cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Generalized tonic-clonic seizures with post-ictal atrial fibrillation.

Abstract Convulsive seizures are known to cause severe cardiopulmonary changes and increased autonomic activity. Limited reports describe peri-ictal cardiac arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation (AF) with generalized tonic–clonic seizures (GTCS). We present a unique case of a healthy 23-year-old male patient with new onset prolonged AF in the setting of new onset seizures, occurring on three independent occasions. Over two years, our patient had multiple hospitalizations for seizures with an electrocardiogram (ECG) diagnosis of AF made on three different occasions, occurring during his post-ictal state (all within 30 min of seizure onset). These seizures were never captured by electroencephalography (EEG) or witnessed by the medical staff, but were reported by family and/or reviewed on video provided by them. After his first GTCS, his AF persisted and was medically cardioverted. Two additional instances of AF after witnessed GTCS have been captured. After his second unprovoked seizure, an anti-seizure drug (ASD) was prescribed. A multi-disciplinary approach may be adopted to address comorbidities associated with seizures. Aggressive evaluation and treatment should be employed for newly diagnosed and refractory seizure patients associated with arrhythmias, in our case AF. Peri-ictal arrhythmias may be considered a potential marker for increased sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) risk.
Polyphenol-induced recalcitrance alleviated in katsuratree ( Cercidiphyllum spp.) microshoot cultures

Approach for reducing the growth-inhibiting effects of endogenous phenolic compounds in katsuratree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum). An approach for reducing the growth-inhibiting effects of endogenous phenolic compounds in katsuratree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum Sieb. & Zucc.) was developed to assist with clonal micropropagation of the species. A quantitative phenolic profile of Cercidiphyllum spp. was undertaken to provide further evidence of metabolic diversity within the genus. In order to mitigate the growth-inhibiting effects of preformed and induced polyphenols in katsura microshoot cultures, a range of sequestering treatments and carbon sources were compared. Cultures were compared by presoaking nodal explants in aqueous solutions for 12 or 24 h as well as incorporating sequestering agents into initiation media. The carbon source treatments, sucrose and d-(+)-glucose, were compared at concentrations of 0%, 1.5%, 3%, and 5% (w/v), and 1:1 (w/v) mixtures of d-(+)-glucose and sucrose over 4 weeks on a bulked, half-sib C. japonicum family. Eight major phenolic compounds were identified in varying concentrations and presence within and among species. Presoaking solutions significantly outperformed all other treatments for shoot growth traits. Incorporation of l-ascorbic acid at 40 μM showed similar performance. The carbon source d-(+)-glucose at 3% (w/v) was determined to be the most effective treatment for improving microshoot growth.
Working While Liberal/Conservative: A Review of Political Ideology in Organizations:

Political polarization has increased significantly in society over the past decade, and whether intended or not, employees at all levels bring their political ideologies into organizations. We posi...
Chapter Twenty-Six – Ion Exchange

Publisher Summary Ion exchange methods involve a reversible, stoichiometric exchange between the ions in the mobile liquid phase and the ions on the exchange sites in the stationary phase. This method is limited only to the separation of ionic or partially ionic mixtures. The chapter also explains the separation of nonionic organic molecules on ion exchangers. Retention of these kinds of molecules is the result of the highly polar character of the ion exchanger and a careful selection of eluting conditions. Ion exchangers are employed in a method for the separation of micro as well as macro samples and are therefore, of practical use in quantitative analysis and purification. Because of the macro application, ion exchangers are used on a pilot plant and industrial scale. The basic laboratory techniques common to adsorption and partition column methods are also applied in ion-exchange column methods.
Digitally Programmable Resonant Elastic Metamaterials

Elastic metamaterials enable broadband control of vibration and wave propagation in structures, but their capabilities are limited by their fixed effective material properties. This work uses a piezoelectric metamaterial and digital control to create a $f\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}u\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}l\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}l\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}y$ $p\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}r\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}o\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}g\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}r\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}a\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}m\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}m\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}a\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}b\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}l\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}e$ resonant band gap in a mechanical waveguide. Experiments demonstrate that the structure exhibits a resonant band gap that can be precisely tuned across a wide frequency range spanning several natural modes of the structure. This platform is expected to open doors to research on elastic metamaterials with effective properties that vary in space or time, significantly extending wave control in structures.
Introducing physiology of diabetes to American Asian middle school and high school students.

Diabetes, a chronic condition that impacts millions, is a complex disease. Understanding the disease can contribute to increasing awareness about this debilitating condition and preventing occurren...
A cancer in hybrids.

