cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparative Genomic Analysis of CLL Genomes Using Affymetrix 50K SNP Versus SNP 6.0 Arrays

Unbiased analysis of CLL genomes using intermediate resolution SNP arrays has identified subtypes of del13q14, del17p and del11q as well as high genomic complexity CLL. Additional information on genomic aberrations and polymorphic copy number variants (CNVs) in CLL may be obtained through application of the latest generation ultra-high-density SNP array technology to CLL genome analysis. We have analyzed 50 paired DNA samples (sorted CD19+ cells versus sorted CD3+ cells) from CLL patients with del13q14 type I and del17p on the Affymetrix SNP 6.0 array platform that were previously analyzed on Affy 50K arrays. We have catalogued all somatically acquired lesions as well as all CNVs. In support of data analysis we have refined the software tools PLUT, LOH tool version 2 and dChipSNP. Results: In this cohort of 50 CLL cases in which we had previously identified a total of 98 subchromosomal losses and gains using the 50K SNP array platform, we have now identified 141 such lesions using the SNP 6.0 arrays. Of these CLL cases, 68% had identical lesion calls, 30% of cases displayed more lesions on the 6.0 arrays than on the 50K arrays and only one case had one lesion not identified using the SNP 6.0 array platform. Thus SNP 6.0 arrays allowed for significantly improved short lesion detection, detection of CNVs and improved measurements of genomic complexity in CLL. The breaks of del13q14 type I and del17p lesions were mapped with unprecedented resolution and in some cases have been localized to genomic regions less than 1 kb in length, thus allowing for PCR-based cloning of breaks. CNVs were identified throughout the genome, and were found in combination with monoallelic, somatically acquired genomic lesions (del17p, del13q14 and others) spanning such CNVs, resulting in patchy biallelic (homozogous) genomic losses within these lesions. Such a mechanism of biallelic gene loss (CNV plus paired, somatically acquired subchromosomal gene loss), occurs in otherwise monoallelic deletions and may contribute to the biology of monoallelic lesions in many cancers. As one example, CNVs were identified in CD3+ DNA from CLL patients that are located at approximately 49.448–49.508 Mb physical position on chromosome 13 that converted to homozygous loss in patients with monoallelic del13q14. These CNVs encompassed parts of DLEU2 , TRIM13 and KCNRG but did not include the del13q14 resident miR cluster (miR15a/16-1). Such CNVs within del13q14 may have a role in the biology of CLL as they may result in gene expression changes that mimic somatically acquired del13q14 lesions.
Spallation Neutron Damage in Group IV, III–V and II–VI Semiconductors at 5 K

Spallation neutrons from the Argonne Intense Pulsed Neutron Source have been used to investigate low temperature (5 K) neutron damage to a representative group of IV, III–V and II–VI semi-conductors. Carrier removal rates and isochronal annealing are presented for all the semiconductors investigated while Deep-Level Transient Spectroscopic experiments on n-type silicon are discussed.
Prenatal tobacco smoke exposure predisposes offspring mice to exacerbated allergic airway inflammation associated with altered innate effector function

Epidemiological studies suggest that prenatal and early life environmental exposures have adverse effects on pulmonary function and are important contributors in the development of childhood asthma and allergic disease. The mechanism by which environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure in utero promotes the development of allergic asthma remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the immunological consequences of prenatal exposure to ETS in order to understand events responsible for the development or exacerbation of allergic asthma. Pregnant C57BL/6 mice were exposed to either ETS or filtered air throughout gestation and the effect on pulmonary inflammation in the offspring were examined and compared. Specifically, the effects on eosinophilic inflammation, airway hyperreactivity, goblet cell hyperplasia, properties of pulmonary natural killer (NK) cells and type 2 cytokines elicited in response to inhaled house dust mite (HDM) allergen were investigated in the progeny. Exposure to ETS prenatally significantly exacerbated HDM-induced airway eosinophilic inflammation, hyperreactivity, mucus secretion, cysteinyl leukotriene biosynthesis and type 2 cytokine production in the offspring. Consistently, lung mononuclear cells from ETS-exposed offspring secreted higher levels of IL-13 when stimulated in vitro with anti-αβ TCR antibody or HDM allergen. Moreover, offspring from ETS-exposed dams exhibited a higher frequency of CD11b+ dendritic cells and CD3+CD4+ T lymphocytes in the lungs following allergen inhalation compared to air-exposed mice. Unexpectedly, the exacerbated allergic inflammation in the ETS-exposed offspring was associated with a reduction in CD3−CD19−NK1.1+CD94+ NK cell numbers and their IFN-γ production, highlighting a role for altered innate immunity in the enhanced allergic response. Our results reveal that prenatal exposure to ETS predisposes offspring to an exacerbated allergic airway inflammation that is associated with a reduction in pulmonary NK cell function, suggesting that NK cells play a key role in controlling asthma severity.
Interaction of Alkylamines with Cu Surfaces: A Metal–Organic Many-Body Force Field

