cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Propagation of underground explosion waves in the nearly elastic range.

abstract The effect of small anelasticity on the propagation of spherically symmetric waves is examined with numerical calculations. The type of anelasticity used is static hysteresis with nominal Q value of 100. Linear theories do not apply in this case. Fourier components of different frequencies do not propagate independently, but energy is transferred to lower frequencies. The extent to which reduced displacement potential is not invariant with respect to radius is examined for explosions in granite, salt, and shale.
Increased cerebrospinal fluid free amino acid concentrations in children with bacterial meningitis.

Abstract19 free amino acids were measured by Durrum high pressure chromatography in the cerebrospinal fluid of 19 children, 9 with and 10 without bacterial meningitis. Each of the amino acids, except for Y-amino butyric acid, was significantly increased in meningitis. Values were elevated upon admission of these patients to the hospital, but the highest concentration for most of the amino acids was noted in specimens collected 24–48 h after initiation of antibiotic treatment. Upon the completion of successful antibiotic therapy, the amino acid concentrations returned to normal or near normal levels.
Inserting synthetic characters into live-action scenes of multiple people

Using a single camera, we capture video of multiple people walking in an open area and insert a moving synthetic character into the scene. The people are located in the video using simple image processing techniques. Simplifying assumptions and basic projective geometry are used to locate the people in 3D. We extract sufficient information to synthetically reconstruct the 3D scene including the paths of individuals in the crowd. These paths are also used to plan the paths of new synthetic characters avoiding collisions with the existing people. Lighting samples taken from the real environment and modeled in the synthetic scene are used along with camera calibration specifications. The new synthetic characters are rendered in 2D and composited into the real video using transparency alpha values extracted by the algorithm. Because we reconstruct the scene in 3D, the new synthetic character is occluded by, and occludes, the people in the original video. This is accomplished with minimal user interaction.
Psychotropic Medications and HIV

Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome have high rates of psychiatric illness. The effective management of these psychiatric conditions can improve a patient's quality of life and may improve antiretroviral adherence. Care providers for patients with HIV infection frequently encounter clinical situations in which psychotropic medications are needed or are being used. Those clinical situations require familiarity with the broad category of medications termed "psychotropic." That familiarity should include a basic understanding of indications, adverse effects, and drug interactions. In particular, it is very important to recognize the many potential interactions based on cytochrome P450 metabolism, which is common to many psychotropics, the protease inhibitors, and the nonnucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors. In a brief review of the use of psychotropic medications in patients with HIV infection, we discuss indications, adverse effects, and drug interactions for commonly used antidepressants, mood stabilizers, anxiolytics, antipsychotics, psychostimulants, and drugs of abuse.
Thin and Thermally Stable Periodic Metastructures

We design, fabricate, and test thin thermally stable metastructures consisting of bi-metallic unit cells and show how the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of these metastructures can be finely and coarsely tuned by varying the CTE of the constituent materials and the unit cell geometry. Planar and three-dimensional finite element method modeling (FEM) is used to drive our design and inform experiments, and predict the response of these metastructures. We develop a robust experimental fabrication procedure in order to fabricate thermally stable samples with high aspect ratios. We use digital image correlation (DIC) and an infrared camera to experimentally measure displacement and temperature during testing and compute the CTE of our samples. The samples, composed of an aluminum core and an external titanium frame, exhibit a CTE of 2.6 ppm/°C, which is significantly lower than either constituent. These unit cells can be assembled over a large area to create thin low-CTE foils. Finally, we demonstrate how the approach developed in this work can be used to fabricate metastructures with CTE’s ranging from −3.6 ppm/°C to 8.4 ppm/°C.
Is Rectal Pain Sensitivity a Biological Marker for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Psychological Influences on Pain Perception

Background & Aims: Rectal pain sensitivity has been called a biological marker for irritable bowel syndrome, but this conclusion may be premature. This article is a critical review of the evidence for psychological influences on perception. Methods: The world literature accessible through Index Medicus from 1973 to 1997 was systematically reviewed. Results: Evidence favoring a biological basis for pain sensitivity is that two thirds of patients report pain at abnormally low thresholds of rectal distention despite normal somatic pain thresholds. Pain thresholds are not correlated with anxiety or depression. Evidence favoring psychological influences on perception is that patients with the irritable bowel syndrome rate even sham distentions as more painful, and when perception tests that minimize psychological influences are used, they have normal sensory thresholds. Also, stress alters sensory thresholds. Sensitization by repeated distention has been cited as evidence of a biological basis for hyperalgesia, but it is not unique to patients with irritable bowel. Brain imaging shows that different regions are activated by painful distention in patients with irritable bowel syndrome, but this is consistent with psychological influences on perception. Conclusions: Psychological factors influence pain thresholds in patients with the irritable bowel syndrome. Two cognitive traits, selective attention to gastrointestinal sensations and disease attribution, may account for increased pain sensitivity.
The antibiotic dehydrophos is converted to a toxic pyruvate analog by peptide bond cleavage in Salmonella enterica