When healthy, wild-type individuals from closely related species are crossed to each other, the resulting hybrids often display fundamental problems in development. Problems such as hybrid sterility or hybrid inviability can sometimes act as barriers to gene flow between species and are therefore considered to be the stuff of speciation—the process by which one species splits into two (1). These developmental problems are known to manifest from deleterious genetic interactions, known as hybrid incompatibilities, between the two divergent parental genomes (2). The particular phenotype from hybrid crosses can unmask cryptic evolutionary processes that are otherwise not visible in pure species. Understanding the genetic and molecular nature of these incompatibilities can therefore provide fundamental insights into normal developmental processes within species and the origins of reproductive barriers between them. In PNAS, Lu et al. resolve a long-standing mystery about hybrids between Xiphophorus fish hybrids that suffer lethal melanoma (3). In the 1920s, three independent researchers, Myron Gordon, George Haeussler, and Kurt Kosswig, discovered that hybrids between two distant Xiphophorus fish species, the southern platyfish ( Xiphophorus maculatus ) and its sister species the green swordtail ( Xiphophorus hellerii ), develop spontaneous and lethal tumors on the dorsal fin (4⇓–6). X. maculatus exhibits a spotted pigmentation pattern in its dorsal fin (called spotted dorsal, Sd ), which is not seen in X. helleri . In F1 hybrids between these species, the Sd pigmentation pattern becomes expanded, with the melanin pattern covering the entire dorsal fin due to melanocyte hyperplasia. These F1 hybrids are fertile, and crossing them to X. hellerii parents produces backcross hybrids in classic Mendelian ratios of 1:2:1. A quarter … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: nitin.phadnis{at}utah.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Compensation of Contact Nature-Dependent Asymmetry in The Leakage Current of Ferroelectric Sc x Al 1−x N Thin-Film Capacitors

This paper reports on the fabrication, characterization, and leakage current analysis of Scandium-doped Aluminum Nitride (ScAlN) thin-film ferroelectric capacitors. Different thicknesses and Sc-doping levels are taken into account and the capacitors are measured with the Polarization Up-Polarization Down (PUND) scheme, showing an asymmetry in the output currents for positive and negative applied voltages due to leakage. The problem is addressed with considerations on the contact-nature (Schottky barrier, ohmic contact) of the metal-ferroelectric interfaces and on the presence of a very thin layer of native oxide on the ScAlN top surface. Moreover, a simple alternative measuring setup is shown, with clear explanation on why and how it is able to give symmetry to the measured ferroelectric capacitor characteristics, making a further step towards the understanding and commercial employment of such a high-polarization ferroelectric and post-CMOS compatible material.
The use of complementary and integrative therapies as adjunct interventions during radiotherapy: a systematic review

Literature supporting the efficacy of complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) alongside radiotherapy is fragmented with varying outcomes and levels of evidence. This review summarizes the available evidence on CIM used with radiotherapy in order to inform clinicians. A systematic literature review identified studies on the use of CIM during radiotherapy. Inclusion required the following criteria: the study was interventional, CIM therapy was for human patients with cancer, and CIM therapy was administered concurrently with radiotherapy. Data points of interest were collected from included studies. A subset was identified as high-quality using the Jadad scale. Fisher’s exact test was used to assess the association between study results, outcome measured, and type of CIM. Overall, 163 articles met inclusion. Of these, 68 (41.7%) were considered high-quality trials. Articles published per year increased over time (p < 0.01). Frequently identified therapies were biologically based therapies (47.9%), mind-body therapies (23.3%), and alternative medical systems (13.5%). Within the subset of high-quality trials, 60.0% of studies reported a favorable change with CIM while 40.0% reported no change. No studies reported an unfavorable change. Commonly assessed outcome types were patient-reported (41.1%) and provider-reported (21.5%). Rate of favorable change did not differ based on type of CIM (p = 0.90) or outcome measured (p = 0.24). Concurrent CIM may reduce radiotherapy-induced toxicities and improve quality of life, suggesting that physicians should discuss CIM with patients receiving radiotherapy. This review provides a broad overview of investigations on CIM use during radiotherapy and can inform how radiation oncologists advise their patients about CIM.
Social stress and risk of declining cognition: a longitudinal study of men and women in the United States

Limited research is available on the relationship between social stress and risk of declining cognition. We sought to examine whether social stress has adverse effects on risk of declining episodic memory and executive functioning in aging individuals. We used data from the MIDUS study, a national probability sample of non-institutionalized, English speaking respondents aged 25–74 living in the 48 contiguous states of the United States. The initial wave (1995) included 4963 non-institutionalized adults aged 32–84 (M = 55, SD = 12.4). We used an analytic sample from MIDUS-II (1996/1997) and MIDUS-III (2013) (n = 1821). The dependent variables are episodic memory and executive functioning, which were assessed with the Brief Test for Cognition (BTACT). The independent variables were social stress variables (subjective social status, family and marital stress, work stress and discrimination). To evaluate episodic memory and executive functioning changes over a time period of 10 years, we estimated adjusted linear regression models. Women report significantly lower subjective social status and more discrimination stress than men across all age groups. Controlling for education and income, age, and baseline episodic memory and executive functioning, lower subjective social status had additional adverse effects on declines in episodic memory in men and women. Marital risk had adverse effects on episodic memory in men but not in women. Daily discrimination had adverse effects on executive functioning on all individuals. Public health strategies should focus on reducing social stress in a socio-ecological perspective. Especially, subjective social status and discrimination stress might be a target for prevention efforts.
No Foul, but Plenty of Harm Sorting out the 2018 Belmont Stakes

