cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Photoinduced dynamics of nematic order parameter in FeSe

Nematicity is deemed a precursor of superconductivity in unconventional superconductors. Here, the authors investigate the formation of a nematic phase and the dynamics of nematic fluctuations in FeSe using ultrafast electron diffraction. They find an enhancement of the high-symmetry crystalline order as a result of photoinduced suppression of low-symmetry local lattice distortion. This distortion, which is a signature of nematic fluctuations, is corroborated by x-ray pair distribution function analysis and electron microscopy, and is present in a wide temperature range below and above the nematic phase transition.
ETHNIC DIFFERENCES IN 10 YEAR CLINICAL OUTCOMES AFTER DRUG ELUTING STENTING: WHY DO AFRICAN AMERICANS FARE SO POORLY?

Patients of different racial or ethnic backgrounds may face different socioeconomic or cultural issues, or have genetic differences that impact long-term outcomes after PCI. To date there are very limited data beyond 1-2 years to inform discussions about this issue and perhaps improve outcomes.
Addressing the psychosocial needs of cancer patients: a retrospective analysis of a distress screening and management protocol in clinical care.

Background: A growing recognition of the impact of distress on the quality of life and adherence to treatment of cancer patients has been documented. As a result, national guidelines and standards ...
Immediate Migration of Biopsy Clip Markers After Upright Digital Breast Tomosynthesis-Guided Vacuum-Assisted Core Biopsy

Rationale and Objectives The goal of this retrospective study was to evaluate the rate of immediate post-biopsy clip migration on an upright digital tomosynthesis-guided vacuum-assisted core biopsy unit and determine if any factors were associated with immediate clip migration. Materials and Methods We performed a retrospective review of patients who had undergone a biopsy performed at one facility from November 1, 2014 to September 30, 2016. Post-biopsy mammograms were reviewed to assess immediate clip position relative to the targeted lesion. The effects of age, lesion type, breast density, biopsy approach, number of samples, size of the biopsy chamber, and clip type on clip migration were examined using logistic regression analysis. Results One hundred ninety-seven biopsies were performed on 188 patients for calcifications (n = 159), architectural distortions (n = 29), masses (n = 5), and asymmetries (n = 4). The clip migration rate was 38% as defined as greater than 0.5 cm from the site of the biopsied lesion. The only independently predictive variable of clip migration was breast density in a numeric covariate in the logistic regression model, as migration was more likely with decreased breast density. The estimated odds ratio for a single level increase in BI-RADS breast density was 0.60 (95% confidence interval: 0.40, 0.91) with p = 0.018. Conclusion Immediate clip migration following biopsy was more likely with decreased breast density. Radiologists should be aware of immediate clip migration as correct clip location guides preoperative localization and allows the biopsy site to be monitored for changes on future mammograms.
Aldosterone as a mediator of severity in retinal vascular disease: Evidence and potential mechanisms.

Abstract Diabetic retinopathy (DR) and retinal vein occlusion (RVO) are the two most common retinal vascular diseases and are major causes of vision loss and blindness worldwide. Recent and ongoing development of medical therapies including anti-vascular endothelial growth factor and corticosteroid drugs for treatment of these diseases have greatly improved the care of afflicted patients. However, severe manifestations of retinal vascular disease result in persistent macular edema, progressive retinal ischemia and incomplete visual recovery. Additionally, choroidal vascular diseases including neovascular age-related macular degeneration (NVAMD) and central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) cause vision loss for which current treatments are incompletely effective in some cases and highly burdensome in others. In recent years, aldosterone has gained attention as a contributor to the various deleterious effects of retinal and choroidal vascular diseases via a variety of mechanisms in several retinal cell types. The following is a review of the role of aldosterone in retinal and choroidal vascular diseases as well as our current understanding of the mechanisms by which aldosterone mediates these effects.
Decisional conflict among adolescents and parents making decisions about genomic sequencing results

Genomic testing of adolescents is increasing yet engaging them in decision-making is not routine. We assessed decisional conflict in adolescents and a parent making independent decisions about actual genomic testing results and factors that influenced their choices. We enrolled 163 dyads consisting of an adolescent (13-17 years) not selected based on a specific clinical indication and one parent. After independently choosing categories of conditions to learn for the adolescent, participants completed the validated Decisional Conflict Scale and a survey assessing factors influencing their respective choices. Adolescents had higher decisional conflict scores than parents (15.6 [IQR:4.7-25.6] vs 9.4 [IQR:1.6-21.9]; P = .0007). Adolescents with clinically significant decisional conflict were less likely to choose to learn all results than adolescents with lower decisional conflict (19.6% vs 80.4%; P < .0001) and less likely to report their choices were influenced by actionability of results (33.3% vs 18.9%; P = .044) and feeling confident they can deal with the results (71.2% vs 91.9%; P = .0005). Our findings suggest higher decisional conflict in adolescents may influence the type and amount of genomic results they wish to learn. Additional research assessing decisional conflict and factors influencing testing choices among adolescents in clinical settings are required.
Characteristics and outcomes of children with congenital heart disease needing diaphragm plication.

