cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Response of cyt a,a3 in the in situ canine heart to transient ischemic episodes

Experiments were performed to examine the response of cyt a, a3 to transient ischemic and hypoxic episodes in the empty, fibrillating canine heart in situ. Using a dual wavelength, differential spectrophotometer, reaction spectra show an absorption peak at approximately 605 nm consistent with that obtained from purified cyt a,a3. The characteristics of the averaged reaction spectrum in the interval 590 nm to 610 nm indicate that hemoglobin/myogloblin contribute no more than 23% to the signal measured at 605 nm. A regimen of one 30 sec global ischemia (GI) repeated once every 3 minutes over a 90 min period showed no appreciable signal deterioration. Therefore, five such interventions were subsequently used as the test perturbation. Studies of the effects of ischemic episodes of 30 and 60 min show that the response of cyt a,a3 to this test intervention was smaller (90±6% and 89±7%) than that observed prior to the ischemic episode. Changes in coronary perfusion pressure (+/−10 Torr) produced an immediate oxidation/reduction of cyt a,a3. In the working heart, just prior to fibrillation, 6 sec of interrupted ventilation resulted in a continuous reduction of cyt a,a3. The data from these studies show: 1) The redox state of cyt a,a3 may be continuously monitored in the canine heart in situ. 2) Following ischemias of 30 and 60 min duration, respiratory chain function may be impaired; and 3) The well-perfused epicardium is extremely sensitive to small changes in oxygen delivery.
Influence of Diarrhea on the Oral Absorption of Penicillin V and Ampicillin in Children

AbstractOral ampicillin and penicillin V was given to 23 and 42 children, respectively, with upper respiratory infections. The absorption of the drugs was followed on one of the first days of treatment for 3 hours after administration by taking capillary samples and determining the serum levels. Approximately 60 % of the children were tested for oral absorption during convalescence, 6-8 days after the initiation of the treatment. Diarrhea was evident in more than 60 % of the children during treatment with both ampicillin and penicillin V. Diarrhea of short duration did not have influence on the absorption of the antibiotics. Only when persistent diarrhea over the whole therapy period existed, absorption of penicillin V was decreased.
Glycine immunoreactivity localized in the cochlear nucleus and superior olivary complex

Abstract Polyclonal antibodies were made in rabbits against glycine conjugated to bovine serum albumin with glutaraldehyde and were used for immunocytochemical studies in the cochlear nucleus and superior olivary nucleus of the guinea-pig. Antibodies selective for glycine were prepared by affinity chromatography. By dot-blot analysis this preparation showed a strong recognition of glycine conjugates and relatively little recognition of conjugates of most other amino acids tested. However, there was a significant reaction with conjugates of alanine and beta-alanine, and this cross-reaction could not be removed by affinity chromatography without eliminating the preparation's recognition of glycine. The affinity-purified preparation showed only a weak recognition of conjugates of gamma-aminobutyrate (GABA) which was detectable at high concentrations of primary antibody. Immunocytochemical studies showed several intensely staining cell bodies in the cochlear nucleus and superior olivary complex. Most immunoreactive cell bodies in the cochlear nucleus were in the dorsal cochlear nucleus, being present in both the superficial and deep layers. Scattered immunoreactive cells were present in the ventral cochlear nucleus. Intense staining of cell bodies was seen in the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body, and these cells appear to correspond to the principal cells of that nucleus. Punctate labelling, suggestive of immunoreactive presynaptic terminals, was also apparent, particularly in the ventral cochlear nucleus and lateral superior olive. In the ventral cochlear nucleus, immunoreactive puncta were found around unlabeled cell bodies, at times nearly covering the perimeter of the cell. A population of glycine-immunoreactive cell bodies in the superficial dorsal cochlear nucleus also labeled with anti-GABA antibodies as determined through double-labeling studies. However, glycine-positive cells in the deep dorsal cochlear nucleus were not labeled with anti-GABA antibodies, and some populations of GABA-positive cells in the superficial layers were not labeled with anti-glycine antibodies. In the hippocampus intense staining of cell bodies and puncta was seen with anti-GABA antibodies while essentially no staining was seen with anti-glycine antibodies. These results suggest that anti-glycine antibodies can be useful for immunocytochemical identification of glycinergic neurons. From this study several populations of putative glycinergic neurons are identified in the auditory nuclei of the brain stem using these antibodies. Some populations of GABA-containing neurons also contain high levels of glycine or a related molecule.
A simplicial branch-and-bound algorithm for solving quadratically constrained quadratic programs

We propose a branch-and-bound algorithm for solving nonconvex quadratically-constrained quadratic programs. The algorithm is novel in that branching is done by partitioning the feasible region into the Cartesian product of two-dimensional triangles and rectangles. Explicit formulae for the convex and concave envelopes of bilinear functions over triangles and rectangles are derived and shown to be second-order cone representable. The usefulness of these new relaxations is demonstrated both theoretically and computationally.
A comparison of city size distributions for China and India from 1950 to 2010