This paper reviews the judgment issues presented by the running of the 2 Belmont Stakes. What were the issues presented to the stewards who judge fouls during the race, and how should they have ruled on these issues?
mTeeth: Identifying Brushing Teeth Surfaces Using Wrist-Worn Inertial Sensors

Ensuring that all the teeth surfaces are adequately covered during daily brushing can reduce the risk of several oral diseases. In this paper, we propose the mTeeth model to detect teeth surfaces being brushed with a manual toothbrush in the natural free-living environment using wrist-worn inertial sensors. To unambiguously label sensor data corresponding to different surfaces and capture all transitions that last only milliseconds, we present a lightweight method to detect the micro-event of brushing strokes that cleanly demarcates transitions among brushing surfaces. Using features extracted from brushing strokes, we propose a Bayesian Ensemble method that leverages the natural hierarchy among teeth surfaces and patterns of transition among them. For training and testing, we enrich a publicly-available wrist-worn inertial sensor dataset collected from the natural environment with time-synchronized precise labels of brushing surface timings and moments of transition. We annotate 10,230 instances of brushing on different surfaces from 114 episodes and evaluate the impact of wide between-person and within-person between-episode variability on machine learning model's performance for brushing surface detection.
The Sexual Stratification Hypothesis and Prosecuting Sexual Assault: Is the Decision to File Charges Influenced by the Victim-Suspect Racial-Ethnic Dyad?:

The sexual stratification hypothesis (SSH) posits that criminal-legal responses to sexual victimization differ depending on the victim-suspect racial-ethnic dyad. Existing tests of the SSH have res...
Complexity of Pure-Strategy Nash Equilibria in Non-Cooperative Games

Game theory in general and the concept of Nash equilibrium in particular have lately come under increased scrutiny by theoretical computer scientists. Computing a mixed Nash equilibrium is a case in point. For many years, one of the most important open problems was the complexity of computing a mixed Nash equilibrium in games with only two players. Only recently was it solved by a sequence of significant papers (Goldberg and Papadimitriou (2006), Daskalakis et.al. (2006), Chen and Deng (2005), Daskalakis and Papadimitriou (2005), and Chen and Deng (2006)).
Assistive Technology Applications in Educational Programs of Children with Multiple Disabilities: A Case Study Report on the State of the Practice:

Results are reported of a two-year case study that analyzed how assistive technology was used in educational programs for 14 children with multiple disabilities who had two to ten years experience ...
Who Shot Charles Summers

This short piece ties up a loose end from the somewhat famous Torts case of Summers v. Tice. In it, St. Peter considers who, as between Harold Tice and Ernest Simonson, actually shot Charles Summers.
9 Determination and Morphogenesis in Myogenic Progenitor Cells: An Experimental Embryological Approach

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the recent and historical experiments indicating that the molecular events underlying myogenic determination occur within discrete regions of the somite and that they may be coupled to the morphogenetic movements of muscle precursor cells during somitogenesis. The notochord challenge analysis of the somite dorsomedial quadrant have revealed unexpected and potentially important information about the onset of appearance of myogenic progenitor cells possessing different types of myogenic memory. Two observations suggested that myogenic stem cells with increasing mitotic capacity progressively appear in a somite-stage-dependent fashion. First, although the sizes of transplanted dorsomedial quadrant of the somite (DMQ) fragments were similar, the mass of myogenic tissue obtained using later-staged DMQ fragments was far greater than that from earlystaged DMQs. Second, DNA labeling showed that myogenic precursor cells within the DMQ had passed through the S phase of the cell cycle prior to differentiating in the presence of the notochord challenge. A third observation suggests that these stem cells also had morphogenetic capacity characteristic of progenitor stem cells because myogenic cells from early staged somites formed myoclusters that consisted of 50 or fewer disorganized, mononucleated myocytes while later somites gave rise to multinucleated myofibers that were highly organized into parallel fiber bundles.
Projecting long-term non-Fickian diffusion behavior in polymeric composites based on short-term data: a 5-year validation study

The slow approach to equilibrium concentration indicative of non-Fickian diffusion in polymer composites necessitates experimental time frames which are often of limited feasibility. As a result, experimental studies are terminated prematurely due to time constraints or incorrect identification of equilibrium. Here, the three-dimensional anisotropic diffusion behaviors of six-, twelve-, and forty-ply quartz-reinforced bismaleimide laminates are quantified through a 5-year, full-immersion gravimetric absorption study. The applicability of the three-dimensional hindered diffusion model is investigated, while projections of future absorption behavior made at 21 months are revisited in light of 3 years of additional data. The mathematical equivalency of the hindered diffusion model and a diffusion–relaxation model under certain conditions is discussed. Moisture content rises continuously throughout the 5-year experiment for all samples. In the six-ply case, the standard termination criterion for the equilibrium condition is met before 6 months and 1.38 % moisture content by weight. Actual moisture content reaches 1.56 % after 5 years. The hindered diffusion model and associated forward projections of moisture content are found to conform well to experimental results.
The interaction of race, gender, and age in criminal sentencing: The punishment cost of being young, black, and male

