cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Flush Rate Oxygen for Emergency Airway Preoxygenation.

Study objective Recent data suggest that emergency airway preoxygenation with a bag-valve-mask (BVM) device (held with a tight mask seal but without squeezing the bag) is superior to a nonrebreather (NRB) mask at standard oxygen flow rates. We seek to determine whether preoxygenation with an NRB mask with flush rate oxygen (>40 L/min by fully opening a standard oxygen flowmeter) is noninferior to BVM device with standard-flow oxygen (15 L/min). We also seek to compare the efficacy of preoxygenation with NRB mask at flush rate oxygen with both NRB mask with oxygen at 15 L/min and simple mask at flush rate oxygen. Methods We performed a crossover trial using healthy volunteers. In random sequence, subjects underwent 3-minute trials of preoxygenation with nonrebreather mask with oxygen at 15 L/min (NRB-15), nonrebreather mask with flush rate oxygen (NRB-Flush), BVM device with oxygen at 15 L/min (BVM-15), and simple mask with flush rate oxygen. The primary outcome measure was the FeO 2 in a single exhaled breath. We compared the FeO 2 of NRB-Flush to other study groups, using a prespecified noninferiority margin of 10%. Results We enrolled 26 subjects. Mean FeO 2 values for NRB-15, NRB-Flush, BVM-15, and simple mask with flush rate oxygen were 54% (95% confidence interval [CI] 50% to 57%), 86% (95% CI 84% to 88%), 77% (95% CI 74% to 81%), and 72% (95% CI 69% to 76%), respectively. FeO 2 for NRB-Flush was noninferior to BVM-15 (difference 8%; 95% CI 5% to 11%). FeO 2 for NRB-Flush was higher than both NRB-15 (FeO 2 difference 32%; 95% CI 29% to 35%) and simple mask with flush rate oxygen (FeO 2 difference 13%; 95% CI 10% to 17%). Conclusion Preoxygenation with NRB-Flush was noninferior to BVM-15. NRB with flush rate oxygen may be a reasonable preoxygenation method for spontaneously breathing patients undergoing emergency airway management.
Using Airborne Laser Altimetry to Detect Topographic Change at Long Valley Caldera, California

The topography of the Long Valley caldera, California, was sampled using airborne laser altimetry in 1993, 1995, and 1997 to test the feasibility of using airborne laser altimetry for monitoring deformation of volcanic origin. Results show the laser altimeters are able to resolve subtle topographic features such as a gradual slope and to detect small transient changes in lake elevation. Crossover and repeat pass analyses of laser tracks indicate decimeter-level vertical precision is obtained over flat and low-sloped terrain for altimeter systems performing waveform digitization. Comparisons with complementary, ground-based CPS data at a site close to Bishop airport indicate that the laser and GPS-derived elevations agree to within the error inherent in the measurement and that horizontal locations agree to within the radius of the laser footprint. A comparison of the data at two sites, one where no change and the other where the maximum amount of vertical uplift is expected, indicates approximately 10 cm of relative uplift occurred 1993-1997, in line with predictions from continuous CPS measurements in the region. Extensive terrain mapping flights during the 1995 and 1997 missions demonstrate some of the unique abilities of laser altimetry; the straightforward creation of high resolution, high accuracy digital elevation models of overflown terrain, and the ability to determine ground topography in the presence of significant ground cover such as dense tree canopies. These capabilities make laser altimetry an attractive technique for quantifying topographic change of volcanic origin, especially in forested regions of the world where other remote sensing instruments have difficulty detecting the underlying topography.
Effect of Smoking on Tissue Oxygen Supply

The purpose of this study was to determine if chronic exposure to low levels of carbon monoxide (CO) in man results in tissue hypoxia. For this reason, nine smokers (more than one pack of cigarettes per day) were studied. The presence of hypoxia was assessed by measurement of red cell mass (RCM). The effect of CO on intraerythrocytic factors involved with oxygen delivery was determined by measurement of oxygen-hemoglobin affinity (P50) and of red cell 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (DPG) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Values were compared to those of 18 nonsmokers of similar age, sex, and race. Values for carboxyhemoglobin (COHb), RCM, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and red cell count were significantly higher in the smokers. DPG levels were unaltered, while P50 and ATP levels were significantly lower in smokers. These data suggest that chronic exposure to low levels of CO results in tissue hypoxia, probably as a result of decreased blood oxygen carrying capacity and increased blood-O2 affinity. Adaption is reflected in an increased RCM and not by intraerythrocytic changes. The response in RCM may be to levels seen in polycythemia vera, as evidenced by a value of 37.6 in one smoker whose RCM fell to normal after discontinuing cigarettes. This study indicates that smoking causes mild erythrocytosis comparable to that seen in spurious or stress polycythemia. It also suggests that chronic exposure to low levels of CO may further embarrass tissue oxygen supply in patients with anemia, heart disease, chronic lung disease, and cerebral vascular disease in whom oxygen delivery to tissues is already marginal.
Don't stress about CRF: assessing the translational failures of CRF 1 antagonists.

