cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phosphodiesterase 3 (PDE3) inhibition with cilostazol does not block in vivo oocyte maturation in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta).

Abstract Objective Studies in mice suggest that cilostazol, an FDA-approved phosphodiesterase 3 (PDE3) inhibitor, might have a contraceptive effect within the approved dose range. We sought to evaluate the potential contraceptive effects of cilostazol in a nonhuman primate model. Study design Adult female rhesus macaques were stimulated to develop multiple preovulatory follicles by administering human recombinant gonadotropins, and oocytes were collected by follicle aspiration 36 h after an ovulatory stimulus (human chorionic gonadotropin). Monkeys received no further treatment (controls) or the PDE3 inhibitor cilostazol at the maximum approved human dose of 100 mg twice daily starting 6 days prior to follicle aspiration. Recovered oocytes were scored for meiotic stage [germinal vesicle (GV) intact, GV breakdown], and metaphase II stage oocytes were fertilized in vitro and observed for normal embryo development. Results Similar proportions of GV stage oocytes were recovered from control (27% ± 4%) and cilostazol (27% ± 9%)-treated females, and the proportion of embryos that developed into blastocysts was also similar for both groups (7% ± 5% control vs. 15% ± 8% cilostazol). Conclusion Oral dosing of cilostazol tablets during controlled ovarian stimulation protocols did not prevent oocyte maturation or embryo development in macaques. Implications Since administration of the maximum approved human dose of cilostazol (an FDA-approved PDE3 inhibitor) to macaques did not prevent oocyte maturation or fertilization, it is not likely that this dose would be contraceptive in women.
Serotonin syndrome after therapeutic hypothermia for cardiac arrest: A case series

Abstract Aim To describe causes, manifestations, and diagnosis of serotonin syndrome following therapeutic hypothermia (TH) after cardiac arrest. Methods Retrospective case series from a tertiary academic medical center. Results Three male patients suffered witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrests and were treated with induced TH. Initial cardiac rhythms included asystole in two and ventricular fibrillation in one. Following completion of rewarming, all three developed neurological signs unexpected for their clinical condition. These included rigidity, hyperreflexia, diffuse tremors, ankle clonus, and marked agitated delirium. Patients also were febrile, hypertensive, and tachycardic. A diagnosis of serotonin syndrome was made in all cases and serotonergic medications were discontinued. All three patients recovered consciousness and two made a full neurological recovery. One patient remained dependent on others for activities of daily living at the time of hospital discharge because of short-term memory impairment. Conclusions Unexpected neurologic findings and prolonged high fever following recovery from TH can be manifestations of serotonin syndrome rather than post-cardiac arrest anoxic brain injury.
Blood trehalose levels have a role in the control of dietary self-selection by Heliothis zea larvae

Abstract Heliothis zea (Boddie) larvae that fed on an optimal diet (80:20 protein:sugar ratio) had low levels of blood trehalose. In contrast, blood trehalose levels were high when larvae fed on a diet with a greater sugar content. Blood trehalose was also elevated in self-selecting larvae that had been feeding ad libitum from the sugar diet and that, satiated with sugar, had voluntarily left the sugar diet to begin feeding on the protein diet. These larvae had been offered only the choice of a sugar diet (lacking protein) and a protein diet (lacking sugar). Larvae previously deprived of sugar in their diet subsequently showed a strong tendency to feed on a sugar diet if given a choice between a protein diet and a sugar diet. This tendency was abolished if trehalose was injected into the blood of sugar-deprived larvae. A physiological mechanism for the control of dietary self-selection is proposed.
Drinking Water Quality is Unrelated to Public vs. Private Ownership

There is a passage in Richardson Dilworth's “Privatization, the World Water Crisis, and the Social Contract” (PS, January 2007, 49) that requires careful attention.
Symmetry breaking analysis of prism adaptation's latent aftereffect.

The effect of prism adaptation on movement is typically reduced when the movement at test (prisms off) differs on some dimension from the movement at training (prisms on). Some adaptation is latent, however, and only revealed through further testing in which the movement at training is fully reinstated. Applying a nonlinear attractor dynamic model (Frank, Blau, & Turvey, 2009) to available data (Blau, Stephen, Carello, & Turvey, 2009), we provide evidence for a causal link between the latent (or secondary) aftereffect and an additive force term that is known to account for symmetry breaking. The evidence is discussed in respect to the hypothesis that recalibration aftereffects reflect memory principles (encoding specificity, transfer-appropriate processing) oriented to time-translation invariance—when later testing conserves the conditions of earlier training. Forgetting or reduced adaptation effects follow from the loss of this invariance and are reversed by its reinstatement.
Conflicts in human progress: sexual selection and the Fisherian 'runaway'.