BACKGROUND Diaphragm dysfunction following surgery for congenital heart disease is a known complication leading to delays in recovery and increased post-operative morbidity and mortality. We aimed to determine the incidence of and risk factors associated with diaphragm plication in children undergoing cardiac surgery and evaluate timing to repair and effects on hospital cost and length of stay. METHODS We conducted a multi-institutional retrospective observational cohort study. Forty-three hospitals from the Pediatric Health Information System database were included, and a total of 112,110 patients admitted between January 2004 and December 2014 were analysed. RESULTS Patients less than 18 years of age who underwent cardiac surgery were included. Risk Adjustment for Congenital Heart Surgery was utilized to determine procedure complexity. The overall incidence of diaphragm dysfunction was 2.2% (n = 2513 out of 112,110). Of these, 24.0% (603 patients) underwent diaphragm plication. Higher complexity cardiac surgery (Risk Adjustment for Congenital Heart Surgery 5-6) and age less than 4 weeks were associated with a higher likelihood of diaphragm plication (p-value < 0.01). Diaphragmatic plication was associated with increased hospital length of stay (p-value < 0.01) and increased medical cost. CONCLUSIONS Diaphragm plication after surgery for congenital heart disease is associated with longer hospital length of stay and increased cost. There is a strong correlation of prolonged time to plication with increased length of stay and medical cost. The likelihood of plication increases with younger age and higher procedure complexity. Methods to improve early recognition and treatment of diaphragm dysfunction should be developed.
An item response theory analysis of the PTSD checklist for DSM-5: Implications for DSM-5 and ICD-11

Abstract The PTSD Checklist (PCL) is a widely used, extensively validated questionnaire for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The PCL was revised for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5; Friedman, 2013 ), and the updated version, the PCL-5, has continued the strong psychometric performance of the original version. To further explore the PCL-5’s psychometric properties, we used item response theory (IRT) to examine item difficulty and discrimination parameters in separate samples of trauma-exposed undergraduates (N = 1213) and community members (N = 367). Considering item difficulty, nightmares, flashbacks, and reckless or self-destructive behavior emerged among the most difficult items across samples and internal avoidance emerged as the least difficult items across samples. In terms of item discrimination, inability to experience positive emotions, detachment from others, diminished interest, and negative emotions emerged as highly discriminating items in both samples, and traumatic amnesia and reckless or self-destructive behavior emerged as the least discriminating items in both samples. These results have implications for the divergent conceptualizations of PTSD in DSM-5 versus International Classification of Diseases, 11th Edition (ICD-11; WHO, 2018 ). Future research should employ IRT in a clinical population.
Le point de vue de jeunes autochtones en milieu urbain sur leur parcours scolaire

Dans cet article, nous explorons le cheminement scolaire et les sources de soutien de jeunes atikamekw vivant en milieu urbain et frequentant des ecoles publiques. Des entrevues menees dans le contexte d’une recherche-action mettent en lumiere des parcours scolaires non lineaires, caracterises par de multiples transitions scolaires etant donne la mobilite entre la communaute et la ville des familles autochtones. L’etude demontre que le milieu scolaire est souvent vecu comme une source de demotivation par les jeunes atikamekw de la ville de Joliette, surtout quand ils sont diriges vers des classements en cheminement particulier au secondaire ou lorsqu’ils vivent de la discrimination. A la maison, on valorise l’assiduite a l’ecole, mais le sentiment des familles envers le milieu scolaire demeure ambivalent. Les pairs jouent un role variable : ils peuvent etre tantot des soutiens, tantot des influences demotivantes. En trame de fond, la culture atikamekw est un element prise par les jeunes. Ils cherchent a la connaitre et a alimenter leur autochtonie a travers le partage relationnel au sein du groupe d’appartenance et d’un rassemblement collectif soutenu par un Centre d’amitie. Les jeunes naviguent et negocient dans un contexte complexe ou la culture et les attentes familiales et scolaires sont parfois difficilement conciliables. Ainsi, leur agenceite s’exprime autant par le choix de rester a l’ecole que celui, parfois, de la quitter. Notre etude souleve le besoin de revoir l’approche dominante au « decrochage » scolaire et d’elargir la reflexion au-dela d’une problematique individuelle. Mots-cles : agenceite, jeunes, Autochtones, urbain, perseverance scolaire
Robust Energy-optimal Path Following Control for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles in Ocean Currents.

