cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rationale of family medicine physicians in effectively identifying patients with chronic hyperglycemia through point-of-care hemoglobin A1C screenings

Many patients are unknowingly living with chronic hyperglycemia, possibly due to low screening rates. We aimed to correlate detection of unidentified chronic hyperglycemia to practitioner reported rationale for conducting diabetes screening. Physicians screened patients via a point-of-care A1C tests and recorded corresponding rationales. Elevated outcomes (A1C ≥ 5.7%) were correlated to recorded rationales, frequency of repeat screenings, documented diagnoses, and therapeutic actions taken as a result of elevated A1C. Nearly one-half (45%) of selected patients were unknowingly living with chronic hyperglycemia, having an average A1C of 7.92% for outcomes ≥6.5%. Most commonly recorded rationales were overweight status (71%), high-risk ethnicity (58%), and age > 45 years (48%); previously recorded A1C result of ≥5.7% (χ2 16.02, p < 0.001) and hypertension diagnosis (χ2 10.37, p = 0.0013) showed statistically significant correlation with elevated A1C outcomes. A1C results ≥6.5% versus 5.7–6.5% more frequently prompted repeat screenings (77% vs 20%), ICD-10 code documentation (91% vs 28%), lifestyle modification recommendations (78% vs 35%), and drug therapy initiation (78% vs 9%). Reported rationales were largely impacted by visual inspections of age, race, and weight, and prediabetic A1C values garnered less attention compared to higher values. Utilization of POC A1C screening followed by conformational repeat testing is a practical approach to improve diagnostic rates and initiation of care for diabetes.
Transient Heat Pipe Operation in the Near-Critical Region

ABSTRACT A heat pipe with circumferential and central slab capillary structure was operated with Refrigerant 11 from near room temperature to well above the critical temperature for this fluid under a variety of transient heating and cooling conditions. The heat pipe was very well instrumented internally as well as externally so that it was possible to measure distributions of temperature within the capillary structure, in the vapor region and outside of the pipe. In addition pressure was measured within the test section.
Embedding Nature of Science Instruction in Preservice Elementary Science Courses: Abandoning Scientism, But...

(2001). Embedding Nature of Science Instruction in Preservice Elementary Science Courses: Abandoning Scientism, But... Journal of Science Teacher Education: Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 215-233.
Middle Eastern and North African Legal Traditions

Legal systems in the modern Middle East and North Africa are both diverse and hybrid. This article provides an introductory overview that summarizes the multilayered legal history of this region and discusses how imperialism and colonialism shaped legal reform movements, codification, and the secularization of law.
THE PRODUCTION OF PROTEINS BY BACTERIAL PLASMIDS CONTAINING EUKARYOTIC DNA FRAGMENTS

ABSTRACT The production of polypeptides by bacterial plasmids containing eukaryotic DNA fragments is a complex phenomenon that can be affected by the plasmid used as a molecular vehicle and by the nature of the inserted DNA fragment. This conclusion is based on the investigation of the polypeptide species produced in minicells by plasmids containing Drosophila melanogaster and cauliflower mosaic virus DNA fragments.
Assessing changes in US public trust in science amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract Objectives The emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and subsequent pandemic has led to the most substantive large-scale, open, and public social discussion of epidemiology and science in recent history. In the United States (US), extensive debate has ensued as to the risk posed by the disease, whether the health system is prepared to manage a high volume of critical cases, whether any number of public health responses are necessary and appropriate, and the appropriate ways to prevent, manage, and treat the pandemic. I hypothesized that the interplay between scientists, policymakers, and the public in an open forum was associated with increased overall public trust in science and scientists, but that this was moderated by political orientation and/or religious commitment. In the context of a public health emergency, it is important to understand the degree to which science and scientists are trusted to produce information that can provide reassurance and also can explain the details of a highly complex event such as a viral pandemic while providing actionable recommendations. Study design The study design was analytic cross-sectional. Methods Data were obtained on March 17–18, 2020, from a sample of 242 US-based Amazon Mechanical Turk users. Respondents completed a 49-question survey consisting of key sociodemographic variables, political affiliation, religious commitment, and two iterations of the Trust in Science and Scientist Inventory (one for March 2020, and one for December 2019 using retrospective recall). Changes in mean level of trust and interaction with political affiliation and/or religious commitment were assessed using mixed ANOVA via the general linear model. Results On a scale from 1 (low trust) to 5 (high trust), the mean level of trust in science and scientists was static; 3.82 in December 2019 and 3.81 in March 2020. Conservative political orientation and high religious commitment were associated with significantly less overall trust in science; the interaction effect suggested that liberal trust in science decreased slightly from December 2019 to March 2020, whereas conservative trust increased slightly. Conclusions Counter to my expectations, the overall level of trust in science remained static after the first several months of COVID-19 in the US, although there is some evidence that political orientation was associated with magnitude and directionality of change in trust. Continued examination of these trends is important for understanding public response to epidemiologic recommendations.
3-D Printed Microfluidics Channelizing Liquid Metal for Multipolarization Reconfigurable Extended E-Shaped Patch Antenna