R. A. Fisher is perhaps best known for his influential theoretical contributions to the ‘Evolutionary Synthesis’ of the 1930s and 1940s in which biometry was reconciled with Mendelism. It is no accident, I believe, that when historians discuss the ‘Synthesis’, the names R. A. Fisher, Sewall Wright and J. B. S. Haldane are nearly always given in that order. Fisher's 1918 paper ‘The correlation between relatives on the supposition of Mendelian inheritance’ suggested that biometry, which emphasized the distribution of characters based on continuous variation, and Mendelism, which emphasized discontinuous characters, were compatible and could be united to study evolutionary change. If one considered large numbers of discontinuous, Mendelian characters, then statistical biometrical analysis could be conducted. Thus, Fisher argued, biometry and Mendelism need not oppose each other.
Trajectory Control of a Car-Like Wheeled Robot

This paper proposes a trajectory control method for a carlike four-wheeled mobile robot. First, a kinematic control scheme is designed based on the nonholonomic kinematic constraints of a mobile robot, in which reference driving speed and steering angle are computed for a given desired trajectory of the robot. This kinematic control scheme, generating the reference speed and steering angle, can be applied to unmanned vehicle control with a robot driver. Second, a new backstepping trajectory control scheme is designed based on the robot dynamics subject to the nonholonomic kinematic constraints, in which the desired driving force and steering torque are computed for a given desired trajectory. In this study, the Lyapunov stability theorem is used as a mathematical design tool. The proposed control guarantees asymptotic stability of the trajectory control while keeping all internal signals bounded. Finally, the validity of the theoretical results is shown by realistic computer simulations with one sampling delay in the control loop.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Source identification and apportionment of volatile organic compounds in Houston, TX

Hourly concentrations of ambient volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were analyzed between June and October 2003 at three sites, in order to further understand emissions of VOCs in the Houston area. Ambient concentrations of 54 VOCs from three monitoring sites in the heavily industrialized Houston Ship Channel were analyzed using positive matrix factorization (PMF). Hourly concentrations were divided into weekly data sets and analyzed to determine the most important source types that contribute to the measured VOC concentrations at these three sites. For each monitoring site, three or four sources were identified for each week as major contributors to ambient VOC concentrations using PMF. The sources isolated by the model are consistent with the chemical compositions of refinery, petrochemical and evaporative emissions, which are also the dominant inventoried sources of VOCs in Houston Ship Channel region. A night-time data analysis was also performed at two sites to investigate the effect of photochemical reactions on source attribution of VOCs.
Legitimation, Geographical Scale, and Organizational Density: Regional Patterns of Foundings of American Automobile Producers, 1885–1981

Abstract Do organizational processes of legitimation and competition operate within different boundaries corresponding to different geographical levels of analysis? Following Hannan et al. (1995), this analysis explores the possibility that legitimation operates on a broader geographical scale (less constrained by political and physical barriers) than does competition. We test the argument by examining founding rates of American automobile producers from 1885 to 1981, within the framework of density-dependent modeling. Our findings suggest that within the United States, legitimation operated on a national scale while competition proceeded primarily on a regional level. Comparison with automobile producer populations in Europe yields differences in application and interpretation of the theory.
Scanning tunneling microscopy studies of monolayer templates: alkylthioethers and alkylethers.

Scanning tunneling microscopy has been used to determine the molecular ordering in stable, ordered monolayers formed from long-chain normal and substituted alkanes in solution on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite surfaces. Monolayers were initially formed using an overlying solution of either a symmetrical dialkylthioether or a symmetrical dialkylether. Initially pure thioether solutions were then changed to nearly pure solutions of the identical chain-length ether, and vice versa. The direct application of a pure solution of long-chain symmetrical ethers onto graphite produced a lamellate monolayer within which the individual molecular axes were oriented at an angle of ~65° to the lamellar axes. In contrast, a pure solution of long-chain symmetrical thioethers on graphite produced a monolayer within which the molecular axes were oriented perpendicular to the lamellar axes. When ethers were gradually added to solutions overlying pure thioether monolayers, the ethers substituted into the existing monolayer structure. Thus, the ether molecules could be forced to orient in the perpendicular thioether-like manner through the use of a thioether template monolayer. Continued addition of ethers to the solution ultimately produced a nearly pure ether monolayer that retained the orientation of the thioether monolayer template. However, a monolayer of thioether molecules formed by gradual substitution into an ether monolayer did not retain the 65° orientation typical of dialkylethers, but exhibited the 90° orientation typical of dialkylthioether monolayers. The thioethers and ethers were easily distinguished in images of mixed monolayers, allowing both an analysis of the distribution of the molecules within the mixed monolayers and a comparison of the monolayer compositions with those of the overlying solutions. Substitution of molecules into the template monolayer did not proceed randomly; instead, a molecule within a monolayer was more likely to be replaced by a molecule in the overlying solution if it was located next to a molecule that had already been replaced.
Entrapment and the entrapment defense: Dilemmas for a democratic society

