’s global and regional preferences and policies and their implications for the PRC ’s Iran policy. Finally, the previous two sets of dynamics and preferences need to be contextualized within China’s nuclear proliferation culture and its impact in informing Beijing’s policies toward Iran’s nuclear crisis. Placing them in a historical geostrategic background context, the present paper will unpack these factors.
Conceptualizing Historical Legacies

In the nearly quarter century since the collapse of communism, a great many outcomes in East Europe and the former Soviet Union, from patterns of democratic consolidation to state–society relations...
Effects of Total Dose Infusion of Iron Intravenously in Patients With Acute Heart Failure and Anemia (Hemoglobin < 13 g/dl)

Iron deficiency is common in heart failure (HF), and intravenous (IV) iron therapy has been associated with improved clinical status in ambulatory patients with HF. There are limited data to support the safety and efficacy of IV iron administration in patients with acute HF. This was a retrospective cohort study of patients admitted to the University of Michigan Health System for HF with low iron studies during admission. Patients were grouped based on the receipt of IV iron therapy. Study outcomes included change in hemoglobin, 30-day readmission, and adverse events. Forty-four patients who received IV iron and 128 control patients were identified. The mean dose of IV iron received was 1,057 (±336) mg. IV iron resulted in a significantly greater increase in hemoglobin over time (p = 0.0001). The mean change in hemoglobin in the iron and control groups was 0.74 g/dl and 0.01 g/dl at day 7 and 2.61 g/dl and 0.23 g/dl at day 28, respectively. Thirty-day readmission rates were 30% and 22% for patients in the iron and control groups, respectively (p = 0.2787). In conclusion, total dose infusion IV iron is well tolerated and associated with significant improvement in hemoglobin in acute HF.
The Temporal Asymmetry of Knowledge and the Reverse Asymmetry of Causal Relations

Why is it that we seem to know so much more about the past than about the future? Even discounting the important role our memories play in recording bygone experiences, in preserving past impressions, plenty of evidence exists at present to provide information concerning the past. On the other hand, relatively few clues are available to help us anticipate what lies ahead. There exist, for instance, hundreds of thousand books by historians providing reliable accounts of the rise and fall of ancient empires, political, social and economic systems; there exist artifacts, paintings and statues providing us not only with an idea of the way the arts and the sciences have developed but also with accurate portrayals of the personages responsible for much of the significant actions of the past. Nothing comparable exists concerning future empires, social and economic systems, etc. We know, for instance, on the basis of archaeological evidence provided by ruins we can examine now that a certain city stood thousands of years ago in a given location, whose inhabitants furnished their homes, dressed and used tools which we can now correctly describe, and reproduce with fair accuracy.
The Impact of Multiple Sclerosis on Gastrointestinal System Function

MS patients commonly experience symptoms related to dysregulated gastrointestinal function, and these problems contribute to significant impairment in quality of life. Oropharyngeal dysphagia and anorectal dysfunction have traditionally garnered the most attention due to their more obvious impacts on daily functions. For example, convergent evidence suggests a prevalence of oropharyngeal dysphagia in 25–40 % of all MS patients. Similarly, anorectal dysfunction is quite common with ~40 % of MS patients reporting constipation and ~25 % reporting frequent fecal incontinence. In addition, many MS patients experience mixed forms of anorectal dysfunction with both constipation and fecal incontinence. There are a diverse range of potential pathophysiological mechanisms that contribute to these problems, including general impairments in skeletal motor function that are typically experienced by MS patients. However, recent research has revealed that gastrointestinal symptoms in the MS population are not limited to oropharyngeal dysphagia and anorectal dysfunction, but include dyspepsia and abdominal pain. The latter associations may reveal a broader impact of MS disease beyond impairments in skeletal motor function to include disruptions in the central neural regulation of autonomic and/or sensory processing. Despite the significant impact of gastrointestinal dysfunction on MS patient quality of life, there remains a paucity of published literature on therapeutic options for these disorders in this patient population. Thus, there is a compelling need to develop effective treatment options that should translate into improved patients’ quality of life. Collaborative work between neurologists and gastroenterologists will have the best chance to advance the field and to optimize the care of MS patients suffering from symptoms related to impaired gastrointestinal function.
Defects monitoring of laser metal deposition using acoustic emission sensor