Energy efficiency is crucial for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) with limited on-board energy resources. In this paper, we study the energy-optimal control problem for an AUV to follow a planned reference in ocean currents. The objective of reference following in ocean currents can be effectively achieved by the line-of-sight (LOS) guidance-based path following control, which yet does not explicitly address the problem of energy minimization. We propose a method of LOS guidance-based control that incorporates energy minimization while achieving robust path following in the presence of uncertainty in ocean current information. First, the desired heading of a vehicle is obtained based on a LOS guidance law and the optimal surge speed is computed by minimizing the energy consumed for traveling unit distance towards the desired heading in the nominal current. Then, to deal with uncertainty, we analyze the sensitivity of the resulting optimal surge speed to bounded uncertainty around the nominal current and robustify the optimal surge speed by minimizing the maximum potential energy loss due to the uncertainty. The proposed controller tracks the desired heading and the optimal surge speed in a model predictive control framework. The simulation results show that the proposed method can save considerable energy while maintaining a satisfactory path following performance under bounded uncertainty in the nominal current.
Systematic Reviews: Characteristics and Impact

Since 1990, systematic reviews are growing exponentially with thousands being published each year. The objectives of this study were to determine both their temporal characteristics in terms of growth per year, subject areas, and publishing affiliations as well as their scientific impact. In this study we used 106,038 systematic reviews collected from Web of Science in 2019. These articles were analyzed to identify topics and publishing institutions, scientific impact and more. Our data shows that while the number of systematic reviews grows each year, their scientific impact diminishes. This can be seen in both citations and usage metrics. The journals that publish the most systematic reviews are below the normal Impact Factor for journals in the medical and biomedical arenas. There are very few institutions around the world, that produce most of the systematic reviews. Topics vary from one institution to another. The sheer number of systematic reviews publications is not an indication of quality or of impact. In fact, our data show that these are on the decline. There seems to be saturation in this area, which results in less interest in and utility of systematic reviews.
Role of Consolidation Durvalumab in Patients With EGFR- and HER2-Mutant Unresectable Stage III NSCLC.

Abstract Introduction Despite the recent advance of consolidation durvalumab in the treatment of unresectable stage III NSCLC, not every patient benefits from durvalumab and the predictive markers of response have been difficult to identify. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC treated with consolidation durvalumab after definitive chemoradiation from January 2018 to March 2020. Results A total of 36 patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC were treated with consolidation durvalumab. Of these patients, 14 had tumor mutations in the ERBB family including 11 EGFR and 3 ERBB2. The ERBB2/EGFR tumor mutation cohort was more likely to be nonsmokers; otherwise, the two groups were similar in age, sex, programmed death-ligand 1 expression, and type of previous chemotherapy regimen. Patients in the ERBB2/EGFR cohort had a significantly shorter disease-free survival compared with the EGFR or ERBB2 wild-type cohort (7.5 mo versus not reached, p = 0.04). Conclusions Consolidation durvalumab seems to be less efficacious in patients with ERBB2/EGFR-mutant tumors. Future work should seek to evaluate this in the prospective setting and provide insight into the optimal treatment of ERBB2/EGFR-mutant stage III NSCLC.
The Origin of Cell Structure

It has been considered by many researchers at this time point that cell originated from vesicles or micelles, which were formed with amphiphiles like fatty acids, monoglycerides and phospholipids. The experimental results were published by Deamer, showing that vesicles could be formed by amphiphilic lipids, which could be extracted from Murchison meteorite (Deamer DW, Pashley RM, Ori Life Evol Bioshp 19:21–38, 1989). However, even protocell should be not a simple bag but a functional bag, of which membrane can pass through various small organic compounds. If the small organic compounds, which accumulated around the protocell, could not pass through the membrane, the protocell could not survive for a long time. On the contrary, I have proposed in this Chapter the idea, suggesting that the first protocell must be a [GADV]-protenoid microsphere, into which small chemical compounds as water, glyoxylate, glycelaldehyde, pyruvate and so on can be incorporated. Furthermore, I consider that the protocell without any gene could proliferate and evolve owing to individuality of the protocell and catalytic activities exhibited by [GADV]-proteins. The idea or [GADV]-protenoid microsphere hypothesis, assuming that [GADV]-protenoid microsphere was protocell, is of course similar to Oparin’s idea, coacervate theory ((Oparin AI, The origin of life on earth. Academic, New York, 1957), and especially to Fox’s idea, protenoid microsphere theory (Fox SW, Dose K, Molecular evolution and the origin of life. Marcel Dekker Inc., New York, 1977). It is considered that the first genuine life emerged when the [GADV]-microsphere acquired double-stranded (GNC)n genes, of which formation was triggered by creation of anticodon stem-loop tRNA through random process.
Direct Measurements of DT Fuel Preheat from Hot Electrons in Direct-Drive Inertial Confinement Fusion

Hot electrons generated by laser-plasma instabilities degrade the performance of laser-fusion implosions by preheating the DT fuel and reducing core compression. The hot-electron energy deposition in the DT fuel has been directly measured for the first time by comparing the hard x-ray signals between DT-layered and mass-equivalent ablator-only implosions. The electron energy deposition profile in the fuel is inferred through dedicated experiments using Cu-doped payloads of varying thickness. The measured preheat energy accurately explains the areal-density degradation observed in many OMEGA implosions. This technique can be used to assess the viability of the direct-drive approach to laser fusion with respect to the scaling of hot-electron preheat with laser energy.
Protein Dynamics by Two-Dimensional Infrared Spectroscopy.