Entrapment is defined and distinguished from related law enforcement practices. The subjective test of entrapment formulated by the Supreme Court and the objective test proposed by critics are discussed and evaluated. The argument is advanced that entrapment is a morally unjustifiable practice which is inconsistent with the rights of citizens in a democratic society. Guidelines are proposed for governing police conduct in potential entrapment situations and suggestions made regarding ways these guidelines might be implemented.
Proposed External Pressure Design Rules for Pressure Vessels for Human Occupancy

The safety of externally pressurized manned diving bells, submersibles and underwater work systems resides in the ability of the system to rise to the surface in case of an emergency. Use of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section VIII design rules, lead to unacceptably heavy structures, and thus substantially compromise the sought-for safety in underwater manned systems. A recognition on the part of the diving industry of the inherent limitations in using the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code for design of underwater pressure vessels, motivated the formation of the ASME Safety Code Committee on Pressure Vessels for Human Occupancy (PVHO) in 1974. A subcommittee of the PVHO Safety Code Committee was formed to address the specific problems of external pressure vessel design. The mathematical development which provided the basis for the proposed rules are presented. The restrictions imposed by the External Pressure Subcommittee are also presented.
Nanofabricated quartz cylinders for angular trapping: DNA supercoiling torque detection

We designed and created nanofabricated quartz cylinders well suited for torque application and detection in an angular optical trap. We made the cylinder axis perpendicular to the extraordinary axis of the quartz crystal and chemically functionalized only one end of each cylinder for attachment to a DNA molecule. We directly measured the torque on a single DNA molecule as it underwent a phase transition from B-form to supercoiled P-form.
Smartphone-based assistive technologies for the blind

This paper describes our experiences with developing cost-effective assistive technologies for the visually impaired, with a focus on using commercial off-the-shelf technologies as much as possible. Trinetra involves three specific technologies--the grocery shopping assistant, the currency identifier and the transportation assistant--all supported on standard mobile phones with text-to-speech, commonly used by the visually impaired.
Leptin and the clinical cardiovascular risk

Obesity is a universal health problem of increasing prevalence and represents a major public health concern. Obesity is associated with a high risk of developing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases such as hypertension, coronary atherosclerosis, myocardial hypertrophy, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. There has been an ongoing search for mediators between obesity and cardiovascular disease. Leptin is a novel and very promising molecule of research that may link these pathologic conditions. Since its discovery in 1994, major advances have been made in the understanding of neuroendocrine mechanisms regulating appetite, metabolism, adiposity, sympathetic tone and blood pressure. In this review, we discuss the physiological and pathophysiological roles of leptin in the causation of various cardiovascular diseases.
A New-found Popularity for Transit-oriented Developments? Lessons from Southern California

In the late 1980s and early 1990s a number of academics and planners enthusiastically espoused the concept of transit-oriented development (TOD), but actual construction and implementation of TOD projects was slow to follow. Empirical studies of the time showed that new transit lines had a rather timid effect in triggering new development along their corridors. This seems to have changed in recent years, and many more TOD projects have started appearing along new railway corridors. The study uses two light rail lines in Los Angeles County to explain the new-found popularity of TODs. Drawing from interviews with architects, planners and developers, the study outlines the new opportunities but also challenges faced by transit-oriented development today.
Constitutive over-expression of the insulin receptor substrate-1 causes functional up-regulation of Fas receptor.

Abstract Background/Aims : Insulin- and insulin growth factor-1 stimulated signaling through the insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) promotes hepatocellular proliferation and survival. IRS-1 over-expression in transgenic (Tg) mouse livers caused constitutive activation of Erk mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) resulting in significantly increased levels of DNA synthesis and larger hepatic masses relative to non-transgenic (non-Tg) littermates. However, the livers eventually ceased to grow but remained approximately 25% larger than non-Tg livers. We hypothesized that this growth homeostasis was achieved by parallel activation of pro-apoptosis pathways. Methods : Since Fas-mediated apoptosis is a common mechanism of hepatocyte destruction, we investigated the potential role of Fas receptor as a regulator of hepatic mass in IRS-1 transgenic mice. Results : Significantly increased Fas-receptor levels were detected in the livers of IRS-1 Tg compared to non-Tg mice by Western blot analysis. Functional activation of Fas-receptor in IRS-1 Tg livers was demonstrated by increased hepatocellular apoptosis caused by intravenous injection of anti-Fas (Jo-2). Conclusions : These findings suggest that the increased growth caused by IRS-1 over-expression is balanced by constitutive activation of pro-death mechanisms. Failure of the IRS-1 Tg mice to develop liver cancer may be due to preservation of pro-growth, pro-death homeostasis mechanisms.
Noninvasive maternal stroke volume and cardiac output determinations by pulsed Doppler echocardiography

