cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A methodology to estimate travel time using dynamic traffic assignment (DTA) under incident conditions

Abstract This paper presents results from a research case study that examined the distribution of travel time of origin–destination (OD) pairs on a transportation network under incident conditions. Using a transportation simulation dynamic traffic assignment (DTA) model, incident on a transportation network is executed under normal conditions, incident conditions without traveler information availability, and incident conditions assuming that users had perfect knowledge of the incident conditions and could select paths to avoid the incident location. The results suggest that incidents have a different impact on different OD pairs. The results confirm that an effective traveler information system has the potential to ease the impacts of incident conditions network wide. Yet it is also important to note that the use of information may detriment some OD pairs while benefiting other OD pairs. The methodology demonstrated in this paper provides insights into the usefulness of embedding a fully calibrated DTA model into the analysis tools of a traffic management and information center.
Inhibition of rabbit muscle isozymes by vitamin C.

AbstractThe ability of vitamins C, E and K to inhibit enzymes directly has been investigated. It was found that vitamin E and some analogs and menadione (vitamin K3) inhibited several enzymes irreversibility at concentrations below one millimolar. Ascorbate inhibits rabbit muscle 6-phosphofructokinase (MPFK-1; EC 2.7.1.11), muscle type LDH (EC 1.1.1.27), and muscle AK (EC 2.7.4.3) at low concentrations that do not inhibit equivalent liver isozymes. Ascorbate Ki values for muscle-type LDH and heart-type LDH isozymes are 0.007 and 3 mM, respectively. The ascorbate Ki value for rabbit skeletal muscle PFK-1 is 0.16mM; liver PFK-1 is not inhibited by ascorbate. Dehydroascorbate does not inhibit any enzyme at ascorbate concentrations normally found in cells. All ascorbate inhibitions are completely reactivated or nearly so by L-ascorbate oxidase, CYS, GSH, or DTT. We propose a hypothesis that ascorbate facilitates glycogen storage in muscle by inhibiting glycolysis. The relationship between ascorbate metabolism...
Recognition of geometrical shape by a Robotic Probe

A number of issues pertaining to the automatic recognition of the shape of known and unknown surfaces and objects by tactile probing are discussed and formulated for a planar robotic probe. The dynamics of the robotic probe are presented. Sensory and computational requirements are outlined. Several methods for deriving parameters that describe a quadratic shape are exposed. Digital computer simulations are used to demonstrate and compare three linear algorithms in estimation of parameters of a quadratic surface.
Advances in pharmacogenomics and individualized drug therapy: exciting challenges that lie ahead.

Abstract Between the 1930s and 1990s, several dozen predominantly monogenic, high-penetrance disorders involving pharmacogenetics were described, fueling the crusade that gene–drug interactions are quite simple. Then, in 1990, the Human Genome Project was established; in 1995, the term pharmacogenomics was introduced; finally, the complexities of determining an unequivocal phenotype, as well as an unequivocal genotype, have recently become apparent. Since 1965, more than 1000 reviews on this topic have painted an overly optimistic picture—suggesting that the advent of individualized drug therapy used by the practicing physician is fast approaching. For many reasons listed here, however, we emphasize that these high expectations must be tempered. We now realize that the nucleotide sequence of the genome represents only a starting point from which we must proceed to a more difficult stage: knowledge of the function encoded and how this affects the phenotype. To achieve individualized drug therapy, a high level of accuracy and precision is required of any clinical test proposed in human patients. Finally, we suggest that metabonomics, perhaps in combination with proteomics, might complement genomics in eventually helping us to achieve individualized drug therapy.
Professional Sports as Catalysts for Metropolitan Economic Development

Cities throughout the United States are facing an unprecedented number of threats from the professional sport teams they host to build new playing facilities or lose the franchise. The recent moves...
Separation of Carotenoid Isomers by Capillary Electrochromatography with C30 Stationary Phases

The use of a polymerically bonded C30 stationary phase is demonstrated in capillary electrochromatography (CEC) for the separation of carotenoid isomers. Column selectivity in CEC was found to be equivalent to that observed with liquid chromatography (LC); however, CEC column efficiency was significantly improved over LC efficiency. Gradient elution capability was achieved by the combined use of a liquid chromatographic pump and a CEC apparatus. The separation of carotenoid isomers from food and algal extracts is demonstrated.
Rice HYDROPEROXIDE LYASES with Unique Expression Patterns Generate Distinct Aldehyde Signatures in Arabidopsis