In this article, we present a novel multipolarization reconfigurable extended E-shaped patch antenna with liquid metal (LM) tunable slots. The polarization reconfiguration is achieved by tuning and switching the slots with continuous movement of LM plugs in the 3-D printed microfluidic channels. The proposed antenna topology is reconfigurable among multipolorizations including dual circular polarizations (RHCP and LHCP) and linear polarizations with arbitrary orientation within the $xy$ plane with a single feed. A thorough and comprehensive circuit model analysis for asymmetric E-shaped patch is presented. A prototype has been designed, fabricated, and assembled with an improved in-house developed process flow. The measurement results on constructed prototypes show good agreement to the full-wave simulation.
The Art of Memory: Tracing the Colonial in Contemporary India

Contemporary art, as a simple concept, is supposed to be an art of today, but a significant number of practicing global artists reference the past with their work. In India, contemporary artists, such as Nikhil Chopra, Pushpamala N., and Raqs Media Collective, produce art that revisits the representational legacies of India’s past. Their work explores the visual culture of nineteenth-century British colonial India and the critical importance placed during this period on the visual representation of colonial-subject identity. This chapter explores their work as examples of an “art of memory”—art that resurrects and reimagines archival imagery, offering critique, but also revealing how representations from the past, which get configured as memories, continue to condition the present as well as future. The work of Chopra and Raqs, this chapter also argues, reveals an ambivalence and incompleteness in regard to colonial legacies and modern identity that become apparent through artistic negotiation.
Can Machines Tell Stories? A Comparative Study of Deep Neural Language Models and Metrics

Massive textual content has enabled rapid advances in natural language modeling. The use of pre-trained deep neural language models has significantly improved natural language understanding tasks. However, the extent to which these systems can be applied to content generation is unclear. While a few informal studies have claimed that these models can generate ‘high quality’ readable content, there is no prior study on analyzing the generated content from these models based on sampling and fine-tuning hyperparameters. We conduct an in-depth comparison of several language models for open-ended story generation from given prompts. Using a diverse set of automated metrics, we compare the performance of transformer-based generative models – OpenAI’s GPT2 (pre-trained and fine-tuned) and Google’s pre-trained Transformer-XL and XLNet to human-written textual references. Studying inter-metric correlation along with metric ranking reveals interesting insights – the high correlation between the readability scores and word usage in the text. A study of the statistical significance and empirical evaluations between the scores (human and machine-generated) at higher sampling hyperparameter combinations ( $t=\{0.75, 1.0\}$ , $k=\{100, 150, 250\}$ ) reveal that the top pre-trained and fine-tuned models generated samples condition well on the prompt with an increased occurrence of unique and difficult words. The GPT2-medium model fine-tuned on the 1024 Byte-pair Encoding (BPE) tokenized version of the dataset along with pre-trained Transformer-XL models generated samples close to human written content on three metrics: prompt-based overlap, coherence, and variation in sentence length. A study of overall model stability and performance shows that fine-tuned GPT2 language models have the least deviation in metric scores from human performance.
SST and cloud mask algorithms in reprocessing 1981-2002 NOAA AVHRR data for SST with the Advanced Clear-Sky Processor for Oceans (ACSPO)