Prior theory and research on sentencing oversimplify the role of race, gender and age in judicial decision making. In this article we present a “focal concerns” theory of judicial decision making to frame hypotheses regarding the effects on sentencing of these social statuses, both singly and in combination. Analyzing statewide sentencing outcomes in Pennsylvania for 1989–1992, we find that, net of controls: (1) young black males are sentenced more harshly than any other group, (2) race is most influential in the sentencing of younger rather than older males, (3) the influence of offender's age on sentencing is greater among males than females, and (4) the main effects of race, gender, and age are more modest compared to the very large differences in sentencing outcomes across certain age-race-gender combinations. These findings demonstrate the importance of considering the joint effects of race, gender, and age on sentencing, and of using interactive rather than additive models.
Reduction of Hepatic Lipid Deposition in Laying Hens by Dietary Selenium-Yeast Interaction

Experiments were conducted to study the effect of chromiun and selenium on liver lipid deposition and incidence of liver hemorrhage in caged layers. Commercial strains of layers were fed ad libitum equicaloric and isonitrogenous diets. Corn-torula dried yeast diets containing added selenium (.1 microgram/g) with or without supplementary chromium (10 microgram/g) significantly reduced total liver lipid and liver hemorrhage. The effects of protein source (soybean meal vs. yeast) and selenium were separated in a factorial experiment which showed that the hepatic lipid response to selenium results from an interaction of selenium with an unidentified factor in torula yeast. The addition of selenium to diets with each protein source significantly elevated glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) activity. Inclusion of 5% brewers yeast in the corn-soy diet or vitamin E (50 IU/kg) to the corn-torula dried yeast reduced liver lipid similar to that seen in birds fed the torula-yeast diet containing .1 microgram Se/g. Comparison of oral glucose tolerance of birds fed corn-soy and corn-soy brewers yeast diets showed no significant difference. None of the dietary treatments significantly altered body weight, egg production, egg weight, or feed consumption. The results indicate that the metabolic role of selenium in relation to its role in hepatic lipid metabolism is mediated through an interaction with a dietary factor(s) present in yeast.
Relative Importance of Magnetic Moments In UXO Clearance Applications

Surface magnetic anomaly observed in UXO clearance is mainly dipolar and, as a result, the dipole is the only moment used regularly in UXO applications. The dipole moment contains intensity of magnetization information but lacks shape information. Unlike dipole, higher-order moments, such as quadrupole and octupole, encode asymmetry properties of magnetization distribution within buried targets. In order to improve our understanding of magnetization distribution within UXO and non-UXO objects and its potential utility in UXO clearance, we present results of a 3D numerical modeling study for highly susceptible metallic objects. The basis for modeling is the solution of a nonlinear integral equation, describing magnetization within isolated objects, allowing us to compute magnetic moments of the object, analyze their relationships, and provide a depiction of the surface anomaly produced by the different moments within the object. Our modeling results show significant high-order moments for more asymmetric objects situated at typical UXO burial depths, and suggest that the increased relative contribution to magnetic gradient data from these higherorder moments may provide a practical tool for improved UXO discrimination.
Nonlinear state feedback for l 1 optimal control

This paper considers l1 optimal control problems with full state feedback. In contrast to H∞ optimal control, previous work has shown that linear l1 optimal controllers can be dynamic and arbitrarily high order. However, this paper shows that continuous memoryless nonlinear state feedback perform as well as dynamic linear state feedback. The derivation, which is nonconstructive, relies on concepts from viability theory.
An empirical formulation of soil ice fraction based on in situ observations

[1] In situ data from around the globe are used to evaluate the parameterization of the fraction of soil ice over total moisture (fi) as used in four weather and climate models. Based on these evaluations and data analysis, an overall realistic (empirical) formulation is developed to compute fi as a function of soil temperature and the ratio of total moisture over its saturated value. This new formulation is found to reduce the winter ground temperature by up to 3 K over high latitudes in the offline Community Land Model (CLM3) simulations.
Investigation of numerical viscosities and dissipation rates of second-order TVD-MUSCL schemes for implicit large-eddy simulation