The metabolic processing of dehydrophos, a broad-spectrum peptide antibiotic containing an unusual vinyl-phosphonate moiety, was examined using a panel of Salmonella enterica mutants deficient in peptide uptake and catabolism. Dehydrophos bioactivity is lost in opp , tpp double mutants, demonstrating a requirement for uptake via non-specific oligopeptide permeases. Dehydrophos bioactivity is also abolished in a quadruple Salmonella mutant lacking the genes encoding peptidases A, B, D, and N, showing that hydrolysis of the peptide bond is required for activity. 31 P NMR spectroscopy was used to assess the fate of dehydrophos following in vitro digestion of the antibiotic with purified PepA. The results suggest that the initial product of peptidase processing is 1-aminoethylphosphonate O -methyl ester. This phosphonate analogue of dehydroalanine undergoes rearrangement to the more stable imine, followed by spontaneous hydrolysis to yield O -methyl-acetylphosphonate, a structural analogue of pyruvate. This compound is a known inhibitor of pyruvate dehydrogenase and pyruvate oxidase and is probably the active species responsible for dehydrophos bioactivity.
Effect of protein kinase C inhibitors on interferon-β production by viral and non-viral inducers

Induction of interferon-β (IFN-β) in human (BG-9), simian (CV-1) and mouse (L-929) cell lines by Sendai virus and by poly(rI).poly(rC) has been studied for its possible dependence on protein kinase C (PKC) through the use of pharmacological inhibitors (K252a and H-7) of PKC. Exposure of BG-9, CV-1 or L-929 cells to K252a (⩾ 0.025 µm), a staurosporine derivative, 24 h before or after induction of IFN with poly(rI).poly(rC), inhibited by >95% the production of IFN-β. In contrast, virus-induced IFN production was enhanced threefold or more by K252a in BG-9 and L-929 but not in CV-1 cells. A naphthalene sulphonamide inhibitor of PKC, H-7, at ⩾5 µm, decreased poly(rI).poly(rC)-induced IFN production in BG-9 and CV-1 cells by 75 to 94%, but had no effect on IFN production in L-929 cells. Viral induction of IFN was not affected significantly by H-7 in BG-9, CV-1 and L-929 cells. In contrast to these results, the calmodulin inhibitor, trifluoperazine (5 to 15 µm) did not affect IFN-β production by poly(rI).poly(rC) but significantly enhanced IFN production by Sendai virus in both human and murine cell lines. Thus, in human and simian fibroblasts the induction of IFN-β by poly(rI).poly(rC) appears to be PKC-dependent, whereas viral induction of IFN-β is not. Results with K252a implicate PKC in non-viral induction of IFN in mouse fibroblasts, as well. Direct measurements of PKC activity in BG-9 cells exposed to several concentrations of K252a showed that the membrane PKC activity is significantly more sensitive to inhibition by K252a than is cytosolic PKC activity. In L-929 cells, K252a inhibited membrane PKC activity similarly, but was less effective as an inhibitor of cytosolic enzyme activity than in BG-9. These studies support an intregral role for PKC activity, particularly membrane-associated activity, in non-viral [poly(rI).poly(rC)] induction of IFN-β in human, simian and mouse fibroblasts.
Analysis of early angiographic outcome using unique large diameter coils in comparison with standard coils in the embolization of cerebral aneurysms: a retrospective review

Background The initial experience with the large diameter Penumbra Coil 400 (PC400) system has been positive regarding safety, efficacy, improved packing density and cost effectiveness, but follow-up data are limited. Methods This is a single-center retrospective review of 76 aneurysms treated with PC400 coils compared with 301 aneurysms treated with a variety of different bare platinum and bioactively coated coils. Atypical and giant aneurysms were excluded as well as those that had undergone previous treatment. Occlusion classification was determined immediately after the procedure and at short-term follow-up. Results Compared with controls, in the PC400 group fewer coils were used (3.53 vs 5.44, p Conclusions Large diameter PC400 coils can be used to safely treat cerebral aneurysms with fewer coils, decreased procedure time and increased packing density compared with standard coils. The early angiographic outcome is similar to that achieved with standard coils.
Discrimination based on criminal record and healthcare utilization among men recently released from prison: a descriptive study

