cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanical Bowel Preparation for Elective Colorectal Surgery: A Prospective, Randomized, Surgeon-Blinded Trial Comparing Sodium Phosphate and Polyethylene Glycol-Based Oral Lavage Solutions

AIM: The aim of this study was to compare the cleansing ability, patient compliance, and safety of two oral solutions for elective colorectal surgery. METHODS: All eligible patients were prospectively randomized to receive either 4 1 of standard polyethylene glycol (PEG) solution or 90 ml of sodium phosphate (NaP) as mechanical bowel preparation for colorectal surgery. A detailed questionnaire was used to assess patient compliance. In addition, the surgeons, blinded to the preparation, intraoperatively evaluated its quality. Postoperative septic complications were also assessed. The calcium serum level was monitored before and after bowel preparation. Statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon's rank-sum test and Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: Two hundred patients, well matched for age, gender, and diagnosis, were prospectively randomized to receive either PEG or NaP solutions for elective colorectal surgery. All patients completed all phases of the trial. There was a significant decrease in serum calcium levels after administration of both NaP (mean, 9.3-8.8 mg/dl) and PEG (9.2-8.9 mg/dl), respectively (P < 0.0001), with no clinical sequelae. However, patient tolerance to NaP was superior to PEG: less trouble drinking the preparation (17 vs. 32 percent; P < 0.0002), less abdominal pain (12 vs. 22 percent; P = 0.004), less bloating (7 vs. 28 percent), and less fatigue (8 vs. 17 percent), respectively. Additionally, 65 percent of patients who received the NaP preparation stated they would repeat this preparation again compared with only 25 percent for the PEG group (P < 0.0001). Ninety-five percent of patients who received the NaP solution tolerated 100 percent of the solution compared with only 37 percent of the PEG group (P < 0.0001). For quality of cleansing, surgeons scored NaP as excellent or good in 87 compared with 76 percent after PEG (P = not significant). Rates of septic and anastomotic complications were 1 percent and 1 percent for NaP and 4 percent and 1 percent for PEG, respectively (P = not significant). CONCLUSION: Both oral solutions proved to be equally effective and safe. However, patient tolerance of the small volume of NaP demonstrated a clear advantage over the traditional PEG solution.
Quantum Algorithms for Weighing Matrices and Quadratic Residues

Abstract. In this article we investigate how we can employ the structure of combinatorial objects like Hadamard matrices and weighing matrices to devise new quantum algorithms. We show how the properties of a weighing matrix can be used to construct a problem for which the quantum query complexity is significantly lower than the classical one. It is pointed out that this scheme captures both Bernstein and Vazirani's inner-product protocol, as well as Grover's search algorithm. In the second part of the article we consider Paley's construction of Hadamard matrices, which relies on the properties of quadratic characters over finite fields. We design a query problem that uses the Legendre symbol χ (which indicates if an element of a finite field F q is a quadratic residue or not). It is shown how for a shifted Legendre function f s (i)=χ(i+s) , the unknown s ∈ F q can be obtained exactly with only two quantum calls to f s . This is in sharp contrast with the observation that any classical, probabilistic procedure requires more than log q + log ((1-ɛ )/2) queries to solve the same problem.
Characteristics of faults in MOS arrays

Before discussing characteristics of faults in MOS arrays, it appears desirable to review briefly MOS technology, and to present some discussion on the use of MOS devices in arrays. Not only will this benefit those not too familiar with MOS devices, but it will also serve as a basis for the subsequent discussion on failure modes and mechanisms.
The price dynamics of common trading strategies

A deterministic trading strategy can be regarded as a signal processing element that uses external information and past prices as inputs and incorporates them into future prices. This paper uses a market maker based method of price formation to study the price dynamics induced by several commonly used financial trading strategies, showing how they amplify noise, induce structure in prices, and cause phenomena such as excess and clustered volatility.
Recent Publications: Selected by the Institute of Industrial Relations Library, University of California at Berkeley

Books reviewed: David Bacon, The Children of NAFTA. Laurence J. Kotlikoff and Scott Burns, The Coming Generational Storm: What You Need to Know About America's Economic Future. Pablo J. Boczkowski, Digitizing the News: Innovation in Online Newspapers. Frank Levy and Richard J. Murnane, The Division of Labor: How Computers Are Creating the Next Job Market. Dominque Foray, The Economics of Knowledge. Martin Campbell-Kelly, From Airline Reservations to Sonic the Hedgehog: A History of the Software Industry. Rick Fantasia and Kim Voss, Hard Work: Remaking the American Labor Movement. Brian K. Obach, Labor and the Environmental Movement: The Quest for Common Ground. Chris Rhomberg, No There There: Race, Class and Political Community in Oakland. Daniel Cohen, Our Modern Times: The Nature of Capitalism in the Information Age. Steven Henry Lopez, Reorganizing the Rust Belt: An Inside Study of the American Labor Movement. Bruce Sinclair ed., Technology and the African-American Experience: Needs and Opportunities for Study.
Getting Out the Vote in Local Elections: Results from Six Door-to-Door Canvassing Experiments

