cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Relationship between Generalized and Integrated Mean Squared Errors.

Generalised Mean squared error is a flexible measure of the adequancy of ? repression estimator. It allows specific characteristics of the regression model and its intended use to be In-corportated in the measure itself. Similarly, integrated mean squared error enables a researcher to stipulate particular regions of interest and wi ighting functions in the assessment of a prediction equation. The appeal of both measures is their ability to allow design or model characteristics to directly influence the evaluation of fitted regression models. In this note an e-quivalence of the two measures is established for correctly specified models.
Postmarketing surveillance for drug abuse

Assessing actual abuse of prescribed medications requires postmarketing surveillance. In this article we discuss general systems of postmarketing surveillance that exist as of the end of 2002 in the United States and two medication-specific surveillance systems that were devised and tested. The two specific surveillance systems are compared with limitations highlighted. Postmarketing surveillance is in its infancy and requires more research on ways to improve its validity without inducing illicit experimentation. Information on comparator medications is highly recommended both to validate the system and to place the results in context.
Progression of Noncirrhotic Portal Hypertension in a Pediatric Population

Background/Objectives The optimal management of children with noncirrhotic portal hypertension is controversial. Some groups suggest early and aggressive surgical intervention, while others report long-term success with conservative management. Methods We conducted a retrospective study of 26 patients with noncirrhotic portal hypertension treated at our institution. We compared platelet counts, white blood cell (WBC) counts, spleen size, hospital admissions, gastrointestinal bleeds, and longitudinal trends of specific clinical parameters using standard univariate and time-trend analytic techniques. Results Mean age at the time of diagnosis was 5.2 years. Portal vein thrombosis was found in 84.6% of patients (n=22). There was one mortality related to malignancy. There was not a progression of hypersplenism in patients that did not receive a shunt and conversely, we did not notice a significant decrease in spleen size following shunt surgery (P=0.2). Platelet and WBC counts trended downward among patients managed medically, while platelets increased and WBC counts remained stable in surgical patients. There was a significant decrease in hospital admissions for gastrointestinal bleeding following surgical intervention in the shunt group compared with nonshunt (P=0.0009). Conclusion While our analysis was limited given small sample sizes and selection bias, it suggests that the majority of pediatric patients with noncirrhotic portal hypertension will do well long-term without surgical intervention.
Orientation To Shell Movement By Clibanarius Tricolor (Gibbes) (Decapoda, Anomura, Diogenidae) 1)

Felduntersuchungen am Einsiedlerkrebs Clibanarius tricolor ergaben, dass die Orientierung auf ein Gastropodengehause nicht durch Bewegungen des Gehauses beeinflusst wurde, wenn der Einsiedler gleich gross oder kleiner war als ein moglicher Bewohner des Gehauses. Grossere Einsiedler dagegen reagierten haufiger auf bewegte als auf unbewegte Gehause.
Alginate-Collagen Fibril Composite Hydrogel

We report on the synthesis and the mechanical characterization of an alginate-collagen fibril composite hydrogel. Native type I collagen fibrils were used to synthesize the fibrous composite hydrogel. We characterized the mechanical properties of the fabricated fibrous hydrogel using tensile testing; rheometry and atomic force microscope (AFM)-based nanoindentation experiments. The results show that addition of type I collagen fibrils improves the rheological and indentation properties of the hydrogel.
Kähler–de Rham Cohomology and Chern Classes

Constraints on the Chern classes of a vector bundle on a possibly singular algebraic variety are found, which are stronger than the obvious Hodge theoretic constraints. This is done by showing that these lift to Chern classes in the hypercohomology of the complex of Kahler differentials.
Statistics of Active Transport in Xenopus Melanophores Cells

The transport of cell cargo, such as organelles and protein complexes in the cytoplasm, is determined by cooperative action of molecular motors stepping along polar cytoskeletal elements. Analysis of transport of individual organelles generated useful information about the properties of the motor proteins and underlying cytoskeletal elements. In this work, for the first time (to our knowledge), we study collective movement of multiple organelles using Xenopus melanophores, pigment cells that translocate several thousand of pigment granules (melanosomes), spherical organelles of a diameter of ∼1 μm. These cells disperse melanosomes in the cytoplasm in response to high cytoplasmic cAMP, while at low cAMP melanosomes cluster at the cell center. Obtained results suggest spatial and temporal organization, characterized by strong correlations between movement of neighboring organelles, with correlation length of ∼4 μm and pair lifetime ∼5 s. Furthermore, velocity statistics revealed strongly non-Gaussian velocity distribution with high velocity tails demonstrating exponential behavior suggestive of strong velocity correlations. Depolymerization of vimentin intermediate filaments using a dominant-negative vimentin mutant or actin with cytochalasin B reduced correlation of behavior of individual particles. Based on our analysis, we concluded that steric repulsion is dominant, but both intermediate filaments and actin microfilaments are involved in dynamic cross-linking organelles in the cytoplasm.
SU-FF-I-90: A Clinical Evaluation of the M-Rep-Based Automatic Prostate Segmentation