Laser metal deposition (LMD) is an advanced additive manufacturing (AM) process used to build or repair metal parts layer by layer for a range of different applications. Any presence of deposition defects in the part produced causes change in the mechanical properties and might cause failure to the part. Corrective remedies to fix these defects will increase the machining time and costs. In this work, a novel defects monitoring system was proposed to detect and classify defects in real time using an acoustic emission (AE) sensor and an unsupervised pattern recognition analysis (K-means clustering) in conjunction with a principal component analysis (PCA). A time domain and frequency domain relevant descriptors were used in the classification process to improve the characterization of the defects sources. The methodology was found to be efficient in distinguishing two types of signals that represent two kinds of defects, which are cracks and porosities. A cluster analysis of AE data is achieved and the resulting clusters correlated with the defects sources during laser metal deposition. It was found that cracks and pores that occur during LMD can be detected using an AE sensor. Pores produce acoustic emission events with high energy, shorter decay time, and less amplitude when compared to cracks. Specifically, the signal energy is a crucial feature in identifying the AE defect source mechanisms. The frequency is not significant; it has a little contribution to the classification solution.
Context-based Term Disambiguation in Biomedical Literature.

The huge volumes of unstructured texts available online drives the increasing need for automated techniques to analyze and extract knowledge from these repositories of information. Resolving the ambiguity in these texts is an important step for any following analysis tasks. In this paper, we present a new method for one type of ambiguity resolving -term disambiguation. The method is based on machine learning and can be viewed as a context-based classification approach. In our experiments we apply it to gene and protein name disambiguation. We have extensively evaluated our method using around 600,000 Medline abstracts and three different classifiers. The results show that our technique is effective in achieving impressive accuracy, precision, and recall rates, and outperforms the recently published results on this problem. The paper includes the details of the method and the experimental design. We plan to apply our technique to the general domain of word sense disambiguation in the future.
Have Economic Educators Embraced Social Media as a Teaching Tool

ABSTRACTIn this article, the authors discuss the results of a study of the perceptions of a national sample of economics faculty members from various institutions regarding the use of social media as a teaching tool in and out of the economics classroom. In the past few years, social media has become globally popular, and its use is ubiquitous among students. As such, some instructors have incorporated social media into their courses to engage students. Others are reluctant to embrace social media, citing privacy concerns, social media being more of a distraction than a useful tool, and the challenge of keeping up with social media developments, among others. The authors characterize economics faculty's perceptions of the use of social media platforms for economic instruction.
Determining Resident Sleep During and After Call With Commercial Sleep Monitoring Devices.

Objective To demonstrate that commercial activity monitoring devices (CAMDs) are practical for monitoring resident sleep while on call. Studies that have directly monitored resident sleep are limited, likely owing to both cost and difficulty in study interpretation. The advent of wearable CAMDs that estimate sleep presents the opportunity to more readily evaluate resident sleep in physically active settings and “home call,” a coverage arrangement familiar to urology programs. Methods Twelve urology residents were outfitted with Fitbit Flex devices during “home call” for a total of 57 (out of 64, or 89%) call or post-call night pairs. Residents were surveyed with the Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS), a single-question alertness survey. Time in bed (TIB) was “time to bed” to “rise for day.” Fitbit accelerometers register activity as follows: (1) not moving; (2) minimal movement or restless; or (3) above threshold for accelerometer to register steps. Total sleep time (TST) was the number of minutes in level 1 activity during TIB. Sleep efficiency (SE) was defined as TST divided by TIB. Results While on call, 10 responding (of 12 available, 83%) residents on average reported TIB as 347 minutes, TST as 165 minutes, and had an SE of 47%. Interestingly, SSS responses did not correlate with sleep parameters. Post-call sleep demonstrated increases in TIB, SE, and TST (+23%, +15%, and +44%, respectively) while sleepiness was reduced by 22%. Conclusion We demonstrate that urologic residents can consistently wear CAMDs while on home call. SSS did not correlate with Fitbit-estimated sleep duration. Further study with such devices may enhance sleep deprivation recognition to improve resident sleep.
Secure Communication and Authentication Against Off-line Dictionary Attacks in Smart Grid Systems