We examine the distributions of Chinese and Indian city sizes for seven decades (1950s to 2010s) using lognormal, Pareto, and general Pareto distributions. We ascertain which distribution fits the data and how the city size distributions change during these periods. The Chinese city size distribution is represented by lognormal in the early periods (1950–1990) and by Pareto in 2010, but is not characterized by Zipf, which could be attributed to Chinese government’s restrictions of migration from rural to urban areas and the one-child policy. In contrast, the Indian city size distribution transitions from lognormal in the earlier periods to Zipf in the later periods.
Standard definitions for driving measures and statistics: overview and status of recommended practice J2944

This paper summarizes Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Recommended Practice J2944, Driving Performance Measures and Statistics (draft of February 12, 2013). This Practice was written because commonly used measures and statistics are (1) not named consistently (a lane departure is also called a lane exceedance, lane bust, line crossing, etc.), (2) rarely defined, and (3) when defined, are not defined consistently. Is a lane departure when any tire (or just a front tire) touches the lane marking, covers the lane marking, or goes beyond the lane marking, or is it something else? Uncertainty about what was measured makes comparing driving studies extremely difficult. Therefore, the aim is to require those submitting driving-related papers to conferences (such as this one) and journals to cite this Practice and which version of each measure and statistic was used.The current draft contains definitions for more than 50 measures and statistics, along with definitions for supporting terms and measurement guidelines. Terms defined include longitudinal response time measures (e.g., until accelerator pedal release, until brake pedal contact, until brake jerk), longitudinal vehicle measures (e.g., time gap, CG distance headway, range, time to collision), lateral response measures and statistics (e.g., steering reaction time, number of steering reversals, steering entropy), and lateral control measures and statistics (e.g., roadway departure, lane departure, time to line crossing, number of lane changes). In addition to a definition, application guidance for each measure/statistic is provided, as well as key references in which the measure/statistic was defined or used, and if available, a distribution for each measure/statistic from naturalistic driving. For most measures and statistics, there are multiple definitions from among which a user can choose, each reflecting a different current practice.
Optimizing iohexol plasma disappearance curves to measure the glomerular filtration rate in children with chronic kidney disease

Measuring the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) by iohexol plasma disappearance in children requires optimization of duration and sampling times since shortening the study may overestimate GFR. To determine these parameters, we analyzed iohexol plasma disappearance curves using multiple sampling points in each of 27 children in the Chronic Kidney Disease in Children (CKiD) study. The GFR measured after 5 h was comparable to that after 6 h, but shortening to 4 h resulted in a significant 3% overestimation of GFR. We also sought to reduce the number of blood samples to determine GFR. This was done by adapting the Brochner-Mortensen equations to derive the relationship between a single-compartment two-sample (slow GFR model) disappearance curve and that from a double exponential analysis (two-compartment four-sample model) in the first clinic visit of 489 children. Using polynomial regression methods, we developed coefficients to accurately measure GFR from a single-compartment model. These coefficients were employed to recalculate the GFR and compare these to values measured with the two-compartment four-sample model in 361 of these children in their second clinic visit. There was excellent correlation ( r =0.999) and no bias or change in between-individuals' dispersion. Hence, the GFR can be accurately measured in children with chronic kidney disease using the slow component of the iohexol plasma disappearance curve, provided the duration of study is at least 5 h.
Synthesis, structure and imaging of oligodeoxyribonucleotides with tellurium-nucleobase derivatization

We report here the first synthesis of 5-phenyl-telluride-thymidine derivatives and the Te-phosphoramidite. We also report here the synthesis, structure and STM current-imaging studies of DNA oligonucleotides containing the nucleobases (thymine) derivatized with 5-phenyl-telluride functionality (5-Te). Our results show that the 5-Te-DNA is stable, and that the Te-DNA duplex has the thermo-stability similar to the corresponding native duplex. The crystal structure indicates that the 5-Te-DNA duplex structure is virtually identical to the native one, and that the Te-modified T and native A interact similarly to the native T and A pair. Furthermore, while the corresponding native showed weak signals, the DNA duplex modified with electron-rich tellurium functionality showed strong topographic and current peaks by STM imaging, suggesting a potential strategy to directly image DNA without structural perturbation.
Immunolabelling by a newt retinal pigment epithelium antibody during retinal development and regeneration.

The binding of RPE-1, a mouse monoclonal antibody selective for newt retinal pigment epithelium, was followed in eyes undergoing embryonic developemnt and retinal regeneration. Using the indirect immunofluorescence technique on frozen sections, we observed bright and continuous labelling exclusively in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) of normal adult newts, but labelling became diminished near the ora serrata region and stopped abruptly at the ciliary margin. During development, labelling was not detected in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) until the formation of photoreceptor outer segments and was not observed in any other ocular tissue. There was no correlation between the appearance of pigment in retinal pigment epithelial cells and their labelling with the RPE-1 antibody. Furthermore, albino salamander embryos showed the same pattern of labelling with RPE-1 as that seen in age-matched pigmented animals. During retinal regeneration, RPE cells were labelled less intensely, but heavy labelling was observed in the newly formed retinal cells. With time, labelling in regenerated retina receded, so that by the end of regeneration, labelling by RPE-1 was once more restricted to the RPE cells. The identification of RPE-1 as a marker for postmitotic retinal neurons about to undergo differentiation provides a promising approach for further studies of regeneration with the help of molecular tools.
The Effect of Bacteria on Epidermal Wound Healing