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical application readiness of a statistically trainable deformable shape model, called an m‐rep, for automatic segmentation of the prostate from CTimages by comparison with manual contouring. Method and Materials: ConStruct, an in‐house automatic prostate segmentation tool featuring m‐rep (medial representations) models, was used in this study. This study is to test the robustness of the m‐rep models for prostate treatment planning segmentation in routine use. For each patient case, an m‐rep was initialized and automatically deformed to segment the prostate. Ground truth was taken to be the contour set used for treatment planning. Two radiation oncologists each manually created an additional contour set. The average distance between m‐rep segmentation (or manual segmentation) and the ground truth was calculated. Retrospective clinical validation was also carried out in all cases. Two radiation oncologists blindly scored all the contour sets including the ground truth. Score 1: perfect contour—no corrections needed; 2: minor correction—less than one third of the slices require correction; 3: major correction—more efficient than redrawing all the contours from scratch; 4: not acceptable. Results: Averaged over five patients, the average distances between m‐rep, set 1 and 2 manual contour sets and the ground truth are 0.51, 0.45, and 0.42 cm, respectively. The average scores for m‐rep, set 1, set 2 contour sets, and the ground truth are 2.4, 2.4, 2.0, and 2.1, respectively. Conclusion: The qualitative and clinical validations were performed on m‐rep‐based automatic segmentation by comparing it to manual contouring. M‐reps appeared to produce reasonable and acceptable prostate contour sets when compared to those generated by clinicians. We propose that m‐reps be used to improve clinical efficiency by automatically contouring the prostate as a starting shape and then manually editing when needed. Further validation on a larger patient cohort is indicated.
Carpenter syndrome with normal intelligence and precocious growth.

An outline of Carpenter syndrome and its relation to other craniosynostosis syndromes is given. A new case of Carpenter syndrome with normal intelligence is reported. In addition to typical features of craniosynostosis, facial features, obesity, polydactyly, and brachymesophalangy, this case has atypical features—normal intelligence, increased stature, and modelling deformity of the long bones. The relationship of mental retardation to Carpenter syndrome and other craniosynostosis syndromes is discussed.
Ultrafast recovery times in implanted semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors at 1.5 /spl mu/m

Summary form only given. Recovery times as short as /spl sim/1 ps are obtained with proton bombardment of InGaAs/InP-based saturable absorbers without significantly changing the non-saturable logs. Under high excitation, recovery is found to be limited by slower intraband relaxation rates.
Responses of cancer cells with wild-type or tyrosine kinase domain-mutated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) to EGFR-targeted therapy are linked to downregulation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α

Searching for novel molecular markers that dependably predict or indicate responses of human cancer cells to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeted therapy is strongly warranted. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) as a novel response marker compared with previously explored markers following treatment with an EGFR-blocking monoclonal antibody (cetuximab) and a small-molecule EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (gefitinib) in a group of cancer cell lines containing wild-type or tyrosine kinase domain-mutated EGFR. We found that, compared with previously studied response markers, including EGFR per se and three EGFR downstream signal molecules (ERK, Akt, and STAT3), which showed variable post-treatment changes in levels of phosphorylation and no consistent link of the changes to therapeutic responses, HIF-1α showed a selective decrease in protein levels only in responsive cell lines. To demonstrate a critical role of HIF-1α downregulation by EGFR-targeted treatment, we introduced a constitutively expressed HIF-1α mutant (HIF-1α/ΔODD) that is resistant to cetuximab-induced downregulation in a cetuximab-responsive cell line (A431); we found that the HIF-1α/ΔODD-transfected cells remained sensitive to cetuximab-induced inhibition of Akt and ERK phosphorylation but were remarkably less responsive to cetuximab-induced growth inhibition compared with corresponding control cells. Our data indicates that downregulation of HIF-1α is associated with positive therapeutic responses of cancer cells to EGFR-targeted therapy and suggest further investigation using HIF-1α as an indicator of tumor response to EGFR-targeted therapy in preclinical studies and in the clinical setting.
The role of metabolism in mammary epithelial cell growth inhibition by the isoflavones genistein and biochanin A