Abstract Sixteen obstetric patients with pulmonary artery catheters were studied by two-dimensional and pulsed Doppler echocardiography to compare prospectively pulsed Doppler- and thermodilution-derived estimations of left ventricular stroke volume and cardiac output. Systolic aortic flow velocity waveforms were obtained by pulsed Doppler ultrasound from the apical five-chamber echocardiographic window. Aortic diameters were obtained by two-dimensional echocardiography from the left parasternal long axis view. The mean (±SEM) aortic diameter averaged 2.1 ± 0.1 cm, with a mean calculated aortic valve area of 3.6 ± 0.2 cm 2 . The mean aortic flow velocity integral was 21.8 ± 0.8 cm. This information was used to calculate aortic stroke volume and cardiac output. Thermodilution- and Doppler-derived estimations for maternal stroke volume (r = 0.86) and cardiac output (r = 0.94) were significantly correlated when aortic diameter measurements based on a leading vessel edge method were used. Our findings verify the accuracy of an important noninvasive technique for quantitating maternal stroke volume and cardiac output by pulsed Doppler echocardiography. This methodology should provide an alternative approach to invasive monitoring in the study of normal and abnormal maternal circulatory hemodynamics.
1216 EFFICACY OF TOLAZOLINE HC1 AS A PULMONARY VASODILATOR IN NEWBORN HYPOXEMIC(Hyp) GOATS

Tolazoline(TOL) has been used frequently to treat pulmonary (pulm) hypertension in newborn infants with conflicting results. Eight newborn goats(age 3-17 days) were anesthetized, intubated, and ventilated. The ductus arteriosus was ligated and direct measurements were made of pulm blood flow(Qp), pulm arterial pressure(PAP), left atrial pressure and systemic arterial pressure (SAP). Moderate Hyp (PaO2 31±1.4 mmHg) caused the following changes: ↓ systemic resistance(Rs), ↑PAP, ↑ pulm resistance(Rp), ↑Rp/Rs. Qp did not change. TOL was given as a bolus (lmg/kg) and as an infusion(inf) (2 mg/kg/hr) into the pulm artery(PA) during both Hyp and after return to normoxemia(Norm). Significant pressure changes are outlined below. Values are mean ± SEM. During Hyp, TOL bolus ↓Rp from 3.3±.53 to 2.0±.25 mmHg/L/min/kg (p<.005) and ↓Rp/Rs from .35±.03 to .27±.02(p<.001). During Norm, no significant resistance changes occurred with TOL bolus. TOL inf produced no significant changes during either Hyp or Norm.Qp did not change significantly during the experimental periods,but with severe Hyp, cardiac output and SAP fell so severely that minor changes in resistance caused by TOL could not be evaluated. These data suggest that TOL is an effective pulmonary vasodilator during moderate Hyp when injected as a bolus into the PA.
The Contact Electromotive Force between the Solid and Liquid Phases of the Same Metal and between the Outgassed Surfaces of two Dissimilar Metals

Change in contact e.m.f.at the melting point of three low melting point metals. ---Measurements were made on tin, Wood's metal and a Sn-Pb alloy (1/4th Pb) in comparison with a nickel surface, using the standard Kelvin null method. The metal, previously purified electrolytically, was melted in vacuum and then run into a cup below the nickel surface. No evidence of a sudden change of contact potential at the melting point was observed. However even with vacua of the order of 5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}$ to ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}$ mm, a residual gas effect caused the contact potential on cooling to be less than on heating, in one case by.14 volt, and this may have masked a slight jump. It is probable, however, that with the metals studied the change cannot be more than.005 volt.Effect of heat treatment in high vacuo on the contact e.m.f. between Cu and Ni.---The Pyrex glass apparatus was put together without wax joints and arrangements were made for heating either plate separately by high frequency induction. A pressure of less than ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}$ mm was maintained. As the outgassing of either metal progressed at a constant temperature, the potential passed through a pronounced minimum. After 80 hours continuous pumping including some 10 hours heating at about 1000\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, the contact potential approached.25 volt as a limiting value (Ni positive). (In air the usual value is.15 volt.) These results are compared with those of others on the effects of outgassing on the Volta effect and on photo-electric sensitivity.Tribo-electric effect when Sn is solidified in a glass vessel.---Distinct clicks were heard as the Sn cooled, accompanied by sudden violent deflections of the electrometer connected to the Sn.
New insights into what drives internet advertising avoidance behaviour: the role of locus of control

This research explores the concept of ad avoidance in the internet media and compares this to traditional media – integrating two separate research streams. In addition, the psychological construct, locus of control is examined as a predictor of ad avoidance. The results of a survey show ad avoidance is more prevalent in the internet medium compared to traditional media. Compared to television, radio, newspaper and magazines, the internet exhibits greater usage, greater breadth of usage, more negative attitudes towards advertising and higher communication consumption problems. Breadth of media usage, attitudes towards advertising and the search hindrance characteristics of advertising were found to be significant predictors of ad avoidance across all studied media suggesting a general model for ad avoidance. Individuals with a high internal locus of control take more active measures to avoid ads on the internet.
Robust invariant control synthesis for discrete-time polytopic uncertain linear hybrid systems