Dr. Athina Markou sought treatments for a common neural substrate shared by depression and drug dependence. Antagonists of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) receptors, a target of interest to her, have not reached the clinic despite strong preclinical rationale and sustained translational efforts. We explore potential causes for the failure of CRF1 antagonists and review recent findings concerning CRF-CRF1 systems in psychopathology. Potential causes for negative outcomes include (1) poor safety and efficacy of initial drug candidates due to bad pharmacokinetic and physicochemical properties, (2) specificity problems with preclinical screens, (3) the acute nature of screens vs. late-presenting patients, (4) positive preclinical results limited to certain models and conditions with dynamic CRF-CRF1 activation not homologous to tested patients, (5) repeated CRF1 activation-induced plasticity that reduces the importance of ongoing CRF1 agonist stimulation, and (6) therapeutic silencing which may need to address CRF2 receptor or CRF-binding protein molecules, constitutive CRF1 activity, or molecules that influence agonist-independent activity or to target structural regions other than the allosteric site bound by all drug candidates. We describe potential markers of activation towards individualized treatment, human genetic, and functional data that still implicate CRF1 systems in emotional disturbance, sex differences, and suggestive clinical findings for CRF1 antagonists in food craving and CRF-driven HPA-axis overactivation. The therapeutic scope of selective CRF1 antagonists now appears narrower than had been hoped. Yet, much remains to be learned about CRF’s role in the neurobiology of dysphoria and addiction and the potential for novel anti-CRF therapies therein.
Muscle-specific endurance of the trapezius muscles using electrical twitch mechanomyography

BackgroundSymptoms of fatigue and pain are often reported for the trapezius muscle in the shoulder. The present study evaluated endurance in the trapezius muscles of healthy participants using elec...
The Schönflies theorem

We recall the following definition from Section 2. Let C be a connected set, let D be a subset of C, and let P and Q be points of C – D. If C – D is the union of two separated sets, containing P and Q respectively, then we say that D separates P from Q in C.
Mitochondrial Protein Translation-Related Disease: Mitochondrial Ribosomal Proteins and Translation Factors

Mitochondrial protein synthesis requires the coordinated actions of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)-encoded transcripts, transfer RNAs (tRNAs), and ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) in concert with an array of nuclear encoded proteins, including translation factors and ribosomal proteins. Defective mitochondrial translation causes multisystem disease with deficiencies of respiratory complexes that contain mtDNA-encoded subunits and is an emerging class of mitochondrial disease. Mutations in a subset of genes encoding mitochondrial translation factors and ribosomal proteins account for many of the mitochondrial disease cases with aberrant mitochondrial translation reported to date. With the rapid acceleration of disease gene identification in the age of next generation sequencing technologies, an understanding of most if not all the genes that can cause defective mitochondrial translation and disease in the next few years seems a reasonable possibility.
Screening for Relationships

Data miners are usually confronted with a daunting array of variables from which they hope to discover useful relationships. One could always just test them individually, in groups, or in a stepwise procedure, using a sophisticated model similar or identical to that which the developer wants to ultimately deploy. This direct approach would usually be the best in the sense that it would discover the relationships that will ultimately be most useful.
Evolution of Facebook groups: Informal e-learning among medical laboratory scientists in Nigeria

Most people think of online courses when they talk about e-learning, but aspects of social media can also be considered e-learning. In 2011 the Knowledge for Health Project (K4Health) began work with local partners to implement an e-learning and professional development policy for Medical Laboratory Scientists based on the needs identified by United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Nigeria. Six e-learning courses were developed and promoted through several channels including social media. A Facebook Group was created to share information about accessing and navigating the courses and attracted 8,500 members in 18 months. As the Group grew, the topics discussed evolved to include trade union news, employment opportunities and technical resources. Another Facebook Group provided insights that Facebook Groups could be used to facilitate interactions focused on continuing professional development. The findings show that Facebook Groups accommodate an informal learning style, allowing individuals to learn through peer support in flexible ways. It has also shown that the use of Facebook Groups is associated with high levels of engagement with e-learning courses. https://doi.org/10.34105/j.kmel.2014.06.017
Early detection of ovarian cancer: promise and reality.