The basis for the differential sensitivity of cultured normal human mammary epithelial (HME) cells and a transformed human breast cancer MCF-7 cell line to growth inhibition by the isoflavone genistein and its 4'-methyl ether derivative, biochanin A, was examined. In HME cells genistein is 5-fold more potent as a growth inhibitor than biochanin A, whereas in MCF-7 cells biochanin A and genistein are equally potent as growth inhibitors. Based on its properties as an in vitro protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) inhibitor, biochanin A would be expected to be a less potent growth inhibitor than genistein. To determine whether isoflavone metabolism could account for the observed differences in growth inhibition, metabolism experiments were conducted with HME and MCF-7 cells using [4- 14 C]genistein and [4- 14 C]biochanin A. MCF-7 cells extensively metabolized both isoflavones, producing two genistein metabolites with molecular weights of 350 and 380 and three biochanin A metabolites with molecular weights of 270, 350 and 380. In contrast, significant genistein or biochanin A metabolism was not observed in HME cells. Using mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance analysis, metabolite 350 from genistein and biochanin A experiments was identified as genistein 7-sulfate ; biochanin A metabolite 270 was identified as genistein. Metabolite 380 was not unequivocally identified, but appeared to be a hydroxylated and methylated form of genistein sulfate. In MCF-7 cells, genistein 7-sulfate and metabolite 380 were detected primarily in the cell media fraction, suggesting that once formed these polar metabolites were excreted from the cells. These data show that isoflavone metabolism by transformed breast epithelial cells modulates the growth inhibitory effects of genistein and biochanin A. In MCF-7 cells, genistein metabolism was correlated with a decrease in growth inhibition, whereas biochanin A metabolism was associated with an increase in growth inhibition.
Verifying process models built using parameterized state machines

Software process and work flow languages are increasingly used to define loosely-coupled systems of systems. These languages focus on coordination issues such as data flow and control flow among the subsystems and exception handling activities. The resulting systems are often highly concurrent with activities distributed over many computers. Adequately testing these systems is not feasible due to their size, concurrency, and distributed implementation. Furthermore, the concurrent nature of their activities makes it likely that errors related to the order in which activities are interleaved will go undetected during testing. As a result, verification using static analysis seems necessary to increase confidence in the correctness of these systems. In this paper, we describe our experiences applying LTSA to the analysis of software processes written in Little-JIL. A key aspect to the approach taken in this analysis is that the model that is analyzed consists of a reusable portion that defines language semantics and a process-specific portion that uses parameterization and composition of pieces of the reusable portion to capture the semantics of a Little-JIL process. While the reusable portion was constructed by hand, the parameterization and composition required to model a process is automated. Furthermore, the reusable portion of the model encodes the state machines used in the implementation of the Little-JIL interpreter. As a result, analysis is based not just on the intended semantics of the Little-JIL constructs but on their actual execution semantics. This paper describes how Little-JIL processes are translated into models and reports on analysis results, which have uncovered seven errors in the Little-JIL interpreter that were previously unknown as well as an error in a software process that had previously been analyzed with a different approach without finding the error.
Glucose Metabolism in Abdominally Obese Hypertensive and Normotensive Subjects

Abstract To determine whether the combination of obesity and hypertension results in additive defects in oxidative and nonoxidative glucose metabolism and the association of these changes with altered hemodynamic actions of insulin, we studied 11 abdominally obese hypertensive, 6 abdominally obese normotensive, and 7 lean normotensive nondiabetic subjects. Endogenous glucose production and glucose metabolized were calculated from a euglycemic clamp at 72 and 287 pmol insulin/m2 per minute. Glucose metabolized divided by insulin was lower at 72 pmol/m2 per minute in both obese groups than in lean normotensive subjects, at 148±14, 144±33, and 373±69 (μmol/m2 per minute)/(pmol/L), respectively ( P <.01). Similar results were obtained during the higher insulin dose. Nonoxidative and oxidative glucose disposals by indirect calorimetry were lower in both abdominally obese groups ( P <.05). Hepatic glucose production was completely suppressed in lean subjects at the lower insulin dose and in all three groups at the higher insulin dose. Hemodynamic responses during the clamp were not significantly different among the three groups. Abdominal obesity is associated with defects in insulin-regulated oxidative and nonoxidative glucose disposal as well as in insulin suppression of hepatic glucose production. Mild hypertension does not exacerbate these defects. Whereas the global impairment in glucose metabolism suggests the presence of an early defect or defects, including reduced tissue perfusion, systemic and regional hemodynamic responses to insulin were not altered. These findings do not support a direct role for insulin resistance in the pathogenesis of the hypertension associated with abdominal obesity.
Rediscovery of Professor Thomas Bell's type Crustacea (Brachyura) in the dry crustacean collection of the Zoological Collections, University Museum, Oxford

While examining and curating the dry crustacean collection in the University Museum, Oxford, the author verified the presence of type crustaceans of the suborder Brachyura acquired by Thomas Bell and that were believed to be no longer extant. Included is a listing of type material of 70 crab species that were described by Bell in three papers between 1835 and 1855. Complete synonymies and the present condition of each type are included.
Organ printing: promises and challenges

Organ printing or biomedical application of rapid prototyping, also defined as additive layer-by-layer biomanufacturing, is an emerging transforming technology that has potential for surpassing traditional solid scaffold-based tissue engineering. Organ printing has certain advantages: it is an automated approach that offers a pathway for scalable reproducible mass production of tissue engineered products; it allows a precised simultaneous 3D positioning of several cell types; it enables creation tissue with a high level of cell density; it can solve the problem of vascularization in thick tissue constructs; finally, organ printing can be done in situ.The ultimate goal of organ-printing technology is to fabricate 3D vascularized functional living human organs suitable for clinical implantation. The main practical outcomes of organ-printing technology are industrial scalable robotic biofabrication of complex human tissues and organs, automated tissue-based in vitro assays for clinical diagnostics, drug disc...
Macedonia: The Politics of Identity and Difference