Prior to the November 6, 2001 elections, randomized voter mobilization experiments were conducted in Bridgeport, Columbus, Detroit, Minneapolis, Raleigh, and St. Paul. Names appearing on official lists of registered voters were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. A few days before Election Day, the treatment group received a face-to-face contact from a coalition of nonpartisan student and community organizations, encouraging them to vote. After the election, voter turnout records were used to compare turnout rates among people assigned to treatment and control groups. Consistent with the recent experimental results reported by Gerber and Green (2000b), the findings here indicate that face-to-face voter mobilization was effective in stimulating voter turnout across a wide spectrum of local elections.
On the Index Coding Problem and Its Relation to Network Coding and Matroid Theory

The index coding problem has recently attracted a significant attention from the research community due to its theoretical significance and applications in wireless ad hoc networks. An instance of the index coding problem includes a sender that holds a set of information messages X={x1,...,xk} and a set of receivers R. Each receiver (x,H) in R needs to obtain a message x X and has prior side information consisting of a subset H of X . The sender uses a noiseless communication channel to broadcast encoding of messages in X to all clients. The objective is to find an encoding scheme that minimizes the number of transmissions required to satisfy the demands of all the receivers. In this paper, we analyze the relation between the index coding problem, the more general network coding problem, and the problem of finding a linear representation of a matroid. In particular, we show that any instance of the network coding and matroid representation problems can be efficiently reduced to an instance of the index coding problem. Our reduction implies that many important properties of the network coding and matroid representation problems carry over to the index coding problem. Specifically, we show that vector linear codes outperform scalar linear index codes and that vector linear codes are insufficient for achieving the optimum number of transmissions.
Effects of the Non-Equipartition of Electrons and Ions in the Outskirts of Relaxed Galaxy Clusters

We have studied the effects of electron–ion non-equipartition in the outer regions of relaxed clusters for a wide range of masses in the ΛCDM cosmology using one-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations. The effects of the nonadiabatic electron heating efficiency, β, on the degree of non-equipartition are also studied. Using the gas fraction fgas = 0.17 (which is the upper limit for a cluster), we give a conservative lower limit of the non-equipartition effect on clusters. We have shown that for a cluster with a mass of Mvir ∼ 1.2 × 10 15 M� , electron and ion temperatures differ by less than a percent within the virial radius Rvir. The difference is ≈20% for a non-adiabatic electron heating efficiency of β ∼ 1/1800 to 0. 5a t∼1.4Rvir. Beyond that radius, the non-equipartition effect depends rather strongly on β, and such a strong dependence at the shock radius can be used to distinguish shock heating models or constrain the shock heating efficiency of electrons. With our simulations, we have also studied systematically the signatures of non-equipartition on X-ray and Sunyaev–Zel’dovich (SZ) observables. We have calculated the effect of non-equipartition on the projected temperature and X-ray surface brightness profiles using the MEKAL emission model. We found that the effect on the projected temperature profiles is larger than that on the deprojected (or physical) temperature profiles. The non-equipartition effect can introduce a ∼10% bias in the projected temperature at Rvir for a wide range of β. We also found that the effect of non-equipartition on the projected temperature profiles can be enhanced by increasing metallicity. In the low-energy band 1 keV, the non-equipartition model surface brightness can be higher than that of the equipartition model in the cluster outer regions. Future X-ray observations extending to ∼Rvir or even close to the shock radius should be able to detect these non-equipartition signatures. For a given cluster, the difference between the SZ temperature decrements for the equipartition and the non-equipartition models, δΔTSZE, is larger at a higher redshift. For the most massive clusters at z ≈ 2, the differences can be δΔTSZE ≈ 4–5 μK near the shock radius. We also found that for our model in the ΛCDM universe, the integrated SZ bias, Ynon-eq/Yeq, evolves slightly (at a percentage level) with redshift, which is in contrast to the self-similar model in the Einstein–de Sitter universe. This may introduce biases in cosmological studies using the fgas technique. We discussed briefly whether the equipartition and non-equipartition models near the shock region can be distinguished by future radio observations with, for example, the Atacama Large Millimeter Array.
Expeditious Access to Unprotected Racemic Pyroglutamic Acids.