Healthcare discrimination based on race/ethnicity is associated with decreased healthcare access and utilization among racial/ethnic minority patients. Discrimination based on criminal record may also negatively impact healthcare access and utilization among ex-prisoners. We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a cross-sectional survey of 172 men recently released from state prison. We examined the association between self-reported criminal record discrimination by healthcare workers and utilization of 1) emergency department (ED) and 2) primary care services. We created staged logistic regression models, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and self-reported racial/ethnic discrimination. Among 172 male participants, 42% reported a history of criminal record discrimination by healthcare workers. Participants who reported discrimination were older (mean, 42 vs. 39 years; p = .01), more likely to be college educated (26% vs. 11%; p = .03), and had more extensive incarceration histories (median years incarcerated, 16 vs. 9; p = .002) compared to those who did not report discrimination. Self-reported criminal record discrimination by healthcare workers was significantly associated with frequent ED utilization [odds ratio (OR) = 2.7, 95% confidence interval 24 (CI) 1.2-6.2] but not infrequent primary care utilization [OR = 1.6, 95% CI 0.7-3.8]. Recently released prisoners report criminal record discrimination by healthcare workers, and this experience may impact healthcare utilization. Future studies should seek to further characterize criminal record discrimination by healthcare workers and prospectively examine its impact on health outcomes.
On the orders of magnitude of epigenic dynamics and monoclonal antibody production

The hybridoma cell's maximum capacity for monoclonal antibody (MAb) production is estimated to be 2300–8000 MAb molecules/cell/s, using measured rates of transcription and translation, and the limitations imposed by the size of the polymerase molecule and the ribosome. Nearly all the production rates reported in the literature fall into or below this range of production rates. Data from batch cultures of hybridomas demonstrate a constant specific rate of MAb production until the time integral of the viable cell concentration reaches about 108 cells · h/cm3. At this point, some essential nutrients from the standard media are depleted, causing MAb production to decline.
Stronger Inference through Implied Literals from Conflicts and Knapsack Covers

Implied literals detection has been shown to improve performance of Boolean satisfiability (SAT) solvers for certain problem classes, in particular when applied in an efficient dynamic manner on learned clauses derived from conflicts during backtracking search. We explore this technique further and extend it to mixed integer linear programs (MIPs) in the context of conflict constraints. This results in stronger inference from clique tables and implication tables already commonly maintained by MIP solvers. Further, we extend the technique to knapsack covers and propose an efficient implementation. Our experiments show that implied literals, in particular through stronger inference from knapsack covers, improve the performance of the MIP engine of IBM ILOG CPLEX Optimization Studio 12.5, especially on harder instances.
Ecological Insights from Ancient DNA

Species have been shaped by past environmental conditions. Ancient remnants of species (bones, teeth, coprolites, pollen, shed cells, etc.) with preserved DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) can reveal responses to past environmental changes through genetic information in the form of ancient DNA. Here we review the uses of ancient DNA to gain insights into ecological and evolutionary processes by investigating: (1) how climate has affected population dynamics through time, (2) how species react differently to climate change, (3) what triggers extinction for some species, (4) the detection of genomic adaptation to the environment and (5) how ancient DNA can be used to reconstruct past environmental conditions/habitats. The details that we can glean from past responses to climate change will provide information on how we can expect species to respond to future climate change. Key Concepts Ancient DNA (aDNA) can be utilised to infer how species reacted to past ecological changes. Populations are dynamic and respond to past climate change in many ways; through population size change, altered distributions and migrations. In combination with environmental data, ancient DNA is helping to elucidate what drove some species to extinction. Species have adapted to past climates. Ancient DNA, primarily through candidate gene searches, has revealed the genes behind these adaptations. Indirect methods of sampling soil for ancient DNA has aided in reconstructing past habitats. Ancient DNA can decipher how species responded to past natural climate change. This information can be used to aid in conservation. Keywords: ancient DNA; demography; adaptation; climate change; extinction
Requirements for a Proposed Distributed Attention System for Supporting Awareness of Omissions in Healthcare

Noticing errors of omission can be challenging in complex, distributed processes. A prime example is outpatient care, where multiple distributed processes require attention. Teams must pay attention to patients currently in the clinic, to processes happening in the background, and to potential omissions in those processes. Detecting possible omissions may be supported with software, serving as a distributed attention system by guiding the team's attention to important areas. However, to ensure the software supports rather than disrupts attention, proper user requirements must be defined. This paper presents our study to identify high-level user interaction requirements for software planned to support attention to omissions in Chronic Heart Failure treatment. We interviewed outpatient clinic team members to identify information needs for addressing possible omissions, and how notifications should fit with team communication patterns. The findings are discussed in terms of high-level requirements for effective functioning of teams of humans and software agents.
An Integrative Endocrine Model for the Evolution of Developmental Timing and Life History of Plethodontids and Other Salamanders

In recent years, many molecular endocrine mechanisms that regulate tissue morphogenesis have been detailed in laboratory amphibian models. However, most of these pathways have not been examined across more closely related species to understand how deviations in endocrine pathways may have contributed to amphibian diversification. The timing of metamorphosis and maturation vary extensively across plethodontid salamanders (including direct developing, biphasic, and paedomorphic species), making them an ideal system for analyzing the evolution of endocrine mechanisms in a phylogenetic context. Recent phylogenetic-based reconstructions concluded that ancestral plethodontids were likely direct developers, and free-living larval periods were independently derived multiple times within this family. Furthermore, within one clade (Spelerpini) there have been multiple independent transitions from biphasic (metamorphic) to paedomorphic developmental modes. This inspires the question: What endocrine/developmental mec...
The addition of charcoals to broiler diets did not alter the recovery of Salmonella Typhimurium during grow-out