One of the most promising approaches to the control of many epithelial malignancies is to detect cancers before they have metastasized. Effective screening strategies have been developed and are widely utilized in clinical practice to detect cervical, breast, prostate and colorectal cancers. In the case of epithelial ovarian cancer, the ability to cure early stage disease provides an attractive rationale for the development of similarly effective screening strategies. Despite the improvement in median survival achieved with contemporary cytoreductive surgery and combination chemotherapy, ovarian cancer that has spread beyond the pelvis at the time of diagnosis can be cured in no more than 20% of cases. By contrast, when ovarian cancer is detected in Stage I, before it has spread from the ovaries, 90% of women can be cured with currently available therapy. At present, however, only 25% of ovarian cancers are diagnosed in Stage I (Ries et. al, 1999). Consequently, detection of preclinical disease at an earlier stage in a larger fraction of women might improve overall survival.
Patterns in Personal Automobile Third-Party Bodily Injury Litigation: 1977 - 1997

The U.S. tort system has been the focus of considerable media and scholarly attention in recent years, particularly with regard to the perceived ease with which parties sue each other and the size of damages awarded. Despite a widely held belief that American society has become increasingly litigious over time, the empirical evidence presented to date can support or refute such a claim. This study employs a unique data set of automobile insurance third-party claims closed between 1977 and 1997 to examine litigation trends. We test whether the likelihood that an injured party retains an attorney to assist in the resolution of an insurance claim increased during this time period. We also test whether the likelihood that an injured party files a legal claim has increased. The data set includes paid claim records, but not records for insurance claims that did not result in a paid settlement, from a sizeable cross section of the U.S. automobile insurance industry. We find evidence that the use of attorneys by injured parties has increased. The likelihood of a legal claim being filed, however, is found to decrease over the period of the study. We conjecture that the informational role attorneys play as agents for ill informed injured parties explains the apparent paradox in our findings.
CHAPTER 46 – Cyclic Nucleotides and Protein Phosphorylation in Vascular Smooth Muscle Relaxation

This chapter focuses on the relaxation of vascular smooth muscle, which involves reducing [Ca 2+ ] i by increasing the efflux of this cation out of the cell, decreasing its influx, or increasing its intracellular sequestration. Additionally, the sensitivity of the contractile apparatus to Ca 2+ may be decreased so that there is a decreased contractile response at any given intracellular concentration of Ca 2+ . Smooth muscle relaxation is mediated by the intracellular second messengers cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP. The production and metabolism of these cyclic nucleotides and the regulation of intracellular concentrations of Ca 2+ are highly interdependent. Cyclic nucleotides mediate vascular smooth muscle relaxation by various mechanisms involving alterations in intracellular concentrations of Ca 2+ or the sensitivity of the contractile apparatus to that cation. A complex relationship exists between the regulation of intracellular concentrations of cyclic nucleotides and Ca 2+ and vascular smooth muscle contractility. This complexity is reflected in the precision with which the contractile tone of vascular smooth muscle regulates total peripheral resistance and regional blood flow to meet physiological requirements.
Can Citizens Affect Urban Policy? Blight Reduction in Post-Katrina New Orleans

Can ordinary citizens affect urban policy? Does city hall respond to civic engagement by ordinary citizens of all status levels? New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina provides an important test case for addressing this question. Research suggests that civic engagement has been robust in New Orleans since Katrina and that engagement has driven a stronger recovery (Weil 2011). One of the most intensive targets of citizen activism in post-Katrina New Orleans is blight. Blight is probably the most visible sign of unfinished recovery from the hurricanes and flooding of 2005, and since New Orleanians have been so focused on rebuilding their communities, they have put special effort into remediating blight. Blight reduction in New Orleans provides a good test case for looking at the impact of civic engagement on city policy because it is the object of such intense focus. Our research on disaster recovery in New Orleans provides a good basis for examining this question empirically. We have collected extensive survey, organizational, and ethnographic data that can be merged with other public data on blight and other factors to test the proposition that civic engagement affects city policy on blight reduction. We have extensively interviewed community leaders and members who have described to us their strategies for pressing the city to remediate blight. Our citizen survey (N=7,000) measured civic engagement and social capital in fine-grained detail. And our survey of neighborhood association leaders (N=67) examined organizational strategies and resources for recovery, including blight reduction. These surveys are merged with data from the census, the US Postal Service and HUD, the state’s “Road Home” program, and the City of New Orleans that measure storm damage, blight and blight reduction, and a variety of demographic factors. These extensive data sources provide a rare opportunity to examine citizen influence on policy closely and systematically.Our findings show that citizens have had a demonstrable impact on blight reduction. Blight was most reduced, since Katrina, in areas with (a) higher individual resources (esp. income), (b) stronger social capital and civic engagement, and (c) organizations that focused on blight reduction and, importantly, cooperated with each other. Some of this impact must certainly have been simply the result of citizens’ own repair efforts, but it is not likely that everything took place only in the private realm. The results probably also show that citizens influenced urban policy in reducing blight.
Expected gains from parallelizing constraint solving for hard problems

A number of recent studies have examined how the difficulty of various NP-hard problems varies with simple parameters describing their structure. In particular, they have identified parameter values that distinguish regions with many hard problem instances from relatively easier ones. In this paper we continue this work by examining independent parallel search. Specifically, we evaluate the speedup as function of connectivity and search difficulty for the particular case of graph coloring with a standard heuristic search method. This requires examining the full search cost distribution rather than just the more commonly reported mean and variance. We also show similar behavior for a single-agent search strategy in which the search is restarted whenever it fails to complete within a specified cost bound.
Tree inference: Selective influence in multinomial processing trees with supplementary measures such as response time