Hexadecylamine (HDA) and alkylamines, in general, are key molecules in the shape-selective synthesis of Cu nanostructures. To resolve certain aspects of these syntheses, we develop a classical many-body force field to describe the interactions of HDA with Cu surfaces. We parametrize the force field through force and energy matching to results from first-principles density functional theory (DFT). Our force field reproduces the DFT binding energies and configurations of self-assembled HDA layers on Cu(100) and Cu(111) at various coverages. We implemented the force field in classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to resolve various HDA self-assembled-layer structures on Cu(100) in vacuum, and we find that HDA layers undergo a continuous structural transition through various ordered layers at high coverage to disordered layers at lower coverages. We probed pentylamine (PA), decylamine (DA), and HDA binding on Cu surfaces in vacuum with MD and find that DA forms self-assembled layers, but PA layers diso...
Estimation of Supercapacitor Charge Capacity Bounds Considering Charge Redistribution

This paper investigates the impact of charge redistribution on supercapacitor charge capacity by experimentally estimating the charge capacity bounds. An analysis of a physics-based $RC$ ladder circuit model for supercapacitors reveals the theoretical bounds and provides guidelines for designing experiments to estimate the bounds. The upper bound corresponds to a long time constant voltage charging process and the lower bound is established using a charging process with the largest possible current. Bounds of two types of supercapacitor charge capacity are estimated: the total charge stored in the supercapacitor that can be released during multiple discharging processes and the utilized charge delivered during one discharging action. The relationship between the utilized charge capacity and the discharge current is examined and different patterns are observed depending on the supercapacitor state of charge. For a fully charged supercapacitor, the utilized capacity increases when the discharge current decreases. For a supercapaictor partially charged by a relatively large current, the utilized capacity is dependent on both the discharge current and the supercapacitor operation voltage range. The difference between the bounds is significant for both types of charge capacity. These observations provide guidelines for optimizing the supercapacitor charging and discharging policies for different applications.
Delivery of screening and brief intervention for unhealthy alcohol use in an urban academic Federally Qualified Health Center.

Screening and brief intervention (SBI) for unhealthy drinking has not been widely implemented in primary care partly due to reliance on physicians to perform it. We implemented a model of nursing staff-delivered SBI for unhealthy drinking for adult patients receiving primary care at an academically-affiliated Federally Qualified Health Center in the Bronx, NY. Our model consisted of nursing staff screening all patients with the alcohol use disorders identification test consumption questions (AUDIT-C) and, if screening positive, providing BI or referral to specialty services. We developed a clinical decision support tool integrated into the electronic health record to guide nursing staff and record SBI provision. To evaluate this model, we determined overall SBI delivery to patients and factors associated with receiving SBI. Between October 2013 and September 2014, 9119 unique adult patients made 24,285 visits. Patients were majority women (67.5%) and Hispanic/Latino (54.5%). Overall, 46.2% were screened, with 19.0–35.8% of eligible patients screened in each month. Increasing age (OR: 0.82 [95% CI 0.80–0.85] for a 10-year increase), female sex (OR: 0.83 [95% CI 0.77–0.91]), and chronic conditions like hypertension (OR: 0.62 [95% CI 0.56–0.70]) and diabetes (OR: 0.66 [95% CI 0.58–0.75]), among others, were associated with a lower odds of being screened. Of all patients screened, 225 (5.3%) screened positive and of those patients, 122 (54.2%) received a BI. Patients with higher AUDIT-C scores were more likely to receive a BI (OR: 1.24 [95% CI 1.04–1.47] for a 1-point increase) and non-English speaking patients were less likely to receive a BI than those who spoke English (OR: 0.42 [95% CI 0.18–0.97]). Our model of SBI resulted in screening of nearly half of all eligible patients and BI provision to over half of those screening positive. Future efforts to improve SBI delivery should focus on groups such as older adults, women, and those with chronic medical conditions.
Does Robotic Beating Heart Connector Totally Endoscopic Coronary Artery Bypass Bridge the Gender Gap in Coronary Bypass Surgery

Objective Previous studies have shown that women carry a higher risk of morbidity and mortality after coronary artery bypass surgery. We investigated gender differences in risk factors and outcomes in our patients undergoing robotic beating heart connector totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass. Methods From July 2013 to April 2017, patients undergoing connector totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass were reviewed. We compared the outcomes of men versus women. Results A total of 192 men and 71 women underwent connector totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass. The mean ± SD age was 65.4 ± 10.6 years. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons score was higher in women than men (median = 1.46 vs 0.73, P = 0.001), and women had a higher rate of peripheral vascular disease (22.5% vs 9.9%, P = 0.007). Intraoperative data in women and men were similar except for the rate of multi-vessel connector totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass and the rate of bilateral internal mammary artery use, which were both lower in women (49.3% vs 64.6%, P = 0.024, and 42.3% vs 56.8%, P = 0.036, respectively). The mean ± SD length of hospital stay (women vs men: 3.99 ± 4.00 vs 3.39 ± 2.42, P = 0.324) was comparable. The 30-day mortality in women and men was 0% (0/71) and 2.1% (4/192), respectively (P = 0.577). The morbidity and mortality of single- or multi-vessel connector totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass were similar between men and women. Conclusions We conclude that the morbidity and mortality in women after robotic beating heart connector totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass in our center were similar to those seen in men.
Explicit or implicit feedback? engagement or satisfaction?: a field experiment on machine-learning-based recommender systems