Two experiments evaluated prebiotics added to feed on the recovery of Salmonella in broilers during grow-out and processing. In Experiment 1, "seeder" chicks were inoculated with Salmonella Typhimurium and placed with penmates. Treatments were: basal control diet, added 0.3% bamboo charcoal, 0.6% bamboo charcoal, or 0.12% Aromabiotic (medium chain fatty acids). The ceca from seeders and penmates were sampled to confirm Salmonella colonization at 3, 4, and 6 wk, and pen litter was sampled weekly. At 3 wk, charcoal fed chicks had significantly lower cecal recovery (37% lower) of Salmonella via direct plating but no differences at wk 4 or 6. At 6 wk, broilers fed Aromabiotic had no recovery of Salmonella from ceca with direct plating and significantly, 18%, lower recovery with enrichment. In Experiment 2, the treatments were: basal control diet, added 0.3% bamboo charcoal, 0.3% activated bamboo charcoal, or 0.3% pine charcoal. At placement, 2 seeders were challenged with Salmonella and commingled with penmates and ceca sampled at 1 and 2 wk, and ceca from 5 penmates/pen at 3 to 6 wk. Weekly, the pH of the crop and duodenum was measured from 1 penmate/pen and the litter surface sampled. At the end of grow-out broilers were processed. Results showed that penmates had colonized at 1 and 2 wk. Cecal Salmonella showed no differences except at 4 wk, when activated bamboo charcoal had a 18% lower recovery of Salmonella (enrichment) compared to the control (88%). Similar to Experiment 1, the recovery of Salmonella from the litter was not significantly different among treatments, however an overall decrease in recovery by 4 wk with direct plating reoccurred. The pH of the duodenum and the crop were not different among treatments. Crop pH (6.0) for all treatments were significantly higher at wk 1 compared to wk 2 to 6. Charcoals had minimal effect on Salmonella recovery in the ceca, but following defeathering, broilers fed charcoals had significantly lower Salmonella recovery from breast skin (charcoals 5+/60 compared to control 8+/20). While the addition of charcoals to broilers feed did not significantly affect Salmonella recovery during production (from litter or ceca samples) there was a lower Salmonella recovery from breast skin following scalding and defeathering.
Nucleation and Morphology of TiSi2 on Si

This study explores the nucleation and surface and interface morphology of TiSi2 films formed on Si (100) and (111) surfaces. Titanium suicide films were formed on atomically clean Si(111) and (100) surfaces by UHV deposition of Ti followed by in situ anneals. The TiSi2 formation process was characterized is itu using AES and LEED, and the interface structure was determined post preparation by HRTEM. The metastable C49 and stable C54 TiSi2 phases have been identified from Raman spectroscopy measurements. The islands were partially recessed into the substrate, and the shape and degree of recession was different for the islands on (111) and (100) substrates. On (111) substrates epitaxial islands were observed which exhibited different interface structures and epitaxial alignments. The contact angles of the islands were measured and the surface and interface energies of the different configurations were deduced. The mechanisms pertaining to island formation and interface morphology are described in terms of the wetting properties of a liquid-liquid system, with the effects of interface structures causing deviations from the model.
Study on Electro-thermal Model of Thyristor in PSpice

A novel dynamic electro-thermal model,which can be used to predict the temperatures of device junctions,is developed for the thyristor by coupling a thyristor electrical model with dynamic thermal models.The thermal impedance parameters can be obtained by the finite element method,and the electrical parameters can be extracted from data sheet or using tools such as Matlab.The model is implemented in the PSpice circuit simulator and is connected to external circuits.Validation is accomplished by comparing the model results with the data sheet information.
The Influence of “Connecting and Regulating Ren Du” Acupuncture on Event-related Potential(P3) Check Results for Post Stroke Depression

Objective To discuss the effect of "connecting and regulating Ren Du" acupuncture on the cognitive function of post stroke depression sufferers by observing the event-related potential(P3) check results before and after the acupuncture therapy for the patients. Methods 80 cases of patients with stroke were randomly divided into depressive group and undepressive group, and 40 healthy cases were selected as the normal control group. In the two groups of stroke patients, Ren and Du Meridians acupoints were reused and the acting yang and strengthening the body resistance method was used. Before and after the treatment, the P3 check results and Hamilton Depression Scale scores were compared, and the change of P3 incubation period and amplitude of two groups of stroke patients were compared and observed. Results Before treatment, the differences between depressive group and undepressive group, depressive group and normal control group, the undepressive group and normal control group in amplitude, the delitescences of P3 and Hamilton Depression Scale scores were statistically significant(P0.01). After treatment, the delitescences of P3 of two groups of stroke patients significantly shortened than those before treatment, and the amplitudes enlarged(P0.01), but there was no statistically significant difference in amplitudes and delitescence of P3 between the two groups(P0.05); After treatment, comparing the amplitude and the delitescences of P3 of the depressive group with those of the normal control group, the two groups had no statistically significant difference in P3 delitescences(P0.05), but still had statistically significant difference in amplitude(P0.01). Comparing the Hamilton Depression Scale scores of the depressive group before and after treatment, there was statistically significant difference(P0.01). Conclusion The P3 check results of post stroke depressive patients are abnormal; "connecting and regulating Ren Du" acupuncture therapy can ameliorate the impaired brain function of the post stroke depressive patients.
A minimal mathematical model of human periodic breathing