Abstract Multinomial Processing Trees are successful models of response probabilities for many phenomena. Empirical validation is often based on manipulating an experimental factor intended to selectively influence a process represented in a Multinomial Processing Tree, to see whether the factor indeed has an effect on and only on a parameter associated with that process. Response times are rarely included, but have great potential for increasing resolution. We consider Multinomial Processing Trees in which outcomes of processes represented by vertices occur with probabilities (as usual), and also take time. For response time itself, the method of selectively influencing processes is well developed. Established tests are based on response time means and distribution functions. We modify well established tests so they can be applied to Multinomial Processing Trees in which responses fall into two classes, say, correct and incorrect. The new tests are based on response time means and distribution functions, each multiplied by response probability. If two experimental factors selectively influence two different vertices in a two class Multinomial Processing Tree, the tree is equivalent to one of two simple trees. Patterns in response probabilities and times will indicate which of the two trees accounts for the data. In one of the two trees, the selectively influenced vertices are executed in order, in the other they are not. If there are more than two response classes, each class can be tested separately. If the patterns do not occur, no Multinomial Processing Tree exists in which the two experimental factors selectively influence two different vertices. We demonstrate the method with simulated data from a two factor experiment.
How a Credit Enhancement Affects Bond Liquidity and Default Risk of the Firm

The authors use a quasi-natural experiment to analyze the impact of a particular type of credit enhancement, a government guarantee, on bond liquidity and default risk of the firm. They find that a guarantee (1) dramatically increases the liquidity of a bond, (2) generally reduces the default risk of the firm and pre-existing bonds issued by the firm, and (3) increases the liquidity of pre-existing non-guaranteed debt issued by the same firm. They find that the liquidity improvement caused by a guarantee reduces overall default risk of the firms by 5.84%.
Hypnotics and the Elderly

The effects of hypnotics in the elderly are of particular concern, because of their disproportionately high use of these agents and their increased vulnerability to toxicity from them. In 1975, 20–45% of prescriptions for the various hypnotics went to persons over 60 (Cooper, 1977), who comprised roughly 14% of the population. This is perhaps in keeping with the proportionately greater percentage of all prescriptions (roughly 20%) which the elderly receive (Subcommittee on Long Term Care, 1974).
Immune related adverse events (irAE) of mono-, combination, and sequential therapy regimens of ipilimumab (IPI), nivolumab (NIV), and pembrolizumab (PEM) for advanced melanoma.

e21011Background: The immunotherapy agents IPI, NIV, and PEM have transformed the management of advanced melanoma but are associated with irAEs. We estimated the incidence of irAEs as observed in c...
Ambiguous partially observable Markov decision processes: Structural results and applications

Abstract Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) have been widely used as invaluable tools in dynamic decision-making, which is a central concern for economic agents operating at both the micro and macro levels. Often the decision maker's information about the state is incomplete; hence, the generalization to Partially Observable MDPs (POMDPs). Unfortunately, POMDPs may require a large state and/or action space, creating the well-known “curse of dimensionality.” However, recent computational contributions and blindingly fast computers have helped to dispel this curse. This paper introduces and addresses a second curse termed “curse of ambiguity,” which refers to the fact that the exact transition probabilities are often hard to quantify, and are rather ambiguous. For instance, for a monetary authority concerned with dynamically setting the inflation rate so as to control the unemployment, the dynamics of unemployment rate under any given inflation rate is often ambiguous. Similarly, in worker-job matching, the dynamics of worker-job match/proficiency level is typically ambiguous. This paper addresses the “curse of ambiguity” by developing a generalization of POMDPs termed Ambiguous POMDPs (APOMDPs), which not only allows the decision maker to take into account imperfect state information, but also tackles the inevitable ambiguity with respect to the correct probabilistic model of transitions. Importantly, this paper extends various structural results from POMDPs to APOMDPs. These results enable the decision maker to make robust decisions. Robustness is achieved by using α-maximin expected utility (α-MEU), which (a) differentiates between ambiguity and ambiguity attitude, (b) avoids the over conservativeness of traditional maximin approaches, and (c) is found to be suitable in laboratory experiments in various choice behaviors including those in portfolio selection. The structural results provided also help to handle the “curse of dimensionality,” since they significantly simplify the search for an optimal policy. The analysis also identifies a performance guarantee for the proposed approach by developing a bound for its maximum reward loss due to model ambiguity.
Emergency Department Grief Support: A Multidisciplinary Intervention to Provide Bereavement Support After Death in the Emergency Department