Epidermal wound healing is a complex process that repairs injured tissue. The complexity of this process increases when bacteria are present in a wound; the bacteria interaction determines whether infection sets in. Because of underlying physiological problems infected wounds do not follow the normal healing pattern. In this paper we present a mathematical model of the healing of both infected and uninfected wounds. At the core of our model is an account of the initiation of angiogenesis by macrophage-derived growth factors. We express the model as a system of reaction-diffusion equations, and we present results of computations for a version of the model with one spatial dimension.
A randomized, controlled trial of oral versus intravenous fluids for lowering blood glucose in emergency department patients with hyperglycemia.

Objectives Blood glucose can be lowered via insulin and/or fluid administration. Insulin, although efficacious, can cause hypoglycemia and hypokalemia. Fluids do not cause hypoglycemia or hypokalemia, but the most effective route of fluid administration has not been well described. This study compared the efficacy and safety of oral versus intravenous fluids for reducing blood glucose in patients with hyperglycemia. Methods We conducted a prospective, nonblinded, randomized, controlled trial. Inclusion criteria were blood glucose > 13.9 mmol/L, age > 18 years, and ability to tolerate oral fluids. Subjects were excluded for critical illness, contraindication to fluids, and/or hyperglycemia therapy prior to enrolment. Subjects were randomized to receive oral bottled water or intravenous normal saline (maximum 2 L) over 2 hours. The primary outcome of interest was a change in blood glucose at 2 hours across treatment arms. Results The 48 subjects were randomized. Baseline blood glucose levels and total amount of fluid received were similar between the two groups. The mean decrease in blood glucose at 2 hours was similar for both treatment arms: a mean decrease of 3.4 mmol/L (20.2 mmol/L to 16.8 mmol/L) in the oral fluid group versus a mean decrease of 4.0 mmol/L (19.7 mmol/L to 15.7 mmol/L) in the intravenous fluid group. The mean difference between groups was -0.6 mmol/L (95% confidence interval -2.3-1.2; p = 0.51). No adverse events were observed in either group. Conclusion In this unblinded randomized trial, oral and intravenous fluids were equally efficacious in lowering blood glucose levels in stable hyperglycemic patients and no adverse events were noted. Physicians should be mindful that, although similar, the reduction in blood glucose was modest in both groups.
Identification of the sites of IgG catabolism in the rat.

Abstract Rat immunoglobulins IgG2a and IgG1 were purified and labeled with [G-3H]raffinose, a radioactive tag which has been shown to accumulate in cells following protein degradation. After injection into rats, neither the immunoglobulins' circulating half-lives nor equilibration into extravascular spaces were affected by labeling with raffinose. The tissue distribution of total and acid-soluble radioactivity was measured for each IgG at times when 30 and 50% of injected dose were catabolized. In all experiments peripheral tissue, hide and muscle, accounted for the highest proportion (40–50%) of catabolized dose in the body. Liver, spleen, and other organs accounted for smaller amounts of total IgG catabolism. However, liver and spleen were more active in IgG catabolism, on a weight basis, than were peripheral tissues. The overall patterns of catabolism of IgG and albumin (J. W. Baynes and S. R. Thorpe (1981) Arch. Biochem. Biophys.206, 372–379) were remarkably similar. For both proteins catabolism appears to occur primarily at sites distributed diffusely throughout the body.
Nonlinear torque control of the induction motor in hybrid electric vehicle applications

In this paper, the torque tracking problem of the induction motor for hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) applications is addressed. Because the standard field oriented control (FOC) provides poor performance under rotor resistance uncertainty, a new robust controller-observer combination is designed in this paper in order to improve the overall performance. Our controller is based on a new PI-based extension of the FOC controller while our flux observer is based on the sliding mode technique. Simulation results show robustness with respect to rotor resistance uncertainty. A new optimal flux reference is derived to minimize the consumption of electrical energy, rather than the commonly used standard flux reference that maximizes motor torque. This choice is justified by the use of our controller in HEV applications. Simulation results show a significant reduction (35%) in energy losses.
Isolation of the Gene for the B12-Dependent Ribonucleotide Reductase from Anabaena sp. Strain PCC 7120 and Expression in Escherichia coli

The gene for ribonucleotide reductase from Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 was identified and expressed in Escherichia coli. This gene codes for a 1,172-amino-acid protein that contains a 407-amino-acid intein. The intein splices itself from the protein when it is expressed in E. coli, yielding an active ribonucleotide reductase of 765 residues. The mature enzyme was purified to homogeneity from E. coli extracts. Anabaena ribonucleotide reductase is a monomer with a molecular weight of approximately 88,000, as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Superose 12 column chromatography. The enzyme reduces ribonucleotides at the triphosphate level and requires a divalent cation and a deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate effector. The enzyme is absolutely dependent on the addition of the cofactor, 5'-adenosylcobalamin. These properties are characteristic of the class II-type reductases. The cyanobacterial enzyme has limited sequence homology to other class II reductases; the greatest similarity (38%) is to the reductase from Lactobacillus leichmannii. In contrast, the Anabaena reductase shows over 90% sequence similarity to putative reductases found in genome sequences of other cyanobacteria, such as Nostoc punctiforme, Synechococcus sp. strain WH8102, and Prochlorococcus marinus MED4, suggesting that the cyanobacterial reductases form a closely related subset of the class II enzymes.
Microporosity of Bicontinuous Nanoporous Polymeric Materials, Characterized with Restricted Diffusion