A series of biologically intriguing pyroglutamic acids were synthesized in racemic form by employing indole−isonitrile and ammonium acetate in the Ugi 4-center-3-component reaction of γ-ketoacids.
The Demise of the Soviet Bloc

In the mid-1980s, just before Mikhail Gorbachev became General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), the East–West divide in Europe seemed as stark as ever. Both the Warsaw P...
A series of open-framework tin(II) phosphates: A[Sn4(PO4)3] (A=Na, K, NH4)

Abstract A new series of isostructural open-framework tin(II) phosphates with general formula A[Sn 4 (PO 4 ) 3 ], where A=Na, K, NH 4 , has been synthesized by hydrothermal methods. The crystal structures of NaSn 4 (PO 4 ) 3 ( I ) and KSn 4 (PO 4 ) 3 ( II ) have been solved by single crystal X-ray diffraction methods. Both phases crystallize in the trigonal space group R 3 c (#161) with Z =6 and cell parameters a =9.5508(13) A, c =24.083(3) A for I , and a =9.7124(11) A, c =24.363(3) A for II . The structure consists of a negatively charged [Sn 4 (PO 4 ) 3 ] − framework with channels running parallel to the a - and b -axes where the charge compensating A + cations are located. An interesting feature is that half of the channels are empty due to the specific geometry of the SnO 3 units—the lone electron pair of the tin atoms “protrudes” in these channels thus preventing the insertion of A + . The new phases have also been characterized by infrared and thermogravimetric analyses.
An approximate nonmyopic computation for value of information

Value-of-information analyses provide a straightforward means for selecting the best next observation to make, and for determining whether it is better to gather additional information or to act immediately. Determining the next best test to perform, given a state of uncertainty about the world, requires a consideration of the value of making all possible sequences of observations. In practice, decision analysts and expert-system designers have avoided the intractability of exact computation of the value of information by relying on a myopic approximation. Myopic analyses are based on the assumption that only one additional test will be performed, even when there is an opportunity to make a large number of observations. We present a nonmyopic approximation for value of information that bypasses the traditional myopic analyses by exploiting the statistical properties of large samples.
Random forests and stochastic gradient boosting for predicting tree canopy cover: Comparing tuning processes and model performance

As part of the development of the 2011 National Land Cover Database (NLCD) tree canopy cover layer, a pilot project was launched to test the use of high-resolution photography coupled with extensiv...
A constant-space sequential model of computation for first-order logic

We define and justify a natural sequential model of computation with a constant amount of read/write work space, despite unlimited (polynomial) access to read-only input and write-only output. The model is both deterministic, uniform, and sequential. The constant work space is modeled by a finite number of destructive read boolean variables, assignable by formulas over the canonical boolean operations. We then show that computation on this model is equivalent to expressibility in first-order logic, giving a duality between (read-once) constant-space serial algorithms and constant-time parallel algorithms.
Insights From Research on Distance Education Learners, Learning, and Learner Support

Abstract This article reviews the key ideas related to increasing student learning and support described in selected chapters from the second edition of the Handbook of Distance Education (Moore 2007). These chapters described research findings related to the impact of distance education on learners in general (student autonomy, cognition, social learning, and satisfaction) as well as specific subgroups of distance students and instructors (K–12, female, and disabled students as well as academic advising and library services). This article concludes with brief recommendations for future research in each of these areas.
The Clouds of Venus

The physical and chemical properties of the clouds of Venus are reviewed, with special emphasis on data that are related to cloud dynamics. None of the currently-popular interpretations of cloud phenomena on Venus is consistent with all the data. Either a considerable fraction of the observational evidence is faulty or has been misinterpreted, or the clouds of Venus are much more complex than the current simplistic models. Several lines of attack are suggested to resolve some of the contradictions. A sound understanding of the clouds appears to be several years in the future.
Comparison of dust charging between orbital-motion-limited theory and particle-in-cell simulations

The Orbital-Motion-Limited (OML) theory has been modified to predict the dust charge and the results were contrasted with the Whipple approximation [X. Z. Tang and G. L. Delzanno, Phys. Plasmas 21, 123708 (2014)]. To further establish its regime of applicability, in this paper, the OML predictions (for a non-electron-emitting, spherical dust grain at rest in a collisionless, unmagnetized plasma) are compared with particle-in-cell simulations that retain the absorption radius effect. It is found that for large dust grain radius rd relative to the plasma Debye length λD, the revised OML theory remains a very good approximation as, for the parameters considered (rd/λD ≤ 10, equal electron and ion temperatures), it yields the dust charge to within 20% accuracy. This is a substantial improvement over the Whipple approximation. The dust collected currents and energy fluxes, which remain the same in the revised and standard OML theories, are accurate to within 15%–30%.
The Meridional Mode in an Idealized Aquaplanet Model: Dependence on the Mean State

AbstractThe meridional mode provides a source of predictability for the tropical climate variability and change on seasonal and longer time scales by transporting extratropical climate signals into the tropics. Previous research shows that the tropical imprint of the meridional mode is constrained by the interhemispheric asymmetry of the tropical mean climate state. In this study the constraint of the zonal asymmetry is investigated in an AGCM thermodynamically coupled with an aquaplanet slab ocean model. The strategy is to modify the zonal asymmetry of the mean climate state and examine the response of the meridional mode. Presented here are two simulations of different zonal asymmetries in the mean state. In the zonally symmetric case, the meridional mode operates throughout the subtropics but only becomes evident after removing a dominant global-scale eastward-propagating mode. In the zonally asymmetric case, the meridional mode operates only in regions where trade winds converge onto the equator and h...
Improved algorithms for finding edit distance based motifs