Abstract Background The nature of death in the emergency department (ED) may put survivors at higher risk for complicated bereavement. Access to bereavement care could mitigate this, but many EDs do not include bereavement follow-up as part of their routine practice. Objective We describe the implementation at our institution of ED Grief Support, a program developed to extend care to the bereaved through in-person, telephone, and e-mail follow-up for 1 year after the death of a loved one. Methods Bereavement follow-up was preferentially extended to survivors of patients Results We enrolled 192 patients during our 2-year period of observation. The majority died from trauma and parents were the most common next-of-kin to be contacted. Commonly requested services included: clarification of the circumstances of death, the interpretation of autopsy reports, referral to community bereavement resources, and family meetings. Challenges included supporting the emotional well-being of staff and the resource-intensive nature of the follow-up. Staff members who worked with ED Grief Support find it meaningful and note a positive influence on their well-being as providers. Conclusions Longitudinal bereavement follow-up from the ED is feasible and had a perceived positive impact on the bereaved as well as ED staff.
Cooperative Carbon Dioxide Adsorption in Alcoholamine‐ and Alkoxyalkylamine‐Functionalized Metal–Organic Frameworks

A series of structurally diverse alcoholamine- and alkoxyalkylamine-functionalized variants of the metal-organic framework Mg2 (dobpdc) are shown to adsorb CO2 selectively via cooperative chain-forming mechanisms. Solid-state NMR spectra and optimized structures obtained from van der Waals-corrected density functional theory calculations indicate that the adsorption profiles can be attributed to the formation of carbamic acid or ammonium carbamate chains that are stabilized by hydrogen bonding interactions within the framework pores. These findings significantly expand the scope of chemical functionalities that can be utilized to design cooperative CO2 adsorbents, providing further means of optimizing these powerful materials for energy-efficient CO2 separations.
Abstract P430: Educational Attainment, Adherence to Healthy Lifestyle, and Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases

Introduction: Lower educational attainment is one of the major socioeconomic factors contributing to cardiovascular diseases (CVD); higher education tends to be associated with healthier behaviors ...
Edge version of metric dimension for the families of grid graphs and generalized prism graphs

The minimum edge version of metric basis is the smallest set SE of edges in a connected graph G such that for every pair of edges e1,e2 ∈EG, there exists an edge e ∈SE for which dE(e1,e) ≠ dE(e2,e)...
The politics of migration in modern Egypt: strategies for regime survival in autocracies: by Gerasimos Tsourapas, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2019, xviii + 346 pp., £75.00 (hardback), ISBN 978-1108475549.

As an old Egypt hand, I enjoyed and appreciated Gerasimos Tsourapas’ straightforward and readable study of state-based “temporary” migration of Egyptian nationals to other countries in the Arab Mid...
Moving beyond the paradigm

Amid the turbulence of the 20th century9s civil rights movement and sexual revolution, the philosophy of science was undergoing its own radical transformation. Suspecting that the scientific method was less straightforward than scientists claimed, philosophers had started challenging the idea that deductive logic was the best way to reveal truths about the world. Against Method (1975), by philosopher of science Paul Feyerabend, played a key role in bringing such arguments to maturity. Forty-five years after its publication, the book continues to offer valuable insights to scientists confused by the public9s ambivalence toward hard scientific truths.
Courage, Justice, and Practical Wisdom as Key Virtues in the Era of COVID-19

Fowers et al (2017) recently made a general argument for virtues as the characteristics necessary for individuals to flourish, given inherent human limitations For example, people can flourish by developing the virtue of friendship as they navigate the inherent (healthy) human dependency on others This general argument also illuminates a pathway to flourishing during the COVID-19 pandemic, the risks of which have induced powerful fears, exacerbated injustices, and rendered life and death decisions far more common Contexts of risk and fear call for the virtue of courage Courage has emerged more powerfully as a central virtue among medical personnel, first responders, and essential workers Longstanding inequalities have been highlighted during the pandemic, calling for the virtue of justice When important personal and public health decisions must be made, the central virtue of practical wisdom comes to the fore Wise decisions and actions incorporate the recognition of relevant moral concerns and aims, as well as responding in fitting and practical ways to the specifics of the situation Practicing courage, justice, and practical wisdom illuminates a path to flourishing, even in a pandemic
Individualized growth assessment in pregnancies complicated by fetal gastroschisis.

Prenatal ultrasound (US) has been shown to overestimate the incidence of suspected fetal growth restriction (FGR) in gastroschisis cases. This is largely because of altered sonographic abdominal ci...
The Financial System Red in Tooth and Claw: 75 Years of Co-Evolving Markets and Technology

The 75th anniversary of the founding of the Financial Analysts Journal offers a rare vista of the evolutionary path of financial analysis and its practitioners. That path is by no means random but ...
The fission yeast FLCN/FNIP complex augments TORC1 repression or activation in response to amino acid (AA) availability.