Monotonically integrated large-eddy simulation (MILES) approach utilizes the dissipation inherent to shock-capturing schemes to emulate the role played by explicit subgrid-scale eddy diffusivity at the high-wavenumber end of the turbulent energy spectrum. In the current study, a novel formulation is presented for quantifying the numerical viscosity inherent to Roe-based second-order TVD-MUSCL schemes for the Euler equations. Using this formulation, the effects of numerical viscosity and dissipation rate on implicit large-eddy simulations of turbulent flows are investigated. At first, the three-dimensional (3-D) finite-volume extension of the original Roe's flux, including Roe's Jacobian matrix, is presented. The fluxes are then extended to second-order using van Leer's MUSCL extrapolation technique. Starting from the 3-D Roe-MUSCL flux, an expression is derived for the numerical viscosity as a function of flux limiter and characteristic speed for each conserved variable, distance between adjacent cell centers, and a scaling parameter. Motivated by Thornber et al. 16 study, the high numerical viscosity inherent to TVD-MUSCL schemes is mitigated using a z-factor that depends on local Mach number. The TVD limiters, along with the z-factor, were initially applied to the 1-D shock-tube and 2-D inviscid supersonic wedge flows. Spatial profiles of numerical viscosities are plotted, which provide insights into the role of these limiters in controlling the dissipative nature of Roe's flux while maintaining monotonicity and stability in regions of high gradients. Subsequently, a detailed investigation was performed of decaying homogeneous isotropic turbulence with varying degrees of compressibility. Spectra of numerical viscosity and dissipation rate are presented, which clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of the z-factor both in narrowing the wavenumber range in which dissipation occurs, and in shifting the location of dissipation peak closer to the cut-off wavenumber. The present z-factor approach of limiting numerical viscosities is shown to perform as well as, or even better in some cases, than the Thornber et al. approach of directly limiting velocity jumps at a cell interface.
A “K-Attainable” inequality related to the convergence of positive linear operators

The convergence of a sequence of positive linear operators to the identity operator was studied deeply by Korovkin [S]. His main theorem was put in an inequality form by Shisha and Mond [9], measuring the degree of this convergence. Later other authors gave similar, more general/flexible, quantitative results, e.g., Mond [7]. By Riesz representation theorem, the above convergence is closely related to the weak convergence of a sequence of finite measures, to the unit (Dirac) measure at a fixed point. Introducing a new variation of the K-functional and using the terminology of moments (see [3,4]), for convenience we consider only probability measures, and we establish a sharp inequality which estimates the degree of the pointwise convergence of a sequence of positive linear operators to the identity operator, all acting on C([a, b]), where [a, b] c R.
Optical interconnects for advanced memory modules: From disaggregated racks to full datacenter computers

This talk will layout a vision for flexible datacenter deployments using optically interconnected modules, taking the approach that datacenter-scale applications could benefit from a more tightly coupled environment.
Ebolavirus hemorrhagic fever and the obstetric patient.

To the Editor, Ebola virus (EBOV) and Marburg virus (MARV) constitute the family Filoviridae that are enveloped, nonsegmented, negative-stranded RNA viruses of varying morphology. They are markedly contagious and fatal in close to 90% of cases in Africa. Although all of the past outbreaks of EBOV have been in West Africa, affecting Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria, and most outbreaks of MARV have been in Africa as well, due to ease of travel of individuals over long distances and other factors, in the United States and Western Europe we have started to see cases of Ebola
Ingroup/outgroup balance and interdependent interethnic behavior ☆

Abstract The effects of ingroup/outgroup balance and situational interdependence on interethnic competitive behavior of Anglos and Hispanics were examined. Equal numbers of male and female Anglo and Hispanic subjects (N = 240) were exposed to either cooperative or competitive interdependent feedback in six-person, same-sex groups. Ingroup/outgroup balance was manipulated by varying the ratio of Anglos to Hispanics from 1:5 through 6:0 (in both ethnic directions). With the single exception of the solo (1:5) condition in which Anglos cooperated and Hispanics competed with equal levels of intensity, the response patterns of the two ethnic groups were strikingly similar under the competitive interdependence condition. However, ingroup/outgroup balance had a drastic impact on the behavior of Hispanics under a cooperative feedback condition. Hispanics engaged in intense intergroup competition (sought relative gain) in both the solo and the minority condition (2:4), but they cooperated (sought absolute gain) when their ingroup/outgroup balance was equal, majority, extreme majority, and exclusive. In contrast, the behavior of Anglos exposed to the same cooperative feedback condition was minimally affected by changes in ingroup/outgroup balance. These results are discussed in terms of Social Identity Theory and its limitations within the context of Anglo-Hispanic relations in the United States.
Source characteristics of the Loma Prieta, California, Earthquake of October 18, 1989 from global digital seismic data

Displacement, velocity and acceleration records of P and SH body waves recorded at teleseismic distances are analyzed to determine the static and dynamic source parameters of the Loma Prieta, California earthquake of October 18, 1989 (m{sub b} 6.6, M{sub s} 7.1). Three distinct bursts of energy corresponding to three subevents can be recognized in most records. The displacement waveforms indicate that the first subevent contributes negligible moment while the largest releases of moment and energy are controlled by the second and third subevents. The second and third subevents are located north and south of the initial nucleation. A fourth small subevent needed to model later features of the P waveforms suggests that slow slip continued after the major releases of energy occurred. The waveforms are fit with a fault plane solution having strike 130{degree}, dip 65{degree} and slip 140{degree} for all the subevents. The focal depths of the two major subevents are 16 and 12 km, and their asperity radii are 4.0 and 6.0 km, respectively. The seismic moment, M{sub o}, is 2.2{times}10{sup 26} dyne-cm. From spectral analysis of teleseismic velocity, the radiated energy, E{sub s}, is estimated to be 1.1{times}10{sup 22} dyne-cm, implying an apparent stress of 15 bars.more » From the high-frequency level of the teleseismic acceleration spectrum and a rupture area of 440 km{sup 2}, the authors derive a dynamic stress drop of 51 bars.« less
Robotic-assisted total laparoscopic hysterectomy and staging for the treatment of endometrial cancer: a comparison with conventional laparoscopy and abdominal approaches.