The 1H NMR pulsed-gradient spin−echo method has been used to study the self-diffusion D of the mobile fractions in polymerized bicontinuous microemulsions formed with methyl methacrylate and hydroxyethyl methacrylate, cross-linked with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, and water containing 10% sodium dodecyl sulfate as surfactant. Measurements were made at 50.5 °C over the bicontinuous range (30−96 wt % water) at diffusion times between 8 and 1000 ms. In addition to the signal from the nondiffusing glassy phase, two distinct components are observed differing in D by 2 orders of magnitude, with an intensity ratio monotonic in water content. Both D values depend weakly on diffusion time, but D attributed to free water increases with water content, whereas D attributed to surfactant decreases with water content in the bicontinuous region. This may be due to a size reduction in the surfactant micelles in samples containing less aqueous phase. Assuming free diffusion of water in the open pores, we extract from t...
Is one migrant per generation sufficient for the genetic management of fluctuating populations

Small isolated populations may face an increasing risk of extinction due to the loss of genetic diversity. This increasing risk, though, may be offset by gene flow, provided the population receives an adequate number of migrants per generation. We show that as temporal fluctuation in population size (FPS) increases, so too does the required number of immigrants. This increase in the requisite number of immigrants arises because the ratio of census size to effective population size decreases with increasing FPS. Because all populations fluctuate, our work extends a recent challenge to the widely adopted one migrant per generation rule, which refers to the supposedly requisite number of immigrants. In a sample of 44 animal populations, ˜60% of the populations fluctuated enough to require >10 immigrants per generation to avoid a substantial loss of genetic diversity, and ˜25% fluctuated enough to require >20 immigrants per generation. We thus recommend that estimation of the requisite number of immigrants take into account fluctuation in population size.
Whistle-Blowing Methods for Navigating Within and Helping Reform Regulatory Institutions

There are at least four important, institutional obstacles to whistle-blowing to regulatory institutions. First, regulatory institutions are often systematically understaffed and do not have the resources needed to adequately process whistle-blowing cases. Second, regulators who process whistle-blowing cases are often systematically inexperienced and do not understand the strategic importance of whistle-blowing cases. Third, regulators are often under systemic pressure from the politicians who appoint them to ignore whistle-blowing cases relevant to their sources of financial and/or ideological political support. Fourth, there are high systemic risks to whistle-blowers who blow the whistle to regulatory institutions. Nonetheless, understanding how the institutions and obstacles operate can help us understand what types of whistle-blowing methods can be used to navigate around the obstacles and within the regulatory institutions. In addition, sometimes whistle-blowing methods can help reform regulatory institutions.
Why High Performance Visual Data Analytics is both Relevant and Difficult

Data visualization, as well as data analysis and data analytics, are all an integral part of the scientific process. Collectively, these technologies provide the means to gain insight into data of ever-increasing size and complexity. Over the past two decades, a substantial amount of visualization, analysis, and analytics R&D has focused on the challenges posed by increasing data size and complexity, as well as on the increasing complexity of a rapidly changing computational platform landscape. While some of this research focuses on solely on technologies, such as indexing and searching or novel analysis or visualization algorithms, other R&D projects focus on applying technological advances to specific application problems. Some of the most interesting and productive results occur when these two activities-R&D and application-are conducted in a collaborative fashion, where application needs drive R&D, and R&D results are immediately applicable to real-world problems.
Some outstanding questions in handling of cohesionless particles

This article describes the author's perspective on important challenges in physical understanding and mathematical description of (a) the rheology of cohesionless granular materials and (b) phenomena observed in two important applications, namely discharge from bins and dense-phase pneumatic conveying.
Incorporating Individual Differences Into the Science of Learning: Commentary on Sternberg et al. (2008):

Sternberg, Grigorenko, and Zhang (2008, this issue) make a valiant effort to reinvigorate the somewhat dormant field of cognitive style by showing the implications of cognitive style for instruction and assessment. In support of their call to differentiate instruction for different kinds of learners, they summarize evidence showing that people learn better from a broad instructional method that is sensitive to multiple cognitive styles than they do from a narrow instructional method that is mainly addressed to one cognitive style. In support of their call for using multiple measures of learning potential, they summarize evidence showing that learning outcomes are better predicted by multiple measures of learning potential than by a single measure. In this commentary, I briefly examine Sternberg et al.'s claim that cognitive styles matter for instruction and assessment.
Clinical applicability of functional hemodynamic monitoring

