cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computational experience with generalized simulated annealing over continuous variables

SYNOPTIC ABSTRACTStochastic optimization procedures have been shown to be efficient methods for finding global extrema of objective functions. In this article we report computational results obtained using the generalized simulated annealing method on a set of standard global optimization test problems. The results are compared to those obtained using the best known competing stochastic optimization methods.
Neurologists' attitudes regarding rt-PA for acute ischemic stroke

Following the NINDS recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) study,1 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of IV rt-PA for acute ischemic stroke. Consensus statements and practice guidelines followed from the American Academy of Neurology(AAN)2 and the Stroke Council of the American Heart Association.3 Acceptance of these guidelines has not been uniform. We studied the attitudes and knowledge of Texas neurologists regarding the use of rt-PA through a mailed questionnaire. Methods. We performed a cross-sectional survey of all neurologist members of the AAN residing in Texas. The AAN estimates that 90% of all neurologists in the United-States are members. The survey included physicians in practice, including those still in training programs, but excluded inactive or retired members. The questionnaire consisted of three parts and was based on previous research for acute myocardial infarction (MI).4 The first part contained questions regarding the neurologist's experience with, and attitudes toward, the use of rt-PA. Physicians who had used rt-PA (Group A) were compared with those who had not used rt-PA (Group B). The second part of the questionnaire assessed the neurologist's knowledge pertaining to the use of rt-PA for acute ischemic stroke based on the published NINDS rt-PA acute stroke study results.1 The third part asked respondents to use a Likert scale to indicate their feelings about rt-PA. This project was approved by The University of Texas-Houston Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects. Proportions between groups were analyzed using either the uncorrected Pearson chi-square statistic or Fisher's exact test. Comparisons of continuous variables between groups were analyzed using the standard normal approximation to Student's t -test for independent samples with heterogenous variances.5 Results. We surveyed 650 neurologists in Texas. After two mailings, 238 neurologists (37%) responded. The mean age of the responders(44.7 years) was …
Propagation in glass optical waveguides

The propagation theory of multimode and single-mode optical waveguide fibers is reviewed. The subjects reviewed include basic propagation theory, the influence of the glass medium on attenuation and pulse dispersion, and the effects of perturbations of the waveguide's geometry and index profile.
Structural aspects of N-hydroxy-N'-aminoguanidine derivatives as inhibitors of L1210 cell growth and ribonucleotide reductase activity.

Abstract Previous studies have shown that N -hydroxy- N ′-aminoguanidine (HAG) derivatives [ R CH=NNHC(=NH)NHOH-tosylate] inhibit ribonucleotide reductase activity and block the growth of leukemia L1210 cells and human colon carcinoma, HT-29, cells in culture. In the current studies, the role of the side chains and the location of the bond of the side chain moiety to HAG were investigated using a new series of HAG derivatives which contained as the R -group — cyclohexyl, phenyl-, pyridyl- or napthyl moieties. The effects of these compounds as inhibitors of L1210 cell growth and ribonucleotide reductase activity were compared with the parent compound. N -hydroxy- N ′-aminoguanidine was less inhibitory to ribonucleotide reductase activity and L1210 cell growth than hydroxyurea. The phenyl-HAG compounds which included 1-benzyloxybenzylidene- and 4-cyclohexylmethoxybenzylidene-HAG inhibited CDP reductase with IC 50 s which ranged from 50–110 μ m . 1-Naphthylmethylene-HAG was more inhibitory than 2-naphthylmethylene-HAG and more inhibitory than the phenyl-HAG compounds. 2-Pyridylmethylene-HAG was more inhibitory than 3-pyridylmethylene- or 4-pyridylmethylene-HAG. While HAG inhibited CDP and ADP reductase activities essentially to the same extent, the HAG-derivatives inhibited ADP reductase activity to a greater exent than CDP reductase activity. Cyclohexylmethylene-HAG did not inhibit either L1210 cell growth or ribonucleotide reductase activity. There was good correlation between the inhibition of ribonucleotide reductase activity and L1210 cell growth by these HAG-derivatives. These data indicate that not only is the nature of the side chain substitution important, but also the location of the HAG-moiety on the ring position.
Neoliberalism, public health, and the moral perils of fatness

This article examines attempts by the state – via body mass index (BMI) bills, obesity report cards, curtailment of custody, and more – to enlist individual citizens in the war on obesity as they rehearse a reductive collapse between weight and health that may actually undermine human wellness. The article considers such efforts to responsibilize the individual citizen in light of recent arguments by concerned scholars that the collective citizenry must revolt against the oppressiveness of our so-called ‘obesogenic environment’ if we are to preserve our good health. Finally, the article offers alternatives to neoliberal governmentality and the obesogenic environment approach in an effort to rethink fatness.
Solving complex-valued differential systems