In this paper, a class of discrete-time uncertain linear hybrid systems, which is affected by both parameter variations and exterior disturbances, is considered. The goal here is to synthesize a hybrid control law, which includes the continuous variable control law and the discrete event control signal, so as to guarantee the controlled invariance for a specific region in the hybrid state space. It turns out that the continuous variable control law is a piecewise linear state feedback control based on the partition of the given region's continuous variable state space projection. A numerical example is given for illustration.
A Novel High-Throughput Screening Assay for Discovery of Molecules That Increase Cellular Tetrahydrobiopterin

Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH(4)) is an essential cofactor for the nitric oxide (NO) synthases and the aromatic amino acid hydroxylases. Insufficient BH(4) has been implicated in various cardiovascular and neurological disorders. GTP cyclohydrolase 1 (GTPCH-1) is the rate-limiting enzyme for de novo biosynthesis of BH(4). The authors have recently shown that the interaction of GTPCH-1 with GTP cyclohydrolase feedback regulatory protein (GFRP) inhibits endothelial GTPCH-1 enzyme activity, BH(4) levels, and NO production. They propose that agents that disrupt the GTPCH-1/GFRP interaction can increase cellular GTPCH-1 activity, BH(4) levels, and NO production. They developed and optimized a novel time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) assay to monitor the interaction of GTPCH-1 and GFRP. This assay is highly sensitive and stable and has a signal-to-background ratio (S/B) greater than 12 and a Z' factor greater than 0.8. This assay was used in an ultra-high-throughput screening (uHTS) format to screen the Library of Pharmacologically Active Compounds. Using independent protein-protein interaction and cellular activity assays, the authors identified compounds that disrupt GTPCH-1/GFRP binding and increase endothelial cell biopterin levels. Thus, this TR-FRET assay could be applied in future uHTS of additional libraries to search for molecules that increase GTPCH-1 activity and BH(4) levels.
Brace treatment in juvenile idiopathic scoliosis: a prospective study with outcomes in agreement with SRS committee on bracing and nonoperative management standardization criteria

Methods A total of 1,238 individuals who were treated for JIS between 1995 and 2012 fulfilled the inclusion criteria (age between 4-10 years, full-time prescription), with 163 patients treated with progressive action short brace, Lyon brace and Milwaukee. Of these, 113 patients had a definite outcome, 27 abandoned treatment and 23 are still in treatment. The minimum duration of follow-up was 24 months. Antero-posterior radiographs were used to estimate the curve magnitude (CM) and the torsion of the apical vertebra (TA) at five points in time: beginning of treatment (t1), one year after the beginning of treatment (t2), intermediate time between t1 and t4 (t3), end of weaning (t4)and 2-year minimum follow-up from t4 (t5). Three outcomes were distinguished in agreement with Scoliosis Research Society criteria: curve correction, curve stabilization and curve progression. Moreover, results were evaluated according to compliance, dividing patients into five subgroups. Statistical analyses were performed with GraphPad Prism 6.
Functional MRI To Evaluate “Sense of Self” following Perforator Flap Breast Reconstruction

Background: Breast reconstruction is associated with high levels of patient satisfaction. Previous patient satisfaction studies have been subjective. This study utilizes functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to objectively evaluate ‘‘sense of self’’ following deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap breast reconstruction in an attempt to better understand patient perception. Methods: Prospective fMRI analysis was performed on four patients before and after delayed unilateral DIEP flap breast reconstruction, and on four patients after immediate unilateral DIEP flap breast reconstruction. Patients were randomly cued to palpate their natural breast, mastectomy site or breast reconstruction, and external silicone models. Three regions of interest (ROIs) associated with self-recognition were examined using a general linear model, and compared using a fixed effects and random effects ANOVA, respectively. Results: In the delayed reconstruction group, activation of the ROIs was significantly lower at the mastectomy site compared to the natural breast (p,0.01). Ten months following reconstruction, activation of the ROIs in the reconstructed breast was not significantly different from that observed with natural breast palpation. In the immediate reconstruction group, palpation of the reconstructed breast was also similar to the natural breast. This activity was greater than that observed during palpation of external artificial models (p,0.01). Conclusions: Similar activation patterns were observed during palpation of the reconstructed and natural breasts as compared to the non-reconstructed mastectomy site and artificial models. The cognitive process represented by this pattern may be a mechanism by which breast reconstruction improves self-perception, and thus patient satisfaction following mastectomy.
COP: a step toward children online privacy