Numerous mathematical models of periodic breathing (PB) currently exist. These models suggest mechanisms that may underlie many known causes of PB. However, each model that has been shown to simulate PB under reasonable conditions contains greater than 15 physiological parameters. Because some parameters exhibit a wide range of values in a population, such simulations cannot test a model's ability to account for the breathing patterns of individuals. Furthermore it is impractical to perform a direct experimental validation study that would require the estimation of each of 15 or more parameters for each subject. A minimal model of PB is presented that is suitable for direct validation. Analytic expressions are given that define the conditions for PB in terms of the following: 1) CO2 sensitivity, 2) Cardiac output, 3) Mixed venous CO2, 4) Circulation time, and 5) Mean lung volume for CO2. This model is shown to be consistent with previous models and experimental data regarding the degree of hypoxia or congestive heart failure required to produce PB. A quantitative measure of relative stability is defined as a metric of comparison to the human studies described in the accompanying paper (J. Appl. Physiol. 65: 1389-1399, 1988).
Light-breasted purple martins dominate dark-breasted birds in a roost: implications for female mimicry

On propose une hypothese differente de celle de Rohwer et coll. (Z. Tierpsychol. 51, 282-300) pour expliquer pourquoi le mimetisme des femelles peut etre avantageux pour les mâles d'un an, basee sur les idees de Smith (Field Ornithol. 51, 55-63) (chez de nombreuses especes monogames d'oiseaux, les mâles sont subordonnes aux femelles au cours de certaines phases du cycle de nidification)
Pasteurization of shell eggs using radio frequency heating

Abstract The USDA-FSIS estimates that pasteurization of all shell eggs in the U.S. would reduce the annual number of illnesses by more than 110,000. However, less than 3% of shell eggs are commercially pasteurized. One of the main reasons for this is that the commercial hot water process requires as much as 60 min to complete. In the present study, a radio frequency (RF) apparatus was constructed, and a two-step process was developed that uses RF energy and hot water, to pasteurize eggs in less than half the time. In order to select an appropriate RF generator, the impedance of shell eggs was measured in the frequency range of 10–70 MHz. The power density within the egg was modeled to prevent potential hotspots. Escherichia coli (ATCC 35218) was inoculated in the yolk to approximately 7.5 log CFU/ml. The combination process first heated the egg in 35.0 °C water for 3.5 min using 60 MHz RF energy. This resulted in the yolk being preferentially heated to 61 °C. Then, the egg was heated for an additional 20 min with 56.7 °C water. This two-step process reduced the population of E. coli by 6.5 log. The total time for the process was 23.5 min. By contrast, processing for 60 min was required to reduce the E. coli by 6.6 log using just hot water. The novel RF pasteurization process presented in this study was considerably faster than the existing commercial process. This should lead to an increase in the percentage of eggs being pasteurized, as well as a reduction of foodborne illnesses.
Empirical Measurement of Automated Recovery of Design Decisions and Structure

Several notations and techniques have been proposed to capture and represent software architecture decisions and structures. Previous work has suggested that using automated techniques to recover decisions and structures from whichever project artifacts are actually kept may be a reasonable solution, but empirical evaluations of this claim are scarce. This article describes: (1) the TREx design decision and architecture structure recovery technique and tool, (2) precision and recall measures of recovery effectiveness for system structure, and (3) an experimental design to evaluate design decision and structure recovery approaches. An initial experimental evaluation of manual versus tool-supported TREx shows that using the tool increases recall, but yield mixed results on precision: decrease structure recovery precision, but increase decision recovery. Also anecdotic evidence suggest that only Experts were systematically better in recovering decisions without tool-support. A replicable experimental package has been published.
A power management approach for load leveling

Electrical generating utilities are increasingly annoyed with the growing gap between the peaks and valleys of electricity demand. This paper proposes a power management approach for load leveling by utilizing battery-equipped devices. This approach implements a peak-shift on devices which include a built-in battery. Performing a peak-shift on such devices narrows the gap. In addition, it also helps reduce CO/sub 2/ emissions. This approach can be implemented on widely used notebook computers. Although the size of the peak shift on each device is small, by combining large numbers of devices, it is possible to show large effects.
Integration of a do it yourself Hardware in a Lighting Device for the Management of Thermal Comfort and Energy Use