Linear two-point boundary-value problems defined in complex space arise frequently in physical studies. We examine initial-value procedures based on superposition principles applied to the associated real system of equations. We show how to take advantage of the fact that the underlying problem is complex, thereby cutting the usual number of necessary integrations of the homogeneous system by one-half. We also discuss several aspects of incorporating these ideas into a computer code utilizing an orthonormalization procedure.
Specificity delivers: therapeutic role of tumor antigen-specific antibodies in pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is among the most deadly cancers with less than 5% of the patients living beyond 5 years post-diagnosis. Lack of early diagnostic biomarkers and resistance to current therapies help explain these disappointing numbers. Thus, more effective and better-targeted therapies are needed quickly. Monoclonal antibodies offer an attractive alternative targeted therapy option for PDA because they are highly specific and potent. However, currently available monoclonal antibody therapies for PDA are still in their infancy with a low success rate and low likelihood of being approved. The challenges faced by these therapies include the following: lack of predictive and response biomarkers, unfavorable safety profiles, expression of targets not restricted to the cancer cells, flawed preclinical model systems, drug resistance, and PDA’s complex nature. Additionally, discovery of novel PDA-specific antigen targets, present on the cell surface or in the extracellular matrix, is needed. Predictive and response markers also need to be determined for PDA patient subgroups so that the most appropriate effective therapy can be delivered. Serologic approaches, recombinant antibody-producing technologies, and advances in antibody engineering techniques will help to identify these predictive biomarkers and aid in the development of new therapeutic antibodies. A combinatorial approach simultaneously targeting antigens on the PDA cell, stroma, and immunosuppressive cells should be employed.
Rat sightings in New York City are associated with neighborhood sociodemographics, housing characteristics, and proximity to open public space

Rats are ubiquitous in urban environments and, as established reservoirs for infectious pathogens, present a control priority for public health agencies. New York City (NYC) harbors one of the largest rat populations in the United States, but surprising little study has been undertaken to define rat ecology across varied features of this urban landscape. More importantly, factors that may contribute to increased encounters between rats and humans have rarely been explored. Using city-wide records of rat sightings reported to the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, this investigation sought to identify sociodemographic, housing, and physical landscape characteristics that are associated with increased rat sightings across NYC census tracts. A hierarchical Bayesian conditional autoregressive Poisson model was used to assess these associations while accounting for spatial heterogeneity in the variance. Closer proximity to both subway lines and recreational public spaces was associated with a higher concentration of rat sightings, as was a greater presence of older housing, vacant housing units, and low education among the population. Moreover, these aspects of the physical and social landscape accurately predicted rat sightings across the city. These findings have identified specific features of the NYC urban environment that may help to provide direct control targets for reducing human–rat encounters.
The Effects of Unilateral Forced Nostril Breathing on Cognition

Ultradian rhythms of alternating cerebral dominance have been demonstrated in humans and other mammals during waking and sleep. Human studies have used the methods of psychological testing and elec...
mRNA for genes associated with antigen presentation are expressed by human middle meatal epithelial cells in culture.

Objectives/Hypothesis: Although the mechanisms underlying the initiation and maintenance of inflammation in chronic rhinosinusitis are poorly understood, the activation of memory T cells within the nasal mucosa is thought to play an important role. T-cell activation requires specialized antigen processing and presentation of antigen by immunocompetent cells in the context of cell surface immune molecules. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of such molecules by human sinonasal epithelial cells grown in culture at the air-liquid interface (ALI). Methods: Middle meatal epithelium was obtained from six patients undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery. Dissociated epithelial cells were grown to confluence in serum-free, defined medium and transferred to filter inserts for culture at the ALI. Cells were harvested at 2 and 21 days of growth at the ALI and processed for real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The presence and relative abundance of constitutively expressed mRNA for human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B, HLA-DR, B7 to 1, B7 to 2, B7-H2, B7-H3, and cathepsin D were assessed. Results: After 2 days at the ALI, middle meatal epithelial cells demonstrated expression of genes for each of the antigen processing associated genes tested. The expression of HLA-B and HLA-DR increased significantly with cellular maturation at the ALI. Expression of HLA-DR and B7 to 1 increased with cytokine stimulation. Conclusions: Primary human epithelial cells obtained from the middle meatus express genes associated with antigen presentation function. The pattern of gene expression is modulated by cytokine stimulation and changes as the cells differentiate at the ALI. These findings suggest that mature middle meatal epithelial cells have the cellular machinery to interact with T cells and therefore may be direct participants in the modulation of T-cell activity in chronic sinusitis.
Variation with age in the timing and duration of spawning in American plaice

Spawning time of female American plaice Hippoglossoides platessoides varied significantly with age. This effect, however, was not consistent across years. Generally, younger fish spawned earlier than older fish, but in the 1990s they spawned later than older fish. Spawning duration also varied with age, with younger fish generally having a longer spawning period than older fish. Changes in depth distribution were related to changes in both spawning time and duration. As depth increased, spawning time became later and duration became shorter. Fish <11 years old showed the largest change in both spawning time and depth distribution.
Preoperative prediction of type 2 diabetes remission after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery: a retrospective cohort study