Motif search is an important step in extracting meaningful patterns from biological data. The general problem of motif search is intractable. There is a pressing need to develop efficient exact and approximation algorithms to solve this problem. In this paper we present novel algorithms for solving the (l, d) Edit-distance-based Motif Search (EMS) problem: given two integers l, d and n biological strings, find all strings of length l that appear in each input string with atmost d substitutions, insertions and deletions. The algorithms for EMS are customarily evaluated on several challenging instances such as (9, 2), (11, 3), (13, 4), (15, 5), and so on. The best previously known algorithm, EMS1, solves up to instance (11, 3) in estimated 3 days. Our algorithm is more than 20 times faster than EMS1. For example, our algorithm solves instance (11, 3) in a couple of minutes and instance (14, 3) in a couple of hours. This significant improvement is due to a novel and provably efficient neighborhood generation technique introduced in this paper. Firstly, we show that it is enough to consider the neighbors which are at a distance exactly d from all possible substrings of the input strings. Secondly, we compactly represent the candidate motifs in the neighborhood using wildcard characters. Thirdly, we generate these compact candidate motifs nearly uniquely with very few repetitions. Finally, we use a trie based data structure to efficiently store the candidate motifs and to output the final motifs in a sorted order. We believe that the techniques we introduce in this paper are also applicable to other motif search problems such as the PMS.
A secure concurrency control protocol for real-time databases

Database systems for real-time applications must satisfy timing constraints associated with transactions, in addition to maintaining data consistency. Multilevel security requirements introduce a new dimension to transaction processing in real-time database systems. In this paper, we propose a novel concurrency control protocol that can meet the real-time, security, and serializability conditions using a primary copy and a secondary copy for each data object. First, we discuss the conflicting nature of the requirements and then present our protocol. We state and prove the properties characterizing our protocol. The implementation details of the data object representation and the additional processing overhead are also discussed. Finally, opportunities for tuning the protocol to suit different application domains are presented.
European Integration, Nationalism, and European Identity

Early theorists of European integration speculated that economic integration would lead to political integration and a European identity. A European identity has not displaced national identities in the EU, but, for a significant share of EU citizens, a European identity exists alongside a national identity. At the same time, political parties asserting more traditional nationalist identities and policies have directed their dissatisfaction against immigrants, foreigners, and, sometimes, the EU. Those who participate in “Europe” are more likely to develop a European identity, while those whose economic and social horizons are essentially local are more likely to assert nationalist identities.
Maximal orders in unramified central simple algebras

This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Journal of Algebra. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Journal of Algebra, 2016. 452: 94-105. DOI: 10.1016/j.jalgebra.2015.12.006.
Livestock Disease Indemnity Design When Moral Hazard Is Followed by Adverse Selection

Averting or limiting the outbreak of infectious disease in domestic livestock herds is an economic and potential human health issue that involves the government and individual livestock producers. Producers have private information about preventive biosecurity measures they adopt on their farms prior to outbreak (ex ante moral hazard), and following outbreak they possess private information about whether or not their herd is infected (ex post adverse selection). We investigate how indemnity payments can be designed to provide incentives to producers to invest in biosecurity and report infection to the government in the presence of asymmetric information. We compare the relative magnitude of the first- and second-best levels of biosecurity investment and indemnity payments to demonstrate the tradeoff between risk sharing and efficiency, and we discuss the implications for status quo U.S. policy.
Topological automorphic forms on U(1, 1)

The homotopy type and homotopy groups of some spectra TAFGU of topological automorphic forms associated to a unitary similitude group GU of type (1, 1) are explicitly described in quasi-split cases. The spectrum TAFGU is shown to be closely related to the spectrum TMF in these cases, and homotopy groups of some of these spectra are explicitly computed.
Pollution Haven Effect with Heterogeneous Firms

I developed a heterogeneous firm model to examine pollution haven effect within the industry. Environmental regulation reduces the number of domestic firms in the industry by forcing the least productive firms out, and shifts the domestic firms into the foreign country. Although there are resource allocations between firms, total welfare is decreasing due to the stringency of regulation. The impact of environmental regulation on the competitiveness is dependent on the relative size of abatement cost to marginal production cost and regulation regimes.
Identification of a Single Strand Origin of Replication in the Integrative and Conjugative Element ICEBs1 of Bacillus subtilis