Macedonia: The Politics of Identity and Difference. Jane Cowan. ed. London: Pluto Press, 2000. viii. 166 pp., maps, figures, tables, index.
Surprising sirtuin crosstalk in the heart.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for nearly one third of all mortalities [9]. While lifestyle modifications, drug development, and surgical technologies have increased the average life expectancy of humans, the risk and rates of heart disease continue to grow as the population ages. The process of aging causes unique physiological, histological, and biochemical changes in cardiac tissue. For example, aging cardiac myocytes are incapable of proliferation and cannot be reprogrammed transcriptionally in response to changes in workload [7]. Age-associated conditions such as buildup of reactive oxygen species, mechanical dysfunction, or other forms of trauma, have been linked to the development of hypertrophy and other cardiac pathologies [6,14]. Therefore, development of drugs that target age-dependent signaling pathways may provide promising therapeutic strategies for the treatment of heart disease.
High performance self-checking adder for VLSI processor

The author describes a novel carry select adder design which has high performance and is self-checking without requiring a large amount of circuit overhead. A CMOS implementation of the adder is shown to comply with critical requirements of a VLSI processor. Simulation results show that the self-checking adder can easily satisfy the clock requirements of a VLSI processor. The circuit area overhead of the self-checking design is only 13% of the total adder area, which is considerably lower than that of some parity prediction checking schemes that require almost a 100% circuit overhead. >
The structural basis for water exchange between the female cockroach (Blattella germanica) and her ootheca

Female German cockroaches usually carry their oothecae until they hatch. The success of embryogenesis may be dependent on the water-balance relationship between females and their developing oothecae. Oothecae detached from females early in embryogenesis often fail to develop, especially in low-humidity environments. Experiments reported here using tritiated water have confirmed the transport of a significant amount of water to the ootheca from the female during embryogenesis; 18% of the tritiated water injected into gravid females was recovered in their oothecae after 24 h. We describe a structural basis of water absorption by the oothecae. An area located on the proximal end of the ootheca (adjacent to the 'escutcheon-shaped vaginal imprint') contains small pores that penetrate the oothecal covering to access regions of the chorion lying beneath these pores. Experiments using microparabiotic chambers to examine transport of tritiated water and water-soluble materials across the escutcheon region of the oothecal covering, along with dark-field birefringent microscopy of the chorion, support the hypothesis that this chorionic network is capable of conducting water throughout the interior of the ootheca. Furthermore, the structural arrangement and intimate association of the female vestibulum with the oothecal pore field contained in the region of the escutcheon-shaped vaginal imprint appear to provide an efficient conduit to the chorion. The overall structural relationship might be a means for maintaining water balance between females and their oothecae during embryonic development. Evidence presented here supports observations that this species represents an important link in the transition from oviparity to ovoviviparity by internalization of cockroach oothecae.
Biochemical correlates of transmission mediated by glutamate and aspartate.

— Glutamate and aspartate probably serve as transmitters of hippocampal perforant path and commissural afferents, respectively. We therefore used slices of hippocampal regions to evaluate certain biochemical properties as markers for sites of transmission mediated by these amino acids. In these studies content and accumulation of glutamate and aspartate were compared with their Ca2+-dependent effluxes. Hippocampal regions varied little in their contents of glutamate and aspartate, but slices of regio superior and dentate gyrus accumulated and released more of each than slices of regio inferior. A commissurotomy or bilateral entorhinal lesion altered Ca2+-dependent efflux and accumulation in the same direction, but did not affect the glutamate or aspartate content of any hippocampal region. Elimination of hippocampal mossy fibers reduced the Ca2+-dependent efflux of glutamate and probably aspartate from slices of dentate gyrus, but not of regio inferior, where most mossy fiber synapses are located. The mossy fibers appeared relatively deficient in aspartate in both strains tested, but only in Purdue-Wistar rats were they enriched in glutamate. Removal of the perforant path input to the fascia dentata did not significantly change the activity of any of the enzymes most actively involved in glutamate synthesis. These results suggest that accumulation or high affinity transport of glutamate or aspartate can be employed to localize afferents which use these amino acids as transmitters, although it is not so reliable or selective a marker as Ca2+-dependent efflux. Enrichment in either glutamate or aspartate content or in the activity of enzymes which synthesize them is not a reliable marker. Neither amino acid is likely to be used as a transmitter by the hippocampal mossy fibers.
Exploring the effects of walking the labyrinth.