HYDROPEROXIDE LYASE (HPL) genes encode enzymes that catalyze the cleavage of fatty acid hydroperoxides into aldehydes and oxoacids. There are three HPLs in rice (Oryza sativa), designated OsHPL1 through OsHPL3. To explore the possibility of differential functional activities among these genes, we have examined their expression patterns and biochemical properties of their encoded products. Transcript analysis indicates that these genes have distinct patterns and levels of expression. OsHPL1 is ubiquitously expressed, OsHPL2 is expressed in the leaves and leaf sheaths, whereas OsHPL3 is wound inducible and expressed exclusively in leaves. OsHPLs also differ in their substrate preference as determined by in vitro enzyme assays using 9-/13-hydroperoxy linolenic and 9-/13-hydroperoxy linoleic acids as substrates. OsHPL1 and OsHPL2 metabolize 9-/13-hydroperoxides, whereas OsHPL3 metabolizes 13-hydroperoxy linolenic acid exclusively. Sequence alignments of the HPL enzymes have identified signature residues potentially responsible for the substrate specificity/preference of these enzymes. All three OsHPLs are chloroplast localized as determined by chloroplast import assays and green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion studies. Aldehyde measurements in transgenic Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) plants overexpressing individual OsHPL-GFP fusions indicate that all rice HPLs are functional in a heterologous system, and each of them generates a distinct signature of the metabolites. Interestingly, these aldehydes were only detectable in leaves, but not in roots, despite similar levels of OsHPL-GFP proteins in both tissues. Similarly, there were undetectable levels of aldehydes in rice roots, in spite of the presence of OsHPL1 transcripts. Together, these data suggest that additional tissue-specific mechanism(s) beyond transcript and HPL enzyme abundance, regulate the levels of HPL-derived metabolites.
The recliner position: a new operating position for burn surgery.

Correct positioning of a patient provides the necessary exposure for a surgeon to gain access to complicated burn wounds and therefore can become an essential aspect in determining the procedure’s eventual success. Excision and grafting of burns to the anterior and posterior portions of the shoulder pose special problems stemming from the difficulty in obtaining complete surgical exposure of the entire burn wound with the patient in one position. Thus, excision of circumferential burns of the upper torso often needs to be performed in stages, or necessitates turning the patient intraoperatively with the attendant potential complications. We describe a new position for patients who have sustained deep burns to both anterior and posterior aspects of the upper torso. This technique allows for complete access to the shoulders, and if necessary, the posterior neck.
Selenium and mercury concentrations in California gulls breeding on the Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA

We examined selenium (Se) and mercury (Hg) concentrations in adult California gulls (Larus californicus) nesting on the Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA, during 2006 and 2007. During 2006, the mean Se concentration (± standard error) was 18.1 ± 1.5 μg/g in blood on a dry-weight basis and 8.1 ± 0.4 μg/g in liver. During 2007, Se concentrations were 15.7 ± 1.5 μg/g in blood and 8.3 ± 0.4 μg/g in liver; Hg concentrations were 2.4 ± 0.3 μg/g in blood and 4.1 ± 0.5 μg/g in liver. Gulls collected from a freshwater colony located within the watershed of the Great Salt Lake had similar levels of Se in the blood and liver as gulls collected on the Great Salt Lake but lower Hg concentrations. Body mass of adult gulls was not correlated with Se or Hg concentrations in their blood or liver. Selenium concentration in California gull eggs collected during 2006 was 3.0 ± 0.10 μg/g. Of 72 eggs randomly collected from Great Salt Lake colonies, only one was infertile, and none of the embryos exhibited signs of malposition or deformities. We examined 100 newly hatched California gull chicks from Great Salt Lake colonies for teratogenesis; all chicks appeared normal. Hence, the elevated Se and Hg concentrations in adult gulls nesting on the Great Salt Lake did not appear to impair gulls' health or reproductive ability.
A mathematical observer study for the evaluation and optimization of compensation methods for myocardial SPECT using a phantom population that realistically models patient variability

The goal of this study was to develop and apply a population of phantoms that realistically models patient variability and use it to optimize and evaluate different compensation methods used during reconstruction process with respect to defect detection in myocardial SPECT images. Various combinations of attenuation, detector response and scatter compensation were used in this study. A major difference between this and previous studies was that the level of realism was significantly increased by inclusion of variability in heart and organ uptakes, in the heart size and orientation, and in the defect size and contrast. In this study we used a population of 24 4-D NCAT phantoms (half male, half female) recently developed with statistical models for organ uptake and organ size based on clinical data. Almost noise-free projection data of the torso, heart, liver, lungs, and other organs were simulated for each phantom using the SIMSET MC simulation code. They were then combined to form 72 sets of projections for each phantom using randomly sampled activity ratios from a clinically realistic distribution. Poisson noise was then added to the projection data. We applied the channelized hotelling observer (CHO) and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to optimize iteration number for OSEM and cutoff frequency of a 3-D post-reconstruction Butterworth filter. We found that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) values were reduced compared to a previous study that included significantly less phantom variability, even though the defect contrast was higher and noise level was lower. The resulting AUC values were similar to those obtained using patient data. We found, in agreement with the previous study, that including compensation for more effects resulted in improved defect detectability. However, the optimal filter cutoff frequency was increased compared to the previous study. These studies demonstrate the importance of including realistic levels of phantom variability in myocardial perfusion studies using simulated data.
A Fast Stochastic Error-Descent Algorithm for Supervised Learning and Optimization