This paper studies the security requirements for remote authentication and communication in smart grid systems. Though smart card based authentication techniques have been a successful solution for addressing key management challenges in several cryptographic authentication systems, they may not be applicable to smart grid systems. For example, in order to unlock the credentials stored in tamper-resistant components (which could either be integrated in smart meters and collectors or be separate components that could be inserted into smart meters and collectors), one generally needs to input a password or PIN number to the smart meters or collectors. Since most smart meters and collectors are unattended, they could be maliciously modified or impersonated. Thus there is no trusted platform for the device owners or service provider agents to input the PIN number. Furthermore, the tamper resistant components (either integrated or separated) that hold the secret credentials could be easily accessed by an attacker and offline dictionary attacks could be easily mounted against these devices to retrieve the password or PIN number. In this paper, we review the security requirements for smart grid authentication systems and propose trust models for smart grid remote authentication systems. Finally, we propose secure authentication protocols within these trust models to defeat the common attacks such as offline dictionary attacks.
Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination in Galveston Bay, Texas: Comparing concentrations and profiles in sediments, passive samplers, and fish.

Abstract The industrialized portion of the Houston Ship Channel (HSC) is heavily contaminated with anthropogenic contaminants, most prominent of which are the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). This contamination has driven adaptive evolution in a keystone species for Galveston Bay, the Gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis). We investigated the geographical extent of PCB impacts by sampling 12 sites, ranging from the heavily industrialized upper portion of the HSC to Galveston Island. At each site, PCB concentrations and profiles were determined in three environmental compartments: sediment, water (polyethylene passive samplers), and fish tissue (resident Gulf killifish). We observed a steep gradient of PCB contamination, ranging from 4.00 to 100,000 ng/g organic carbon in sediment, 290–110,000 ng/g lipid in fish, and 4.5–2300 ng/g polyethylene in passive samplers. The PCB congener profiles in Gulf killifish at the most heavily contaminated sites were shifted toward the higher chlorinated PCBs and were highly similar to the sediment contamination profiles. In addition, while magnitude of total PCB concentrations in sediment and total fish contamination levels were highly correlated between sites, the relative PCB congener profiles in fish and passive samplers were more alike. This strong correlation, along with a lack of dependency of biota-sediment accumulation factors with total contamination rates, confirm the likely non-migratory nature of Gulf killifish and suggest their contamination levels are a good site-specific indicator of contamination in the Galveston Bay area. The spatial gradient of PCB contamination in Galveston Bay was evident in all three matrices studied and was observed effectively using Gulf killifish contamination as an environmentally relevant bioindicator of localized contamination in this environment.
Social Aspects of Task-Based Information Seeking Behavior: The Conceptual Integration of Cognitive Sociology and Practice Theory

The aim of this study is to introduce a conceptual approach to understand social effects on task-based information seeking behavior. This analytical work provides a new theoretical lens that will be potentially useful to identify the relationships between social communities and information behavior. Specifically, I suggest an integrated sociological view on human information behavior primarily influenced by cognitive sociology and practice theory, which emphasizes the roles of socially constructed cognition of individuals.
Auswirkungen der Systembeschaffung für die Customer Integration aus Sicht von Zulieferunternehmen der Automobilindustrie

Konnte die europaische Automobilindustrie noch Anfang der 90er Jahre Rekordumsatze verzeichnen, hatten die Unternehmen nur wenige Jahre spater herbe Umsatz- und Ergebniseinbusen zu beklagen. Doch der Konjunktureinbruch fuhrte zu einer wichtigen Erkenntnis: In Zeiten prosperierender Nachfrage hatte man sich zu lange mit ineffizienten Strukturen zufrieden gegeben, anstatt sich den veranderten Marktanforderungen mit veranderten Prozessen und Strukturen anzupassen. Produktivitatsdefizite waren bei den Automobilunternehmen in nahezu allen betrieblichen Bereichen auszumachen. In Relation zu den weltweit besten Unternehmen insbesondere aus Japan (Best Practice) hatten die europaischen Automobilhersteller doppelt so lange Entwicklungszeiten, doppelt so hohe Lagerbestande und benotigten die doppelte Anzahl an Stunden fur die Montage eines Fahrzeugs mit entsprechend hoheren Kosten (Womack/Jones/Ross 1991, S. 92).
Joint Estimation: SPC Method for Short-Run Autocorrelated Data