Summary The target of Rapamycin complex1 (TORC1) senses and integrates several environmental signals, including amino acid (AA) availability, to regulate cell growth. Folliculin (FLCN) is a tumor suppressor (TS) protein in renal cell carcinoma, which paradoxically activates TORC1 in response to AA supplementation. Few tractable systems for modeling FLCN as a TS are available. Here, we characterize the FLCN-containing complex in Schizosaccharomyces pombe (called BFC) and show that BFC augments TORC1 repression and activation in response to AA starvation and supplementation, respectively. BFC co-immunoprecipitates V-ATPase, a TORC1 modulator, and regulates its activity in an AA-dependent manner. BFC genetic and proteomic networks identify the conserved peptide transmembrane transporter Ptr2 and the phosphoribosylformylglycinamidine synthase Ade3 as new AA-dependent regulators of TORC1. Overall, these data ascribe an additional repressive function to Folliculin in TORC1 regulation and reveal S. pombe as an excellent system for modeling the AA-dependent, FLCN-mediated repression of TORC1 in eukaryotes.
Neuroanatomical Basis of Consciousness

Neurology utilizes a localization-based approach that has firmly established the functional neuroanatomy of consciousness. Clinical disorders can either impair the specific contents of consciousness, such as language or visual processing; or can interfere with the overall level of consciousness. The specialized brain networks controlling the level of consciousness are called the “consciousness system,” and include cortical components, consisting mainly of bilateral frontoparietal association cortex, as well as subcortical components comprising multiple parallel arousal systems in the upper brainstem, thalamus, hypothalamus, and basal forebrain. Subcortical arousal systems include widespread projections acting through glutamate, gamma amino butyric acid, acetylcholine, epinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, histamine, and orexin. The bilateral higher-order heteromodal association cortex acts together with the subcortical components of the consciousness system to control the level of alertness, attention, and awareness. Cortical anatomy is also crucial for other aspects of consciousness including hemispheric specialization, emotional drive, feature binding, top-down, bottom-up, task-positive and task-negative (default mode) attention systems, voluntary action, self-awareness, and memory encoding for the report of conscious experience.
Geochemistry and Hydromechanical Interactions of Fluids Associated with the San Andreas Fault System, California

Field determinations of heat flow and in situ stress orientations indicate that the San Andreas fault is anomalously weak. The weakness of this major transform fault has been attributed to several mechanisms, including the presence of serpentines, clays or other minerals with low coefficients of friction. The most plausible explanation for this weakness, however, relates to the distribution of fluid pressures within the fault zone and in the adjoining crust. In order to investigate the geochemistry and the role of fluids in the dynamics of this fault, we have carried out detailed chemical and isotopic analyses of water and associated gases from 41 thermal and saline springs and a few wells, together with about 20 cold springs, located along or near the San Andreas fault system between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Results show that the main trace of the San Andreas fault is conspicuously devoid of high-discharge springs, and the δD and δ 18 O values establish that waters are predominantly of meteoric origin. The chemical compositions of water and gases are controlled mainly by the ambient rock types, and chemical geothermometry gives reservoir temperatures of 80-150°C indicating shallow to moderate circulation depths of up to 6 km. However, compositions and isotope abundances of noble gases and δ 13 C values of HCO 3 indicate a significant (up to 50%) mantle component For the volatiles. The relatively high fluxes of CO 2 (C/ 3 He 10 10 ) and other volatiles of mantle origin support a deep continuous flow model, especially at depths >6 km. Numerical simulations indicate that these high fluxes of CO 2 of mantle and deep crustal origin are sufficient to generate lithostatic fluid pressures, and thus a weakened fault, in time scales comparable to those of earthquake cycles.
Issues in dataflow computing

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the basic principles of the dataflow model, along with its major attributes and the language support for dataflow. It provides a general description of the dataflow model of execution based on the pioneering works of research groups at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Manchester namely, the static dataflow machine, tagged-token dataflow architecture, and Manchester machine. Major problems encountered in the design of these machines are outlined. The chapter surveys current dataflow projects and provides a comparison of the architectural characteristics and evolutionary improvements in dataflow computing. It discusses the difficulties in handling data structures in a dataflow environment. An overview of the methods for representing data structures is provided. This is supplemented by various issues required to handle data structures in a dataflow environment. The chapter addresses the issue of program allocation. Several proposed methodologies are presented and the various issues involved in program allocation are discussed. The resource requirements for dataflow computations are examined.
Nativity and papillary thyroid cancer incidence rates among Hispanic women in California