Purpose: This pilot study examines the effects of walking a labyrinth. Method: A convenience sample of 25 community members participated in a four-group, repeated measures study to gather information about vital signs and affect before and after labyrinth walks. Because of the small sample size, results were inspected for effect size (ES) differences in pre-to postcomparisons. Mean postwalk scores were also compared to control group scores. Findings: Systolic and diastolic blood pressures showed essentially no ES differences pre to postwalk. The remaining ES comparisons showed .14 ES for pulse differences, .37 ES for respirations, and .22 and .56 ES differences for positive and negative affect measures, respectively. Conclusions: Comparisons of postwalk scores for walkers to nonwalkers showed mixed results in significance of differences. Implications: This pilot study shows the feasibility of the procedures for assessing the effects of labyrinth walking on basic parameters of health.
The Influence of Religious and Traditional Rulers in Polio Vaccination Efforts in Northern Nigeria

Whether or not religion plays a crucial role in the success of the polio vaccination effort in northern Nigeria remains an open question. Based on field surveys of polio endemic areas of Bauchi and Kano states of Nigeria, it is clear that much of the resistance to polio vaccination attributed to religious factors serves as proxies for other agendas by powerful religious and traditional rulers. This paper examines how best to understand the influence of religion, religious leaders, and attachments to religion and traditional authority in modeling long-term sustenance of mass mobilization efforts in the region.
Improving and Evaluating Topic Models and Other Models of Text

ABSTRACTAn ongoing challenge in the analysis of document collections is how to summarize content in terms of a set of inferred themes that can be interpreted substantively in terms of topics. The current practice of parameterizing the themes in terms of most frequent words limits interpretability by ignoring the differential use of words across topics. Here, we show that words that are both frequent and exclusive to a theme are more effective at characterizing topical content, and we propose a regularization scheme that leads to better estimates of these quantities. We consider a supervised setting where professional editors have annotated documents to topic categories, organized into a tree, in which leaf-nodes correspond to more specific topics. Each document is annotated to multiple categories, at different levels of the tree. We introduce a hierarchical Poisson convolution model to analyze these annotated documents. A parallelized Hamiltonian Monte Carlo sampler allows the inference to scale to millio...
Nanoparticle Encapsulated L-Asparaginase

Amino acid depletion with catabolizing enzymes is a potential therapeutic modality for many cancer types. L-asparaginase has been used to treat Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) for many decades and is part of treatment regimen that has a roughly 80% cure rate. The current frontline formulation is L-asparaginase from E.coli that has been conjugated to polyethylene glycol (PEG) for extended circulation half life and protection from immune responses. However, neutralizing antibodies still occur in a subset of patients, necessitating a switch to a different L-asparaginase, such as the less active enzyme from Erwinia chrysanthemi . This complicates therapy, risks severe allergic reactions, and if antibodies develop to the second enzyme the options become limited. The threat of immune reactions, as well as other side effects, has largely restricted L-asparaginase therapy to ALL, despite in vitro evidence that many other cancers might be sensitive to asparagine depletion. Our group has developed a novel nanoparticle enzyme encapsulation technology that overcomes the limitation of immune responses to enzymes or PEG. These particles, termed S ynthetic H ollow E nzyme L oaded Porous nano S hells (SHELS), are produced in a two-step process where the first creates silica shells with large pores through which the enzyme can be loaded, and a second sealing step that encapsulates the mesoporous shell and the loaded enzyme cargo with a nanoporous silica layer. The work below was done with 200nm particles that have a total shell wall thickness of approximately 10nm. SHELS were loaded with L-asparaginase (Elspar). No loss of activity was seen when enzyme activity was measured in vitro . Groups of mice were injected IM with 5 IU of either free or SHELS encapsulated L-asparaginase. In each case, half of the mice were passively immunized with rabbit polyclonal anti-asparaginase antibodies to a blood concentration of ∼0.5 mg/ml. Serum asparaginase levels pre and post injection were measured by HPLC at 2, 5 and 8 days. Both free and encapsulated enzyme produced complete depletion of asparagine at day 2, but by day 5 asparagine levels had returned to baseline in the animals given free enzyme, whereas those given encapsulated enzyme maintained depletion at day 5 with restoration to baseline at day 8. There was no asparagine depletion in immunized animals with the free L-asparaginase, but SHELS encapsulated asparaginase produced an identical depletion both in the presence or absence of the neutralizing antibodies, indicating that the SHELS effectively shield the enzyme from the antibodies. Experiments in tumor models are ongoing as well as dose response and repeated administration studies. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Length-Biased Sampling in Mall Intercept Surveys

The authors address length-biased sampling that occurs when sampling is done at central locations in a shopping center. Correction techniques are presented for two situations: when the total length...
A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS: PREVALENCE OF CORONARY PLAQUE HIGH-RISK FEATURES (LOW ATTENUATION, ENLARGED DIAMETER OR POSITIVE REMODELING, NAPKIN RING, AND SPOTTY CALCIFICATION (LENS) IN ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROME AS ASSESSED BY CORONARY COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC ANGIOGRAPHY (CTA)

Coronary CT Angiography high-risk plaque features have been linked to acute coronary syndrome (ACS). In the current study, we aim to assess the association of low attenuation plaque, enlarged diameter or positive remodeling, napkin ring, and spotty calcification (LENS) with the presence of ACS.
Low plasminogen levels and liver disease.