Recommender systems algorithms are generally evaluated primarily on machine learning criteria such as recommendation accuracy or top-n precision. In this work, we evaluate six recommendation algorithms from a user-centric perspective, collecting both objective user activity data and subjective user perceptions. In a field experiment involving 1508 users who participated for at least a month, we compare six algorithms built using machine learning techniques, ranging from supervised matrix factorization, contextual bandit learning to Q learning. We found that the objective design in machine-learning-based recommender systems significantly affects user experience. Specifically, a recommender optimizing for implicit action prediction error engages users more than optimizing for explicit rating prediction error when modeled with the classical matrix factorization algorithms, which empirically explains the historical transition of recommender system research from modeling explicit feedback data to implicit feedback data. However, the action-based recommender is not as precise as the rating-based recommender in that it increases not only positive engagement but also negative engagement, e.g., negative action rate and user browsing effort which are negatively correlated with user satisfaction. We show that blending both explicit and implicit feedback from users through an online learning algorithm can gain the benefits of engagement and mitigate one of the possible costs (i.e., the increased browsing effort).
Front-End, Back-End, and Hybrid Techniques for Noise-Robust Speech Recognition

Noise robustness has long been an active area of research that captures significant interest from speech recognition researchers and developers. In this chapter, with a focus on the problem of uncertainty handling in robust speech recognition, we use the Bayesian framework as a common thread for connecting, analyzing, and categorizing a number of popular approaches to the solutions pursued in the recent past. The topics covered in this chapter include 1) Bayesian decision rules with unreliable features and unreliable model parameters; 2) principled ways of computing feature uncertainty using structured speech distortion models; 3) use of a phase factor in an advanced speech distortion model for feature compensation; 4) a novel perspective on model compensation as a special implementation of the general Bayesian predictive classification rule capitalizing on model parameter uncertainty; 5) taxonomy of noise compensation techniques using two distinct axes, feature vs. model domain and structured vs. unstructured transformation; and 6) noise-adaptive training as a hybrid feature-model compensation framework and its various forms of extension.
The dural shunt syndrome I: Management of glaucoma

The authors present four cases of the dural shunt syndrome in which shallowing of the anterior chamber or rubeosis developed. All patients were female, ranging in age from 66 to 79 years, exhibiting elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), decreased extraocular movements, injected tortuous episcleral vessels, and proptosis. The authors managed these four cases with laser iridotomy, gonioplasty, panretinal photocoagulation, or medical treatment. It is important to recognize associated findings in patients with shallow anterior chambers and elevated IOPs so that a diagnosis of a dural shunt is considered and appropriately treated. Theories on the mechanisms of increased IOP in the dural shunt syndrome and the management of various types of glaucoma in four different cases are reviewed.
On Optimizing Distributed Tucker Decomposition for Dense Tensors

The Tucker decomposition expresses a given tensor as the product of a small core tensor and a set of factor matrices. Our objective is to develop an efficient distributed implementation for the case of dense tensors. The implementation is based on the HOOI (Higher Order Orthogonal Iterator) procedure, wherein the tensor-times-matrix product forms the core routine. Prior work have proposed heuristics for reducing the computational load and communication volume incurred by the routine. We study the two metrics in a formal and systematic manner, and design strategies that are optimal under the two fundamental metrics. Our experimental evaluation on a large benchmark of tensors shows that the optimal strategies provide significant reduction in load and volume compared to prior heuristics, and provide up to 7x speed-up in the overall running time.
Katherine and the Katherine: On the syntactic distribution of names and count nouns

Names are referring expressions and interact with the determiner system only exceptionally, in stark contrast with count nouns. The-predicativists like Sloat, Matushansky, and Fara claim otherwise, maintaining that syntactic data offers indicates that names belong to a special syntactic category which differs from common count nouns only in how they interact with ‘the’. I argue that the-predicativists have incorrectly discerned the syntactic facts. They have bypassed a large range of important syntactic data and misconstrued a critical data point on which they ground the-predicativism. The right data offers new compelling syntactic grounds for referentialism.
The Cholinergic System in the Chicken Retina: Cellular Localization and Development

The cellular localization of the cholinergic system of the chicken retina was determined by means of freeze-drying and dry autoradiography following incubation with [3H]choline under conditions favoring high-affinity uptake. The cholinergic cells were localized to the inner nuclear and ganglion cell layers, and they extended processes in two bands in the inner plexiform layer. During embryogenesis in the chick, the cholinergic system was found to develop in two stages; the first occurs relatively early in retinal differentiation and is associated with increased ACh synthesis and storage and with a large rise in CAT activity; and the second occurs just before hatching, coincident with synaptogenesis and the appearance of visual function, and is associated with further increases in ACh synthesis and storage and with the development of high-affinity choline uptake.
Abstract 1885: CRISPR/Cas9 engineered immortalized breast epithelial MCF10A reporter line for EMT studies and anti-cancer drug discovery