We identified a functional single strand origin of replication (sso) in the integrative and conjugative element ICEBs1 of Bacillus subtilis. Integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs, also known as conjugative transposons) are DNA elements typically found integrated into a bacterial chromosome where they are transmitted to daughter cells by chromosomal replication and cell division. Under certain conditions, ICEs become activated and excise from the host chromosome and can transfer to neighboring cells via the element-encoded conjugation machinery. Activated ICEBs1 undergoes autonomous rolling circle replication that is needed for the maintenance of the excised element in growing and dividing cells. Rolling circle replication, used by many plasmids and phages, generates single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). In many cases, the presence of an sso enhances the conversion of the ssDNA to double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) by enabling priming of synthesis of the second DNA strand. We initially identified sso1 in ICEBs1 based on sequence similarity to the sso of an RCR plasmid. Several functional assays confirmed Sso activity. Genetic analyses indicated that ICEBs1 uses sso1 and at least one other region for second strand DNA synthesis. We found that Sso activity was important for two key aspects of the ICEBs1 lifecycle: 1) maintenance of the plasmid form of ICEBs1 in cells after excision from the chromosome, and 2) stable acquisition of ICEBs1 following transfer to a new host. We identified sequences similar to known plasmid sso's in several other ICEs. Together, our results indicate that many other ICEs contain at least one single strand origin of replication, that these ICEs likely undergo autonomous replication, and that replication contributes to the stability and spread of these elements.
How the Second Law of Thermodynamics Has Informed Ecosystem Ecology through Its History

Many attempts have been made to develop a general principle governing how systems develop and organize in ecology. We reviewed the historical developments that led to the conceptualization of several goal-oriented principles in ecosystem ecology. We focused on two prominent principles—the maximum power principle (MPP) and the maximum entropy production principle (MEPP)—and the literature that applies to both. Although these principles have conceptual overlap, we found considerable differences in their historical development, the disciplines that apply these principles, and their adoption in the literature. These principles were more similar than dissimilar, and the maximization of power in ecosystems occurs with maximum entropy production. These principles have great potential to explain how systems develop, organize, and function, but there are no widely agreed-on theoretical derivations for the MEPP and MPP, hindering their broader use in ecological research. We end with recommendations for how ecosystems-level studies may better use these principles.
A Physiologic Approach to the Pharmacogenomics of Hypertension

Hypertension is a multifactorial condition with diverse physiological systems contributing to its pathogenesis. Individuals exhibit significant variation in their response to antihypertensive agents. Traditional markers, such as age, gender, diet, plasma renin level, and ethnicity, aid in drug selection. However, this review explores the contribution of genetics to facilitate antihypertensive agent selection and predict treatment efficacy. The findings, reproducibility, and limitations of published studies are examined, with emphasis placed on candidate genetic variants affecting drug metabolism, the renin-angiotensin system, adrenergic signalling, and renal sodium reabsorption. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms identified and replicated in unbiased genome-wide association studies of hypertension treatment are reviewed to illustrate the evolving understanding of the disease's complex and polygenic pathophysiology. Implementation efforts at academic centers seek to overcome barriers to the broad adoption of pharmacogenomics in the treatment of hypertension. The level of evidence required to support the implementation of pharmacogenomics in clinical practice is considered.
Lower Bounds in the Preprocessing and Query Phases of Routing Algorithms

In the last decade, there has been a substantial amount of research in finding routing algorithms designed specifically to run on real-world graphs. In 2010, Abraham et al. showed upper bounds on the query time in terms of a graph’s highway dimension and diameter for the current fastest routing algorithms, including contraction hierarchies, transit node routing, and hub labeling. In this paper, we show corresponding lower bounds for the same three algorithms. We also show how to improve a result by Milosavljevic which lower bounds the number of shortcuts added in the preprocessing stage for contraction hierarchies. We relax the assumption of an optimal contraction order (which is NP-hard to compute), allowing the result to be applicable to real-world instances. Finally, we give a proof that optimal preprocessing for hub labeling is NP-hard. Hardness of optimal preprocessing is known for most routing algorithms, and was suspected to be true for hub labeling.
[Bias, biostatistics, and prognostic factors].

Prognostic factors are essential for patient management and counseling. Most cancer patients receive treatment based on the presence or absence of several risk factors. The most prominent example of this is tumor, node, metastasis staging, but many diseases are moving beyond the simple one-sizefits-all stage classification and using stylized prognostic factors. A notable difficulty in the development of prognostic factors in today’s clinical research environment is the lack of implemented guidelines and accepted practices. As a result, it is not clear what constitutes a prognostic factor. This article reviews some of this practice, identifies the various biases that arise from it, and points to solutions, many of which are discussed in detail at other forums but have been somewhat ignored, to this point, in the thymoma literature. The clinical importance of reliable prognostic factors requires little justification. If one can predict the course of disease with reasonable precision, treatment choice, follow-up, and patient counseling are greatly enhanced. As a result, prognostic markers abound in all diseases including thymoma.1–7 There is no question that our ability to accurately prognosticate has improved by leaps and bounds during the past 2 decades. Yet, only a handful of markers have made it into international guidelines for diagnosis, treatment, or follow-up. This article will discuss some of the reasons behind the failure of many prognostic markers to deliver and offer some suggestions to avoid similar disappointments in the future. Several examples I will use, and the arguments that will follow have been made previously elsewhere,8–13 although not necessarily in the context of thymoma. Some of the examples in this study are from diagnostic factor studies; this is because statistical concerns, especially about bias, have much in common between diagnostic and prognostic factor studies. Furthermore, diagnostic factor examples often have the advantage that they are simple and available, and there is more widespread knowledge about the factor or disease or both. For the same reason, some of the general references that discuss methodological issues in biomarker development and early detection of cancer are also relevant in this study.
Mind the gap: diversity and reactivity relationships among multihaem cytochromes of the MtrA/DmsE family.

Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 has the ability to use many external terminal electron acceptors during anaerobic respiration, such as DMSO. The pathway that facilitates this electron transfer includes the decahaem cytochrome DmsE, a paralogue of the MtrA family of decahaem cytochromes. Although both DmsE and MtrA are decahaem cytochromes implicated in the long-range electron transfer across a ~300 A (1 A=0.1 nm) wide periplasmic 'gap', MtrA has been shown to be only 105 A in maximal length. In the present paper, DmsE is further characterized via protein film voltammetry, revealing that the electrochemistry of the DmsE haem cofactors display macroscopic potentials lower than those of MtrA by 100 mV. It is possible this tuning of the redox potential of DmsE is required to shuttle electrons to the outer-membrane proteins specific to DMSO reduction. Other decahaem cytochromes found in S. oneidensis, such as the outer-membrane proteins MtrC, MtrF and OmcA, have been shown to have electrochemical properties similar to those of MtrA, yet possess a different evolutionary relationship.
Repurposing strategies for tropical disease drug discovery

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and other diseases of the developing world, such as malaria, attract research investments that are disproportionately low compared to their impact on human health worldwide. Therefore, pragmatic methods for launching new drug discovery programs have emerged that repurpose existing chemical matter as new drugs or new starting points for optimization. In this Digest we describe applications of different repurposing approaches for NTDs, and provide a means by which these approaches may be differentiated from each other. These include drug repurposing, target repurposing, target class repurposing, and lead repurposing.
Iridium-Catalyzed Borylation of Secondary Benzylic C–H Bonds Directed by a Hydrosilane

Most functionalizations of C–H bonds by main-group reagents occur at aryl or methyl groups. We describe a highly regioselective borylation of secondary benzylic C–H bonds catalyzed by an iridium precursor and 3,4,7,8-tetramethyl-1,10-phenanthroline as the ligand. The reaction is directed to the benzylic position by a hydrosilyl substituent. This hydrosilyl directing group is readily deprotected or transformed to other functional groups after the borylation reaction, providing access to a diverse set of secondary benzylboronate esters by C–H borylation chemistry.
Polarimetric imaging of crystals

Classical crystal optics has recently undergone a renaissance as developments in optical microscopy and polarimetry, enabled in part by sensitive imaging CCD cameras and personal computers, now permit the analytical separation of various optical effects that are otherwise convolved in polarized light micrographs. In this tutorial review, we review recent developments in the measurement of the principal crystallo-optical quantities including linear birefringence, linear dichroism, circular birefringence, and circular dichroism, as well as new effects in crystal optics encountered in unusual mixed crystals. The new microscopies and polarimetries are applied to problems of crystallographic twinning, phase transformations, stress birefringence, symmetry reduction, and the design of new crystalline materials.
Playing at markets: A New Austrian perspective on macroeconomic policy

The New Austrian (also called Neo-Mengerian) paradigm emphasizes the importance of nonequilibrium and emergent processes in explaining the social world. In this paper I analyze macroeconomic policy from a New Austrian perspective. I define macroeconomic policy broadly, encompassing not only policy relating to business cycles and growth, but to any policy aimed at directly manipulating emergent variables. Such policy is fundamentally incoherent, since it attempts to divorce social outcomes from the processes that generate them and give them meaning. A New Austrian approach to macroeconomic policy, which focuses on the rules structuring nonequilibrium-emergent social processes, avoids this problem.
Direct Synthesis of Alkenyl Boronic Esters from Unfunctionalized Alkenes: A Boryl-Heck Reaction

We report the first example of a boryl-Heck reaction using an electrophilic boron reagent. This palladium-catalyzed process allows for the conversion of terminal alkenes to trans-alkenyl boronic esters using commercially available catecholchloroborane (catBCl). In situ transesterification allows for rapid access to a variety of boronic esters, amides, and other alkenyl boron adducts.
Chemical Tools To Monitor and Manipulate Adaptive Immune Responses

Methods to monitor and manipulate the immune system are of enormous clinical interest. For example, the development of vaccines represents one of the earliest and greatest accomplishments of the biomedical research enterprise. More recently, drugs capable of “reawakening” the immune system to cancer have generated enormous excitement. But, much remains to be done. All drugs available today that manipulate the immune system cannot distinguish between “good” and “bad” immune responses and thus drive general and systemic immune suppression or activation. Indeed, with the notable exception of vaccines, our ability to monitor and manipulate antigen-specific immune responses is in its infancy. Achieving this finer level of control would be highly desirable. For example, it might allow the pharmacological editing of pathogenic immune responses without restricting the ability of the immune system to defend against infection. On the diagnostic side, a method to comprehensively monitor the circulating, antigen-spec...
Server-side Verification of Client Behavior in Online Games.