We propose COP, a client-side system for protecting children's online privacy and empowering parental control over children's information disclosure with little manual effort. COP is compliant with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in the United States and it implements acquisition of parental consent before any private information submitted online by children, e.g., registration to a Web service. Instead of restricting access to certain Web services or blocking sensitive data from websites, COP employs perturbation techniques over personal data with the goal of concealing the sensitive information while providing certain usability of the data to the websites. We address several challenges in the implementation of COP, e.g., perturbation of different types of data, parsing user input and retaining transparency to children without obstructing their normal Web surfing activities. We apply COP in registrations to 23 most popular websites. The results indicate COP's effectiveness as a privacy protection tool. We also discuss some potential security attacks against COP's design and provide our countermeasures.
Nostrils of Healthy Volunteers Are Independent with Regard to Staphylococcus aureus Carriage

The right and left nares of healthy adults (n = 251) were swabbed separately to determine carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in each nostril. Carriers were significantly more likely to carry S. aureus in one nostril than in both. Of those carrying S. aureus in both nostrils, 20% carried genetically distinct strains in each. Nostrils belonging to a single individual should not be assumed to be homogenous with respect to carriage of S. aureus.
A simple analytical estimate of the loss parameter of a large tapered chamber

In the case of a cylindrical chamber that is very large compared with the bunch length, and tapers on each end, an estimate for the loss parameter may be made by first making some assumptions about the distribution of electromagnetic fields, and then calculating the electromagnetic energy left behind when the bunch leaves the chamber. The result is an analytic formula for the loss parameter, with no free or empirical parameters, that agrees well with TBCI calculations of a 20 degrees tapered chamber. This formula has intuitive appeal and is especially useful in providing design assistance as to the best taper angle, diameter, and chamber lengths. >
Pathologists in a teaching institution assess the value of the autopsy.

Abstract Context.—With the advent of modern diagnostic technology, use of the autopsy as a means of assessing diagnostic accuracy has declined precipitously. Interestingly, during the same period, the rate of misdiagnosis found at autopsy has not changed. Objectives.—To ascertain why an autopsy was requested, whether or not questions asked by clinicians were specifically addressed, and what types of misdiagnoses were found. Design.—One hundred forty-two consecutive autopsy records from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Hospital were reviewed. In the same period, 715 deaths occurred, giving an overall autopsy rate of 20.14%. Results.—Of the 125 autopsies in which the problem-oriented autopsy request was available for review, a reason for the autopsy was given in only 69 cases (55%). One hundred three clinical questions were asked, and of these, 81 were specifically addressed in the final anatomic diagnosis, 10 were addressed in some part of the autopsy report but not in the final anatomic dia...
Pulse Pressure: How Valuable as a Diagnostic and Therapeutic Tool?

Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of age-related increases in blood pressure (BP) have shown that mean diastolic blood pressure (DBP) levels off by approximately age 50 years and begins to decrease by age 60 years, whereas systolic blood pressure (SBP) continues to increase; this results in a
Pediatric papillary thyroid carcinoma: outcomes and survival predictors in 2504 surgical patients.

Objective To evaluate outcomes and predictors of survival of pediatric thyroid carcinoma, specifically papillary thyroid carcinoma.
The f(χ) Machine: An Experimental Bench for the Measurement of Electron Probe Parameters

In routine electron probe analysis involving sample targets that are electron opaque, flat, and conductive, the mechanisms describing the interaction of the beam electrons with the target atoms and the subsequent x-ray generation, absorption, and detection are well known. Various correction procedures are currently available for routine quantitative analysis that offer accuracies of 2 percent relative, as determined from studies of well-characterized, homogeneous standards [1].
The Unfortunate Longevity of the Keynesian Ideal

In the years since the heyday of the rational expectations revolution, new economic challenges have presented themselves in ways that some say call that particular paradigm into question — much like the phenomenon of stagflation confounded many good Keynesian professional economists during the 1970s and 1980s. And if one may refer to the economics of Keynes as the “New Economics” — as many have — then it seems everything “New” is new again. In contrast to the perils of the 1970s and 1980s, which generated much new scholarship among academics, the Great Recession has not led to a genuine advancement of the frontier of economic science in any significant way. Instead what we have witnessed is a resurgence of existing Keynesian policy prescriptions within the public conscience. Why the resurgence of the Keynesian ideal? I would suggest two possibilities — both of which are true to some degree. First, the realities of political economy make economic life difficult for rational politicians and bureaucrats — even if they understand well the magnificence of the price system. Second, many among us remain true believers either in the economics of Mr. Keynes or in some denominational offshoot of the Keynesian faith as it has been handed down to us by our academic mothers and fathers.
A shot at AIDS

In the almost 35 years since the discovery of HIV, there has been great progress in developing effective treatments. More recently, there have also been advances in developing novel prevention strategies. Yet a vaccine that could prevent HIV infection remains elusive. Most licensed vaccines provide protection by inducing antibodies. For HIV, vaccine-induced antibodies must be capable of protecting against the multiple variants of HIV in circulation around the globe, so-called broadly neutralizing antibodies. Recent progress in the identification and characterization of such antibodies, as well as advances in designing candidates that stimulate cellular immunity and results from recent clinical trials are fueling efforts to develop an HIV vaccine that could vanquish the virus once and for all.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Tumor Physiology