Summary Background About 60% of patients with type 2 diabetes achieve remission after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery. No accurate method is available to preoperatively predict the probability of remission. Our goal was to develop a way to predict probability of diabetes remission after RYGB surgery on the basis of preoperative clinical criteria. Methods In a retrospective cohort study, we identified individuals with type 2 diabetes for whom electronic medical records were available from a primary cohort of 2300 patients who underwent RYGB surgery at the Geisinger Health System (Danville, PA, USA) between Jan 1, 2004, and Feb 15, 2011. Partial and complete remission were defined according to the American Diabetes Association criteria. We examined 259 clinical variables for our algorithm and used multiple logistic regression models to identify independent predictors of early remission (beginning within first 2 months after surgery and lasting at least 12 months) or late remission (beginning more than 2 months after surgery and lasting at least 12 months). We assessed a final Cox regression model with a consistent subset of variables that predicted remission, and used the resulting hazard ratios (HRs) to guide creation of a weighting system to produce a score (DiaRem) to predict probability of diabetes remission within 5 years. We assessed the validity of the DiaRem score with data from two additional cohorts. Findings Electronic medical records were available for 690 patients in the primary cohort, of whom 463 (63%) had achieved partial or complete remission. Four preoperative clinical variables were included in the final Cox regression model: insulin use, age, HbA 1c concentration, and type of antidiabetic drugs. We developed a DiaRem score that ranges from 0 to 22, with the greatest weight given to insulin use before surgery (adding ten to the score; HR 5·90, 95% CI 4·41–7·90; p Interpretation The DiaRem score is a novel preoperative method to predict the probability of remission of type 2 diabetes after RYGB surgery. Funding Geisinger Health System and the US National Institutes of Health.
An Assessment of The Nonparametric Approach for Evaluating The Fit of Item Response Models

As item response theory has been more widely applied, investigating the fit of a parametric model becomes an important part of the measurement process. There is a lack of promising solutions to the detection of model misfit in IRT. Douglas and Cohen introduced a general nonparametric approach, RISE (Root Integrated Squared Error), for detecting model misfit. The purposes of this study were to extend the use of RISE to more general and comprehensive applications by manipulating a variety of factors (e.g., test length, sample size, IRT models, ability distribution). The results from the simulation study demonstrated that RISE outperformed G2 and S-X2 in that it controlled Type I error rates and provided adequate power under the studied conditions. In the empirical study, RISE detected reasonable numbers of misfitting items compared to G2 and S-X2, and RISE gave a much clearer picture of the location and magnitude of misfit for each misfitting item. In addition, there was no practical consequence to classification before and after replacement of misfitting items detected by three fit statistics.
Acute toxicity of sediment from Eagle Harbor, Washington, to the infaunal amphipod Rhepoxynius abronius

Creosote-contaminated sediment from one station (EH08) in Eagle Harbor, Washington, is among the most toxic sediment yet tested from U.S. estuaries and coastal waters. The total concentration of 13 polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in EH08 sediment was 6,461 mg/kg (dry wt.). The concentrations of phenanthrene and fluoranthene in this sediment were more than two orders of magnitude greater than their acutely lethal concentrations. In dilution experiments with uncontaminated sediment from Yaquina Bay, Oregon, the 4-d LC50 of EH08 sediment to the amphipod Rhepoxynius abronius (Barnard) was 666 mg/kg (wet wt.). Sediment from other stations within 150 m of EH08 was not acutely toxic to Rhepoxynius, indicating the patchiness of sediment contamination and toxicity in Eagle Harbor.
Work in progress - implementing a freshman mentor program

Creating positive learning communities that engage incoming engineering students with varying degrees of engineering experience poses a challenge to universities with high numbers of enrolled students. Many schools have a general university-wide orientation program for every student. Other universities address only a distinct subset of students in their mentorship programs. Neither solution provides individual technical mentorship to the entire incoming class. In September 2006 a solution was started at OSU which was to implement a mentor program for the entire freshman class. Evaluation tools for the freshman mentor program consist of student retention rate records, a freshman mentor database, and a survey to track growth in our mentoring effectiveness within the student body. Future goals of the program will include: increasing student involvement with academic clubs, implementing novel structures to increase retention.
A Load Shedding Framework and Optimizations for M-way Windowed Stream Joins