Abstract The article describes the application of an object, called Smart lamp, for the control of the thermal comfort in real working conditions, implemented following the Do IT Yourself (DIY) approach, using a microcontroller, low cost sensors and a 3D printer. The idea beyond the Smart lamp is the concept of smart environments in which sensors and actuators interact each other with the aim of improving the human well-being. The device that upgrades in a “smart” way a commercial desk lamp usually available in offices, allows to optimize the indoor thermal comfort and the energy consumption, by interacting directly with the heat pump. In order to evaluate in a 4-person office the thermal comfort and the energy consumption improvements due to the better management of the cooling system a Smart lamp was tested. The results showed how the application of this device effectively has optimized the thermal comfort and the energy consumption.
Identification of outliers in gene expression data

Identification of outliers is a big challenge in big data although it has drawn a great deal of attention in recent years. Among all big data problems, the detection of outliers in gene expression data warrants extra attention because of its inherent complexity. Although a variety of outlier detection methods are available in the literature, Tomlins et al. (Tomlins et al. Science 310:644–648, 2005) argued that traditional analytical methods, for example, a two-sample t-statistic, which search for common activation of genes across a class of cancer samples, will fail to detect cancer genes, which show differential expression in a subset of cancer samples or cancer outliers. They developed the cancer outlier profile analysis (COPA) method to detect cancer genes and outliers. Inspired by the COPA statistic, some authors have proposed other methods for detecting cancer-related genes with cancer outlier profiles in the framework of multiple testing (Tibshirani and Hastie Tibshirani and Hastie Biostatistics 8:2–8, 2007; Wu Wu Biostatistics 8:566–575, 2007; Lian Lian Biostatistics 9:411–418, 2008; Wang and Rekaya Wang and Rekaya Biomarker Insights 5:69–78, 2010). Such cancer outlier analyses are affected by many problems especially if there is an outlier in the dataset then classical measures of location and scale are seriously affected. So the test statistic using these parameters might not be appropriate to detect outliers. In this study, we try to robustify one existing method. We propose a new technique called expressed robust t-statistic (ERT) for the identification of outliers. The usefulness of the proposed methods is then investigated through a Monte Carlo simulation.
Facial Paralysis and Hearing Loss: A Rare Manifestation of Prostate Cancer Metastases

Dural prostate metastases (DPM) are a rare manifestation of metastatic prostate cancer seen in approximately one to six percent of cases. Presenting symptoms may include signs of elevated intracranial pressure, headache, altered mental status, or cranial nerve palsies. Hearing loss, sensory changes, dysarthria, and dysphagia are rare symptoms in DPM that were present in our patient. We present a case of a 58-year-old male with a known diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the prostate presenting with symptoms of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), sub-acute right-sided hearing loss, and right-sided facial paralysis. Over the course of hospitalization, his neurological symptoms worsened and he developed dysarthria, dysphagia, facial numbness, and worsening back pain. He also appeared more withdrawn and lethargic. The symptoms prompted a neurological evaluation and a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed multiple areas of bone marrow signal abnormality compatible with osseous metastatic disease. There was extensive smooth dural thickening as well as focal nodular thickening, both consistent with dural metastases. The patient was treated with corticosteroids and external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) with improvement in his back pain and facial paralysis. He died two weeks after completing EBRT. Although rare, DPM should be suspected in males over 50 years of age presenting with neurological symptoms. An MRI with gadolinium is most helpful in delineating the presence and extent of dural and calvarial involvement. Corticosteroids and EBRT have been shown to improve neurological function in up to 67% of patients. However, median survival post-radiation remains approximately three months.
A pathway linking reward circuitry, impulsive sensation-seeking and risky decision-making in young adults: identifying neural markers for new interventions

High trait impulsive sensation seeking (ISS) is common in 18-25-year olds, and is associated with risky decision-making and deleterious outcomes. We examined relationships among: activity in reward regions previously associated with ISS during an ISS-relevant context, uncertain reward expectancy (RE), using fMRI; ISS impulsivity and sensation-seeking subcomponents; and risky decision-making in 100, transdiagnostically recruited 18-25-year olds. ISS, anhedonia, anxiety, depression and mania were measured using self-report scales; clinician-administered scales also assessed the latter four. A post-scan risky decision-making task measured 'risky' (possible win/loss/mixed/neutral) fMRI-task versus 'sure thing' stimuli. 'Bias' reflected risky over safe choices. Uncertain RE-related activity in left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and bilateral ventral striatum was positively associated with an ISS composite score, comprising impulsivity and sensation-seeking-fun-seeking subcomponents (ISSc; P⩽0.001). Bias positively associated with sensation seeking-experience seeking (ES; P=0.003). This relationship was moderated by ISSc (P=0.009): it was evident only in high ISSc individuals. Whole-brain analyses showed a positive relationship between: uncertain RE-related left ventrolateral prefrontal cortical activity and ISSc; uncertain RE-related visual attention and motor preparation neural network activity and ES; and uncertain RE-related dorsal anterior cingulate cortical activity and bias, specifically in high ISSc participants (all ps<0.05, peak-level, family-wise error corrected). We identify an indirect pathway linking greater levels of uncertain RE-related activity in reward, visual attention and motor networks with greater risky decision-making, via positive relationships with impulsivity, fun seeking and ES. These objective neural markers of high ISS can guide new treatment developments for young adults with high levels of this debilitating personality trait.
Continuity in Psychosocial Change from Adolescence to Young Adulthood