Online gaming is a lucrative and growing industry but one that is slowed by cheating that compromises the gaming experience and hence drives away players (and revenue). In this paper we develop a technique by which game developers can enable game operators to validate the behavior of game clients as being consistent with valid execution of the sanctioned client software. Our technique employs symbolic execution of the client software to extract constraints on client-side state implied by each client-to-server message, and then uses constraint solving to determine whether the sequence of client-to-server messages can be “explained” by any possible user inputs, in light of the server-to-client messages already received. The requisite constraints and solving components can be developed either simultaneously with the game or retroactively for existing games. We demonstrate our approach in three case studies on the open-source game XPilot, a game similar to Pac-Man of our own design, and an open-source multiplayer version of Tetris.
Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma in the Older Patient

Malignant melanoma can be a devastating disease, especially in the elderly patient. These patients may be affected by types of malignant melanoma that are seen less frequently in younger patients, namely lentigo maligna melanoma and acral lentiginous melanoma. In patients with stage I disease, age per se does not correlate directly with prognosis. However, tumor thickness does correlate directly with prognosis, and because elderly patients tend to present with thicker lesions, they have prognostically poorer outcomes. Currently one can only speculate as to why the elderly have on average thicker lesions. Surgical excision continues to be the treatment of choice for malignant melanoma. Many elderly patients are not able to tolerate more invasive procedures, such as lymph-node dissections. At this point, the physician should work with the patient and the patient's family to assess the need of each and to develop a clear medical plan. One should maintain an optimistic attitude in dealing with malignant melanoma in elderly patients. Although much work remains to be done with regard to developing new, effective therapies, even today the majority of elderly patients with malignant melanoma will not die from their disease.
Extremely costly intensifiers are stronger than quite costly ones.

Abstract We show that the wide range in strengths of intensifying degree adverbs (e.g. very and extremely) can be partly explained by pragmatic inference based on differing cost, rather than differing semantics. The pragmatic theory predicts a linear relationship between the meaning of intensifiers and their length and log-frequency. We first test this prediction in three studies, using two different dependent measures, finding that higher utterance cost (i.e. higher word length or surprisal) does predict stronger meanings. In two additional studies we confirm that the relationship between length and meaning is present even for novel words. We discuss the implications for adverbial meaning and the more general question of how extensive non-arbitrary form-meaning association may be in language.
The Enlarged Vestibular Aqueduct syndrome (EVA syndrome)

The presentation to the Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology at the Children's Hospital of Michigan of a series of patients with sensorineural hearing loss and enlargement of the vestibular aqueduct prompted exploratory tympanotomy in three patients (two unilateral and one bilateral), for a total of four ears. These explorations were prompted by progression and/or fluctuation of hearing levels. The discovery of abnormal round windows in all four ears with a post-traumatic fistula present in one ear suggested the presence of a new association. A previously undescribed association of an enlarged vestibular aqueduct, sensorineural hearing loss and round window abnormality with potential fistula formation was identified. A review of the anatomy and physiology, literature review, and a prospective analysis with discussion of eight patients with enlarged vestibular aqueduct syndrome evaluated and treated at Children's Hospital of Michigan, is presented. We conclude that all children with sensorineural hearing loss should undergo extensive evaluation to determine etiology, including radiographic studies of the temporal bone. Further, the presence of an enlarged vestibular aqueduct should prompt the otolaryngologist to consider the presence of a round window abnormality and the potential for predisposition to perilymph fistula.
Evaluation and treatment of female urinary incontinence.

Urinary incontinence is a very common and bothersome condition among women and can affect up to 50 % of women during their lifetime. Older women are disproportionately affected and often view urinary incontinence as a normal part of aging thus precluding contact with medical professionals. Physicians must, therefore, include questions regarding urinary incontinence as part of routine examinations. A simple, yet thorough history and physical examination along with basic testing can often aid the physician in making an accurate diagnosis and initiating effective treatment. Several interventions are available and are often chosen based on type and severity of urinary incontinence. These include conservative measures, pharmacotherapy, and surgical intervention. Also, innovative treatment modalities are constantly being investigated to manage urinary incontinence further expanding treatment options available to women.
Urologic considerations in the newborn.