Tuple dropping, though commonly used for load shedding in most stream operations, is inadequate for m-way, windowed stream joins. The join output rate can be overly reduced because it fails to exploit the time correlations likely to exist among interrelated streams. In this paper, we introduce GrubJoin; an adaptive, m-way, windowed stream join that effectively performs time correlation-aware CPU load shedding. GrubJoin maximizes the output rate by achieving near-optimal window harvesting, which picks only the most profitable window segments for the join. Due to combinatorial explosion of possible m-way join sequences involving window segments, m-way, windowed stream joins pose several unique challenges. We focus on addressing two of them: (1) How can we quickly determine the optimal window harvesting configuration for any m-way, windowed stream join? (2) How can we monitor and learn the time correlations among the streams with high accuracy and minimal overhead? To tackle these challenges, we formalize window harvesting as an optimization problem, develop greedy heuristics to determine near-optimal window harvesting configurations and use approximation techniques to capture the time correlations. Our experimental results show that GrubJoin is vastly superior to tuple dropping when time correlations exist and is equally effective when time correlations are nonexistent.
Targeting pyruvate carboxylase reduces gluconeogenesis and adiposity and improves insulin resistance

We measured the mRNA and protein expression of the key gluconeogenic enzymes in human liver biopsy specimens and found that only hepatic pyruvate carboxylase protein levels related strongly with glycemia. We assessed the role of pyruvate carboxylase in regulating glucose and lipid metabolism in rats through a loss-of-function approach using a specific antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) to decrease expression predominantly in liver and adipose tissue. Pyruvate carboxylase ASO reduced plasma glucose concentrations and the rate of endogenous glucose production in vivo. Interestingly, pyruvate carboxylase ASO also reduced adiposity, plasma lipid concentrations, and hepatic steatosis in high fat–fed rats and improved hepatic insulin sensitivity. Pyruvate carboxylase ASO had similar effects in Zucker Diabetic Fatty rats. Pyruvate carboxylase ASO did not alter de novo fatty acid synthesis, lipolysis, or hepatocyte fatty acid oxidation. In contrast, the lipid phenotype was attributed to a decrease in hepatic and adipose glycerol synthesis, which is important for fatty acid esterification when dietary fat is in excess. Tissue-specific inhibition of pyruvate carboxylase is a potential therapeutic approach for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, hepatic insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes.
Real-Time Approximate Optimal Guidance Laws for the Advanced Launch System

An approach to optimal ascent guidance for a launch vehicle is developed based upon an expansion technique. The problem is to maximize payload into orbit subject to the equations of motion of a rocket over a rotating spherical earth. It is assumed that the thrust and gravitational forces dominate over the aerodynamic forces. It is shown that these forces can be separated by a small parameter ?, where ? is the ratio of the atmospheric scale height to radius of the earth. The Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman or dynamic programming equation is expanded in a series where the zeroth-order term (?=0) can be obtained in closed form. The zeroth-order problem is that of maximum payload into orbit subject to the equations of motion of a rocket in a vacuum over a flat earth. The neglected inertial and aerodynamic terms are included in higher-order terms of the expansion. These higher-order terms are determined from the solution of first-order linear partial differential equations requiring only quadrature integrations. These quadrature integrations can be performed rapidly with the emerging computer capability so that real-time approximate optimization can be used to construct the launch guidance law.
A Visualization Approach for Modeling Trust in E-Commerce

E-commerce is presently operating under its expected capacity, mainly because traders find it very difficult to trust one another online for trading decisions. It is therefore very important to develop an effective trust management system that assists e-commerce participants to make good trust decisions. This paper describes a visualization approach towards such a system. The benefits of this approach are threefold: first, it gives a better understanding of the components that can be used in a trust management system. Secondly, it illustrates that the components contributing to the trust making process can be different from one environment to another. Thirdly, it shows that the way one person trusts can be different from others. This approach, rather than using the same static attributes to calculate trust for everyone, uses specific attributes based on each truster's goals. Moreover, by using GRL and UCM as notations for trust modeling, this approach provides a visual representation of trust, its components and the trusting process.
Quetiapine Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

OBJECTIVE:To report a case of improvement in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after adjunctive therapy with quetiapine.CASE SUMMARY:A 49-year-old white man witnessed a traumatic event and experienced severe PTSD. He was started on paroxetine, with increases in dosage and no significant improvement. Quetiapine was added to his regimen, with increased doses resulting in improvement of PTSD symptoms, both clinically and as measured on the Hamilton-D rating scale for depression and the clinician-administered PTSD screen.DISCUSSION:This is the first case published in the English language literature describing improvement in PTSD symptoms after treatment with quetiapine. There are several treatment options for PTSD, but some severe cases may require treatment with antipsychotic medications. Because of the lower risks of serious adverse effects, the newer atypical antipsychotics are much safer than the older antipsychotics. Although use of risperidone and olanzapine in the successful treatment of PTSD has be...
Framework for development of CAD/CAC systems