The goal of the NOAA AVHRR GAC Reanalysis (RAN) project is to create long-term time series of uniform sea surface temperature (SST) retrievals (Level 2 and 3 products) from AVHRR data using the Advanced Clear-Sky Processor for Oceans (ACSPO) system. During Phase 1 (‘RAN1’), data of several AVHRR/3s from 2002-2015 were reprocessed. Ongoing Phase 2 (‘RAN2’) aims to cover the full period of AVHRR GAC data from 1981-on. At the time of this writing, we reprocessed five AVHRR/2s onboard NOAA-07, -09, -11, -12 and -14 and two AVHRR/3s onboard NOAA- 15 and -16, and created an initial “beta” RAN2 data set (‘RAN2 B01’) spanning ~22 years from 1981-2003. The ACSPO algorithms for cloud masking and training SST regression coefficients, initially developed for operational SST processing, required modifications to mitigate the issues, specific to the RAN2 period: multiple sensor issues, and insufficient number of in situ SST data and their degraded quality. Another derived complexity, also related to insufficient and poor quality of satellite and in situ data, is the limited availability and suboptimal quality of first guess SSTs, which is used in ACSPO for cloud masking and quality control, and employed in the right part of the Non-Linear SST equations. The paper describes modifications to the ACSPO algorithms made for the RAN2 B01, and demonstrates the resulting improvements in the retrieved SST.
Aircraft Vision-Based Landing Using Robust Extended Command Governors

Abstract We propose a novel vision-based constrained control solution to execute aircraft landing on an unknown runway. The method is based on an extended command governor which is tailored for a specific class of constrained linear systems with a single uncertain modeling parameter. The computational burden is reduced by exploiting a robust strongly returnable set in place of a robust invariant set and computing this set through the use of a binomial expansion. Numerical results illustrate the ability to ‘safely’ align the aircraft with the runway while satisfying the specified terminal constraints to execute the flare. Here the terminal constraints are efficiently handled by transforming them into time-varying constraints.
Charcot Spinal Arthropathy-Induced Progression From Upper to Lower Motor Neuron Bowel Syndrome.

Charcot spinal arthropathy is a progressively degenerative joint disorder of the vertebrae. Historically, it was a common consequence of tertiary syphilis. Currently, it is a rare complication of spinal cord injury (SCI). We present the case of a 28-year-old patient with paraplegia who developed progressive, neurogenic bowel dysfunction due to Charcot spinal arthropathy. Our patient had upper motor neuron bowel syndrome secondary to SCI which advanced to lower motor neuron bowel syndrome. Charcot spinal arthropathy should be considered as a possible cause for symptom progression in SCI patients. This case illustrates the connection between Charcot spine and lower motor neuron dysfunction in the setting of prior upper motor neuron dysfunction.
A multi-scale framework for CO 2 capture, utilization, and sequestration: CCUS and CCU

Abstract We present a multi-scale framework for the optimal design of CO 2 capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) supply chain network to minimize the cost while reducing stationary CO 2 emissions in the United States. We also design a novel CO 2 capture and utilization (CCU) network for economic benefit through utilizing CO 2 for enhanced oil recovery. Both the designs of CCUS and CCU supply chain networks are multi-scale problems which require decision making at material, process and supply chain levels. We present a hierarchical and multi-scale framework to design CCUS and CCU supply chain networks with minimum investment, operating and material costs. While doing so, we take into consideration the selection of source plants, capture processes, capture materials, CO 2 pipelines, locations of utilization and sequestration sites, and amounts of CO 2 storage. Each CO 2 capture process is optimized, and the best materials are screened from large pool of candidate materials. Our optimized CCUS supply chain network can reduce 50% of the total stationary CO 2 emission in the U.S. at a cost of $35.63 per ton of CO 2 captured and managed. The optimum CCU supply chain network can capture and utilize CO 2 to make a total profit of more than 555 million dollars per year ($9.23 per ton). We have also shown that more than 3% of the total stationary CO 2 emissions in the United States can be eliminated through CCU networks at zero net cost. These results highlight both the environmental and economic benefits which can be gained through CCUS and CCU networks. We have designed the CCUS and CCU networks through (i) selecting novel materials and optimized process configurations for CO 2 capture, (ii) simultaneous selection of materials and capture technologies, (iii) CO 2 capture from diverse emission sources, and (iv) CO 2 utilization for enhanced oil recovery. While we demonstrate the CCUS and CCU networks to reduce stationary CO 2 emissions and generate profits in the United States, the proposed framework can be applied to other countries and regions as well.
Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Mice Engrafted With Human T Cells, B Cells, and Myeloid Cells After Transplantation With Human Fetal Bone Marrow or Liver Cells and Implanted With Human Fetal Thymus: A Model for Studying Human Gene Therapy