Recent interest in functional hemodynamic monitoring for the bedside assessment of cardiovascular insufficiency has heightened. Functional hemodynamic monitoring is the assessment of the dynamic interactions of hemodynamic variables in response to a defined perturbation. Accordingly, fluid responsiveness can be predicted in a quantities fashion by measuring as arterial pulse pressure variation and left ventricular stroke volume variation during positive pressure breathing or the change in cardiac output response to a passive leg raising maneuver. However, volume responsiveness, though important, reflects only part of the overall spectrum of functional physiological variables that can be measured to define physiologic state and monitor response to therapy. Dynamic tissue O2 saturation (StO2) responses to complete stop flow conditions, which can be created by measuring hand StO2 and occluding flow with a blood pressure cuff, assesses cardiovascular sufficiency and microcirculatory blood flow distribution. Furthermore, these measures can be made increasingly more sensitive and specific if coupled to other "traditional" measures of organ perfusion, such as blood lactate levels.
Revisiting the Influence of the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation on Tropical Cyclone Activity

The statistical relationship between the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) and tropical cyclone (TC) activity is explored, with a focus on the North Atlantic. Although there is a statistically significant relationship between the QBO and TCs in the Atlantic from the 1950s to the 1980s, as found by previous studies, that relationship is no longer present in later years. Several possibilities for this change are explored, including the interaction with ENSO, volcanoes, QBO decadal variability, and interactions with solar forcing. None provides a completely satisfying explanation. In the other basins, the relationship is weaker than in the Atlantic, even in the early record.
Anti-invasive, Antitumorigenic, and Antimetastatic Activities of the PHSCN Sequence in Prostate Carcinoma

Using naturally serum-free SU-ECM basement membranes as invasion substrates showed that plasma fibronectin was necessary to stimulate invasion by DU 145 human and metastatic MATLyLu (MLL) rat prostate carcinoma cells. This activity mapped to the PHSRN sequence, which induced invasion through alpha5beta1 integrin. PHSCN, a competitive inhibitor, blocked both PHSRN- and serum-induced invasion. Acetylated, amidated PHSCN (Ac-PHSCN-NH2) was 30-fold more potent; however, Ac-HSPNC-NH2 was inactive. Rats receiving injections s.c. with 100,000 MLL cells were treated systemically by i.v. injection three times weekly with 1 mg of either Ac-PHSCN-NH2 or Ac-HSPNC-NH2 beginning 24 h later, three times weekly with 1 mg of Ac-PHSCN-NH2 beginning only after surgery to remove large (2 cm) MLL tumors, or were left untreated. MLL tumors grew rapidly in Ac-HSPNC-NH2-treated and in untreated rats. MLL tumor growth in rats treated with Ac-PHSCN-NH2 beginning 1 day after MLL cell injection was reduced by 99.9% during the first 16 days of treatment, although subsequent tumor growth occurred. MLL tumor cryosections immunostained with anti-PECAM-1 showed that Ac-PHSCN-NH2 inhibited neovascularization by 12-fold during this time. Whether initiated after MLL cell injection or only after MLL tumor removal, Ac-PHSCN-NH2 treatment reduced the numbers of MLL lung colonies and micrometastases by 40- to >100-fold, whereas Ac-HSPNC-NH2 was inactive. Thus, Ac-PHSCN-NH2 may be a potent antitumorigenic and antimetastatic agent for postsurgical use prior to extensive metastasis.
Masking I/O latency using application level I/O caching and prefetching on Blue Gene systems

We present an application-level I/O caching, prefetching, asynchronous system to hide access latency experienced by HPC applications. Our solution of user controllable caching and prefetching system maintains a file-IO cache in the user space of the application, analyzes the I/O access patterns, prefetches requests, and performs write-back of dirty data to storage asynchronously. So each time the application needs the data it does not have to pay the full I/O latency penalty in going to the storage and getting the required data. We have implemented this caching and asynchronous access system on the Blue Gene (BG/L and BG/P) systems. We present experimental results with NAS BT, MADbench, and WRF benchmarks. The results on BG/P system demonstrate that our method hides access latency, enhances application I/O access time by as much as 100%, and improves WRF execution time over 10%.
Numerical computation of the homogenized effective tissue scaffold property

Ability to predict the effective mechanical properties of tissue scaffolds is very important for tissue engineering applications. Homogenization theory is one of the methods that enable the computational calculation of effective properties. This paper introduces the implemented homogenization program based on FEA-like method. The program also goes with flexible and visualized data input, and output The parametric studies based on it and corresponding conclusions drawn are described.
Featureless Motion Vector-Based Simultaneous Localization, Planar Surface Extraction, and Moving Obstacle Tracking

Motion vectors (MVs) characterize the movement of pixel blocks in video streams and are readily available. MVs not only allow us to avoid expensive feature transform and correspondence computations but also provide the motion information for both the environment and moving obstacles. This enables us to develop a new framework that is capable of simultaneous localization, scene mapping, and moving obstacle tracking. This method first extracts planes from MVs and their corresponding pixel macro blocks (MBs) using properties of plane-induced homographies. We then classify MBs as stationary or moving using geometric constraints on MVs. Planes are labeled as part of the stationary scene or moving obstacles using MB voting. Therefore, we can establish planes as observations for extended Kalman filters (EKFs) for both the stationary scene and moving objects. We have implemented the proposed method. The results show that the proposed method can establish plane-based rectilinear scene structure and detect moving objects while achieving similar localization accuracy of 1-Point EKF. More specifically, the system detects moving obstacles at a true positive rate of 96.6 % with a relative absolution trajectory error of no more than 2.53 %.
En Bloc Hilar Dissection of the Right Hepatic Artery in Continuity with the Bile Duct: a Technique to Reduce Biliary Complications After Adult Living-Donor Liver Transplantation