Abstract This paper provides a framework for the development of Computer-Aided-Design/Computer-Aided-Construction (CAD/CAC) systems. A description of the proposed CAD/CAC systems is provided. The proposed system contains software tools related to (1) conceptual design, (2) structural and foundation analysis, (3) design of structural components, (4) routine geometric, mathematical, and optimization functions, (5) construction management, (6) Computer Aided Process Planning (CAPP), (7) process simulation, and (8) constructability analysis. On-going research work in areas related to CAD/CAC systems are highlighted. Incorporation of Group Technology (GT) paradigm for civil engineering structures to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed systems is investigated. Issues related to algorithm development are also discussed. Possible extension of Automatically Programmed Tools (APT) language to include construction industry processes are examined. Specifically, the programming level syntax of APT can be extended by adding construction related vocabulary and features to only two out of five statement types and processor-level syntax can be extended by incorporating additional modular features.
Yet even more evidence on the spatial size of cities: Urban spatial expansion in the US, 1980–2000

Abstract This paper expands empirical testing of the predictions of the standard monocentric urban model to examine the size of urban spatial expansion for all US metropolitan regions for the years 1980, 1990 and 2000. Until recently, the lack of temporally and spatially-consistently interpreted data on urban extent for U.S. metropolitan areas has limited the ability to estimate panel models of land use change. This paper first describes the creation of a consistent data set on urbanized land area for all U.S. metropolitan areas. It then estimates cross-sectional models of the determinants of urban spatial extent. For purposes of comparison, results are compared to temporally-consistent satellite-derived measures of developed land area from the National Land Cover Database. The paper then presents panel-model estimates of changes in urban land area, finding that both population and income elasticities are substantially less than unity. Tests for the structural stability of urbanized land area determinants across metropolitan size categories and polycentric regions are presented.
New standard for high-temperature persistent-hole-burning molecular materials: aluminum phthalocyanine tetrasulphonate in buffered hyperquenched glassy films of water

Applications of persistent spectral hole burning to optical memory and processing technologies currently face a number of hurdles. Not the least important of these are efficient hole burning, high storage density in the frequency domain, resilience against destructive readout, and operation at high temperatures (⩾77 K). It is shown that aluminum phthalocyanine tetrasulphonate (APT) in buffered hyperquenched glassy water (HGW) is a material whose hole-burning properties exceed, in every category, those of previously studied molecular systems. Its attributes at 77 K include a frequency storage-density parameter (ratio of the inhomogeneous broadening to the homogeneous width of the zero-phonon line) of 125 (∼105 at 5 K), a burn fluence as low as 1.5 mJ/cm2 for production of a zero-phonon hole with a fractional depth of 0.1, and a quite impressive resilience against destructive readout from hole burning and light-induced hole filling. It was predicted, for APT in deuterated HGW, that ∼108 digital readouts could be executed before refresh was necessary. The mechanism for hole burning of APT in HGW is nonphotochemical, a one-photon process. The results argue against the notion that only two-photon gated hole-burning materials hold promise for memory/processing applications. Although HGW is not a practical host medium for devices, a biomolecular strategy for the design of materials that might be and that retain the exceptional hole-burning properties of APT in HGW is proposed. In this regard, the first demonstration of hole burning in Jello is presented.
On global P-forms

Abstract Let F q be a finite field with char F q = p and n > 0 an integer with gcd ( n , log p ⁡ q ) = 1 . Let ( ) ⁎ : F q ( x 0 , … , x n − 1 ) → F q ( x 0 , … , x n − 1 ) be the F q -monomorphism defined by x i ⁎ = x i + 1 for 0 ≤ i n − 1 and x n − 1 ⁎ = x 0 q . For f , g ∈ F q ( x 0 , … , x n − 1 ) ∖ F q , define f ∘ g = f ( g , g ⁎ , … , g ( n − 1 ) ⁎ ) . Then ( F q ( x 0 , … , x n − 1 ) ∖ F q , ∘ ) is a monoid whose invertible elements are called global P -forms. Global P -forms were first introduced by H. Dobbertin in 2001 with q = 2 to study a certain type of permutation polynomials of F 2 m with gcd ( m , n ) = 1 ; global P -forms with q = p for an arbitrary prime p were considered by W. More in 2005. In this paper, we discuss some fundamental questions about global P -forms, some of which are answered and others remain open.
Functional Capacity Evaluation

To the Editor: The functional capacity evaluation (FCE) has become an important part of what physical therapists and occupational therapists can add to the rehabilitation process of the injured worker with chronic pain.1–3 Unfortunately, operationally, when these evaluations are performed, there is great confusion about the kind of information they give and how this information can be utilized.1 The reasons for this statement and the status of this issue are presented below: 1. Currently, there is not a universally accepted operational definition for functional capacity.1 Thus, there are numerous measurement approaches1,3 for functional capacity, each claiming to measure patient fitness for return to work.3 This situation has created confusion in the field and has masked the central scientific issue of whether these FCEs actually measure the …
Chemical Control of Deterioration by Fungi

The threat of famine, the potential loss of a wine industry, and the question of what to do about rotting railroad ties were major issues during the 19th century that precipitated investigations into control of the degradative actions of fungi.
Physical Thickness of Turbulent Fluid Interfaces: Structure, Variability, and Applications to Aerooptics