BACKGROUND: Overall, the incidence of papillary thyroid cancer in Hispanic women residing in the United States (US) is similar to that of non-Hispanic white women. However, little is known as to whether rates in Hispanic women vary by nativity, which may influence exposure to important risk factors. METHODS: Nativity-specific incidence rates among Hispanic women were calculated for papillary thyroid cancer using data from the California Cancer Registry (CCR) for the period 1988-2004. For the 35% of cases for whom birthplace information was not available from the CCR, nativity was statistically imputed based on age at Social Security number issuance. Population estimates were extracted based on US Census data. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were also estimated. RESULTS: In young (age <55 years) Hispanic women, the incidence of papillary thyroid cancer among US-born women (10.65 per 100,000) was significantly greater than that for foreign-born women (6.67 per 100,000; IRR, 1.60 [95% CI, 1.44-1.77]). The opposite pattern was observed in older women. The age-specific patterns showed marked differences by nativity: among foreign-born women, rates increased slowly until age 70 years, whereas among US-born women, incidence rates peaked during the reproductive years. Incidence rates increased over the study period in all subgroups. CONCLUSION: Incidence rates of papillary thyroid cancer vary by nativity and age among Hispanic women residing in California. These patterns can provide insight for future etiologic investigations of modifiable risk factors for this increasingly common and understudied cancer. Cancer 2012;. © 2011 American Cancer Society.
A Review of “The trouble with city planning; What New Orleans can teach us”

Kristina Ford's take on city planning is brilliantly insightful in places and frustratingly naive in others. Her background on the planning and development history of New Orleans is interesting but...
Two new techniques for compiled multi-delay simulation

Two techniques for compiled multidelay simulation are presented. One is event-driven and the other is based on the concept of levelized compiled simulation. Experimental results are presented which show a significant performance improvement for compiled event-driven simulation over interpreted event-driven simulation, although this improvement is somewhat less than would normally be expected. An analysis of both the compiled and interpretive simulators that supports the experimental data is presented. The effects of caching and locality of reference are presented for the compiled event-driven simulator. The performance enhancements for the non-event-driven technique are substantial, but this technique has the disadvantage of generating an enormous amount of code for some circuits. Suggestions for future research are also presented. >
Low power and noise tolerant 20 Gb/s CMOS TIA for short-distance optical interconnect

In this paper we present the design of a low power and noise tolerant 20 Gb/s differential TransImpedance Amplifier (TIA) in 0.1 /spl mu/m CMOS technology. The target application is short distance optical interconnect (<1 meter). A single ended structure is first proposed and extended to a differential structure. The simulation results show that significant improvements can be obtained by our differential derived structure in terms of power supply noise rejection compared to the conventional use of a dummy differential circuit.
Inherent sex‐dependent regulation of human hepatic CYP3A5

Background and Purpose Expression of hepatic cytochromes P450 (CYP) in all species examined, including humans, is generally sexually dimorphic. We examined the sex-dependent expression of CYP3A5 and the hormone-regulated molecular mechanism(s) responsible for any dimorphism. Experimental Approach CYP3A5 levels as well as nuclear translocation and promoter binding of transcription factors regulating CYP3A5 expression were measured in primary hepatocyte cultures derived from men and women exposed to physiological-like levels of growth hormone alone, dexamethasone alone and the combined regimen. Key Results We observed a dramatic inherent CYP3A5 sexual dimorphism (women > men) with all treatments as a result of a ∼2-fold greater level of hormone-induced activation and nuclear accumulation of hepatocyte nuclear factor-4α (HNF-4α), pregnane X receptor (PXR) and retinoic X receptorα (RXRα) in female hepatocytes. Furthermore, PXR : RXRα exhibited significantly higher DNA binding levels to its specific binding motif on the CYP3A5 promoter in female hepatocytes, inferring a possible explanation for the elevated expression of the isoform in women. Results from experiments using HepG2 cells treated with siRNA-induced knockdown of HNF-4α and/or transfected with luciferase reporter constructs containing the CYP3A5 promoter were in agreement with the basic mechanism observed in primary hepatocytes of both sexes. Conclusions and Implications Female-predominant expression of human CYP3A5 is due to an inherent, sex-dependent suboptimal activation of the transcription networks responsible for hormone-induced expression of the isoform in men. Accordingly, in conjunction with previous studies of other human CYPs, men and women are intrinsically unlikely to handle many drugs in the same way; thus, sex should be a requisite component factored into the design of personalized drug therapies.
Influence of Age, Mating Status, Sex, Quantity of Food, and Long-Term Food Deprivation on Red Flour Beetle (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) Flight Initiation