Objective Techniques that preserve the right hepatic artery and the common bile duct in continuity during the dissection may be associated with lower rates of biliary complications in living-donor liver transplants. This study sought to determine whether en bloc hilar dissections were associated with fewer biliary complications in living-donor liver transplants.
Implementation of BTOP Funding for Public Computing Centers: Perspectives from Principal-Agent Theory

This paper seeks to perform an assessment of the current state of implementation of BTOP- funded public computing center projects. Using newly available data on BTOP funded PCC projects and correlating them with socioeconomic and geographic data derived from the US census and the FCC, we seek to match actual usage statistics at BTOP-funded PCCs against the predicted demand from an empirical model that used socioeconomic data such as the poverty level, average income, average household size of the region, and geographic data such as population and rural ratio. Finally, we will assess progress towards completion of PCC projects by state, type of grantee, type of project, and funding amount.
Gandy Dancers on the Web: How the Internet Has Raised the Bar on Lawyers' Professional Responsibility to Research and Know the Law

Until recently a lawyer's professional responsibility of "ordinary skill" to research and know the law at a level higher than of the general public was not particularly challenging due to the unfamiliarity of the general public with the traditional sources of legal materials. However, emerging trends in federal policy are promoting increased public access to government and legal information on the Internet. This article argues that the extent of information available on the Internet, the degree of public access to that information and presumed or constructive knowledge of what is in the public domain challenges the traditional assumption that lawyers are more competent researchers than the general public and will substantially elevate the minimal level of a lawyer's professional responsibility to research and know the law. The standard of care in negligence actions for legal malpractice will increase correspondingly. Unless lawyers and law schools rise to that challenge, the profession will lose control over the standards by which legal services are evaluated and the Internet will have transformed the minimal standard of professional competence in legal research from that of the ordinary lawyer to the higher standard of the "intelligent layman".
Risk of Injury to the Dorsal Sensory Branch of the Ulnar Nerve With Percutaneous Pinning of Ulnar-Sided Structures.

Purpose To assess the risk of injury to the dorsal sensory branch of the ulnar nerve (DSBUN) with percutaneous pinning of commonly stabilized ulnar-sided structures. Methods Eleven fresh-frozen cadaveric upper extremities were assessed. Percutaneous pinning of the fifth metacarpal base and neck, lunotriquetral joint, ulnar styloid, and distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) with 1.4-mm Kirschner wires was performed under fluoroscopic guidance. Each specimen was then carefully dissected and the distance from each pin to the DSBUN was measured using a digital caliper. Direct injury to the DSBUN and pins found immediately adjacent to the nerve were recorded. Results Mean distance from the pin to the DSBUN at the fifth metacarpal neck was 5.0 ± 1.5 mm; fifth metacarpal base, 2.3 ± 2.2 mm; lunotriquetral joint, 1.8 ± 1.6 mm; ulnar styloid, 0.8 ± 1.1 mm; and DRUJ, 3.1 ± 0.9 mm. Two of 11 ulnar styloid pins and 1 of 11 lunotriquetral pin directly penetrated the DSBUN, whereas 4 of 11 ulnar styloid pins, 3 of 11 fifth metacarpal base pins, and 2 of 11 lunotriquetral pins were directly adjacent to the DSBUN. There was an increased overall risk of DSBUN injury (risk of direct injury and risk of adjacent pin) with pinning of the ulnar styloid compared with fifth metacarpal neck and DRUJ pinning. Conclusions The current study demonstrates the risk of iatrogenic injury to the DSBUN with percutaneous pinning of the ulnar styloid, lunotriquetral joint, and fifth metacarpal base. Clinical relevance We recommend identifying and protecting the nerve to mitigate the risk of iatrogenic injury when performing ulnar-sided pinning of structures from the ulnar styloid to the fifth metacarpal base.
Accelerating nuclear configuration interaction calculations through a preconditioned block iterative eigensolver

We describe a number of recently developed techniques for improving the performance of large-scale nuclear configuration interaction calculations on high performance parallel computers. We show the benefit of using a preconditioned block iterative method to replace the Lanczos algorithm that has traditionally been used to perform this type of computation. The rapid convergence of the block iterative method is achieved by a proper choice of starting guesses of the eigenvectors and the construction of an effective preconditioner. These acceleration techniques take advantage of special structure of the nuclear configuration interaction problem which we discuss in detail. The use of a block method also allows us to improve the concurrency of the computation, and take advantage of the memory hierarchy of modern microprocessors to increase the arithmetic intensity of the computation relative to data movement. We also discuss the implementation details that are critical to achieving high performance on massively parallel multi-core supercomputers, and demonstrate that the new block iterative solver is two to three times faster than the Lanczos based algorithm for problems of moderate sizes on a Cray XC30 system.
A Simulation Screening Mammography Module Created for Instruction and Assessment: Radiology Residents vs National Benchmarks.