The relationship between serum plasminogen levels and liver disease in patients without clinical bleeding disorders was investigated. The clinical history was evaluated, standard liver function tests were performed, and a plasminogen level based on the degradation of NPH insulin was determined. In all cases, low plasminogen levels were associated with abnormal liver function tests. Conversely, 75% of all patients with abnormal liver function studies also had low plasminogen levels. The mechanism involved in the low plasminogen values was not defined. It was demonstrated that plasminogen determinations offer no advantage as a liver function test. The consistent finding of low plasminogen levels associated with a variety of hepatic disorders considerably reduces the diagnostic utility of plasminogen determinations in the evaluation of bleeding disorders.
The Murder of Black Males in a World of Non-Accountability: The Surreal Trial of George Zimmermann for the Killing of Trayvon Martin

A critique of the "prosecution" of George Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon Martin, concluding that the effort was botched from the beginning, tragically missing an early opportunity to hold killers of unarmed black youth accountable.
ENVIRONMENTAL VARIATIONS IN DINGXI REGION IN THE LOESS PLATEAU,CHINA OVER THE PAST 15000 YEARS

The paleoenvironment is established by analysis of grain size,magnetic susceptibility,organic matter and carbonate content of the sediments at Lujiagou section,Dingxi in Gansu Province and 14C dating.The results from climatic indexes from the section show that climatic changes in the past 14 900 cal.aBP were instable in this area and can be divided into four periods: the last late-glacial(14 900~11 200 cal.aBP) during which the climate was still cold and dry;the early Holocene(11 200~7 560 cal.aBP)with summer monsoon strengthening and the climate becoming warmer and wetter;warm and wet climate dominated the middle Holocene(7 560~3 600 cal.aBP);the late Holocene(3 600~1 200 cal.aBP)when the climate became drier and cooler and the dust-fall was strengthening.Four paleosoils were formed,whose dating was 10 100~8 000,4 350~4 100,3 900~3 700,and 2 800~2 560 cal.aBP respectively.
HOW TO PERFORM CARDIAC MR IMAGING

The complex motion of the beating heart provides a challenge to the clinical MR imager. Use of ECG gating, however, "stops" the heart, allowing for acquisition of diagnostic quality images of the cardiac chambers, valves, pericardium, and great arteries and veins and their branches. Attention to placement of chest wall ECG electrodes and the course of ECG-leads from the patient maximizes the quality of the gating signal and results in better quality imagery; however, ECG gating increases image acquisition time of the cardiac examination. Therefore, care must be taken to perform the most efficient possible examination. Prior to commencing the examination, the imager must have a clear understanding of the clinical question of the referring physician so that a clinical protocol can be applied to acquire relevant morphologic and physiologic data. The intracardiac anatomy may not always be best demonstrated using standard axial, coronal, and sagittal image sections. Therefore, with an understanding of basic intracardiac anatomy, standard imaging planes parallel or orthogonal to the intrinsic cardiac axes may be constructed and observation of abnormalities better appreciated. If care is taken in the planning and execution of the cardiac MR examination, the radiologist will be able to exploit this exciting new technology to its full potential as a noninvasive cardiac imaging modality.
Comparative effect of direct-fed microbials on fecal shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella in naturally infected feedlot cattle.

The effect of direct-fed microbials (DFM) on fecal shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella in naturally infected feedlot cattle was evaluated in a clinical trial involving 138 feedlot steers. Following standard laboratory methods, fecal samples collected from steers were evaluated for change in the detectable levels of E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella shed in feces after DFM treatment. Sampling of steers was carried out every 3 weeks for 84 days. A significant reduction (32%) in fecal shedding of E. coli O157:H7 (P < 0.001), but not Salmonella (P = 0.24), was observed among the treatment steers compared with the control group during finishing. The probability of recovery of E. coli O157:H7 from the feces of treated and control steers was 34.0 and 66.0%, respectively. Steers placed on DFM supplement were almost three times less likely to shed E. coli O157:H7 (odds ratio, 0.36; 95% confidence interval, 0.25 to 0.53; P < 0.001) in their feces as opposed to their control counterparts. The probabilit...
Computational identification of promising thermoelectric materials among known quasi-2D binary compounds

Quasi low-dimensional structures are abundant among known thermoelectric materials, primarily because of their low lattice thermal conductivities. In this work, we have computationally assessed the potential of 427 known binary quasi-2D structures in 272 different chemistries for thermoelectric performance. To assess the thermoelectric performance, we employ an improved version of our previously developed descriptor for thermoelectric performance [Yan et al., Energy Environ. Sci., 2015, 8, 983]. The improvement is in the explicit treatment of van der Waals interactions in quasi-2D materials, which leads to significantly better predictions of their crystal structures and lattice thermal conductivities. The improved methodology correctly identifies known binary quasi-2D thermoelectric materials such as Sb2Te3, Bi2Te3, SnSe, SnS, InSe, and In2Se3. As a result, we propose candidate quasi-2D binary materials, a number of which have not been previously considered for thermoelectric applications.
Matthew’s Theology of Light (Matt 4:15-16; 5,14-16; 6:22-23)