Effects of age, sex, presence or absence of food, mating status, quantity of food, and food deprivation on rate of and time of flight initiation of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), were determined. Flight initiation declined with increasing age in both presence and absence of food. However, flight initiation was lower when food was present in the flight chambers than in the absence of food. In the presence of food, both mated and virgin beetles were equally likely to disperse by flight. However, in the absence of food, mated beetles initiated flight more readily that virgin individuals. Flight initiation was greatest when little or no food was present. The presence of varying quantities of food inside the flight chambers impacted the number of progeny produced by females before flight, but not the timing of flight. Rate of flight initiation was higher for beetles deprived of food for short periods of time compared with flight initiation of beetles with food in the flight chamber. Flight initiation decreased with increasing time without food. There were no differences in flight tendencies between males and females in the experiments reported here. Our results suggest that T. castaneum uses flight as a mechanism to disperse to new environments during almost any part of their life span and that this type of dispersion does not fit with the model of the so-called true migratory species that involves an “oogenesis-flight syndrome.”
Completion of advance directives by older health maintenance organization members: the role of attitudes and beliefs regarding life-sustaining treatment.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined whether older health maintenance organization (HMO) members' attitudes and beliefs regarding life-sustaining treatment were associated with their completion of advance directives (ADs). DESIGN: A mailed survey of 1,247 subjects, aged 75 and older, participating in a randomized trial comparing two educational interventions designed to increase AD completion: mailed written materials versus written materials plus a videotape. AD completion was documented by medical record review. SETTING: The initial trial took place in October 1994 at a large group-model HMO in the Denver metropolitan area. The survey was mailed to participants 3 months after the trial. PARTICIPANTS: All HMO members aged 75 and older who received medical care at one of the medical offices (n = 1247) were mailed the survey. Participants were the 735 members who returned the survey. MEASUREMENTS: AD completers were compared with noncompleters on survey items pertaining to attitudes and beliefs regarding life-sustaining treatment. RESULTS: Of survey respondents, AD completers (n = 313) differed from noncompleters (n = 422) in their agreement with the following attitudinal/belief statements: (1) Putting my wishes for life-sustaining treatment in writing is too binding (completers = 12%, noncompleters = 35%); (2) I prefer that my family decide what kind of medical care is best for me if 1 should become unable to communicate my wishes (completers = 69%, noncompleters = 88%); and (3) My physician clearly understands my wishes for life-sustaining treatment (completers = 76%, noncompleters = 43%; all values, P <.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Completers were more likely to believe that their physicians understood their wishes and less likely to think that ADs are too binding, More noncompleters wanted their family to decide, even though an AD would increase their families' ability to do so. AD completion rates might increase if they were characterized as a way to preserve flexibility in a complex medical system, help families reach amicable decisions on behalf of their loved ones, and increase patients' confidence that their physician understands their wishes for life-sustaining treatment.
Local health department perspectives on linkages among birthing hospitals.

OBJECTIVES: To describe perinatal linkages among hospitals, changes in their numbers and their impact on relationships among high-risk providers in local communities. STUDY DESIGN: Data were obtained about the organization of perinatal services in 1996–1999 from a cross-sectional study evaluating fetal and infant mortality review (FIMR) programs nationwide. Geographic areas were sampled based on region, population density, and the presence of a FIMR. A local health department representative was interviewed in 76% (N=193) of eligible communities; 188 provided data about hospitals. RESULTS: Linkages among all hospitals were reported in 143 communities and with a subspecialty hospital in 122. All but 12 communities had a maternity hospital, and changes in the number of hospitals occurred in 49 communities. Decreases in the number of Level II hospitals were related to changes in relationships among providers of high-risk care for mothers and newborns; they were associated with changing relationships only for mothers in Level I hospitals. These relations were noted only where established provider relationships existed. CONCLUSIONS: Decreases in the number of maternity hospitals affect provider relationships in communities, but only where there are established linkages among hospitals.
Search for methane and upper limits to ethane and SO2 on Mars

Abstract The IRTF/CSHELL observations in February 2006 at L S = 10° and 63–93°W show ∼10 ppb of methane at 45°S to 7°N and ∼3 ppb outside this region that covers the deepest canyon Valles Marineris. Observations in December 2009 at L S = 20° and 0–30°W included spectra of the Moon at a similar airmass as a telluric calibrator. A technique for extraction of the martian methane line from a combination of the Mars and Moon spectra has been developed. The observations reveal no methane with an upper limit of 8 ppb. The results of both sessions agree with the observations by Mumma et al. (Mumma, M.J. et al. [2009]. Science 323, 1041–1045) at the same season in February 2006 and are smaller than those in the PFS and TES maps. Production and removal of the biological methane on Mars do not significantly change the redox state of the atmosphere and the balance of hydrogen. A search for ethane at 2977 cm −1 results in an upper limit of 0.2 ppb. However, this limit does not help to establish the origin of methane on Mars. Reanalysis of our search for SO 2 using TEXES confirms the recently established upper limit of 0.3 ppb. Along with the lack of hot spots and gas vents with endogenic heat sources in the THEMIS observations, the very low upper limit to SO 2 on Mars does not favor geological methane that is less abundant than SO 2 in the outgassing from the terrestrial planets.
A high-throughput pipeline for designing microarray-based pathogen diagnostic assays.

Background We present a methodology for high-throughput design of oligonucleotide fingerprints for microarray-based pathogen diagnostic assays. The oligonucleotide fingerprints, or DNA microarray probes, are designed for identifying target organisms in environmental or clinical samples. The design process is implemented in a high-performance computing software pipeline that incorporates major algorithmic improvements over a previous version to both reduce computation time and improve specificity assessment.