A parallel stochastic algorithm is investigated for error-descent learning and optimization in deterministic networks of arbitrary topology. No explicit information about internal network structure is needed. The method is based on the model-free distributed learning mechanism of Dembo and Kailath. A modified parameter update rule is proposed by which each individual parameter vector perturbation contributes a decrease in error. A substantially faster learning speed is hence allowed. Furthermore, the modified algorithm supports learning time-varying features in dynamical networks. We analyze the convergence and scaling properties of the algorithm, and present simulation results for dynamic trajectory learning in recurrent networks.
Characteristics of Growth and Protein Turnover in Skeletal Muscle of Turkey Poults

Protein turnover and DNA and RNA levels were measured in the breast (pectoralis thoracica) and leg (gastrocnemius-peroneus) muscles of large white (Nicholas strain) turkey poults from 1 to 8 weeks of age to investigate their cellular growth and to evaluate the influence of protein turnover on muscle growth. Fractional rates of protein deposition (kg) were determined from regression equations of muscle size and protein content on body weights. Protein synthesis rates (ks) were measured by an isotope emulsion technique. Protein degradation rates (kd) were estimated by the difference between ks and kg. Muscle growth involved increases in total deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA), an increase in the DNA-unit size, and decreases in concentrations of the nucleic acids without changes in the RNA:DNA ratio or RNA and DNA activity. The muscles showed developmental changes in ks from 56 to 10%/day and from 38 to 13%/day in breast and leg, respectively, over the 7-week period. The fractional degradation rate also fell from 22 to 7%/day in the breast muscle and from 21 to 10%/day in the leg muscle. The disproportionate decline of ks and kd resulted in an age-associated fall in kg from 34 to 4%/day and from 18 to 3%/day in the breast and the leg muscles, respectively. The efficiency of protein deposition decreased from 61 to 35% in breast muscle and 46 to 20% in leg muscle. The results were qualitatively similar to those obtained in a study with broiler chicks.
What was Glaucoma Called Before the 20th Century

Glaucoma involves a characteristic optic neuropathy, often with elevated intraocular pressure. Before 1850, poor vision with a normal eye appearance, as occurs in primary open-angle glaucoma, was termed amaurosis, gutta serena, or black cataract. Few observers noted palpable hardness of the eye in amaurosis. On the other hand, angle-closure glaucoma can produce a green or gray pupil, and therefore was called, variously, glaucoma (derived from the Greek for glaucous, a nonspecific term connoting blue, green, or light gray) and viriditate oculi. Angle closure, with palpable hardness of the eye, mydriasis, and anterior prominence of the lens, was described in greater detail in the 18th and 19th centuries. The introduction of the ophthalmoscope in 1850 permitted the visualization of the excavated optic neuropathy in eyes with a normal or with a dilated greenish-gray pupil. Physicians developed a better appreciation of the role of intraocular pressure in both conditions, which became subsumed under the rubric “glaucoma”.
Understanding and Promoting Resiliency in Patients with Chronic Headache

Even among patients with the same type and severity of headache, there is considerable variability in functional outcomes. Some individuals are resilient, able to thrive despite pain, whereas others find that pain is an overwhelming burden that comes to define their lives. A substantial body of evidence suggests that patients' cognitive, emotional, and behavioral coping responses to their pain play a significant role in determining their long-term health. Resilient pain responses, which are shaped by both qualities of the individual and his/her social environment, can be learned and thus hold promise as targets for treatment. We draw on recent empirical findings that identify which pain beliefs, appraisals, and behaviors in response to pain are key to resilient and non-resilient coping among patients with chronic headache. We discuss how pain self-efficacy and pain acceptance set the stage for adaptive behaviors that have been linked to sustained well-being and good quality of life. We then describe psychosocial and behavioral interventions that show promise in promoting resilience among headache patients and conclude by considering areas ripe for further inquiry.
Infertility in Female Guinea Pigs Injected with Testis

To determine the stage in the reproductive process of the antifertility effect of guinea pig testis homogenate on female guinea pigs 36 virgin female guinea pigs were injected with .5-1.0 ml of testis-homogenate emulsion and Freunds adjuvant. 26 controls were injected with saline and the adjuvant. The animals were bred 3-4 weeks after injection and then examined for fertilization and embryo survival. The fertilization rate in the testis-injected animals was 88.0% compared with 91.6% in the controls. Embryo survival was estimated by comparing the number of normal fetuses with the number of corpora lutea adjusted for the fertilization rate. The survival rate in 46 testis-injected females was 45.8% compared with 72.7% in 19 controls. Embryo loss usually involved whole litters early in gestation and the females returned to estrus within a normal cycle period. Thus the primary cause of infertility in female guinea pigs injected with testis homogenate is early embryo death. The mechanism of the antigens interaction with uterine antibodies is still unclear and further research is needed.
Abstract 384: The Prothrombotic Profile of BCR-ABL Inhibitors Ponatinib, Nilotinib and Imatinib