Proteins function as ensembles of interconverting structures. The motions span from picosecond bond rotations to millisecond and longer subunit displacements. Characterization of functional dynamic...
Criteria-Based Assessment of a Teleophthalmology Diabetic Retinopathy Evaluation Program in a Primary Care Setting

Background: Studies have shown that teleophthalmology programs using a nonmydriatic camera in primary care settings can improve rates of diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening. However, such programs ...
CELL PHONE INDUCED PERCEPTUAL IMPAIRMENTS DURING SIMULATED DRIVING

This research assessed the effects of cellular phone conversations on driving performance. When subjects were deeply involved in cellular phone conversations using either a hand-held or hands-free device, they were more than twice as likely to miss simulated traffic signals presented at the center of fixation than when they were not distracted by the cell phone conversation. By contrast, performance was not disrupted by listening to radio broadcasts or listening to a book on tape. One might argue that when subjects were conversing on a cell phone that they detected the simulated traffic signals, but that the responses to them were suppressed. To assess this, the authors examined the implicit perceptual memory for items that were presented at fixation but called for no response. Implicit perceptual memory was strong when subjects were not engaged in a cell phone conversation but impaired when they were so engaged. The authors suggest that active participation in a cell phone conversation disrupts performance by diverting attention to an engaging cognitive context other than the one immediately associated with driving.
Spike correlation measures that eliminate stimulus effects in response to white noise

When measured in response to non-repeating white noise, standard covariance measures of two neuronal spike trains contain components due simply to a shared stimulus. We argue that, without stimulus repeats, model-free measures cannot in general remove these stimulus-induced components. We present spike correlation measures that eliminate them when the neural response can be approximated by a linear-nonlinear system. One of these measures fully characterizes the correlations in the special case that all remaining correlations are due to small reciprocal connections between the neurons. In addition, we demonstrate that the proposed measures can give accurate results with a more realistic, integrate-and-fire model of neural response, provided that it is driven like a linear-nonlinear system.
Nucleoplasmic and Cytoplasmic Glycoproteins

We have described a new form of protein glycosylation in which N-acetylglucosamine is glycosidically linked to the hydroxyl of serine or threonine (O-GlcNAc). Unlike most other forms of protein glycosylation, O-GlcNAc is predominantly localized in the nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments of cells, where it occurs on important nuclear pore glycoproteins, well-characterized cytoskeletal proteins, as well as on many chromatin proteins, including factors that regulate gene transcription. Gas-phase protein sequencing of three O-GlcNAc-modified proteins has identified a common structural feature at sites of O-GlcNAc addition. An assay for UDP-GlcNAc:polypeptide O-GlcNAc transferase has been developed. The enzyme appears to be membrane-associated, its active site is cytoplasmic, and it has an absolute requirement for Mn2+. We are now purifying this glycosyltransferase, characterizing its substrate specificity, and determining the extent of elongation of attached saccharide moieties. The functions of O-GlcNAc remain largely unknown, but it may be important in blocking phosphorylation sites, it may be required for the assembly of specific multiprotein complexes, it might serve as a nuclear transport signal, or it may be directly involved in the active transport of macromolecules across nuclear pores.
Training time and team composition robustness in evolved multi-agent systems

Evolutionary algorithms are effective at creating cooperative, multi-agent systems. However, current Island and Team algorithms show subtle but significant weaknesses when it comes to balancing member performance with member cooperation, leading to sub-optimal overall team performance. In this paper we apply a new class of cooperative multi-agent evolutionary algorithms called Orthogonal Evolution of Teams (OET) which produce higher levels of cooperation and specialization than current team algorithms. We also show that sophisticated behavior evolves much sooner using OET algorithms, even when training resources are significantly reduced. Finally, we show that when teams must be reformed, due to agent break down for example, those teams composed of individuals sampled from OET teams perform much better than teams composed of individuals sampled from teams created by other methods.
Understanding the reasons for the underuse of pneumococcal vaccination by community-dwelling older African Americans.

OBJECTIVES: To understand the potential roles of various patient and provider factors in the underuse of pneumococcal vaccination in Medicare-eligible older African Americans. DESIGN: The Cardiovascular Health Study. SETTING: Four U.S. states. PARTICIPANTS: Seven hundred ninety-five pairs of community-dwelling Medicare-eligible African-American and white adults aged 65 and older, balanced according to age and sex. MEASUREMENTS: Data on self-reported race, receipt of pneumococcal vaccination, and other important sociodemographic and clinical variables were collected at baseline. RESULTS: Participants had a mean age ± standard deviation of 73 ± 6; 63% were female. Pneumococcal vaccination rates were 22% for African Americans and 28% for whites (unadjusted odds ratios (OR) for African Americans=0.75; 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.60�0.94; P=.01). This association remained significant despite adjustment for sociodemographic and clinical confounders, including education, income, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and prior pneumonia (OR=0.74, 95% CI=0.56�0.97; P=.03), but the association was no longer significant after additional adjustment for the receipt of influenza vaccination (OR=0.79, 95% CI=0.59�1.06; P=.12). Receipt of influenza vaccination was associated with higher odds of receiving pneumococcal vaccination (unadjusted OR=6.43, 95% CI=5.00�8.28; P<.001), and the association between race and pneumococcal vaccination lost significance when adjusted for influenza vaccination alone (OR=0.81, 95% CI=0.63�1.03; P=.09). CONCLUSION: The strong association between receipt of influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations suggests that patient and provider attitudes toward vaccination, rather than traditional confounders such as education and income, may help explain the underuse of pneumococcal vaccination in older African Americans.
Present-Day Hospital Readmissions after Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation: A Large Single-Center Study

Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) therapy improves survival, hemodynamic status, and end-organ perfusion in patients with refractory advanced heart failure. Hospital readmission is an important measure of the intensity of LVAD support care. We analyzed readmissions of 148 patients (mean age, 53.6 ± 12.7 yr; 83% male) who received a HeartMate II LVAD from April 2008 through June 2012. The patients had severe heart failure; 60.1% were in Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support class 1 or 2. All patients were observed for at least 12 months, and readmissions were classified as planned or unplanned. Descriptive and multivariate regression analyses were used to identify predictors of unplanned readmission. Twenty-seven patients (18.2%) had no readmissions or 69 planned readmissions, and 121 patients (81.8%) had 460 unplanned readmissions. The LVAD-related readmissions were for bleeding, thrombosis, and anticoagulation (n=103; 49.1%), pump-related infections (n=60; 28.6%), and neurologic events (n=28; 13.3%). The readmission rate was 2.1 per patient-year. Unplanned readmissions were for comorbidities and underlying cardiac disease (54.3%) or LVAD-related causes (45.7%). In the unplanned-readmission rate, there was no significant difference between bridge-to-transplantation and destination-therapy patients. Unplanned readmissions were associated with diabetes mellitus (odds ratio [OR]=3.3; P=0.04) and with shorter mileage from residence to hospital (OR=0.998; P=0.046). Unplanned admissions for LVAD-related sequelae and ongoing comorbidities were common. Diabetes mellitus and shorter distance from residence to hospital were significant predictors of readmission. We project that improved management of comorbidities and of anticoagulation therapy will reduce unplanned readmissions of LVAD patients in the future.
Portal venous gas in hypertrophic pyloric stenosis

Portal venous gas associated with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis is a rare finding. We describe an atypical radiologic finding discovered on abdominal ultrasound and computed tomographic scan in an infant with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. Portal venous gas in the setting of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis constitutes a benign incidental finding for which surgical treatment should not be postponed.
More on the Paradox of the Knower without Epistemic Closure

is a theorem of Robinson's Arithmetic. It has been argued, for example by Maitzen (1998), that the Knower should be resolved by giving up epistemic closure.3 For our formulation of the Knower, this would mean giving up K3. In Cross 2001a I introduced a new version of the Paradox of the Knower, namely the Paradox of the Knowledge-Plus Knower, and I used this new paradox to argue that the Knower does not constitute a cogent argument against epistemic closure. The Paradox of the Knowledge-Plus Knower is based on an application of the Diagonal Lemma to a predicate K' defined as follows in terms of the knowledge predicate K:
Hereditary C2 deficiency. Association with skin lesions resembling the discoid lesion of systemic lupus erythematosus

Two patients with hereditary homozygous C2 deficiency are described. They showed many similar clinical features. Both had discoid-like skin rashes and serologic abnormalities consistent with SLE, but neither had evidence of involvement of any organ other than skin. Although biopsy of these lesions revealed expected changes by light microscopy, typical immunofluorescent findings were not present. The presence of the HL-A haplotype 10, W18 was seen in both families and was associated with the C2 deficiency gene. The 2 patients were mutually nonreactive in MLC tests and both were found to be homozygous for the LD7a type.
Developments of artificial intelligence techniques for voltage control

The authors review the developments in artificial intelligence techniques for power system voltage control. They discuss: expert systems; artificial neural nets; hybrid systems of expert systems and neural nets; fuzzy control; and genetic algorithms. The advantages of these technologies as well some of the drawbacks are discussed. (6 pages)
Interaction of 14-3-3 protein with Chk1 affects localization and checkpoint function

The protein kinase Chk1 is required for proper arrest of the cell cycle in response to DNA damage. We have previously shown in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, that upon DNA damage, phosphorylation of Chk1 correlates with checkpoint activation and that phosphorylated Chk1 is capable of interacting with the 14-3-3 proteins, Rad24 and Rad25. The interaction between Rad24 and Chk1 is stimulated tenfold after exposure to DNA damaging agents and we postulate that it is an important event in the DNA damage checkpoint response pathway in fission yeast. We identified a stretch of leucine residues as the domain in Chk1 that mediates the interaction with 14-3-3 proteins. Substitution of leucine residues with alanine disrupts the interaction with Rad24 and also prevents Chk1 from becoming phosphorylated in response to DNA damaging agents. Cells expressing the mutants are sensitive to UV radiation. In this study, we also show that Chk1 accumulates in the nucleus in response to DNA damage and this behavior is dependent on Rad24. Interestingly, the 14-3-3 binding domain mutants also fail to localize to the nucleus prompting a search for localization sequences within Chk1. Our investigations have identified the presence of both functional nuclear import and nuclear export sequences encoded in S. pombe Chk1 that, in conjunction with 14-3-3 proteins, may play a prominent role in regulating Chk1 localization and function.
1176 VENTILATION INDUCED RELEASE OF PULMONARY SURFACTANT IN IMMATURE FETAL GOATS