The treatment of endometrial cancer using a minimally invasive approach provides benefits to the patient; however, there are currently few papers comparing robotic total laparoscopic hysterectomy with staging to conventional laparoscopic and abdominal approaches. Analyses of 102 consecutive patients undergoing robotic total hysterectomy were compared to historical cohorts of 104 patients undergoing laparoscopic total hysterectomy and 78 patients undergoing abdominal total hysterectomy (laparotomy). The majority of all patients were FIGO’88 stage IB. Patient characteristics were similar, except for lower age (P = 0.0236) and body mass index (P = 0.0134) in the laparoscopy group when compared to laparotomy. Operative time was longer for the robotic group at 108.7 min, compared to 79.4 min for laparoscopy (P = 0.0207) and 84.0 min for laparotomy (P < 0.0001). Lymph node yield was significantly higher in the robotic group (16.0 nodes) when compared to both laparoscopy (5.0 nodes, P < 0.0001) and laparotomy (11.4 nodes, P = 0.0006). The perioperative complication rates were significantly decreased in both the robotic (10.8%) and laparoscopy (6.7%) groups when compared to laparotomy at 25.6% (P = 0.0089; P = 0.0002). Hospital stay was significantly reduced in both the robotic (1.9 days, P < 0.0001) and laparoscopic (1.8 days, P < 0.0001) groups when compared to laparotomy (4.1 days). Both minimally invasive approaches reduced morbidity. Robotic assistance resulted in improved lymph node yield. Robotic surgery for endometrial cancer is at least equivalent to laparoscopic and open techniques and may be the preferred method for treatment of endometrial cancer.
Prior biological knowledge-based approaches for the analysis of genome-wide expression profiles using gene sets and pathways

An increasing challenge in analysis of microarray data is how to interpret and gain biological insight of profiles of thousands of genes. This article provides a review of statistical methods for analysis of microarray data by incorporating prior biological knowledge using gene sets and biological pathways, which consist of groups of biologically similar genes. We first discuss issues of individual gene analysis. We compare several methods for analysis of gene sets including over-representation anlaysis, gene set enrichment analysis, principal component analysis, global test and kernel machine. We discuss the assumptions of these methods and their pros and cons. We illustrate these methods by application to a type II diabetes data set.
Parthenogenetic and sexual species within the Haploembia solieri species complex (Embioptera: Oligotomidae) found in California

Webspinners in the genus Haploembia Verhoeff (Embioptera: Oligotomidae) were introduced into California from their native range in the Mediterranean region. In that region the genus has long been thought to comprise a single widespread species Haploembia solieri (Rambur) with both sexual and asexual populations and two additional sexual species with restricted ranges in the Mediterranean. For most of its known history in California, only asexual populations of Haploembia solieri were collected. However, within the last couple of decades, sexual populations have been discovered. The purpose of this project is to determine whether a single species of Haploembia solieri exists in California, which may imply reacquisition of sex, or whether these populations represent two or more species. To resolve this question DNA sequence data were acquired from multiple populations (sexual and asexual) of Californian, New Mexican, and Mediterranean Haploembia solieri, including both nuclear (histone 3) and mitochondrial (cytochrome oxidase I) genes. These data were included in a phylogenetic analysis to resolve relationships between these individuals. Our analysis shows asexual California specimens grouping with the asexual specimens from Sardinia; whereas the sexual California specimens group separately from both asexual specimens, and sexual Mediterranean specimens. Therefore, we conclude that there are two species of Haploembia introduced into California and at least three species involved in what was historically considered H. solieri.
Matching structure and the matching lattice

Abstract The matching polyhedron, i.e., the convex hull of (incidence vectors of) perfect matchings of a graph was characterized by Edmonds; this result is the key to a large part of polyhedral combinatorics and is used in many combinatorial algorithms. The linear hull of perfect matchings was characterized by Naddef, and by Edmonds, Lovasz, and Pulleyblank. In this paper we describe the lattice generated by these vectors, i.e., the set of all integer linear combinations of perfect matchings. It turns out that the Petersen graph is, in a sense, the only difficult example. Our results also imply a characterization of the linear hull of perfect matchings over fields of characteristic different from 0. The main method is a decomposition theory developed by Kotzig, Lovasz, and Plummer, which breaks down every graph into a number of graphs called bricks with very good matching properties. The number of Petersen graphs among these bricks will turn out to be an essential parameter of the matching lattice. Some refinements of the decomposition theory are also given. Among others, we show that the list of bricks obtained during the decomposition procedure is independent of the special choices made during the procedure.
Gender Differences in Community Integration After Spinal Cord Injury

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of gender to environmental barriers and societal participation/community integration. The Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique (CHART) was used to assess community integration, and the Craig Hospital Inventory of Environmental Factors was used to assess barriers. A sample of 2,048 patients participating in the Model Spinal Cord Injury Care System was studied. Gender was found to be associated with environmental barriers; women experienced more across all domains. Gender differences were found for the Occupation scale of the CHART but not for its other scales.
Coping and parenting: Mediators of 12-month outcomes of a family group cognitive-behavioral preventive intervention with families of depressed parents.