Background: Thrombotic complications observed in patients treated with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor ponatinib resulted in the temporary suspension of the drug by the FDA in late 2013. Ponatinib is a pan-BCR-ABL inhibitor designed for treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia and Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Ponatinib has been shown to inhibit a subset of the class III/IV family of receptor tyrosine kinases. The pathogenic mechanism underlying the prothrombotic phenotype associated with ponatinib remains ill-defined. Hypothesis: We tested the hypothesis that BCR-ABL inhibitors regulate platelet activation, spreading, and aggregation. Methods & Results: Our results show that treatment of platelets with ponatinib (1 μM) abrogated platelet spreading on fibrinogen (50 μg/ml) or collagen (100 μg/ml). Both nilotinib and imatinib inhibited platelet spreading, although not to the same extent as ponatinib at equimolar concentrations. We next examined the effects of BCR-ABL inhibit...
Peroral endoscopic reduction of dilated gastrojejunal anastomosis after bariatric surgery: Techniques and efficacy.

Peroral endoscopic reduction of dilated gastrojejunal anastomosis after bariatric surgery: Techniques and efficacy
The mineshaft: a retrospective ethnography

The Mineshaft, a male sex club, is described from the patron's perspective, in retrospect, and in the context of gay male urban life in circa-1980 North America. It is suggested that the Mineshaft functioned to provide, on a for-profit basis, a relatively safe environment for liminal erotic behaviors, and did so in response to a variety of sociocultural conditions. The latter include the lack of institutionalized anticipatory socialization for intramale sexual relations, and the tension between S&M and non-S&M gay male styles. The Mineshaft occupied marginal niches in terms of its physical location, its hours of operation, and its legal status. Access was ritualized, social structure was simplified, social control was informal but adequate. The setting was amendable to a wide range of fantasy, eroticization and erotic role playing.
Angiographic Patterns in Patients with HIV at Hahnemann University Hospital (P06.244)

Objective: To cerebral angiographic patterns of patients with HIV at Hahnemann University Hospital. Background Central nervous system vascular involvement in patients with HIV is due to infections, neoplastic disease, or abuse of toxic drugs. Nogueras et al. observed recurrent stroke as a manifestation of primary angiitis in a patient with HIV [1]. They demonstrated the presence of HIV-integrated DNA in the basal ganglionic tissues of their patient, which suggested that HIV plays a role in the vasculitic process. HIV has been demonstrated in perivascular multinucleated giant cells and endothelial cells by Gray et al. [2]. O9Chareon et al. reported a patient with HIV-associated vasculitis, demonstrated aneurysmal dilatation of cerebral arteries with alternate areas of narrowing and mural enhancement [3]. Dubrovsky et al. identified pediatric patients with AIDS who have cerebral aneurysmal arteriopathy [4]. Design/Methods: A retrospective chart review of patients who had magnetic resonance angiograms and conventional angiograms, at Hahnemann University Hospital from January 2005 to December 2010. Inclusion criteria: Patients over the age of 18 with HIV. Exclusion criteria: Patients with a known history of cerebral aneurysm prior to being diagnosed with HIV. Results: We identified 30 patients with HIV after randomization who had either an magnetic resonance angiogram or a conventional angiogram. Of those, 72% had CD4 counts Conclusions: The frequency of aneurysms in patients with HIV (3%) was not higher than that in the general population (5%-6%). In the future, we could look at subset of patients with HIV who are more likely to have aneurysms. Disclosure: Dr. Nair has nothing to disclose. Dr. Venkatesh has nothing to disclose.
On the Use of Models in Simulations and Games

The comments that follow concern theoretical concepts and modular constructs involved in the Political-Military Exercise (PME), the Technological, Economic, Military, Political Evaluation Routine (TEMPER), and the Inter-Nation Simulation (INS) investigated by Alker and Brunner in their article in this issue. Alker and Brunner's very perceptive article provides the occasion for these comments; however, it must be emphasized that my comments are not directed to their study so much as to the models which they used. "Simulating International Conflict" is a provocative and informative piece which goes quite some distance towards making explicit some of the utilities of three diverging and, at the same time, converging models of the international system. As the authors indicate, the models differ not only in terms of their programmed and unprogrammed assumptions, but also in their levels of abstraction-from PME, the least abstract, to INS, the most abstract. Each differs from the others also in that PME is played entirely by human actors, INS is partially computerized, and TEMPER is an all-computer game. Since each of the three simulations posits a model of the international system, the validity of experiments using any one is in large part a function of the validity of its model. Models are of utility if and only if they contribute to an expansion of our understanding of a theory or a process or of some phenomenon. The term has been used in many ways, but as I am employing it, a model is an artificial or abstract representation of a systemic relationship adduced by
Direct selective myocardial revascularization by internal mammary artery-coronary vein anastomosis.