Metastasis is responsible for most cancer-related deaths. One model for the mechanism of metastasis involves epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process characterized by the decrease in cell adhesion and increase in cell motility. Cells undergoing EMT often display downregulation of epithelial markers (such as, E-cadherin) and upregulation of mesenchymal markers (such as, Vimentin). Besides metastasis, EMT has also been reported to be associated with other pathological conditions, such as acquired therapeutic drug resistance. Given the roles that EMT may play in these various pathological processes, it is of increasing interest as a target for anti-cancer treatment and drug discovery. In vitro reporter models have proven to be a valuable tool for dissecting the signaling pathways that regulate the EMT process and for screening compounds targeting EMT. In previously developed EMT reporter cell lines, the reporter gene was driven by a truncated EMT marker gene promoter. Therefore, the establishment of a more physiologically relevant reporter cell models is critical for advancing our knowledge of EMT. E-cadherin, a hallmark of epithelial cells, has been implicated in the onset of metastatic dissemination. Utilizing CRISPR/Cas9 knock-in technology, we have generated an E-cadherin (ECAD)-emerald green fluorescent protein (EmGFP) reporter model using immortalized breast epithelial MCF10A cells. In the reporter cells, EmGFP gene was tagged at the C-terminus of E-cadherin, allowing for real-time monitoring of EMT progression in live cells. The targeted knock-in of ECAD-EmGFP allele was verified at the genomic DNA, transcript (mRNA), and protein levels. Bio-functional evaluation of the reporter cell line revealed that treatment of ECAD-EmGFP reporter cells with TGFβ led to EMT induction, as demonstrated by a reduction in E-cadherin-GFP expression and increase in vimentin and fibronectin expressions. Additional functional characterization revealed that the reporter cells possessed an enhanced migration capacity upon EMT induction with TGF-β. In summary, this MCF10A-Ecad-EmGFP reporter cell line can serve as a physiologically relevant in vitro cell model for studying EMT cancer biology and anti-EMT drug discovery. Citation Format: Weiguo Shu, Sangeeta Kumari, Diana Douglas, Luis G. Rodriguez, Robert Newman. CRISPR/Cas9 engineered immortalized breast epithelial MCF10A reporter line for EMT studies and anti-cancer drug discovery [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1885.
A new phenological metric for use in pheno-climatic models: A case study using herbarium specimens of Streptanthus tortuosus.

Author(s): Love, Natalie L Rossington; Park, Isaac W; Mazer, Susan J | Abstract: PremiseHerbarium specimens have been used to detect climate-induced shifts in flowering time by using the day of year of collection (DOY) as a proxy for first or peak flowering date. Variation among herbarium sheets in their phenological status, however, undermines the assumption that DOY accurately represents any particular phenophase. Ignoring this variation can reduce the explanatory power of pheno-climatic models (PCMs) designed to predict the effects of climate on flowering date.MethodsHere we present a protocol for the phenological scoring of imaged herbarium specimens using an ImageJ plugin, and we introduce a quantitative metric of a specimen's phenological status, the phenological index (PI), which we use in PCMs to control for phenological variation among specimens of Streptanthus tortuosus (Brassicaceeae) when testing for the effects of climate on DOY. We demonstrate that including PI as an independent variable improves model fit.ResultsIncluding PI in PCMs increased the model R 2 relative to PCMs that excluded PI; regression coefficients for climatic parameters, however, remained constant.DiscussionOur protocol provides a simple, quantitative phenological metric for any observed plant. Including PI in PCMs increases R 2 and enables predictions of the DOY of any phenophase under any specified climatic conditions.
Copper Hydride Catalyzed Enantioselective Synthesis of Axially Chiral 1,3-Disubstituted Allenes

The general enantioselective synthesis of axially chiral disubstituted allenes from prochiral starting materials remains a long-standing challenge in organic synthesis. Here, we report an efficient enantio- and chemoselective copper hydride catalyzed semireduction of conjugated enynes to furnish 1,3-disubstituted allenes using water as the proton source. This protocol is sufficiently mild to accommodate an assortment of functional groups including keto, ester, amino, halo, and hydroxyl groups. Additionally, applications of this method for the selective synthesis of monodeuterated allenes and chiral 2,5-dihydropyrroles are described.
Opinion Piece Teaching Financial-Monetary Hegemony in Geogeraphy:

This opinion piece points to the need to more fully address the financial and monetary dimensions of the global political economy within geography education. The concept of financial-monetary hegem...
A 35-Year-Old Smoker With Dyspnea and Chest Pain.