Basic aspects of the physical thickness of turbulent fluid interfaces, such as density or concentration interfaces, are considered theoretically and examined on the basis of measurements. The variability of the interfacial thickness corresponds to the fluctuations in the inverse local gradient of the fluid or flow property associated with the interface. The variations of the interfacial thickness, throughout the flow or along the interfaces, can be quantified in terms of probability density functions. Such descriptions are important practically, particularly in aerooptics. The variability in the local thickness of refractive or density interfaces is crucial in establishing the link between the flow behavior and the wavefront-phase variations of optical beams propagating through the flow. The opticalpath-length (OPL) integral and wavefront-phase variations can be interpreted physically in terms of the behavior of the interfacial thickness. Results are presented on the basis of measurements of interfaces in high-Reynolds-number free-shear flows.
GENIC DIVERGENCE AND LOCAL POPULATION DIFFERENTIATION BY RANDOM DRIFT IN THE POCKET GOPHER GENUS GEOMYS

With the recent development in the use of electrophoresis, there has been a surge of interest in studying genetic variation in populations and genetic differentiation of vertebrate species (Selander and Johnson, 1973). It has become increasingly obvious that one can correlate patterns of genetic variation with geographic distribution, strategies of adaptation, and the interrelationships of enzyme polymorphism and metabolism (Selander and Kaufman, 1973; Johnson, 1974; Nevo et al., 1974). Specifically, the following should be investigated to determine if correlations exist between protein variation and the biology of the organism: (1) patterns of protein variation and geographic distribution; (2) patterns of protein variation and substrate specificity of the protein; (3) patterns of protein variation and adaptive strategy; and (4) patterns of genic divergence, speciation, and evolutionary time. To test for such correlations, we chose to investigate genic variation in a genus of fossorial rodents, Geomys. At present, four species of the Geomys complex of pocket gophers inhabit a large area of the central and southeastern United States, while one species, G. tropicalis, is found only in a small area in southern Tamaulipas, Mexico (Hall and Kelson, 1959). The ranges of the five species reflect past distribution with isolation of three of the forms into disjunct populations. Geomys bursarius has the most extensive range from the western great plains, south to the Texas coast, and north into Canada. Geomys personatus is restricted to the Texas Rio Grande valley north to the Rio Grande River and is contiguous with G. bursarius from Corpus Christi to the San Antonio River. Geomys arenarius is isolated in extreme western Texas and south-central New Mexico, and G. pinetis is isolated in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. The evolution of the genus Geomys is well-documented, based on fossil evidence. According to Russell (1968), Geomys personatus and G. arenarius probably diverged from the southern and western portions of populations of G. bursarius during Wisconsin or Recent time. Geomys pinetis and G. bursarius were separated and diverged from the ancestral stock during the midIllinoian glacial period, with post-glacial habitats of the Mississippi Valley preventing reestablishment of the forms in that region. Chromosomal evolution in the genus Geomys has been characterized by Davis et al. (1971), Kim (1972), and Baker et al. (1973). More recently, Selander et al. (1975) compared interspecific chromosomal differences and genic divergence in four species of Geomys, and although some of their data are similar to ours, they studied only four of the five extant species. In this study we have utilized data from 22 genetic loci from 25 populations of pocket gophers including all 5 species of the genus. In the process we have attempted to compare genetic variation and patterns of geographic distribution, degree of isolation, protein specificity, adaptive strategy, and speciation in the genus Geomys.
Complexity of Effects of Personal Space

Results from two studies failed to replicate the finding that attitude change is a direct function of distance and provided further evidence that personal space is a complex and multidimensional va...
Let a Thousand Sakharovs Bloom

(1991). Let a Thousand Sakharovs Bloom. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Vol. 47, No. 6, pp. 18-21.
Modification of crystallization behavior in drug/polyethylene glycol solid dispersions.

The crystallization kinetics of various active pharmaceutical ingredient/polyethylene glycol (API/PEG) solid dispersions has been investigated using wide-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. APIs with different physicochemical properties and crystallization tendency were employed to form solid dispersions with PEG. The crystallization rate of benzocaine (BZC) in BZC/PEG (20/80 wt %) solid dispersions was decreased substantially in comparison to that of the pure API, while the PEG matrix did not affect the crystallization behavior of haloperidol (HLP). The induction time for crystallization of ibuprofen (IBP) and fenofibrate (FNB) in a PEG matrix was decreased relative to the induction times for pure IBP and FNB. For the latter systems, it appears that crystalline PEG acted as a favorable heterogeneous nucleation site. The crystallization behavior of PEG in the API/PEG systems was also affected to different extents, depending on the API studied. These results suggest that PEG can delay, pr...
Is response guided therapy dead? Low cure rates in patients with detectable hepatitis C virus at week 4 of treatment