This chapter is concerned with the degree to which developmental change between adolescence and young adulthood shows continuity or stability. It argues for a significant degree of stability despite major changes in personality, the perceived environment, and behavior across the intervening years. Data are presented from a longitudinal study of junior high school cohorts and college freshmen, all in their adolescent years, followed for four consecutive years, and then followed up again, after a 6 year hiatus, when all were young adults. The findings revealed impressive developmental change across those years but continuity in the place that individual participants occupied in the various distributions. Further, stability coefficients for the multiple measures employed across the 6-year time interval were significant and often substantial; outcomes in young adulthood were predictable from measures obtained in adolescence; and the timing of a transition behavior—early or later time of initial sexual intercourse experience—was predictable from a pattern of antecedent personality, perceived environment, and behavior attributes. These multiple research strategies all demonstrate the stability or continuity of developmental change across the adolescent to young adult segment of the life course. In addition, the research supports the importance of the psychosocial dimension of conventionality/unconventionality in forecasting the direction of developmental change from adolescence to young adulthood in these cohorts.
XRM90 Conference Summary

The rapid expansion of the field of x-ray microscopy has brought with it a host of innovations. New sources have been (and are being) developed which facilitate new and diverse imaging techniques. To meet the possibilities opened by these sources, the technologies for new optics and detectors have made considerable advances. Many microscopes have evolved, and problems of specimen preparation and image interpretation are receiving considerable attention. The question of specimen damage is being appraised and the techniques are being compared to those of other microscopies. This will help to identify how best x-rays can be used in biology and materials science for fruitful research. Several groups succeeded in recording high resolution images of wet biological specimens, some of which were initially alive, or prepared without fixatives. This paper is a summary of the contributions to the conference from all these areas.
The effects of extended crawling on the physiology and swim performance of loggerhead and green sea turtle hatchlings.

Following emergence from the nest, sea turtle hatchling dispersal can be disrupted by artificial lights or skyglow from urban areas. Mis- or disorientation may increase exposure to predation, thermal stress, and dehydration, and consume valuable energy, thus decreasing the likelihood of survival. In this study hatchlings were run on a treadmill for 200m or 500m to investigate the physiological impacts of disorientation crawling on loggerhead ( Caretta caretta ) and green ( Chelonia mydas ) sea turtle hatchlings. Oxygen consumption, lactate production, and blood glucose levels were determined and swim performance measured over 2h following crawls. Crawl distances were also determined for hatchlings which disoriented on the Boca Raton, Fl, beach, with plasma lactate and blood glucose sampled for both properly oriented and disoriented hatchlings. Green and loggerhead hatchlings rested for 8-12% and 22-25% of crawl time, respectively, both in the laboratory and when disoriented on the beach, which was significantly longer than the time spent resting in non-disoriented turtles. As a result of these rest periods, the extended crawl distances had little effect on oxygen consumption, blood glucose, or plasma lactate levels. Swim performance over 2h following the crawls also changed little compared to controls. Plasma lactate concentrations were significantly higher in hatchling sampled in the field, but did not correlate with crawl distance. The greatest immediate impact of extended crawling due to disorientation events, then, is likely to be the significantly greater period of time spent on the beach and thus exposure to predation.
Integrated MRI and [11C]-PBR28 PET Imaging to Characterize In vivo Glial Activation in Amyotrophic and Primary Lateral Sclerosis: Cross Sectional and Longitudinal Study (P2.032)