Case Presentation A 35-year-old veteran presented at our clinic with insidious dyspnea on exertion, nonspecific chest pain, and intermittent rash. The patient reported the development of dyspnea over 6 to 8 weeks. He had been physically active before this time but had since developed dyspnea after walking 30 to 61 m (100 to 200 ft) or with any more strenuous physical exertion. He described a nonproductive cough, with bilateral nonspecific chest pain that was worse with exertion. In addition, there was a fleeting, salmon-colored, nonpruritic rash over the bilateral arms and legs that was not responsive to over-the-counter topical steroids. The patient’s medical history was notable for a 15-pack-year smoking history, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, Clostridium difficile colitis, migraines, and alcohol abuse. Surgical history was notable for pyloric myotomy for stenosis and umbilical hernia repair. He lived with his partner and five children and was unemployed at the time because of dyspnea. There were no pets in the home and no prior occupational exposures, including silica, heavy metals, or birds.
First-principles prediction of electronic transport in fabricated semiconductor heterostructures via physics-aware machine learning

First-principles techniques for electronic transport property prediction have seen rapid progress in recent years. However, it remains a challenge to predict properties of heterostructures incorporating fabrication-dependent variability. Machine-learning (ML) approaches are increasingly being used to accelerate design and discovery of new materials with targeted properties, and extend the applicability of first-principles techniques to larger systems. However, few studies exploited ML techniques to characterize relationships between local atomic structures and global electronic transport coefficients. In this work, we propose an electronic-transport-informatics (ETI) framework that trains on ab initio models of small systems and predicts thermopower of fabricated silicon/germanium heterostructures, matching measured data. We demonstrate application of ML approaches to extract important physics that determines electronic transport in semiconductor heterostructures, and bridge the gap between ab initio accessible models and fabricated systems. We anticipate that ETI framework would have broad applicability to diverse materials classes.
State dependency in youth unemployment: A lost generation?

Abstract Utilizing a job search framework and survey data on both completed and uncompleted spells of unemployment we present in this paper maximum likelihood estimates of the determinants of re-employment probabilities of young workers in Britain. The model used allows us to examine the importance of state dependency in youth unemployment as well as ethnicity, educational qualifications, and unemployment income. Results suggest that there is strong evidence of negative duration dependence in the transition from unemployment to employment for young workers in Britain.
WATER EXTRUSION IN ISOLATED SUBCELLULAR FRACTIONS. 3. THE IMPORTANCE OF PHOSPHOLIPIDS IN THE ME2+-EDTA DEPENDENT REACTION.

Suspensions of phospholipids, prepared from rat-liver mitochondria or from soya bean, extrude water when serum albumin and a Mg2+-ethylenediaminetetraacetate complex is addes. None of many other chelators tested can replace ethylenediaminetetraacetate. The pH optimum is 7.1 for the soya-bean phosphatides and 8.5 for those prepared from mitochondira. Various characteristics of the reaction are similar to the one observed in dialysed rat-liver mitochondira, although in this latter system serum albumin is not required. While in the dialyzed-mitochondira system Ca2+ can be replaced by Mg2+, with the isolated phospholipid Mg2+ is unable to replace Ca2. When dialyzed mitochondria are treate with proteolytic enzymes, the requirement for serum albumin is observed and one also finds that Mg2+ is now unable to replace Ca2+. Little decrease of water-extrusion reaction ibn dialyzed mitochondria occurs after neutral-lipid extraction, while a large decrease is seen after phospholipid removal.
Estimated Plasma Bupivacaine Concentration After Single Dose and Eight-Hour Continuous Intra-Articular Infusion of Bupivacaine in Normal Dogs

OBJECTIVE To estimate maximum plasma concentration (C(max)) and time to maximum plasma (t(max)) bupivacaine concentration after intra-articular administration of bupivacaine for single injection (SI) and injection followed by continuous infusion (CI) in normal dogs. STUDY DESIGN Cross-over design with a 2-week washout period. ANIMALS Healthy Coon Hound dogs (n=8). METHODS Using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, canine plasma bupivacaine concentration was measured before and after SI (1.5 mg/kg) and CI (1.5 mg/kg and 0.3 mg/kg/h). Software was used to establish plasma concentration-time curves and estimate C(max), T(max) and other pharmacokinetic variables for comparison of SI and CI. RESULTS Bupivacaine plasma concentration after SI and CI best fit a 3 exponential model. For SI, mean maximum concentration (C(max), 1.33+/-0.954 microg/mL) occurred at 11.37+/-4.546 minutes. For CI, mean C(max) (1.13+/-0.509 microg/mL) occurred at 10.37+/-4.109 minutes. The area under the concentration-time curve was smaller for SI (143.59+/-118.390 microg/mL x min) than for CI (626.502+/-423.653 microg/mL x min, P=.02) and half-life was shorter for SI (61.33+/-77.706 minutes) than for CI (245.363+/-104.415 minutes, P=.01). The highest plasma bupivacaine concentration for any dog was 3.2 microg/mL for SI and 2.3 microg/mL for CI. CONCLUSION Intra-articular bupivacaine administration results in delayed absorption from the stifle into the systemic circulation with mean C(max) below that considered toxic and no systemic drug accumulation. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Intra-articular bupivacaine can be administered with small risk of reaching toxic plasma concentrations in dogs, though toxic concentrations may be approached. Caution should be exercised with multimodal bupivacaine administration because plasma drug concentration may rise higher than with single intra-articular injection.
The Financial Engineering of Infrastructure Privatization

Problem, research strategy, and findings: Leasing government infrastructure to private investors has been proposed as a practical way to increase both public revenue and investment in aging facilities, yet questions remain regarding lease value. In particular, some recent private auction bids surpassed government's lease estimates for U.S. roads and parking systems by hundreds of millions of dollars. We argue such discrepancies are largely explained by the use of structured finance or financial engineering techniques; these lower capital costs and maximize quick investor payouts, yet are often ignored in lease agreements because governments do not understand them. Our approach models the separate effect of several deal parameters on the investment return of a hypothetical tolled facility. We find even modest financial engineering (such as interest rate derivatives and swaps, deferred payment sweeps, or mark-to-market accounting practices) increases the current value of future facility revenues far more th...
Canine length in wild male baboons: maturation, aging and social dominance rank.