Autor artykulu, poslugując sie glownie metodą historii redakcji, omawia trzy teksty pierwszej ewangelii, w ktorych wystepuje terminologia światla. Najpierw, siegając do zapowiedzi proroka Izajasza, św. Mateusz ukazal wystąpienie Jezusa w Galilei jako wielką światlośc, ktora oświeca Izraela i ludy poganskie (Mt 4, 15-16). Nastepnie zostal poddany analizie tekst kazania na Gorze, w ktorym uczniowie Jezusa są przedstawieni jako światlośc świata; ich światlośc winna świecic przed ludźmi (Mt 5, 14-16). Na koniec autor omawia logion Jezusa o oku jako lampie dla ciala, zapewniającym wierzącemu światlo wewnetrzne (lux internum) (Mt6,22-28). Analizowane teksty zostaly opracowane redakcyjnie przez ewangeliste, zaś „światlośc” jest w nich terminem kluczowym. Wedlug autora artykulu mozna mowic o specyficznej Mateuszowej teologii światla.
The definition of soil since the early 1800s.

Abstract The soil is defined differently by soil scientists, and its definition has changed over time. This paper reviews how the definition of the soil has changed since the early 1800s by selecting and listing 81 definitions given in a wide range of soil science books, handbooks, glossaries, and dictionaries. Initial definitions of the soil were based on developments in agricultural chemistry or geology. The soil was seen as a production factor (medium) for agriculture that needed to be understood before it could be improved, or the soil was defined as disintegrated rocks mixed with organic matter. Definitions were rudimentary reflecting the overall level of understanding. Soil variation was not well understood. Overarching soil definitions appeared in the late 1800s following some major shifts in the understanding and knowledge about soils. The definition of the soil was particularly relevant for soil survey and in soil classification because it affected how soils were viewed in the field and represented in a two dimensional way (soil maps). Both the World Reference Base (WRB) and Soil Taxonomy have defined the soil, but standard field books describing soils often lack a definition. Most of the definitions in dictionaries and glossaries are detailed stressing the organic and inorganic part of the soil as well the origin, complexity, and some of its functions. Current soil definitions have a more environmental outlook reflecting the broadening of the soil science discipline but definitions will change following scientific advances and discovery. Soils are defined differently by subdisciplines. Considerable research is conducted nowadays outside soil science departments and research centres, and for some researchers the soil may solely be a medium—just as it was in the mid-1800s. The effect of increased specialisation and expansion in soil science causes the detail of the investigation to prevail over the idea of soil as a complex dynamic system that is part of a much wider Earth system. This review ends with a proposal for a scientific definition of soil, and a definition for lay persons and the general public.
Baseline Hemodynamics and Response to Contrast Media During Diagnostic Cardiac Catheterization Predict Adverse Events in Heart Failure Patients.

Background Contrast media administered during cardiac catheterization can affect hemodynamic variables. However, little is documented about the effects of contrast on hemodynamics in heart failure patients or the prognostic value of baseline and changes in hemodynamics for predicting subsequent adverse events. Methods and results In this prospective study of 150 heart failure patients, we measured hemodynamics at baseline and after administration of iodixanol or iopamidol contrast. One-year Kaplan-Meier estimates of adverse event-free survival (death, heart failure hospitalization, and rehospitalization) were generated, grouping patients by baseline measures of pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) and cardiac index (CI), and by changes in those measures after contrast administration. We used Cox proportional hazards modeling to assess sequentially adding baseline PCWP and change in CI to 5 validated risk models (Seattle Heart Failure Score, ESCAPE [Evaluation Study of Congestive Heart Failure and Pulmonary Artery Catheterization Effectiveness], CHARM [Candesartan in Heart Failure: Assessment of Reduction in Mortality and Morbidity], CORONA [Controlled Rosuvastatin Multinational Trial in Heart Failure], and MAGGIC [Meta-Analysis Global Group in Chronic Heart Failure]). Median contrast volume was 109 mL. Both contrast media caused similarly small but statistically significant changes in most hemodynamic variables. There were 39 adverse events (26.0%). Adverse event rates increased using the composite metric of baseline PCWP and change in CI (P Conclusions In heart failure patients, the administration of contrast causes small but significant changes in hemodynamics. Calculating baseline PCWP with change in CI after contrast predicts adverse events and increases the predictive value of existing models. Patients with elevated baseline PCWP and decreased CI after contrast merit greatest concern.
Transgenerational epigenetic regulation by environmental factors in human diseases