Objective: Confirm our initial finding of increased [ 11 C]-PBR28 in the motor cortices of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), study the longitudinal changes, and characterize the gray vs. white matter distribution of [ 11 C]-PBR28 uptake in a larger cohort of patients with ALS and extend our investigations to patients with primary lateral sclerosis (PLS). Background: There is a substantial unmet need to develop diagnostic and pharmacodynamic markers for ALS and PLS. [ 11 C]-PBR28 is a is a second-generation radioligand binds translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO) to detect glial activation. Design/Methods: 53 ALS, 11 PLS and 21 healthy controls underwent brain imaging using an integrated PET-MR scanner. All individuals were genotyped for the Ala147Thr TSPO polymorphism and low affinity binders were excluded. Patients were clinically assessed using the upper motor neuron burden (UMNB), and the revised ALS functional rating scale (ALSFRS-R). [ 11 C]-PBR28 uptake was quantified as standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR), and compared between groups using voxel-wise, surface-based, and region of interest (ROI) analyses. Using MRI data, cortical thickness, and fractional anisotropy were compared between groups and correlated with the clinical data. [ 11 C]-PBR28 uptake and ALSFRS-R were compared longitudinally over six-month in ten ALS individuals. Results: Voxel wise, surface-based and ROI analyses revealed increased [ 11 C]-PBR28 uptake in the motor cortices in ALS participants compared to controls. This increase co-localized and correlated with decreased cortical thickness (r= − 0·49; P=0·0002), and reduced FA (r= − 0·56; p 11 C]-PBR28 signal correlated with higher UMNB (r= + 0·53, P 11 C]-PBR28 uptake was predominantly increased in the sub-cortical white matter of the motor cortices in the PLS group. [ 11 C]-PBR28 was stable over six-month in ten ALS individuals, although ALSFRS-R progressed at 0.5 points/month. Conclusions: [ 11 C]-PBR28 PET is a promising candidate molecular biomarker to measure the impact of experimental treatments on glial activation in future ALS clinical trials. Study Supported by: Harvard Neuro Discovery Center. The American Academy of Neurology, The Anne Young Fellowship award, The Spastic Paraplegia Foundation, and K23NS083715 from NINDS Disclosure: Dr. Alshikho has nothing to disclose. Dr. Zurcher has nothing to disclose. Dr. Loggia has nothing to disclose. Dr. Cernasov has nothing to disclose. Dr. Reynolds has nothing to disclose. Dr. Pijanowski has nothing to disclose. Dr. Chonde has nothing to disclose. Dr. Garcia has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mainero has nothing to disclose. Dr. Catana has nothing to disclose. Dr. Chan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Babu has nothing to disclose. Dr. Paganoni has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hooker has nothing to disclose. Dr. Atassi has nothing to disclose.
Evidence supporting the existence of an exercise anaerobic threshold.

Since 5 liters of blood with normal arterial oxygen (O2) concentration contains only 1 liter of O2, the increase in muscle blood flow to support an O2 requirement of 1 L/min, aerobically, must be greater than 5 L/min. The slope for the increase in cardiac output for an increase in oxygen uptake (VO2) is normally approximately 6 (Faulkner et al., 1977; Yamaguchi et al., 1986), suggesting that approximately 18% of the O2 delivered to the exercising muscles remains at the venous end of the muscle capillary. This would result in an O2 tension of approximately 15 mmHg. This is consistent with the 8 mmHg O2 tension in exercising muscle below which the muscle lactate/pyruvate ratio was observed to abruptly increase by Bylund-Fellenius et al (1981). To maintain total aerobic metabolism, there must be little inhomogeneity in the muscle blood flow/O2 consumption ratio (Qm/VO2m) since a ratio of 5.5 or less would obligate anaerobic metabolism (Figure 1). After maximal hyperemia, the Qm/VO2m ratio must increase to obtain an increased capillary to mitochondrial PO2 difference (P(c-m)O2) necessary to achieve the mass flow of O2 to avoid anaerobiosis for increasing work rate. An additional mechanism regulating the decrease in capillary PO2 is the shift to the right of the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve accompanying the local acidosis of anaerobic metabolism.
Metallacarboranes of the transition and lanthanide elements

Metallacarboranes (carboranes incorporating one or more metal atoms in the cage framework, alternatively described as metal-carborane complexes), comprise a huge family of compounds of which thousands have been prepared and characterized. This chapter presents a detailed summary of this area in its many facets, including methods of synthesis, molecular and electronic structures, physical properties, and reactivity. An overview of general synthetic approaches is followed by a review of the preparation, structures, and properties of the smaller (6- and 7-vertex) metallacarboranes, intermediate-sized 8-11 vertex clusters, the 12-vertex icosahedral systems, and finally the supraicosahedral (13- to 15-vertex) cages.
The Sternal Gland of the Rufous Elephant-Shrew, Elephantulus Rufescens (Macroscelidea, Mammalia)

The rufous elephant-shrew (Elephantulus rufescens), a monomorphic species found in the dry bushlands of East Africa, possesses a sternal gland that is used in scent marking. We examined the anatomy and maturation of the sternal gland of captive E. rufescens, and we identified some of the volatile compounds it secretes. Histological observations reveal that the gland contains primarily sebaceous components, but apocrine components also are observed. The sternal gland begins secreting at approximately 5.4 weeks of age, when E. rufescens begins to exhibit other adult features. Glands are larger in males than females, despite the fact that females are dominant. Gland activity was greatest in heterosexually paired males, and did not vary seasonally. Gas chromatograms indicate more than 100 components in the secretions of adult males and females. Thirty-seven compounds, including four hydrocarbons, 10 fatty acids, 14 esters, four alcohols, one sterol, one aldehyde, one ketone, one amine, and one nitrile, were tentatively identified by mass spectra.