Rationale and Objectives To improve mammographic screening training and breast cancer detection, radiology residents participated in a simulation screening mammography module in which they interpreted an enriched set of screening mammograms with known outcomes. This pilot research study evaluates the effectiveness of the simulation module while tracking the progress, efficiency, and accuracy of radiology resident interpretations and also compares their performance against national benchmarks. Materials and Methods A simulation module was created with 266 digital screening mammograms enriched with high-risk breast lesions (seven cases) and breast malignancies (65 cases). Over a period of 27 months, 39 radiology residents participated in the simulation screening mammography module. Resident sensitivity and specificity were compared to Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC data through 2009) national benchmark and American College of Radiology (ACR) Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) acceptable screening mammography audit ranges. Results The sensitivity, the percentage of cancers with an abnormal initial interpretation (BI-RADS 0), among residents was 84.5%, similar to the BCSC benchmark sensitivity of 84.9% (sensitivity for tissue diagnosis of cancer within 1 year following the initial examination) and within the acceptable ACR BI-RADS medical audit range of ≥75%. The specificity, the percentage of noncancers that had a negative image interpretation (BI-RADS 1 or 2), among residents was 83.2% compared to 90.3% reported in the BCSC benchmark data, but lower than the suggested ACR BI-RADS range of 88%–95%. Conclusions Using simulation modules for interpretation of screening mammograms is a promising method for training radiology residents to detect breast cancer and to help them achieve competence toward national benchmarks.
Differentiation and Function of the Female Reproductive System

Reproduction in mammals is a complex process in which numerous haploid gametes from a male are deposited into the reproductive tract of a female. The male gametes, or spermatozoa, are propelled to the fallopian tubes of the female reproductive tract, where they encounter a female gamete, or oocyte. The oocytes start out as primordial germ cells that migrate to the ovary during fetal development to become mitotically active oogonia. Subsequently, oogonia become oocytes when they begin meiosis and are then surrounded by granulosa cells to form primordial follicles. At puberty, groups of follicles grow and eventually one oocyte is selected for ovulation. A single spermatozoon fertilizes the oocyte and initiates a process of combination of paternal and maternal chromosomes, sequential expression of embryonic genes, implantation of the embryo in the wall of uterus, and development of a fetus. Changes in maternal physiology during pregnancy facilitate fetal growth and development. When the fetus matures to a stage at which it can survive outside of the uterus, chemical signals from the fetus and mother induce muscular contractions of the uterus to expel the fetus in the process of parturition. Postpartum maternal physiology gradually returns to the antepartum state and the maternal breasts provide milk to nourish the newborn. The female reproductive period commences at puberty and subsides at menopause.
State-Level Progress in Reducing the Black-White Infant Mortality Gap, United States, 1999-2013.

Objectives. To assess state-level progress on eliminating racial disparities in infant mortality.Methods. Using linked infant birth–death files from 1999 to 2013, we calculated state-level 3-year rolling average infant mortality rates (IMRs) and Black–White IMR ratios. We also calculated percentage improvement and a projected year for achieving equality if current trend lines are sustained.Results. We found substantial state-level variation in Black IMRs (range = 6.6–13.8) and Black–White rate ratios (1.5–2.7), and also in percentage relative improvement in IMR (range = 2.7% to 36.5% improvement) and in Black–White rate ratios (from 11.7% relative worsening to 24.0% improvement). Thirteen states achieved statistically significant reductions in Black–White IMR disparities. Eliminating the Black–White IMR gap would have saved 64 876 babies during these 15 years. Eighteen states would achieve IMR racial equality by the year 2050 if current trends are sustained.Conclusions. States are achieving varying levels...
Numerical calculation of the decay widths, the decay constants, and the decay energy spectra of the resonances of the delta-shell potential

Abstract We express the resonant energies of the delta-shell potential in terms of the Lambert W function, and we calculate their decay widths and decay constants. The ensuing numerical results strengthen the interpretation of such decay widths and constants as a way to quantify the coupling between a resonance and the continuum. We calculate explicitly the decay energy spectrum of the resonances of the delta-shell potential, and we show numerically that the lineshape of such spectrum is not the same as, and can be very different from, the Breit–Wigner (Lorentzian) distribution. We argue that the standard Golden Rule cannot describe the interference of two resonances, and we show how to describe such interference by way of the decay energy spectrum of two resonant states.
Small Molecules Targeting Rad51 Recombinase Synergize with Imatinib and Overcome Imatinib-Resistance in CML.