The etiology of most human diseases involves complicated interactions of multiple environmental factors with the individual genetic/epigenetic background initially generated during early development. Epigenetic mechanisms are believed to play a key role in regulating early reprogramming processes that occur during embryogenesis. Recently, transgenerational epigenetics have received extensive attention due to its ability to prewrite individual epigenetic profiles that lead to consequences on the adult phenotype formation and disease onset. Environmental-based factors, such as nutrition with properties influencing epigenetic processes, are believed to have preventive effects on many human diseases such as cancer. Exposure to these epigenetic dietary compounds during a crucial time of development may result in changes in specific epigenetic patterns that influence phenotypic variation, subsequently leading to different susceptibilities to diseases later in life and throughout generations. In this chapter, I assess the current advances in transgenerational epigenetic gene regulation and human disease control. Enhanced understanding of the important role of early life epigenetics control and how environmental factors affect this process will lead to beneficial health outcomes in the next generation.
Abstract # 1807 Systematic review of studies examining the effects of acute psychological stress on circulating inflammatory markers

Inflammatory reactivity to acute laboratory stress is thought to reflect individual differences in responsivity to environmental stressors and may confer future health risk. To characterize this response, we conducted a meta-analysis of 34 studies that measured circulating inflammatory markers before and after exposure to laboratory challenge. Results showed significant stress-related increases in interleukin(IL)-1 β (d = 0.66, CI [0.21, 1.12], p α (d = 0.28, CI [0.05, 0.51], p α . For IL-6, there was a significant increase from baseline to post-stress measures at 40–50 min, 60–75 min, 90 min, and 120 min, with the largest effect at 90 min post-stress (d = 0.70, CI [0.45, 0.95], p α , there was a significant increase from baseline to post-stress measurement at 31–50 min (d = 0.17, CI [0.10, 0.78], Z = 2.51, p = .01). There was no significant difference in magnitude of IL-6 reactivity as a function of type of stress (social-evaluative versus other). These results extend findings from a prior meta-analysis (Steptoe et al., 2007), showing reliable increases in IL-6, IL-1 β , IL-10 and TNF- α in response to acute stress. It is possible that these responses provide a pathway mediating relationships between exposure to life challenges and vulnerability to inflammatory disease.
A Special Class of Lotka–Volterra Models of Bacteria-Virus Infection Networks

We show that the classical Volterra Lyapunov function can be used to obtain useful results for a Lotka–Volterra model of bacteria-virus infection networks. In particular, if a positive equilibrium exists, then it is stable and all positive trajectories are bounded and persistent in the sense that the limit inferior of each component is positive.
A small scale ROV for shallow-water science operations

Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) are a proven tool for performing highly-capable marine operations ranging from science investigations to industrial applications. While industry-grade ROVs can support an impressive array of functions, they can be very expensive and complex. As such, they are often inappropriate for use in educational programs where functional requirements are limited but low-cost access, simple designs and safe-to-use systems are paramount. Unfortunately, the common breed of educational ROVs developed for pool demonstrations and K-12/university competitions are often not capable enough to support compelling applications in the field. Over the past 15 years, Santa Clara University's Robotic Systems Laboratory has developed and supported field operations of ROVs at both ends of this spectrum. However, there is great interest in defining a vehicle design that sits in the middle of this trade-space, offering a blend of field capability with cost and complexity constraints consistent with a university program. This paper described the definition of such a vehicle class and the design of an initial ROV built with this blend of features in mind. The paper discusses the key characteristics that dictate the design of the vehicle, describes the design of the vehicle, and reviews its current capability as demonstrated in the field. Future enhancements and upgrades to the systems are also presented.
The Arrest and Synthetic Novel Psychoactive Drug Relationship: Observations From a Young Adult Population

Novel psychoactive drugs (NPDs), an emerging class of dangerous substances, generally mimic the actions of commonly abused substances such as marijuana, stimulants, hallucinogens, and opiates, but ...
Toward Practical Spectrum Permits

As spectrum is being released from legacy technologies, reforms in policies and regulations promise to spur wireless growth by distributing spectrum dynamically across wireless networks matching their traffic demands. However, a major obstacle to its adoption remains. There is no effective solution to protect licensed users from spectrum misuse , where users transmit without properly licensing spectrum, and in doing so, interfere and disrupt legitimate flows to whom the spectrum is assigned (and sold). In this paper, we discuss an initial step toward enforcing dynamic spectrum allocation using the concept of spectrum permit , where authorized spectrum users embed secure spectrum permits into data transmissions, enabling patrolling trusted devices to detect devices transmitting without authorization. We highlight the development of spectrum permits, and describe Gelato , a spectrum misuse detection system that minimizes both hardware costs and performance overhead on legitimate data transmissions. We implement Gelato using USRP2 with laptops and lower cost RTL-SDR devices with smartphones. We show that both implementations are robust against attacks and can reliably detect spectrum permits in real time.
Neural Underpinnings of the Human Belief System

Human beings are wired to believe. These beliefs – including moral, legal, political, and religious beliefs – are extremely important because they can define a person’s character and influence decision-making processes. Recent neuroimaging and lesion studies have shown that these beliefs have neural underpinnings in the human brain. This chapter reviews the current research on the human social belief system and its neural correlates. There is no evidence of dedicated brain systems uniquely devoted to a specific kind of human social belief. The studies reviewed in this chapter highlight a core set of regions within the prefrontal cortex, in association with the anterior temporal lobe, reward circuit, and limbic regions, that appear to critically mediate a variety of social belief systems.