The use of joint estimation (JE) outlier detection is evaluated as a statistical process control method for short-run autocorrelated data. The ability of JE to differentiate between four distinct out-of-control observations allows detection of different..
Editors' Introduction: Special Issue on Higher Education

This issue of the Journal for Public Deliberation challenges colleges and universities to consider how their academic programs help strengthen American democracy. In this introduction, the editors summarize and connect the contributions in this special issue.
Extractive Decontamination of Metal-Polluted Soils Using Oxalate

Oxalate (Ox) was investigated as an extractant for decontaminating two metal-polluted soils, one with elevated total zinc (ZnT = 2700 mg kg-1) from the Palmerton, Pennsylvania smelter site and the other from a grossly contaminated (PbT = 210 000 mg kg-1) automobile battery recycling facility in Indiana. Metal retention within the soils was substantially different as shown by sequential fractionation experiments. High Zn removal (>80%) was achieved with 1.0 M Ox when Zn existed predominantly in non-detrital metal fractions. However, Ox was an unsuitable Pb extractant due to the sparing solubility of PbOx(s). Despite the dramatically higher stability of ZnEDTA2- (log K = 16.5) compared to ZnOx° (log K = 3.4), Ox released more Zn than EDTA from the Palmerton soil because 40% of ZnT was associated with the oxide fraction. Extract analysis indicated that Ox, but nor EDTA, dissolved soil Fe oxides in the 24 hr extraction period. When contaminating metals are associated with soil oxides, Ox may be a superior extractant to powerful chelants like EDTA. It is essential to establish thoroughly metal solution chemistry and fixation behavior within the soil when extractive decontamination is proposed for site remediation.
Changes in maternal pregnane concentrations in mares with experimentally-induced, ascending placentitis.

Abstract The objectives of this study were to compare via liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) progesterone (P4), 5α-dihydroprogesterone (DHP), allopregnanolone, 3β-hydroxy-5α-pregnan-20-one (3β5P), 20α-hydroxy-5α-pregnan-3-one (20α5P), 5α-pregnan-3β,20α-diol (βα-diol), and 5α-pregnan-3β,20β-diol (ββ-diol) concentrations in plasma of mares with experimentally-induced, ascending placentitis compared to gestationally age-matched control mares. Placentitis was induced via intracervical inoculation of Streptococcus equi spp. zooepidemicus between 260 and 280 days of gestation. Placentitis mares were subdivided into those which aborted in less than eight days (n = 6; acute) and those that aborted at ≥ 8 days after inoculation (n = 9; chronic). Ten pregnant mares at similar gestational ages served as healthy controls. Pregnanes were measured for days (−8), −6, −4, −3, −2, −1, and 0 days preceding abortion in the treated mares, and for the matched days of gestation in the control mares by LC-MS/MS and by immunoassay for immunoreactive (ir) P4. In mares with chronic placentitis, concentrations of DHP and its downstream metabolites (allopregnanolone, 3β5P, 20α5P, βα-diol) increased at 2–8 days prior to abortion compared to control mares. Of these pregnanes, 20α5P and βα-diol increased at eight days prior to abortion and demonstrated the largest increase (approximately 3 to 4×) in mares with chronic placentitis compared to control mares. Concentrations of P4 determined by LC-MS/MS were at or below the limit of detection (0.5 ng/mL) for control mares and did not increase significantly in mares with chronic placentitis. Immunoreactive-P4 was increased at two days prior to abortion in mares with chronic placentitis but was not different from controls in mares with acute placentitis. In mares with acute placentitis, concentrations of DHP, allopregnanolone, 3β5P, 20α5P, and βα-diol decreased within 0–3 days prior to abortion. In mares with chronic placentitis, the patterns of increased pregnanes metabolized by the placenta was similar to changes in maternal pregnanes noted in normal mares beyond Day 300 of gestation and likely represent the effects of fetal stress and adrenal activation on pregnane metabolism by the fetus and placenta. Decreases in these same pregnanes in mares with acute cases likely reflect extreme fetal or placental compromise.
Continuous grammars