In this report, we shall describe our work with retrograde coronary perfusion, first in mongrel dogs and then in 6 patients. The left internal mammary artery (LIMA) is anastomosed to the left anterior descending coronary vein (LADV) to provide myocardial perfusion. This procedure may he of great value in the treatment of patients who are not suitable candidates for direct coronary bypass grafting, i.e., those who have diffuse atherosclerosis, with poor or no runoff of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LADA), but who have satisfactory left ventricular contraction.
Upwelling and Phosphorite Formation in the Ocean

Phosphorites on the current sea floor are known to occur in both upwelling and non-upwelling environments. Uranium-series and rare earth element (REE) studies display certain characteristics which may be a consequence of the type of phosphorite formation prevalent in a coastal upwelling environment. Quaternary phosphate nodules exposed at the sediment-seawater interface in the upwelling zone off Peru/Chile are shown to: (a) display unidirectional growth downward into the underlying sediments at rates which are slow compared to rates of associated sediment accumulation; (b) contain small but measurable amounts of excess 231Pa relative to 230Th; and (c) have very low concentrations of REE with a shale-like pattern rather than one resembling seawater. Results from phosphorites sampled from low-productivity areas (e.g., Pacific seamounts, the Agulhas Bank) indicate extreme differences in these characteristics when compared to those from Peru/Chile. Radiochemical and geochemical approaches thus offer promise for distinguishing “upwelling” from “non-upwelling” suites of phosphorites.
Personal reflections on 50 years of scientific computing: 1967–2017

Computer hardware, software, numerical algorithms, and science and engineering applications are traced for a half century from the author's perspective.
Development of a broadly protective modified-live virus vaccine candidate against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus

Modified-live virus (MLV) vaccines are widely used to protect pigs against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). However, current MLV vaccines do not confer adequate levels of heterologous protection, presumably due to the substantial genetic diversity of PRRSV isolates circulating in the field. To overcome this genetic variation challenge, we recently generated a synthetic PRRSV strain containing a consensus genomic sequence of PRRSV-2. We demonstrated that our synthetic PRRSV strain confers unprecedented levels of heterologous protection. However, the synthetic PRRSV strain at passage 1 (hereafter designated CON-P1) is highly virulent and therefore, is not suitable to be used as a vaccine in pigs. In the present study, we attenuated CON-P1 by continuously passaging the virus in MARC-145 cells, a non-natural host cell line. Using a young pig model, we demonstrated that the synthetic virus at passages 90 and 122 (designated as CON-P90 and CON-P122, respectively) were fully attenuated, as evidenced by the significantly reduced viral loads in serum and tissues and the absence of lung lesion in the infected pigs. Most importantly, CON-P90 confers similar levels of heterologous protection as its parental strain CON-P1. Taken together, the results indicate that CON-P90 is an excellent candidate for the formulation of next generation of PRRSV MLV vaccines with improved levels of heterologous protection.
CRT-100.90 Transradial Coronary Intervention (TCI) Using 5-Fr Versus 6-Fr Guiding Catheters in the Setting of Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS)

As in any vascular access, the size of guiding catheter is an operator preference. Although 5-Fr versus 6-Fr guiding catheters for transradial coronary intervention (TCI) have similar vascular safety profiles and can be performed safely and successfully with either, the data comparing the 5-Fr vs. 6
Phasic Pontine-Wave (P-Wave) Generation: Cellular-Molecular-Network Mechanism and Functional Significance

Contrary to the commonly held assumption that sleep is a passive state, it is well known to sleep researchers that during sleep the brain is in fact in an active state with many different characteristic electroencephalogram (EEG) wave patterns. In this chapter, several brain waves will be discussed, but the primary focus will be the neurophysiological generation and function of the pontine-wave (P-wave), particularly in relationship to learning and memory consolidation. The P-wave, which is generated by the phasic activation of glutamatergic neurons in the pons, is one of the most prominent phasic brain activities in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. These P-wave generating glutamatergic neurons project to the hippocampus, amygdala, entorhinal cortex and many other brain regions involved in cognitive processing. During wakefulness and slow-wave sleep (SWS) these neurons remain silent, but during the transition from SWS to REM sleep and throughout REM sleep these neurons discharge high-frequency spike bursts in the background of tonically increased firing rates. State-dependent activation and inactivation of P-wave generating cells are tightly regulated primarily by the balance of cholinergic input from the pedunculopontine tegmentum (PPT) and aminergic inputs from the dorsal raphe nuclei (DRN) and locus coeruleus (LC) nuclei. Activation of these P-wave generating neurons increases (1) glutamate release and activates post-synaptic NMDA receptors in the dorsal hippocampus (DH) and amygdala; (2) increases phosphorylation of transcription factor cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) in the DH and amygdala, by activating intracellular protein kinase A (PKA); and (3) increases PKA-CREB phosphorylation in the forebrain, which in turn increases the expression of activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein (Arc), brain-derived neurotrophic growth factor (BDNF), and early growth response-1 (Egr-1) genes in the DH and amygdale—all of which are necessary processes for REM sleep-dependent memory processing.
The 30-Year Blues: What We Know and Don't Know About Life History, Group Size, and Group Fission of Blue Monkeys in the Kakamega Forest, Kenya