Eighteen immature fetal goats were exteriorized by hysterotomy with the placental circulation intact. The trachea was canulated, and 5ml of fetal lung liquid removed. No pulmonary surfactant was detectable in lung liquid or amniotic fluid in any animal by the bubble stability test (BST). Animals were ventilated with O2 for 1 hour at a tidal volume of 9 ml/kg (range 6-11), a rate of 20/min, an end expiratory pressure of 0. At 1 hour carotid blood gases were sampled, residual lung fluid was sampled, the animals sacrificed and static pressure volume measured in situ with the thorax open. Results are grouped by BST results on residual lung liquid at 1 hour of age. All values are mean (range). All means different p .05. Pulmonary surfactant, undetectable in lung fluid before ventilation, was released in all but the most immature animals. Efficiency of ventilation, oxygenation, and development of FRC were related to the amount of surfactant present. Ventilation dependent release of surfactant would explain the initial compensation of immature infants who develop progressive respiratory failure after a few hours.
Virilizing ovarian tumors.

THE purpose of the present paper is to describe the clinical, histological and hormonal findings in a case of a diffuse arrhenoblastoma, one which, in accordance with ideas hitherto, will be regarded as an “adrenal-like” ovarian tumor; furthermore, to examine whether it is possible, from the cases in the literature, to find transitions in the symptomology between typical arrhenoblastomata and “adrenal-like” ovarian tumors, thus forming a parallel to Teilum's histological studies. A summary will then be given of the available hormone studies, and mention will be made of certain characteristic findings in cases of virilizing ovarian tumors. Virilizing ovarian tumors are rather uncommon, but very interesting because they are functioning endocrine tumors. There is a great diversity of opinion on the histogenesis and classification of these tumors; little is known of their hormonal relations, which seem to embody a number of problems. Usually a distinction is made between two different virilizing ovarian tumor...
Parameters influencing augmentation of cerebral blood flow by cervical spinal cord stimulation.

Background. Cervical spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been shown to augment cerebral blood flow (CBF) and protect the brain from focal ischemia. However, the application of SCS in the treatment of cerebral ischemia requires a better understanding of the limits of the cerebrovascular effect and the optimal stimulation parameters. In the present study, we investigated the effects of various stimulation parameters on CBF augmentation, as well as the issue of tachyphylaxis of the CBF response.
Synchronization Algorithms for Co-simulation of Power Grid and Communication Networks

The ongoing modernization of power grids consists of integrating them with communication networks in order to achieve robust and resilient control of grid operations. To understand the operation of the new smart grid, one approach is to use simulation software. Unfortunately, current power grid simulators at best utilize inadequate approximations to simulate communication networks, if at all. Cooperative simulation of specialized power grid and communication network simulators promises to more accurately reproduce the interactions of real smart grid deployments. However, co-simulation is a challenging problem. A co-simulation must manage the exchange of information, including the synchronization of simulator clocks, between all simulators while maintaining adequate computational performance. This paper describes two new conservative algorithms for reducing the overhead of time synchronization, namely Active Set Conservative and Reactive Conservative. We provide a detailed analysis of their performance characteristics with respect to the current state of the art including both conservative and optimistic synchronization algorithms. In addition, we provide guidelines for selecting the appropriate synchronization algorithm based on the requirements of the co-simulation. The newly proposed algorithms are shown to achieve as much as 14% and 63% improvement in performance, respectively, over the existing conservative algorithm.
Money as real options in a cash-in-advance economy

Abstract We characterize the optimal exercise point and equilibria in which money as real options has positive option value. We investigate the effect of uncertainty on the option value of money and the optimal exercise strategy.
A Standardized Rubric to Evaluate Student Presentations

Objective. To design, implement, and assess a rubric to evaluate student presentations in a capstone doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) course. Design. A 20-item rubric was designed and used to evaluate s...
Physics-based character skinning using multi-domain subspace deformations

We propose a domain-decomposition method to simulate articulated deformable characters entirely within a subspace framework. The method supports quasistatic and dynamic deformations, nonlinear kinematics and materials, and can achieve interactive time-stepping rates. To avoid artificial rigidity, or "locking," associated with coupling low-rank domain models together with hard constraints, we employ penalty-based coupling forces. The multi-domain subspace integrator can simulate deformations efficiently, and exploits efficient subspace-only evaluation of constraint forces between rotated domains using a novel Fast Sandwich Transform (FST). Examples are presented for articulated characters with quasistatic and dynamic deformations, and interactive performance with hundreds of fully coupled modes. Using our method, we have observed speedups of between three and four orders of magnitude over full-rank, unreduced simulations.
A new perspective of privacy protection: Unique distinct l-SR diversity