Historically, chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment was response-guided. Clinical trials with sofosbuvir indicated on-treatment virologic response was not predictive of sustained virologic response (SVR) and hence response-guided therapy (RGT) was abandoned. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between on-treatment 4-week HCV RNA and SVR in patients treated in real-world practice. The study is a retrospective analysis of consecutive patients started on treatment with a sofosbuvir-containing regimen, January 1, 2014 through August 20, 2014, for HCV genotype 1–6 infection. Patients were treated by HCV specialists at 6 centers in the Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) HCV Collaborative or in the community by primary care clinicians mentored by HCV specialists through Project ECHO. Patients were included if they were over 18 years, had evidence of chronic HCV, and were started on a sofosbuvir-containing regimen. The aspartate aminotransferase:platelet ratio index (APRI) was used to estimate fibrosis. The main outcome measures were 4-week HCV RNA and SVR. Overall SVR was 82.5 %. At week 4, HCV RNA was detected in 27.4 % of patients. Stepwise multivariable logistic-regression analyses identified APRI > 1.0, male sex, genotype 3, and detectable on treatment 4-week HCV RNA as independent predictors of failure to achieve SVR. In a real-world setting, a significant proportion of sofosbuvir treated patients have detectable on-treatment 4-week HCV RNA. Detectable on-treatment 4-week HCV RNA is associated with virologic failure. More data are needed to formulate guidance for RGT with newly available HCV therapies.
MASS SPECTROMETRIC MEASUREMENT AND THEORETICAL CALCULATIONIN CHEMICAL KINETICS AND MECHANISM STUDY FOR CF_3ClO

The application of mass spectrometry to investigations of gas-phase photochemistry and kinetics by flash photolysis was first reported in 1957. Mass spectrometry is advantageous and versatile for kinetics and mechanism studies since it is capable of detecting many different chemical species during the course of the reaction and one can determine kinetic rates of reactant decay and product growth. When the mass spectrometer is used to determine kinetic decays and growths following pulsed photolysis, it may be called flash photolysis with time-resolved mass spectrometry(FPTRMS). While experiments using FPTRMS can obtain direct and valuable information on kinetics and mechanism of chemical reactions, they are limited in some cases. For example, experiments can be conducted only at limited temperature and pressure ranges. Moreover, the experimental investigation alone does not always provide sufficient information for the reaction mechanism study, especially for a complex reaction system. The theoretical investigations including Ab Initio calculations, RRKM calculations and numerial simulations are useful and supplemental tools to the experimental studies. Ab initio and RRKM calculations can be used to predict rate coefficients of chemical reactions in a much wider ranges of temperature and pressure. Important information on the mechanism can also be obtained from the theoretical studies. However, the validation and accuracy of the results from the theoretical investigations need to be verified or adjusted by experimental results. As an example, a study of kinetics and mechanism of CF_3CHClO radical reactions using FPTRMS combining with the theoretical calculations is reported.
Diagnostic Fluoroscopy for Imaging Crohn’s Disease

With the advent of cross-sectional imaging modalities such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, the role of contrast fluoroscopy in evaluating Crohn’s disease has evolved. Because of its limited utility for assessing extraluminal disease, fluoroscopy has been largely supplanted by these advanced techniques. However, because of its superior spatial resolution and capacity for dynamic and real-time evaluation of the alimentary tract, contrast fluoroscopy remains an invaluable tool for the gastrointestinal radiologist and referring clinician. In particular, fluoroscopy (when used with enteric contrast agents) provides considerable value for delineating complications of Crohn’s disease such as fistulae, strictures, and altered motility, while simultaneously offering a nuanced view of the mucosal relief.
Project Governance: Implementation and Institutions

For a brief time, the ‘green revolution’ exported by China to West Africa brought Liberia, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia a little closer to their goals of rice self-sufficiency. Many of the innovations introduced by the Chinese disappeared leaving only the smallest trace of institutional memory. Others were adopted by local farmers or by government officials convinced of their value, and thus even today reflections of Chinese practice can be seen in scattered areas of West Africa: the bright green of transplanted seedlings standing in an irrigated paddy, or the flash of sickles at harvest time. Yet several puzzles remain after our examination of China’s green revolution technologies. First, the successful adoption of the complete package of China’s irrigated rice technology was rare, even when it appeared to be an appropriate and profitable technology for local farmers. And second, although all three projects started with much the same design: higher technology agrotechnical stations with lower technology village extension areas, they diverged markedly by the end of their five year lives. The Gambia merged China’s independent agrotechnical stations with its own rice program, bringing the Chinese firmly under Gambian management. Liberia shifted from agrotechnical stations and village farmers, to a large-scale rice plantation. Only Sierra Leone maintained the autonomous agrotechnical centers operated by the Chinese with a high degree of autonomy from the Sierra Leonean government. Both puzzles call attention to the importance of institutional factors.
Family Perspectives on Overall Care in the Intensive Care Unit.