After defining appropriate metrics on strings and parse trees, the classic definition of continuity is adapted and applied to functions from strings to parse trees. Grammars that yield continuous mappings are of special interest, because they provide a sound theoretical framework for syntax error correction. Continuity justifies the approach, taken by many error correctors, to use the function output (the parse tree), and all the additional information it provides, in order to find corrections to the function input (the string). We prove that all Bounded Context grammars are continuous and that all continuous grammars are Bounded Context Parseable grammars, giving a characterization of continuous grammars in terms of possible parsing algorithms.
Learning Task-Specific City Region Partition

The proliferation of publicly accessible urban data provide new insights on various urban tasks. A frequently used approach is to treat each region as a data sample and build a model over all the regions to observe the correlations between urban features (e.g., demographics) and the target variable (e.g., crime count). To define regions, most existing studies use fixed grids or pre-defined administrative boundaries (e.g., census tracts or community areas). In reality, however, definitions of regions should be different depending on tasks (e.g., regional crime count prediction vs. real estate prices estimation). In this paper, we propose a new problem of task-specific city region partitioning, aiming to find the best partition in a city w.r.t. a given task. We prove this is an NP-hard search problem with no trivial solution. To learn the partition, we first study two variants of Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC). We further propose a reinforcement learning scheme for effective sampling the search space. We conduct experiments on two real datasets in Chicago (i.e., crime count and real estate price) to demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method.
Security Aware Spatial Modulation (SA-SM)

Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) techniques are currently the de facto approach for increasing the capacity and reliability of communication systems. Spatial modulation (SM) is presently one of the most eminent MIMO techniques. As, it combines the advantages of having higher spectral efficiency than repetition coding (RC) while overcoming the inter-channel interference (ICI) faced by spatial multiplexing (SMP). Moreover, SM reduces system complexity. In this paper, for the first time in literature, the use of MIMO techniques is explored in Internet-of-Things(IoT) deployments by introducing a novel technique called security aware spatial modulation (SA-SM).SA-SM provides a low complexity, secure and spectrally efficient technique that harvests the advantages of SM, while facing the arising security concerns of IoT systems. Using an undemanding modification at the receiver, SA-SM gives an extra degree of technology independent physical layer security. Our results show that SA-SM forces the bit-error-rate (BER) of an eavesdropper to not exceed the range of 10−2, which is below the forward-error-correction (FEC) threshold. Hence, it eradicates the ability of an eavesdropper to properly decode the transmitted signal. Additionally, the efficiency of SA-SM is verified in both the radio and visible light ranges. Furthermore, SA-SM is capable of reducing the peak-to-average-power-ratio (PAPR) by 26.2%.
Vitamin C, Thiamine, and Steroids in the Sepsis Conquest: Replete to Defeat:

Purpose:Sepsis and septic shock are significant health issues in the United States. Novel treatment options focusing on mitigating the dysregulated host response while reducing the need for vasopre...
Li Be B Energetics and Cosmic Ray Origin

Three different models have been proposed for LiBeB production by cosmic rays: the CRI model in which the cosmic rays are accelerated out of an ISM of solar composition scaled with metallicity; the CRS model in which cosmic rays with composition similar to that of the current epoch cosmic rays are accelerated out of fresh supernova ejecta; and the LECR model in which a distinct low energy component coexists with the postulated cosmic rays of the CRI model. These models are usually distinguished by their predictions concerning the evolution of the Be and B abundances. Here we emphasize the energetics which favor the CRS model. This model is also favored by observations showing that the bulk (80 to 90%) of all supernovae occur in hot, low density superbubbles, where supernova shocks can accelerate the cosmic rays from supernova ejecta enriched matter.
Development of Behavior

Behavior requires functional muscles, but the development of behavior depends primarily on events within the nervous system. The pattern of development is similar in invertebrates and vertebrates. When nerve cells first appear, they are not yet connected with other cells, and hence they cannot produce behavior. However, once neurons start to form synapses, behaviors begin, although at first they may be simple. As the nervous system matures, several factors – including hormones, activity within the neurons, and input from the environment – modify the system and consequently the behavior produced, allowing it to become a more effective response to ongoing events.
Matrix metalloproteinase-9 as a messenger in the cross talk between obstructive sleep apnea and comorbid systemic hypertension, cardiac remodeling, and ischemic stroke: a literature review.

Study Objectives:OSA is a common sleep disorder. There is a strong link between sleep-related breathing disorders and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9)...