SUMMARY The management of the neonate will continue to hold a special interest for the urologic surgeon because of the many unique aspects of neonatal physiology and pathology that must be considered. I would anticipate that the number of referrals will continue to increase, from awareness of familial patterns of urologic disorders, from recognition of obstructive uropathy with prenatal ultrasound, and from improved survival of very sick neonates by our pediatric colleagues. The urologist who wishes to participate in the care of these sick newborns must become familiar with the unique aspects of care that these babies demand. The future promises to be challenging, but exciting.
ATOPIC DERMATITIS: New insights and opportunities for therapeutic intervention

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that frequently predates the development of allergic rhinitis or asthma. It is an important skin condition with significant costs and morbidity to patients and their families; the disease affects more than 10% of children. Recent studies have demonstrated the complex interrelationship of genetic, environmental, skin barrier, pharmacologic, psychologic, and immunologic factors that contribute to the development and severity of AD. The current review will examine the cellular and molecular mechanisms that contribute to AD as well as the immunologic triggers involved in its pathogenesis. These insights provide new opportunities for therapeutic intervention in this common skin condition. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2000;105:860-76.)
P(NMe2)3-Mediated Umpolung Alkylation and Nonylidic Olefination of α-Keto Esters.

A commercial phosphorus-based reagent (P(NMe2)3) mediates umpolung alkylation of methyl aroylformates with benzylic and allylic bromides, leading to either Barbier-type addition or ylide-free olefination products upon workup. The reaction sequence is initiated by a two-electron redox addition of the tricoordinate phosphorus reagent with an α-keto ester compound (Kukhtin–Ramirez addition). A mechanistic rationale is offered for the chemoselectivity upon which the success of this nonmetal mediated C–C bond forming strategy is based.
Enhanced myocardial preservation by nicotinic acid, an antilipolytic compound: Improved cardiac performance after hypothermic cardioplegic arrest

The effect of nicotinic acid, an antilipolytic drug, on myocardial preservation was studied on the basis of cardiac performance after 2 hours of cardioplegic arrest. Isolated in situ pig hearts were subjected to 120 minutes of hypothermic potassium (35 mEq) crystalloid cardioplegic arrest followed by 60 minutes of reperfusion. The experimental group received nicotinic acid 0.08 mmol/L 15 minutes before cardioplegic arrest, whereas the control group received 15 minutes of unmodified perfusion. There was a marked decline in myocardial creatine phosphate levels during cardioplegic arrest in both groups that returned to the baseline level during reperfusion without a significant intergroup difference, and adenosine triphosphate levels remained stable throughout the experiment in both groups. Myocardial oxygen consumption during reperfusion was significantly higher in hearts treated with nicotinic acid, which was consistent with a significantly greater cardiac contractile force as evaluated by isovolumetric left ventricular pressure measurements. There appeared to be less cardiac membrane damage as measured by creatine kinase release during reperfusion, which was significantly inhibited by treatment with nicotinic acid. The present study supports the conclusion that nicotinic acid improves cardiac performance after hypothermic cardioplegic arrest.
Is Infidelity Biologically Determined

Introduction Infidelity is usually defined as the action or state of being unfaithful to a spouse or other sexual partner. Being unfaithful in general terms may mean more than just being unfaithful sexually, but also being unfaithful emotionally and psychologically. Nevertheless, infidelity is mostly defined in terms of being unfaithful sexually. In modern civilization, a sexual/marital relationship is defined in monogamous terms. However, historically, most cultures have been polygynous. Most species are socially monogamous (males and females pair to breed or raise offspring), but not sexually monogamous (97% of mammals are not monogamous, among primates only gibbons are predominantly monogamous, gorillas are polygynous and chimpanzee do not pair at all)). The reason for most humans being monogamous is unclear, it may be a reflection of societal, religious and moral pressures. Objectives/Aims To examine possible biological determinants of monogamy and infidelity. Methods Literature review Results Infidelity is fairly prevalent, reported more frequently by males than by females. The literature presents numerous reported ‘causes,‘ such as sexual dissatisfaction, partner incompatibility, liberal values and sexual permissiveness. Some authors propose a biological side to infidelity, for example a brain system which is purely ‘sex drive” (dopamine vs. oxytocin), or evolutionary factors such as access to high quality genes. Biological factors of infidelity in humans are not well studied. Conclusion Humans are not exclusively monogamous. Infidelity may have some biological underpinning (genetics, brain chemistry), but it seems to be modified/moderated by societal, cultural, religious and other factors.
Recent Applications of Oxetanes in the Synthesis of Heterocyclic Compounds

Oxetanes are valuable intermediates in organic synthesis, and strategic manipulations of this strained heterocycle continue to emerge. In this Synopsis, recent, distinct approaches to construct heterocyclic systems using oxetanes are described. These include ring expansion, ring opening, and C-2 functionalization.