Cancer is one of the most mutable diseases known, exhibiting a superfluity and heterogeneity of molecular pathways that impart an almost chimerical nature to it. Exploiting these pathways for patient therapy demands an understanding of the physiology of tumors from the molecular to the systemic level. To this end, multiparametric functional and molecular imaging play a vital role in not only tracking delivery and efficacy of therapy, but also in discovering novel therapeutic targets. The plethora of available magnetic resonance (MR) contrast mechanisms, in conjunction with its superior dynamic functional range, bestow on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) the potential to be a formidable tool in the noninvasive, in vivo, multilevel assessment of tumor physiology. This chapter begins with a description of the aberrant pathophysiology of tumors, including a description of tumor angiogenesis and how MRI affords us a window into such processes. Following a discussion of endogenous and exogenous contrast, a specific example of measuring a tumor's vascular parameters with a macromolecular contrast agent is considered. This is followed by a description of revolutionary developments in the molecular imaging of tumors with MRI and complementary modalities.
shinyGEO: a web-based application for analyzing Gene Expression Omnibus datasets

Summary: The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) is a public repository of gene expression data. Although GEO has its own tool, GEO2R, for data analysis, evaluation of single genes is not straightforward and survival analysis in specific GEO datasets is not possible without bioinformatics expertise. We describe a web application, shinyGEO, that allows a user to download gene expression data sets directly from GEO in order to perform differential expression and survival analysis for a gene of interest. In addition, shinyGEO supports customized graphics, sample selection, data export and R code generation so that all analyses are reproducible. The availability of shinyGEO makes GEO datasets more accessible to non-bioinformaticians, promising to lead to better understanding of biological processes and genetic diseases such as cancer. Availability and Implementation: Web application and source code are available from http://gdancik.github.io/shinyGEO/. Contact: dancikg@easternct.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Reconstructing Pelvic Discontinuity and Severe Acetabular Bone Loss in Revision Hip Arthroplasty with a Massive Allograft and Cage

Overview Introduction The use of a massive allograft along with an antiprotrusio cage for the treatment of large periprosthetic acetabular defects can restore structural integrity to the pelvis and provide durable revision-free survival. Indications & Contraindications Step 1: Expose the Acetabulum (Video 1 and Figs. 1-A and 1-B) Perform an extensile approach to the acetabulum. Step 2: Remove the Existing Acetabular Component (Video 1 and Figs. 2-A and 2-B) Ensure that the appropriate tools are available for removal of the existing acetabular component. Step 3: Prepare the Acetabulum (Fig. 3) It is important to remove fibrous tissue around the acetabulum to get to healthy bleeding bone. Step 4: Prepare the Bulk Allograft (Video 2 and Figs. 4-A, 4-B, and 4-C) It is important to remove all of the native cartilage from the graft to allow for osseous ingrowth potential. Step 5: Place the Bulk Allograft into the Acetabular Defect and Fill Excess Space with Allograft Chips Ensure that the graft properly fits within the acetabular defect. Step 6: Secure the Graft to the Acetabulum and Ream the Allograft It is important to stabilize the bulk allograft to the pelvis before reaming. Step 7: Implant the Cage (Video 4 and Figs. 9-A, 9-B, and 9-C) Impact the cage implant into position and secure it to the pelvis with as many screws as necessary to obtain a secure implant. Step 8: Cement the Polyethylene Cup and Perform Trial Reduction of the Hip Cement the polyethylene cup in the proper orientation and reduce the hip. Results We reviewed 72 cage constructs in 68 patients at a mean follow-up of 5.1 years (range, 1.2 to 10.7 years) 3 . Pitfalls & Challenges
VLDL Triglyceride Kinetics in Lean, Overweight, and Obese Men and Women

Context: High-plasma very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) triglyceride (TG) concentration and alterations in VLDL-TG metabolism are associated with cardiometabolic disease. Objective: This study sought to evaluate the interrelationships among factors purported to regulate VLDL-TG metabolism in a large cohort of men and women with a wide range in body adiposity and fat distribution but without diabetes. Subjects and Design: We assessed body composition and fat distribution, plasma insulin concentration, free fatty acid availability, and basal VLDL-TG and VLDL-apoB-100 (VLDL particle number) kinetics in 233 lean, overweight, and obese men and women. Results: We found that: 1) plasma VLDL-TG concentration is determined primarily by VLDL-TG secretion rate (SR) in men and by VLDL-TG clearance rate in women; 2) there is a dissociation between VLDL-TG and VLDL-apoB-100 SRs, and VLDL-apoB-100 SR only explains ∼30% of the variance in VLDL-TG SR; 3) ∼50% of people with obesity have high plasma VLDL-TG concentration ...
Race, Death, and Justice: Capital Sentencing in Washington State, 1981-2014