Abstract Rad51 recombinase is a key downstream effector of BCR-ABL, essential for DNA repair, cell proliferation and survival. In BCR-ABL positive leukemia cells, Rad51, itself a direct substrate of BCR-ABL, is transcriptionally activated through the BCR/ABL-Stat5 pathway. We have identified a novel compound IBR2, which targets Rad51 and inhibits its functions both in vitro and in vivo. We investigated whether targeted inhibition of Rad51 by IBR2 could overcome imatinib-resistance in CML. IBR2 potently inhibited the proliferation of Ba/F3 cells expressing wild-type BCR-ABL (P210), T315I or E255K mutant with the IC50 values (12–20 μM), but had much lesser effect on the Ba/F3 parental cells. By annexin-V staining and FACS analysis, treatment with 20 μM IBR2 for 48 hours significantly killed Ba/F3 cells expressing P210, E255K or T315I with 33.6, 35.8 and 66.5% of apoptotic cells, respectively. The effects of IBR2 on protein expression and phosphorylation of BCR-ABL and Stat5 and Rad51 were examined by Western blotting after 48 hours of exposure to IBR2 (10–20 μM). In Ba/F3 cells expressing BCR-ABL, dose-dependent decreases of Rad51, BCR-ABL, phosphorylated BCR-ABL, and phosphorylated Stat5 were revealed, while c-Abl, p-c-Abl and total Stat5 protein were unchanged. In contrast, there was little effect on Ba/F3 parental cells. In a murine imatinib-resistant chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) model bearing T315I mutant BCR-ABL, IBR2 at the dose of 100mg/kg daily for 20 days (i.p.) significantly prolonged animal survival. By colony-forming cell (CFC) assays, IBR2 did not significantly inhibit the growth of cord blood progenitor cells (less than 10% up to 40 μM). However, IBR2 at concentrations of 25, 30 and 40 μM could effectively inhibit the growth of CD34+ progenitor cells from CML patients with demonstrated clinical resistance to imatinib and cross-resistance to Nilotinib by 38.9, 54.8 and 95.5%, respectively. In contrast, these cells were inhibited with 5 μM imatinib by 35.2%; with 5 μM nilotinib by less than 9%; and with 0.5 μM dasatinib by up to 41.3%. Synergistic effects were observed upon co-treatment of IBR2 with imatinib in Ba/F3 cells expressing wild-type BCR-ABL. Treatment with 15 μM IBR2 alone resulted in whlee@uci.edu (WHL) and plchen@uci.edu (PLC).
A first-principles study of carbon-related energy levels in GaN. II. Complexes formed by carbon and hydrogen, silicon or oxygen

This work presents an in-depth investigation of the properties of complexes composed of hydrogen, silicon, or oxygen with carbon, which are the major unintentional impurities in undoped GaN. This manuscript is a complement to our previous work on carbon–carbon and carbon-vacancy complexes. We have employed a first-principles method using Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof hybrid functionals within the framework of generalized Kohn-Sham density functional theory. Two H–C, four Si–C, and five O–C complexes in different charge states have been considered. After full geometry relaxations, formation energies, binding energies, and both thermal and optical transition levels were obtained. The calculated energy levels have been systematically compared with the experimentally observed carbon related trap levels. Furthermore, we computed vibrational frequencies for selected defect complexes and defect concentrations were estimated in the low, mid, and high carbon doping scenarios considering two different cases where electri...
Optical coherence tomography identifies outer retina thinning in frontotemporal degeneration.

Objective: Whereas Alzheimer disease (AD) is associated with inner retina thinning visualized by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), we sought to determine if the retina has a distinguishing biomarker for frontotemporal degeneration (FTD). Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, we examined retinal structure in 38 consecutively enrolled patients with FTD and 44 controls using a standard SD-OCT protocol. Retinal layers were segmented with the Iowa Reference Algorithm. Subgroups of highly predictive molecular pathology (tauopathy, TAR DNA–binding protein 43, unknown) were determined by clinical criteria, genetic markers, and a CSF biomarker (total tau: β-amyloid) to exclude presumed AD. We excluded eyes with poor image quality or confounding diseases. SD-OCT measures of patients (n = 46 eyes) and controls (n = 69 eyes) were compared using a generalized linear model accounting for intereye correlation, and correlations between retinal layer thicknesses and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were evaluated. Results: Adjusting for age, sex, and race, patients with FTD had a thinner outer retina than controls (132 vs 142 μm , p = 0.004). Patients with FTD also had a thinner outer nuclear layer (ONL) (88.5 vs 97.9 μm, p = 0.003) and ellipsoid zone (EZ) (14.5 vs 15.1 μm, p = 0.009) than controls, but had similar thicknesses for inner retinal layers. The outer retina thickness of patients correlated with MMSE (Spearman r = 0.44, p = 0.03). The highly predictive tauopathy subgroup (n = 31 eyes) also had a thinner ONL (88.7 vs 97.4 μm, p = 0.01) and EZ (14.4 vs 15.1 μm, p = 0.01) than controls. Conclusions: FTD is associated with outer retina thinning, and this thinning correlates with disease severity.
Underwriter Reputation, CEO Stock Option and IPO Success: Regulatory Focused Framing as Moderators

In this study, I focus on a firm’s framing as a crucial driver of market reaction and investigate its effects on the success of initial public offerings (IPOs). In the past, researchers have focuse...
Preoperative Care Challenges in Ambulatory Clinics: A Proposed Research Agenda:

Ambulatory care is one of the fastest growing sections of the healthcare industry and yet little research has been done on challenges that can exist within preoperative care for ambulatory surgery....