In a randomized clinical trial with 111 families of parents with a history of major depressive disorder (86% mothers; 86% Caucasian), changes in adolescents’ (mean age 11 years; 42% female) coping and parents’ parenting skills were examined as mediators of the effects of a family group cognitive behavioral preventive intervention on adolescents’ internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Changes in hypothesized mediators were assessed at 6-months and changes in adolescents’ symptoms were measured at 12-month follow-up. Significant differences favoring the family intervention as compared with a written information comparison condition were found for changes in composite measures of parent-adolescent reports of adolescents’ use of secondary control coping skills and direct observations of parents’ positive parenting skills. Changes in adolescents’ secondary control coping and positive parenting mediated the effects of the intervention on depressive, internalizing and externalizing symptoms accounting for approximately half of the effect of the intervention on the outcomes. Further, reciprocal relations between children’s internalizing symptoms and parenting were found from baseline to 6-month follow-up. Implications for the prevention of psychopathology in offspring of depressed parents are highlighted.
Development of a Chip/Chip/SRM platform using digital chip isoelectric focusing and LC-Chip mass spectrometry for enrichment and quantitation of low abundance protein biomarkers in human plasma

Protein biomarkers are critical for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of disease. The transition from protein biomarker discovery to verification can be a rate limiting step in clinical development of new diagnostics. Liquid chromatography-selected reaction monitoring mass spectrometry (LC-SRM MS) is becoming an important tool for biomarker verification studies in highly complex biological samples. Analyte enrichment or sample fractionation is often necessary to reduce sample complexity and improve sensitivity of SRM for quantitation of clinically relevant biomarker candidates present at the low ng/mL range in blood. In this paper, we describe an alternative method for sample preparation for LC-SRM MS, which does not rely on availability of antibodies. This new platform is based on selective enrichment of proteotypic peptides from complex biological peptide mixtures via isoelectric focusing (IEF) on a digital ProteomeChip (dPC) for SRM quantitation using a triple quadrupole (QQQ) instrument with an LC-Chip (Chip/Chip/SRM). To demonstrate the value of this approach, the optimization of the Chip/Chip/SRM platform was performed using prostate specific antigen (PSA) added to female plasma as a model system. The combination of immunodepletion of albumin and IgG with peptide fractionation on the dPC, followed by SRM analysis, resulted in a limit of quantitation of PSA added to female plasma at the level of ∼1-2.5 ng/mL with a CV of ∼13%. The optimized platform was applied to measure levels of PSA in plasma of a small cohort of male patients with prostate cancer (PCa) and healthy matched controls with concentrations ranging from 1.5 to 25 ng/mL. A good correlation (r(2) = 0.9459) was observed between standard clinical ELISA tests and the SRM-based assay. Our data demonstrate that the combination of IEF on the dPC and SRM (Chip/Chip/SRM) can be successfully applied for verification of low abundance protein biomarkers in complex samples.
Hemolysis of Erythrocytes by Antibacterial Preservatives III: Influence of Dimethyl Sulfoxide on the Hemolytic Activity of Phenol

The influence of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) on the hemolytic activity of phenol has been investigated in vitro . Although DMSO freely penetrates the erythrocytic membrane and, in high concentrations, is destructive to red cells, it did not enhance but greatly reduced phenol-induced hemolysis of both washed and unwashed erythrocytes. This interference may be manifest through chemical interaction with phenol or through a direct cellular effect.
Mass and Velocity: Control Parameters for Throwing Patterns

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine if change in segmental mass and increases in throwing velocity act as control parameters to alter throwing patterns. Twenty participants were categorized into four levels of throwing pattern. Each participant was required to make 10 throws at various velocities within 8 conditions. Conditions resulted from combinations of altered mass of the arm, forearm, and hand. Quantitative and qualitative analyses indicated that changes in segmental mass and release velocity either increased or decreased levels of throwing pattern depending on the initial throwing level. It was concluded that mass and velocity may be control parameters which instigate changes in throwing patterns.
Evaluation of the microsomal glutathione S-transferase 3 (MGST3) locus on 1q23 as a Type 2 diabetes susceptibility gene in Pima Indians