This Article examines the role of race in the application of the death penalty in the wake of the Furman v. Georgia decision. Although contemporary death penalty statutes were designed to reduce arbitrariness and discrimination in capital sentencing, many studies indicate that race continues to play a significant role in determining which capital defendants live and which die in the post-Furman era. To date, however, no published study has examined the role of race in capital sentencing in Washington State, where the statutory framework effectively reduces the number of homicide cases that are eligible for capital punishment and prosecutorial discretion is therefore comparatively circumscribed. This Article assesses whether race influences the administration of capital punishment in Washington State, and if so, where in the process it matters. On the one hand, the narrowness of the statutory framework may effectively constrain prosecutorial discretion in ways that minimize the role of race. On the other hand, experimental research suggests that unconscious stereotypes that link Blacks to violence are widespread, and that jury selection and deliberations tend to amplify jurors’ implicit biases. We therefore hypothesize that race will matter most at the sentencing (as opposed to the filing) stage of the process. To test this, we analyze prosecutorial and jury decision-making in all Washington aggravated murder cases adjudicated since 1981 for which information is available. The results of statistical regression analyses support this hypothesis: although neither the race of the defendant nor the victim affect prosecutorial decision-making, jurors are more than four times more likely to impose a death sentence when the defendant is Black. These findings suggest that race plays a significant role in capital sentencing even where the statutory framework effectively narrows the pool of homicide cases that may result in the death penalty.
Efficient Liver Targeting by Polyvalent Display of a Compact Ligand for the Asialoglycoprotein Receptor

A compact and stable bicyclic bridged ketal was developed as a ligand for the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR). This compound showed excellent ligand efficiency, and the molecular details of binding were revealed by the first X-ray crystal structures of ligand-bound ASGPR. This analogue was used to make potent di- and trivalent binders of ASGPR. Extensive characterization of the function of these compounds showed rapid ASGPR-dependent cellular uptake in vitro and high levels of liver/plasma selectivity in vivo. Assessment of the biodistribution in rodents of a prototypical Alexa647-labeled trivalent conjugate showed selective hepatocyte targeting with no detectable distribution in nonparenchymal cells. This molecule also exhibited increased ASGPR-directed hepatocellular uptake and prolonged retention compared to a similar GalNAc derived trimer conjugate. Selective release in the liver of a passively permeable small-molecule cargo was achieved by retro-Diels-Alder cleavage of an oxanorbornadiene linkage, presumably upon encountering intracellular thiol. Therefore, the multicomponent construct described here represents a highly efficient delivery vehicle to hepatocytes.
Monitoring water content dynamics of biological soil crusts

Abstract Biological soil crusts (hereafter, “biocrusts”) dominate soil surfaces in nearly all dryland environments. To better understand the influence of water content on carbon (C) exchange, we assessed the ability of dual-probe heat-pulse (DPHP) sensors, installed vertically and angled, to measure changes in near-surface water content. Four DPHP sensors were installed in each of two research plots (eight sensors total) that differed by temperature treatment (control and heated). Responses were compared to horizontally installed water content measurements made with three frequency-domain reflectometry (FDR) sensors in each plot at 5-cm depth. The study was conducted near Moab, Utah, from April through September 2009. Results showed significant differences between sensor technologies: peak water content differences from the DPHP sensors were approximately three times higher than those from the FDR sensors; some of the differences can be explained by the targeted monitoring of biocrust material in the shorter DPHP sensor and by potential signal loss from horizontally installed FDR sensors, or by an oversampling of deeper soil. C-exchange estimates using the DPHP sensors showed a net C loss of 69 and 76 g C m−2 in control and heated plots, respectively. The study illustrates the potential for using the more sensitive data from shallow installations for estimating C exchange in biocrusts.
Dual function of Swc5 in SWR remodeling ATPase activation and histone H2A eviction

The chromatin remodeler SWR deposits histone H2A.Z at promoters and other regulatory sites via an ATP-driven histone exchange reaction that replaces nucleosomal H2A with H2A.Z. Simultaneous binding of SWR to both H2A nucleosome and free H2A.Z induces SWR ATPase activity and engages the histone exchange mechanism. Swc5 is a conserved subunit of the 14-polypeptide SWR complex that is required for the histone exchange reaction, but its molecular role is unknown. We found that Swc5, although not required for substrate binding, is required for SWR ATPase stimulation, suggesting that Swc5 is required to couple substrate recognition to ATPase activation. A biochemical complementation assay was developed to show that a unique, conserved domain at the C-terminus of Swc5, called Bucentaur (BCNT), is essential for the histone exchange activity of SWR, whereas an acidic region at the N-terminus is required for optimal SWR function. In vitro studies showed the acidic N-terminus of Swc5 preferentially binds to the H2A-H2B dimer and exhibits histone chaperone activity. We propose that an auxiliary function of Swc5 in SWR is to assist H2A ejection as H2A.Z is inserted into the nucleosome.