Canines represent an essential component of the dentition for any heterodont mammal. In primates, like many other mammals, canines are frequently used as weapons. Hence, tooth size and wear may have significant implications for fighting ability, and consequently for social dominance rank, reproductive success, and fitness. We evaluated sources of variance in canine growth and length in a well-studied wild primate population because of the potential importance of canines for male reproductive success in many primates. Specifically, we measured maxillary canine length in 80 wild male baboons (aged 5.04–20.45 years) from the Amboseli ecosystem in southern Kenya, and examined its relationship with maturation, age, and social dominance rank. In our analysis of maturation, we compared food-enhanced baboons (those that fed part time at a refuse pit associated with a tourist lodge) with wild-feeding males, and found that food-enhanced males achieved long canines earlier than wild-feeding males. Among adult males, canine length decreased with age because of tooth wear. We found some evidence that, after controlling for age, longer canines were associated with higher adult dominance rank (accounting for 9% of the variance in rank), but only among relatively high-ranking males. This result supports the idea that social rank, and thus reproductive success and fitness, may depend in part on fighting ability mediated by canine size.
The rate of taphonomic loss in modern benthic habitats: How much of the potentially preservable community is preserved?

Abstract The post-mortem fate of shells added by natural mortality to modern death assemblages was studied to determine the importance of taphonomic loss during the initial stages of the formation of a fossil assemblage. Individuals are added to the living community in pulses, usually by larval settlement. These input pulses usually are followed by discrete input pulses into the death assemblage. The decay of these discrete input pulses in the death assemblage can be used to measure the rate of taphonomic loss as expressed by the half-life of a pulse. For instance, if a species has a half-life of 125 days and the input pulse begins with 500 individuals, then the number of shells remaining after one half-life (125 days) is 250 shells. At two sites on the Texas coast, the longest half-lives did not exceed one year for any of the 13 species which produced input pulses during the study period. Little net addition to the death assemblage could be detected in spite of the transitory addition of hundreds of shells as input pulses. These rapid decay rates show that death assemblages do not accumulate at the rate at which organisms die. Some species, such as the infaunal bivalve Tagelus plebeius , did not decay measurably. We predict that decay rates drop substantially with depth in the sediment so that individuals which die at depth or are rapidly reworked below the sediment surface have a greater chance of preservation. The final composition of death assemblages is probably little related to the actual numerical input from the potentially preservable component of the living community.
A Simple Geometric Analysis of Cardiac Potentials as Recorded at Points Close to the Heart

A simple geometric method is employed to investigate the theoretically expected potentials at an electrode close to the heart as a dipole moves about in an area in the chest occupied by the heart. The considerable error resulting from the assumption that the dipole remains at the center of a geometric frame of reference is thus disclosed. It is pointed out that errors in polarity which occur cannot be compensated for by alteration of the characteristics of the recording device. It is suggested that such errors account for the finding by spatial vectorcardiographers that many normal QRS loops point forward, a finding which does not correlate well with the Gardberg-Ashman hypothesis of ventricular accession. It is further suggested that the limb leads are not free of these effects and that exaggeration of the electrical rotation of the heart is thus accounted for. It is further pointed out that derivation of precordial potentials from vector loops or vice versa is not permissible.
Uranium dioxide in ionic liquid with a tri-n-butylphosphate–HNO3 complex—dissolution and coordination environment

Uranium dioxide can be dissolved directly in an imidazolium-based ionic liquid (IL) at room temperature with a tri-n-butylphosphate(TBP)–HNO3 complex. The dissolution process follows pseudo first-order kinetics initially. Raman spectroscopic studies show the dissolved uranyl ions are coordinated with TBP in the IL phase with a molar ratio of (UO2)2+ : TBP = 1 : 2. The dissolved uranyl species can be effectively transferred to a supercritical fluid carbon dioxide (sc-CO2) phase. No aqueous phase is formed in either the IL dissolution or the supercritical fluid extraction process. Absorption spectra of the extracted uranyl species in the sc-CO2 phase suggests the presence of a UO2(TBP)2(NO3)2 and HNO3 adduct probably of the form UO2(TBP)2(NO3)2·HNO3. The adduct dissociates in a water–dodecane trap solution during pressure reduction resulting in UO2(TBP)2(NO3)2 collected in the dodecane phase.
MANUFACTURING QUALITY, RELIABILITY AND PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE

We consider an important topic from the traditional quality literature-the impact of conformance quality of a manufactured product on the preventive maintenance costs to downstream users of this product. Folk wisdom supports the notion that higher conformance quality translates into lower maintenance costs (as well as other components of life-cycle costs) for these users. We examine this proposition in some detail on the basis of a failure-time model that relates conformance quality to reliability. We consider both repairable and nonrepairable items that are maintained by a block-replacement or a minimal-repair strategy. In addition to maintenance cycles and costs, we discuss the value of information to the user as to the actual production quality, and the value of inspection.
New directions for nominalist philosophers of mathematics

The present paper will argue that, for too long, many nominalists have concentrated their researches on the question of whether one could make sense of applications of mathematics (especially in science) without presupposing the existence of mathematical objects. This was, no doubt, due to the enormous influence of Quine’s “Indispensability Argument”, which challenged the nominalist to come up with an explanation of how science could be done without referring to, or quantifying over, mathematical objects. I shall admonish nominalists to enlarge the target of their investigations to include the many uses mathematicians make of concepts such as structures and models to advance pure mathematics. I shall illustrate my reasons for admonishing nominalists to strike out in these new directions by using Hartry Field’s nominalistic view of mathematics as a model of a philosophy of mathematics that was developed in just the sort of way I argue one should guard against. I shall support my reasons by providing grounds for rejecting both Field’s fictionalism and also his deflationist account of mathematical knowledge—doctrines that were formed largely in response to the Indispensability Argument. I shall then give a refutation of Mark Balaguer’s argument for his thesis that fictionalism is “the best version of anti-realistic anti-platonism”.
Neonatal monosodium glutamate administration alters noradrenergic measures in the brainstem of the mouse

Mice treated neonatally with MSG (4 mg/g) were compared to saline-injected controls on a number of neurochemical parameters of brainstem noradrenergic activity. MSG treatment resulted in an attenuation of brainstem norepinephrine (NE) decline after alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine administration. Neonatal MSG administration did not result in alterations in the steady state levels of brainstem NE or MOPEG. The synthesis of NE was slightly increased in the pons-medulla of MSG-treated mice as indexed by pargyline-induced NE accumulation. NE release, however, appeared diminished as reflected by a significant (p less than 0.05) decrease in the ratio of normetanephrine to NE found in the pons-medulla of MSG-treated mice given pargyline. The results suggest that MSG-induced damage to the arcuate nucleus produces selective alterations in brainstem NE systems. These alterations may reflect the toxic action of MSG on the opiomelanocortin neurons of the arcuate nucleus or other descending systems that are damaged by MSG. The loss of the descending opiomelanocortin input to the brainstem could result in these types of neurochemical consequences since the pharmacologic action of opiate drugs results in a selective enhancement of brainstem NE turnover in rodents.
Online Learning for Personalized Room-Level Thermal Control: A Multi-Armed Bandit Framework

We consider the problem of automatically learning the optimal thermal control in a room in order to maximize the expected average satisfaction among occupants providing stochastic feedback on their comfort through a participatory sensing application. Not assuming any prior knowledge or modeling of user comfort, we first apply the classic UCB1 online learning policy for multi-armed bandits (MAB), that combines exploration (testing out certain temperatures to understand better the user preferences) with exploitation (spending more time setting temperatures that maximize average-satisfaction) for the case when the total occupancy is constant. When occupancy is time-varying, the number of possible scenarios (i.e., which particular set of occupants are present in the room) becomes exponentially large, posing a combinatorial challenge. However, we show that LLR, a recently-developed combinatorial MAB online learning algorithm that requires recording and computation of only a polynomial number of quantities can be applied to this setting, yielding a regret (cumulative gap in average satisfaction with respect to a distribution aware genie) that grows only polynomially in the number of users, and logarithmically with time. This in turn indicates that difference in unit-time satisfaction obtained by the learning policy compared to the optimal tends to 0. We quantify the performance of these online learning algorithms using real data collected from users of a participatory sensing iPhone app in a multi-occupancy room in an office building in Southern California.
Quantitative analysis of Howell-Jolly bodies in children with sickle cell disease.

Objectives Although functional asplenia in sickle cell disease (SCD) begins early in life and has important clinical consequences, quantitative measurement of splenic function is not readily available. A novel high-throughput flow cytometric method for quantitating Howell-Jolly bodies (HJB) has been developed which isolates HJB-containing CD71 + and CD71 − erythrocytes. Analysis of these cell populations allows quantitative measurement of splenic filtrative function and possible chromosomal damage. Methods Blood specimens from 147 children with SCD were analyzed using a high-throughput flow cytometric method. Enumeration of the following populations was accomplished: 1) CD71 + reticulocytes among total erythrocytes, identifying the youngest erythroid cell population; 2) HJB-containing CD71 + reticulocytes, which isolate young erythrocytes containing micronuclei as an index of cytogenetic damage; and 3) HJB-containing CD71 − erythrocytes, identifying older erythrocytes containing micronuclei, indirectly measuring splenic function. Results Children with HbSC (n = 24) had slightly elevated HJB frequencies, while children with HbSS (n = 125) had highly elevated frequencies within CD71 + cells (0.44% ± 0.40%, normal 0.12% ± 0.06%, p − cells (2493 ± 2303 per million RBC, normal 20 ± 11, p + reticulocytes containing HJB was significantly influenced by hydroxyurea use ( p p = 0.0288), and splenectomy ( p = 0.0498). Similarly, mature CD71 − erythrocytes containing HJB were positively correlated with hydroxyurea ( p = 0.0001), age ( p p = 0.0104). Conclusions HJB quantitation by flow cytometry is a novel assay for measuring splenic function and may be valuable for investigating the efficacy and safety of therapeutic options for children with SCD.
Fixed points in indecomposable k-junctioned tree-like continua