Long-term studies uniquely allow researchers to investigate phenomena that play out over long periods, as well as rare events that accumulate slowly into a respectable sample. This chapter takes both approaches in reporting on a 30-year study of blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni), reviewing life-history data mainly for females, which can live up to 33 years, and presenting data related to group fission, a rare event. Compared to close relatives, blue monkeys appear to have an exceptionally slow life history, related to low levels of mortality in forest environments. Group fissions show variable patterns, occurring at variable group sizes, and usually involving the splitting of a few family units, including mothers and young daughters. Ecological factors such as feeding competition do not appear to explain why fission occurs, and females do not seem to increase reproductive rates, improve infant survival or reduce the likelihood of male takeovers after fission.
Conventional Nuclear Reactors

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses conventional nuclear reactors. Nuclear energy is released by rearranging the neutrons and protons which make up the nucleus, the tiny dense core of the atom. The energy density in the nucleus, the energy per atom which can be released, depends on the strength of the nuclear force. Fission is induced by a neutron, an uncharged particle, which together with the proton constitute the building blocks of the nucleus. When a neutron strikes a U-235 nucleus, energy is released causing the nucleus to become unstable and finally to break into two pieces with the release of much more energy. The purpose of a nuclear converter reactor is to control the chain reaction and extract energy from it. When fission occurs, the released energy appears as kinetic energy of the particles. This kinetic energy is quickly transformed to heat energy via the collision process. Thus the nuclear reactor is a source of very high temperature heat energy.
Creatividad y experiencia en la escritura académica y literaria

Academic writing and literary writing appear to have little in common. But that is not the case. Both require not only originality and imagination but experience. Both focus on a given object, and that object, whether academic or literary, becomes something desirable, because it is unknown, intellectually and emotionally irresistible. In analogous fashion, to write narrative means to imagine the life of others, while to write an academic text means to imagine or recreate the work or culture of others. Part of the experience needed in order to write literary or cultural criti- cism consists above all in reading. Reading a great deal. That being said, it is not a matter of denying or diminishing the differences between the two kinds of writing, but of exploring what it means to be ambidextrous in the art of writing.
Disabling the Gβγ-SNARE interaction disrupts GPCR-mediated presynaptic inhibition, leading to physiological and behavioral phenotypes

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that couple to Gi/o proteins modulate neurotransmission presynaptically by inhibiting exocytosis. Release of Gβγ subunits from activated G proteins decreases the activity of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCCs), decreasing excitability. A less understood Gβγ-mediated mechanism downstream of Ca2+ entry is the binding of Gβγ to SNARE complexes, which facilitate the fusion of vesicles with the cell plasma membrane in exocytosis. Here, we generated mice expressing a form of the SNARE protein SNAP25 with premature truncation of the C terminus and that were therefore partially deficient in this interaction. SNAP25Δ3 homozygote mice exhibited normal presynaptic inhibition by GABAB receptors, which inhibit VGCCs, but defective presynaptic inhibition by receptors that work directly on the SNARE complex, such as 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) 5-HT1b receptors and adrenergic α2a receptors. Simultaneously stimulating receptors that act through both mechanisms showed synergistic inhibitory effects. SNAP25Δ3 homozygote mice had various behavioral phenotypes, including increased stress-induced hyperthermia, defective spatial learning, impaired gait, and supraspinal nociception. These data suggest that the inhibition of exocytosis by Gi/o-coupled GPCRs through the Gβγ-SNARE interaction is a crucial component of numerous physiological and behavioral processes.
Development and testing of a patient-centered dental home assessment for low-income families.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument in English (ENG) and Spanish (SPA) for use in assessing perceptions of dental home characteristics among low-income adults. METHODS An expert panel selected 21 items from a pool of 81 items mapped to domains in the American Academy of Pediatrics' medical home. Pilot testing with mothers (n = 795) of children in Early Head Start (EHS) resulted in an expanded 36-item scale, which was field-tested in interviews with ENG- (NENG = 665) and SPA-speakers (NSPA = 116). An exploratory factor analysis of 23 usable items was carried out in an EHS reference group (NENG-EHS = 272). The selected model was evaluated by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in two other subgroups (NENG-NonEHS = 393; NSPA = 116). We tested measurement and structural invariances using a multiple-group approach. Known-groups validity was examined by testing factor mean differences between two groups defined by whether or not the mother used a single dental office. RESULTS A three-factor CFA model with 10 items was retained for its close fit for all three subgroups. Invariance tests found the two ENG subgroups to be homogenous and were combined. Several item and factor parameters in the SPA group differed from the combined ENG group. The proposed dental home measure demonstrated good known-group validity in that people who used the same dental office reported better dental care experiences. CONCLUSIONS An instrument to measure the dental home concept among low-income adults was developed with three domains (accessible-comprehensive, compassionate, and health literate care) that demonstrated good validity and reliability.
Coordinates of Home and Community