Background: Family members’ perspectives about satisfaction with care provided in the intensive care unit (ICU) have become an important part of quality assessment and improvement, but national and international differences may exist in care provided and family perspectives about satisfaction with care. Objective: The purpose of the research was to understand family members’ perspectives regarding overall care of medical patients receiving intensive care. Methods: Family members of medical patients who remained 48 hours or more in two adult ICUS at two healthcare institutions in the U.S. Pacific Northwest took part by responding to the Family Satisfaction with Care in the Intensive Care Unit survey. Qualitative content analysis was used to identify major categories and subcategories in their complimentary (positive) or critical (negative) responses to open-ended questions. The number of comments in each category and subcategory was counted. Results: Of 138 responding family members, 106 answered the open-ended questions. The 281 comments were more frequently complimentary (n = 126) than critical (n = 91). Three main categories (competent care, communication, and environment) and nine subcategories were identified. Comments about the subcategory of emotional/interrelational aspects of care occurred most frequently and were more positive than comments about practical aspects of care. Discussion: Findings were similar to those reported from other countries. Emotional/interrelational aspects of care were integral to family member satisfaction with care provided. Findings suggest that improving communication and decision-making, supporting family members, and caring for family loved ones as a person are important care targets. Initiatives to improve ICU care should include assessments from families and opportunity for qualitative analysis to refine care targets and assess changes.
Millennial Students with Mild Disabilities and Emerging Assistive Technology Trends.

While the culture of typical Millennial students, those born after 1978–82, is increasingly recognized as being different from previous generations, particularly with regard to how technology is perceived and used, relatively little is known regarding whether these same characteristics are exhibited by students with mild disabilities. This article explores three cultural dimensions of technology-use patterns by Millennial students having particular relevance to students with mild disabilities: (a) comfort with technology, (b) connectivity to the world, and (c) technology as a tool for learning. An argument is presented that current education professionals who must now consider assistive technology (AT) for these students, know little about their preferences for, choices among, and usage of common non-school technologies that may have substantive implications for AT service delivery.
Immediate Microsurgical Bone and Nerve Reconstruction in the Irradiated Patient: A Case Report

Microsurgical reconstructive techniques have revolutionized the treatment of large head and neck defects. These defects were once forever life altering because of the considerable morbidity to both the form and function of the patient. As time has progressed, microsurgical technique has improved dramatically and has become institutionalized in our training programs. Free flap outcomes in head and neck reconstruction have improved dramatically, and optimization of these outcomes is now key. One overlooked area has been neurosensory reconstruction. In our practice we have focused on this detail, which has proved to be quite important to the patient. This case report details one such case in which a mandibular resection was performed to treat osteoradionecrosis. We, as the reconstructive team, elected to perform a double-barrel fibular free flap procedure with simultaneous inferior alveolar nerve reconstruction using a 70-cm processed nerve allograft. Normal neurosensory function returned in this patient. As the state of the art advances with continued successful osseous and soft tissue reconstruction in the head and neck, we propose concomitant neurosensory functional reconstruction always be considered.
Abstract 1027: Apoptotic resistance in arsenic transformed cells attributed to decreased SIRT3-FOXO3A signaling

SIRT3 is the primary mitochondrial protein deacetylase that regulates mitochondrial proliferation and DNA integrity. SIRT3 is the only sirtuin whose increased expression was shown to be associated with extended lifespan in humans. Interestingly, very few studies have examined the role of SIRT3 in cancers. Here, we report cellular function of SIRT3 in Beas-2B cells under arsenic stress, and in AT cells. Upon treatment with arsenic, in Beas-2B cells, SIRT3 levels increased and induced apoptosis - nuclear translocation and binding of SIRT3 to FOXO3A - while AT cells exhibited lower levels of SIRT3 which can be attributed to apoptotic resistance, as over-expression of SIRT3 restores sensitivity to apoptosis. In AT cells, lower expression of SIRT3 caused hyperacetylation and aberrant localization of its target protein - FOXO3A. One of the consequences of low SIRT3 levels is absence of SIRT3-FOXO3A interaction in AT cells, which increases the proportion of transcriptionally hyperactive, highly depolarized mitochondria (high ΔΨm) with higher mitochondrial DNA content compared to passage matched parent Beas-2B cells. Conversely, Resveratrol-induced high expression of SIRT3 improves nuclear-mitochondrial crosstalk (increased FOXO3A binding in the D-loop region) and raises sensitivity towards apoptosis. By disconnecting crosstalk between nucleus and mitochondria (SIRT3-FOXO3A interactions), AT cells increase depolarized mitochondrial number, so that the transformed cells maintain low basal ROS and proliferate rapidly. This is the first time that a study has shown functional role of SIRT3-FOXO3A in promoting apoptosis in Beas-2B cells under arsenic stress, and in AT cells. Citation Format: Ram V. Roy, Xinglin Shi. Apoptotic resistance in arsenic transformed cells attributed to decreased SIRT3-FOXO3A signaling. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1027. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1027