More and more public data sets which contain information about individuals are published in recent years. The urgency to reduce the risk of privacy disclosure from such data sets makes the approaches of privacy protection for data publishing widely employed. There are two popular models for privacy protection: k-anonymity and l-diversity. k-anonymity focuses on reducing the probability of identifying a particular person, which requires that each equivalence class (a set of records with the same identifier attributes) contains at least k records. l-diversity concentrates on reducing the inference from released sensitive attributes. It requires that each equivalence class has at least l “well-represented” sensitive attribute values. In this study, we view the privacy protection problem in a brand new perspective. We proposed a new model, Unique Distinct l-SR diversity based on the sensitivity of private information. Also, we presented two performance measures to evaluate how much sensitive information can be inferred from an equivalence class. l-SR diversity algorithm was implemented to achieve Unique Distinct l-SR diversity. We tested l-SR diversity on one benchmark data set and two synthetic data sets, and compared it with other l-diversity algorithms. The results show that our algorithm achieved better performance on minimizing inference of sensitive information and reached the comparable generalization data quality compared with other data publishing algorithms.
Non-isomorphism in efficient coding of complex sound properties

To the extent that sensorineural systems are efficient, stimulus redundancy should be captured in ways that optimize information transmission. Consistent with this principle, neural representations of sounds have been proposed to become “non-isomorphic,” increasingly abstract and decreasingly resembling the original (redundant) input. Here, non-isomorphism is tested in perceptual learning using AXB discrimination of novel sounds with two highly correlated complex acoustic properties and a randomly varying third dimension. Discrimination of sounds obeying the correlation became superior to that of sounds violating it despite widely varying physical acoustic properties, suggesting non-isomorphic representation of stimulus redundancy.
Predicting radiation pneumonitis after stereotactic ablative radiation therapy in patients previously treated with conventional thoracic radiation therapy.

Purpose To determine the incidence of and risk factors for radiation pneumonitis (RP) after stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR) to the lung in patients who had previously undergone conventional thoracic radiation therapy. Methods and Materials Seventy-two patients who had previously received conventionally fractionated radiation therapy to the thorax were treated with SABR (50 Gy in 4 fractions) for recurrent disease or secondary parenchymal lung cancer (T Results At a median follow-up time of 16 months after SABR (range, 4-56 months), 15 patients had severe RP (14 [18.9%] grade 3 and 1 [1.4%] grade 5) and 1 patient (1.4%) had a local recurrence. In univariate analyses, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) before SABR, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and previous planning target volume (PTV) location were associated with the incidence of severe RP. The V 10 and mean lung dose (MLD) of the previous plan and the V 10 -V 40 and MLD of the composite plan were also related to RP. Multivariate analysis revealed that ECOG PS scores of 2-3 before SABR ( P =.009), FEV1 ≤65% before SABR ( P =.012), V 20 ≥30% of the composite plan ( P =.021), and an initial PTV in the bilateral mediastinum ( P =.025) were all associated with RP. Conclusions We found that severe RP was relatively common, occurring in 20.8% of patients, and could be predicted by an ECOG PS score of 2-3, an FEV1 ≤65%, a previous PTV spanning the bilateral mediastinum, and V 20 ≥30% on composite (previous RT+SABR) plans. Prospective studies are needed to validate these predictors and the scoring system on which they are based.
A sharp partitioning-inequality for non-atomic probability measures based on the mass of the infimum of the measures

If μ 1, ... , μ η are non-atomic probability measures on the same measurable space (S, ℱ), then there is an ℱ-measurable partition {A i } = 1 of S so that μ i (A i )≧(n − 1 + m)−1 for all i=1, ..., n, where $$m = \left\| {\mathop \Lambda \limits_{i = 1}^n \mu _i } \right\|$$ is the total mass of the largest measure dominated by each of the μ i ’S; moreover, this bound is attained for all n≧1 and all m in [0, 1]. This result is an analog of the bound (n+1-M) -1of Elton et al. [5] based on the mass M of the supremum of the measures; each gives a quantative generalization of a well-known cake-cutting inequality of Urbanik [10] and of Dubins and Spanier [2].
Vertebrate Segmentation: Lunatic Transcriptional Regulation

Vertebrate segmentation relies on a molecular oscillator, the segmentation clock, which controls the periodic expression of genes such as lunatic fringe in the presomitic mesoderm. Oscillations of lunatic fringe transcripts have now been shown to be controlled at the transcriptional level by clock elements in the lunatic fringe promoter.
Meta-Linguistics: Methodology and Ontology in Devitt's Ignorance of Language

In Ignorance of Language, Michael Devitt attempts to overthrow one of the most powerful ideas in all of cognitive science: Chomsky's conception of human language as the overt manifestation of an in...
THE MASSES OF NEUTRON STARS: OBSERVATIONAL CONSTRAINTS*