Elevation of plasma glucose concentration may induce generation of oxygen-free radicals, which can play an important role in the progression of diabetes and/or development of its complications. Various glutathione transferases utilize the availability of reduced glutathione for the cellular defense against oxygen-free radicals. One such enzyme is microsomal glutathione S-transferase 3 encoded by MGST3, which maps to chromosome 1q23, a region linked to Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Pima Indians, Caucasian, and Chinese populations. We investigated the MGST3 gene as a potential susceptibility gene for T2DM by screening this locus for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in diabetic and non-diabetic Pima Indians. We also measured the skeletal muscle MGST3 mRNA level by Real-Time (RT) PCR and its relationship with insulin action in non-diabetic individuals. We identified 25 diallelic variants, most of which, based on their genotypic concordance, could be divided into three distinct linkage disequilibrium (LD) groups. We genotyped unique representative SNPs in selected diabetic and non-diabetic Pima Indians and found no evidence for association with T2DM. Furthermore, inter-individual variation of skeletal muscle MGST3 mRNA was not correlated with differences in insulin action in non-diabetic subjects. We conclude that alterations of MGST3 are unlikely to contribute to T2DM or differences in insulin sensitivity in the Pima Indians.
Electronic spectra, resonance raman spectra and solution properties of water-soluble Cu(II), Ni(II) and Co(III) porphyrins

Abstract The Cu(II), Ni(II) and Co(III) complexes of the following water-soluble meso -substituted porphyrins were prepared: tetrakis(2- N ), (3- N -) and (4- N -)methylpyridylporphyrin ( 1 , 2 , 3 ), tris(4- N -methylpyridyl)monophenylporphyrin ( 4 ), two isomeric bis(4- N -methylpyridyl)diphenylporphyrins ( 5 , 6 ) and tetrakis(4- N,N,N -trimethylanilinium)porphyrin ( 7 ). The metalloporphyrins were characterized by UV-Vis and resonance Raman spectroscopy. The Cu(II) porphyrins are always four-coordinate; the complexes of more basic porphyrins, 4 through 7 , have a marked tendency to aggregate in aqueous and electrolyte solutions. In aqueous solution, the Ni(II) complexes of more acidic porphyrins, 1 through 4 , exist as equilibrium mixtures of four-coordinate square-planar species and six-coordinate diaquo forms; the relative amount of the latter increases with the acidity of the porphyrin. The Ni(II) derivatives of other porphyrins, 5 through 7 , are four-coordinate in water, but tend to form aggregates. The Co(III) complexes are six-coordinate in all cases. Resonance Raman spectra have been recorded for all complexes, band assignments are given, and structure-sensitive bands are discussed.
Metallic Nanostructures as Localized Plasmon Resonance Enhanced Scattering Probes for Multiplex Dark Field Targeted Imaging of Cancer Cells.

In this paper, we report the use of bioconjugated gold nanorods and silver nanoparticles as targeted localized surface plasmon resonance enhanced scattering probes for dark-field multiplex and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging of pancreatic cancer cells. We take advantage of the spectrally widely separated localized plasmon resonance of the gold nanorods and silver nanoparticles which produce wavelength selective plasmon resonance scattering to allow multiplex imaging with high contrast. When the surfaces are functionalized, aqueous dispersions of bioconjugated gold nanorods and silver nanoparticles are prepared. We demonstrate receptor-mediated delivery of bioconjugated gold nanorods and silver nanoparticles simultaneously into pancreatic cancer cells, using multiplexed dark-field microscopy technique. We also show that the bioconjugated metallic nanostructures can be used for high-contrast TEM imaging as well.
Production of small doubly charged negative carbon cluster ions by sputtering.

Carbon cluster ions with a double negative charge, and lifetimes of at least 10 \ensuremath{\mu}s, have been produced by sputtering graphite, and observed in a double-focusing mass spectrometer. Ions as small as ${\mathrm{C}}_{7}^{2\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ have been detected. The intensities of the doubly charged clusters (${\mathrm{C}}_{\mathit{n}}^{2\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ where n=7--28) follow an alternating pattern, with even-n clusters being more intense than neighboring odd-n clusters. In contrast, even-n singly charged clusters are more intense than odd n for n\ensuremath{\le}9, and less intense for n\ensuremath{\ge}13, where the clusters are believed to be cyclic.
Structure-dependent charge transport and storage in self-assembled monolayers of compounds of interest in molecular electronics: effects of tip material, headgroup, and surface concentration.

The electrical properties of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on a gold surface have been explored to address the relation between the conductance of a molecule and its electronic structure. We probe interfacial electron transfer processes, particularly those involving electroactive groups, of SAMs of thiolates on Au by using shear force-based scanning probe microscopy (SPM) combined with current−voltage (i−V) and current−distance (i−d) measurements. Peak-shaped i−V curves were obtained for the nitro- and amino-based SAMs studied here. Peak-shaped cathodic i−V curves for nitro-based SAMs were observed at negative potentials in both forward and reverse scans and were used to define the threshold tip bias, VTH, for electric conduction. For a SAM of 2‘,5‘-dinitro-4,4‘-bis(phenylethynyl)-1-benzenethiolate, VII, VTH was nearly independent of the tip material [Ir, Pt, Ir−Pt (20−80%), Pd, Ni, Au, Ag, In]. For all of the SAMs studied, the current decreased exponentially with increasing distance, d, between tip an...