This chapter looks at how Tokyo fiction and film map the social and spatial constructs of home (and, by extension, community) through the lens of memory, from the perspective of vulnerable children, in the eyes of independent and not-so-independent women, and as illusion. Home, of course, is not just a physical structure. It extends more profoundly to the sense of social belonging embedded in the family as the most basic unit of community. The works discussed in the chapter communicate a yearning for reliable connectedness between and among individuals embodied in the concepts of home and community, while also cultivating the conceptual ground of a Tokyo that is repeatedly depicted as a place of social fragmentation and dislocation.
155 – Grid Generation

Publisher Summary This chapter elaborates the application and procedure of grid generation. Grid generation is applicable to ordinary differential equations, and partial differential equations. It yields a grid on which a differential equation may be numerically approximated. It is found that when a differential equation is going to be approximated numerically, the points at which the values of the dependent variable will be determined must be specified. This collection of points forms the grid, or mesh. The most common computational grids are those in rectilinear coordinates, or polar coordinates. The can be used when the domain of a problem naturally fits one of these geometries. For other domains, an appropriate computational grid must be determined. There are many ways in which to construct a grid for a specific equation on a specific domain. There are many considerations that go into choosing a grid for a specific problem.
Randomized trial of a perioperative geriatric intervention for older adults with cancer.

12012Background: Older adults with gastrointestinal (GI) cancers undergoing surgery often experience poor outcomes, such as prolonged postoperative (post-op) length of stay (LOS), intensive care un...
Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome Complicated by Proximate Placental Cord Insertion Sites: Endoscopic Clip-Assisted Laser Occlusion.

Introduction Severe twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) with a large vascular communication between proximate placental cord insertion sites is a therapeutic dilemma because laser ablation may cause thermal injury to the cord roots and subsequent fetal demise. Case presentation Stage IV TTTS with placental cord insertion sites 1.3 cm apart and with an intervening large arterio-arterial (AA) anastomosis presented for treatment. The application of endoclips onto the large AA anastomosis between the cord roots allowed for successful laser occlusion using minimal energy. Both the donor and recipient twins were alive and well at 6 months of age. Conclusion Endoscopic clip-assisted laser occlusion of a placental vessel is technically feasible and may be a useful therapeutic option in select cases.
Toward Many Emerging Adulthoods: A Theory-Based Examination of the Features of Emerging Adulthood for Cross-Systems Youth:

Although it is widely acknowledged that emerging adulthood is experienced differently by various groups, few studies have directly examined the theoretical features of emerging adulthood in vulnera...
Bayesian Estimation of Attribute Disclosure Risks in Synthetic Data with the $\texttt{AttributeRiskCalculation}$ R Package.

Synthetic data is a promising approach to privacy protection in many contexts. A Bayesian synthesis model, also known as a synthesizer, simulates synthetic values of sensitive variables from their posterior predictive distributions. The resulting synthetic data can then be released in place of the confidential data. An important evaluation prior to synthetic data release is its level of privacy protection, which is often in the form of disclosure risks evaluation. Attribute disclosure, referring to an intruder correctly inferring the confidential values of synthetic records, is one type of disclosure that is challenging to be computationally evaluated. In this paper, we review and discuss in detail some Bayesian estimation approaches to attribute disclosure risks evaluation, with examples of commonly-used Bayesian synthesizers. We create the $\texttt{AttributeRiskCalculation}$ R package to facilitate its implementation, and demonstrate its functionality with examples of evaluating attribute disclosure risks in synthetic samples of the Consumer Expenditure Surveys.
State of the Art and Future Challenges of the Portrayal of Facial Nonmanual Signals by Signing Avatar

Researchers have been developing avatars to portray sign languages as a necessary component of automatic translation systems between signed and spoken languages. Although sign language avatar technology has improved significantly in recent years, there are still open questions as to how best portray the linguistic and paralinguistic information that occurs on a signer’s face. Three interdisciplinary themes influence the current state of the art. The first, linguistic discovery, defines the facial activity that an avatar must carry out. The second, Computer Generated Imagery (CGI), supplies the tools and technology required to build avatars, and which determines the fidelity of an avatar’s appearance. In contrast, the third theme, Sign Language Representation Systems, determines the fidelity of timing of facial co-occurrences. This paper discusses the current state of the art and demonstrates how these themes contribute to the overall goal of creating avatars that can produce legible signed utterances that are acceptable to viewers.
Influences of Storage and Processing on the Retention of Vitamin E in Foods