The present state of empirical knowledge concerning neutron-star masses is reviewed on the basis of information obtained for the nine known X-ray pulsars in binary systems. Pulse profiles and other pulse parameters of these X-ray pulsars are examined, and allowable mass ranges are estimated for four X-ray pulsars in binary systems as well as for the binary pulsar PSR 1913+16. The approximate mass ranges obtained include 1.2 to 2.4 solar masses for 3U 0900-40, 0.7 to 4.3 solar masses for Cen X-3, 0.8 to 1.8 solar masses for SMC X-1, 0.0 to 2.3 solar masses for Her X-1, and either 1.4 to 1.8 solar masses or 0.0 to 1.8 solar masses for PSR 1913+16 if the companion is a normal white dwarf or some other type of star, respectively. Theoretical implications of these results are briefly considered.
Weight loss from maximum body weight among middle-aged and older white women and the risk of hip fracture: the NHANES I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study

Although weight loss increases bone loss and hip fracture risk in older women, little is known about the relation between weight loss in middle-aged women and subsequent hip fracture risk. The objective of this study was to determine the association between weight loss from reported maximum body weight in middle-aged and older women and the risk of hip fracture. Data were from a nationally representative sample of 2180 community-dwelling white women aged 50-74 years from the Epidemiologic Follow-up Study of the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHEFS). In this prospective cohort study, incident hip fracture was ascertained during 22 years of follow-up. The adjusted relative risks associated with weight loss of 10% or more from maximum body weight were elevated for both middle-aged (RR 2.54; 95% CI 1.10-5.86) and older women (RR 2.04; 95% CI 1.37-3.04). For both ages combined, women in the lowest tertile of body mass index at maximum who lost 10% or more of weight had the highest risk of hip fracture (RR 2.37; 95% CI 1.32-4.27). Weight loss from maximum reported body weight in women aged 50-64 years and 65-74 years increased their risk of hip fracture, especially among those who were relatively thin. Weight loss of 10% or more from maximum weight among both middle-aged and older women is an important indicator of hip fracture risk.
Brood burrow construction and brood care by Heliocopris japetus (Klug) and Heliocopris hamadryas (Fabricius) (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae)

1 Brood burrow construction and brood care were studied by excavating burrows of different ages and by re-excavating certain burrows after a defined interval. 2 Brood burrows consisted of tunnels running via an upper chamber to a lower chamber 0.55–1.3 m below ground. 3 The female excavated the upper chamber, filled it with dung, then excavated the lower chamber and packed it with dung from the upper chamber. 4 Soil was removed from around the dung to give adungmasslying free in the lower chamber. The male was present during and just before this stage, and may cooperate in pushing soil out through the tunnel. Later the tunnel was filled with soil, excluding the male from the lower chamber. 5 The female formed the dung mass into balls each of which contained an egg. Development of the larvae led to an expansion at the upper pole, producing a pear shape. Third instar larvae were found in pears with a soil covering. 6 In the case of H.japetus the pears later became soil-covered balls containing the new adults, and the female remained in the chamber and died after the young had emerged. 7 The push-ups of H.japetus and of H.hamadryas were distinguishable, reflecting slight differences in the technique of burrow construction. H.hamadryas burrows were deeper and contained smaller brood balls.
Packing densification of binary mixtures of spheres and cubes subjected to 3D mechanical vibrations

Packing densification of binary mixtures of spheres and cubes, which are large cubes/small spheres and large spheres/small cubes packing systems, under 3D vibrations was studied physically. The influences of vibration conditions such as vibration time, frequency, amplitude, vibration intensity, volume fraction of large particles, and container size on the packing densification were systematically analyzed, and the optimal processing parameters were identified. And the proposed analytical model was validated as well. The results show that the influences of each operating parameter on the packing densification of different binary mixtures have similar trends; however, the maximum packing densities and corresponding optimal parameters are different. The good agreement between physical and analytical results proves the effectiveness of the proposed analytical model. The results provide meaningful information and references for the random dense packings of binary mixtures of cubes and spheres both in industry and in scientific research.
Body, Effort, and Space: A Framework for Use in Teaching

Summary This topic stems from the author's experience in the technique classroom, and from her training in Laban Movement Analysis. The three fundamental branches of Laban's system—Body, Effort and Space—offer an opportunity to approach teaching through these separate, yet inextricably linked, lenses. This article defines each of the three categories in terms that can be appreciated by dance and movement educators, and then presents ways in which they can be applied in teaching across various styles and disciplines.
Increased β‐cyanoalanine synthase and asparaginase activity in nitrogen‐deprived wheat exposed to cyanide

The β-cyanoalanine pathway in plants detoxifies cyanide by assimilating this metabolic poison. Given the possibility that cyanide in soil could serve as an alternate source of nitrogen for plant nutrition, this study investigated whether nitrogen deprivation of wheat seedlings altered the activity of the first enzyme of the pathway (β-cyanoalanine synthase) or asparaginase. The results suggest that ambient, nontoxic concentrations of soil cyanide may serve as an alternate source of nitrogen for plants under nitrogen-limiting conditions.