Let M be an indecomposable k-junctioned tree-like continuum. Let f be a map of M that sends each composant of M into itself. Using an argument of O. H. Hamilton, we prove that f has a fixed point.
Characterization of image degradation caused by scanning

Abstract A single parameter value that represents the difference between the original and the digitized characters is determined from a binary scan of a test chart. It represents the combined effect of the point spread function diameter and the binary intensity threshold and is used to generate synthetic characters that are similar to characters scanned under the same conditions as the test chart.
Malignant progression of B16 melanoma cells induced in vitro by growth factors produced by highly malignant cells

Four mouse B16 melanoma subclones (G3.15, G3.5, G3.12 and G3.26) exhibit progressively greater growth capacity in vitro and in vivo. Previously, non-metastatic G3.15 cells were sequentially converted, in monolayer cultures, to the moderately-metastatic G3.5 cells, and then to a highly-metastatic G3.5* phenotype. Both conversions were induced by hypoxia followed by confluence, and also occurred in tumors. G3.5* cells were comparable with, yet distinguishable from, G3.12 cells in being growth-autonomous in culture. In this study, the presumption that rapidly-growing G3.26 cells represented the ultimate progression step in this clonal system was examined. Both G3.12 and G3.5* cells converted in vitro to the G3.26 phenotype during growth in serum-free medium conditioned by G3.26 cell growth. By selective filtration of conditioned medium and characterization of the stability of growth- and conversion-promoting activities, three distinct activities were found to promote a two-step G3.12 to G3.26 phenotype conversion: (1) a 10 kDa activity, induced G3.12-->G3.5* conversion that resulted in acquisition of growth autonomy; and (3) a heat-, acid- and trypsin-sensitive > 10 kDa activity induced G3.5*-->G3.26 conversion, characterized by anchorage-independent growth in soft agar, and potent lung colonization following intravenous injection. Phenotype analysis of G3.12 tumors and lung metastases revealed that G3.5*-like cells were regularly present in tumors and metastases, whereas G3.26-like cells occurred almost exclusively in large lung metastases. While G3.12 cells might convert to G3.5* cells in order to disseminate, G3.26 cells are apparently not involved in metastatic spread but probably account for the rapid growth of established metastases.
K-Ar Ages of Mafic Dikes and Evidence for Low-Grade Metamorphism in Northeastern Minnesota

K-Ar mineral and whole-rock ages for mafic dikes and one sill that intrude the early and middle Precambrian rocks of northeastern Minnesota and adjacent areas in Ontatio suggest times of intrusion at more than 2200, 1300, and 900 to 1100 m.y. ago. Samples which give K-Ar ages greater than 1300 m.y. show extensive alteration characteristic of low-grade metamorphism (prehnite-pumpellyite facies). For these samples, the whole-rock K-Ar ages have been lowered and suggest that the metamorphism occurred at about 1600 m.y. ago. The samples which give whole-rock K-Ar ages of 1300 m.y. or younger do not show the same type or extent of alteration, nor do the whole-rock K-Ar ages appear to have been appreciably lowered.
Impact of information sharing on energy behavior: A system dynamics approach

Growth of population and moving towards overconsumption and over pollution are significant threats to the environment and therefore necessitate moving towards sustainability approaches. Reducing energy consumption cannot be achieved by only changing the regulations. In practice, individuals' attitudes highly impact their energy behaviors, and therefore, changing behaviors is essential for improving energy conservation. In this paper, we investigate the impact of information sharing in change of individuals' behaviors and in particular their energy behaviors. We show that with improved access to information on energy consumption, residents make better use of energy, resulting in increased sustainability of the city. We focus on information and feedback strategies to improve the individuals' energy behavior and ultimately to decrease energy consumption. We use a system dynamics model to explore the impact of information technologies on behavioral change of households with regards to energy consumption. The model is created using the literature as a basis for the causal relations between the various variables. We will use our model to quantify the effect of access to energy information on consumption reduction utilizing the data provided by the OPOWER company in 2008 on the energy consumption of households in Sacramento Municipal Utility District in the United States.
Stimulating creative thinking

By encouraging unusual approaches to problem-solving, certain exercises can overcome rigidity in thinking and break through the inferred boundaries of a problem. Several methods, for use individually or in groups, that have been developed to stimulate creative problem solving are reviewed: brainstorming, question prompting, attribute listing, relationship forcing, morphological analysis, logical analysis, input-output system, and area thinking.