Publisher Summary Research on the influences of storage and processing on the retention of tocopherols in foods of plant and animal origin has been hampered seriously because methods for the estimation of total tocopherol were unsatisfactory and complicated, because the various tocopherols vary in vitamin E activity, and because these several forms of tocopherol here difficult to separate and quantitate individually. To discuss the data on food materials, where the interest is in vitamin E activity rather than in total tocopherol content, it is necessary to use only those scientific reports in which either bioassays were used or the amounts of the individual tocopherols were reported. From the latter data it is possible to calculate the equivalent “alpha-tocopherol activity” just as it has become customary to calculate the various carotenes in plant tissues in terms of “beta-carotene activity” or “vitamin A activity.” It is too soon to use this approach to the tocopherol data, mainly because the analytical procedure was developed only recently and is still being perfected, and because it is not yet agreed what the conversion factors should be. This chapter is a survey that serves to give emphasis to certain of the properties of the tocopherols and will encourage scientists to reinvestigate and extend this information now that more specific and sophisticated methods are becoming available.
Amino acid sequence control of the folding of the parallel β-helix, the simplest β-sheet fold

Deciphering how amino acid sequences direct polypeptide chains into their native folds remains a major unsolved problem. The most refractory aspect has been understanding the pathways and sequence control of β-sheet folding. This presumably reflects in part that residues that are far apart in the sequence will be intimately interacting in the folded β-structure.
Detecting symmetric variables in Boolean functions using generalized Reed-Muller forms

We present a new method for detecting groups of symmetric variables in completely specified Boolean functions. The canonical Generalized Reed-Muller forms are used as a powerful analysis tool. To reduce the search space a set of signatures which identify quickly sets of potentially symmetric variables has been developed. Detecting symmetries of any number of inputs is done simultaneously. Totally symmetric functions can be detected very quickly. The traditional definitions of symmetry have been extended to include more types allowing the grouping of input variables into more classes. Experiments have been performed on MCNC benchmark circuits and the results are very encouraging. >
Structure and dynamics of the coronal magnetic field

The last few years have seen a marked increase in the sophistication of models of the solar corona. This has been brought about by a confluence of three key elements. First, the collection of high-resolution observations of the Sun, both in space and time, has grown tremendously. The SOHO (Solar Heliospheric Observatory) mission is providing additional correlated high-resolution magnetic, white-light and spectroscopic observations. Second, the power and availability of supercomputers has made two- and three-dimensional modeling routine. Third, the sophistication of the models themselves, both in their geometrical realism and in the detailed physics that has been included, has improved significantly. The support from our current Space Physics Theory grant has allowed us to exploit this confluence of capabilities. We have carried out direct comparisons between observations and models of the solar corona. The agreement between simulated coronal structure and observations has verified that the models are mature enough for detailed analysis, as we will describe. The development of this capability is especially timely, since observations obtained from three space missions that are underway (Ulysses, WIND and SOHO) offer an opportunity for significant advances in our understanding of the corona and heliosphere. Through this interplay of observations and theory we can improve our understanding of the Sun. Our achievements thus far include progress modeling the large-scale structure of the solar corona, three-dimensional models of active region fields, development of emerging flux and current, formation and evolution of coronal loops, and coronal heating by current filaments.
A design assembly technique for fpga back-end acceleration

Long wait times constitute a bottleneck limiting the number of compilation runs performed in a day, thus risking to restrict Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) adaptation in modern computing platforms. This work presents an FPGA development paradigm that exploits logic variance and hierarchy as a means to increase FPGA productivity. The practical tasks of logic partitioning, placement and routing are examined and a resulting assembly framework, Quick Flow (qFlow), is implemented. Experiments show up to 10x speed-ups using the proposed paradigm compared to vendor tool flows.
Neurological Conditions and Sudden Death

The most important type of sudden death in neurology is sudden unexpected (or unexplained) death in epilepsy (SUDEP). It accounts for up to 17 % of deaths in persons with epilepsy, and it is the most frequent cause of epilepsy-related deaths. The most prominent risk factor for SUDEP is uncontrolled generalized tonic-clonic seizures, the higher frequency of which results in greater SUDEP risk. However, the exact mechanism by which the seizures predispose a person to SUDEP is unknown. Although the phenomenon of seizure-related asystole is well known, it is usually very transient and uncommon. There is increasing evidence to implicate respiratory compromise as a major postseizure event that leads to cardiorespiratory arrest, but further investigations are needed to fully understand the relevance of this observation to the phenomenon of SUDEP. Most other “sudden” deaths in neurologic conditions are more properly termed “rapid death,” in that death in most cases occurs in the setting of deteriorating neurologic and vital functions. More common neurologic conditions associated with rapid deaths are large strokes with increased intracranial pressure and, less commonly, smaller strokes that affect cerebral regions specifically linked to cardiorespiratory or autonomic functions, such as the brainstem and the insula. Death can also occur “suddenly” in advanced metabolic or congenital myopathies in which cardiomyopathy or channelopathy is a feature or in certain neurodegenerative disorders with compromise of the autonomic nervous system.
Impaired capacity of cord blood macrophages (MΦ) to upregulate their costimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86 upon stimulation with Interferon-gamma(IFN-γ).

Impaired capacity of cord blood macrophages (MΦ) to upregulate their costimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86 upon stimulation with Interferon-gamma(IFN-γ).