To develop an in vivo model wherein human hematopoiesis occurs, we transplanted severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice with either human fetal bone marrow (HFBM) or human fetal liver (HFL). After transplantation of SCID mice with cultured HFBM (BM-SCID-hu mice) or HFL cells (Liv-SCID-hu mice), significant engraftment of the mouse bone marrow (BM) and population of the peripheral blood with human leukocytes was detected. Human colony-forming unit–granulocyte macrophage and burst forming unit-erythroid were detected in the BM of the BM-SCID-hu and Liv-SCID-hu mice up to 8 months after transplantation. When the HFBM or HFL cells were transduced with a retroviral vector before transplantation, integrated retroviral sequences were detected in human precursor cells present in the SCID mouse BM and in leukocytes circulating in the peripheral blood (PB) up to 7 months after transplantation. The PB of the BM-SCID-hu mice also became populated with human T cells after implantation with human thymic tissue, which provided a human microenvironment wherein human pre-T cells from the BM could mature. When the HFBM was retrovirally transduced before transplantation, integrated retrovirus was detected in sorted CD4+CD8+ double positive and CD4+ single positive cells from the thymic implant and CD4+ cells from the PB. Taken together, these data indicated that the BM of our BM-SCID-hu and Liv-SCID-hu mice became engrafted with retrovirally transduced human hematopoietic precursors that undergo the normal human hematopoietic program and populate the mouse PB with human cells containing integrated retroviral sequences. In addition to being a model for studying in vivo human hematopoiesis, these mice should also prove to be a useful model for investigating in vivo gene therapy using human stem/precursor cells.
ELEMENT INTERPOLATION AND LOCAL COORDINATES

This chapter presents how the common interpolation functions are derived. It presents a number of expansions without proof. It also provides an overview of the concept of nondimensional local or element coordinate systems. The chapter discusses linear interpolation, quadratic interpolation, Lagrange interpolation, Hermitian interpolation, and hierarchical interpolation. The simplest interpolation would be linear and the simplest space is the line, for example, x -axis. Quadratic functions are completely different from the linear functions. Linear, quadratic, and Lagrange interpolation functions have C 0 continuity between elements. That is, the function being approximated is continuous among elements but its derivative is discontinuous. Some alternate types of interpolation have become popular. They are called hierarchical functions. The unique feature of these polynomials is that the higher order polynomials contain the lower order ones. The chapter also discusses interpolation error.
Theory of Unipolar Politics: The Sources of Conflict under Unipolarity

If, as we established in Chapter 4, unipolarity may be durable, the question of whether it is peaceful acquires great importance. Although a good deal of attention has been devoted to identifying the causal mechanisms through which conflict may emerge in a world with two or more great powers, there is little if any scholarship on the sources of conflict in a unipolar world. The conventional wisdom on the question is that unipolarity is a peaceful configuration of the international system. In this respect, Wohlforth's words ring as true of extant scholarship today as they did in 1999: When balance-of-power theorists argue that the post-Cold War world is headed toward conflict, they are not claiming that unipolarity causes conflict. Rather, they are claiming that unipolarity leads quickly to bi- or multipolarity. It is not unipolarity's peace but its durability that is in dispute. Still, there are at least two reasons to look further into the sources of conflict in a unipolar world. Theoretically, we do not possess a good grasp of the consequences of the unipole's strategic choices for the likelihood and type of conflict under unipolarity. What would be the consequences for peace of the unipole implementing each of the economic and military strategies it has at its disposal? What would be the conflict cost of each strategy? More specifically, would defensive accommodation – the only strategy that makes for a durable unipolar world, entailing no competition cost – be conducive to a peaceful international system? Or would it entail a conflict cost for the unipole, triggering mechanisms that would be likely to get the unipole involved in recurrent conflicts? Empirically, over the last two-and-a-half decades, despite a relatively low level of overall international conflict, there has been a particularly high level of military activity involving the United States. Therefore, the view that unipolarity is peaceful seems at least partly unjustified. Yet, were these post–Cold War conflicts unrelated to the overall distribution of power?
Modification of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A with 4-sulfonyloxy-2-nitrofluorobenzene. Effect of pH and temperature on the rate of reaction.

The kinetics of the reaction of various amino groups in RNase A with 4-sulfonyloxy-2-nitrofluorobenzene (potassium salt) was studied as a function of pH and temperature. Substitution at lysine-41 and inactivation of the enzyme proceed at identical rates (pH-independent second order rate constants at 28° are 0.43 ± 0.04 and 0.46 ± 0.06 M −1·min−1, respectively). The dissociation constant of the e-amino group of lysine-41 measured from the pH dependence was anomalously low, 7.7 ± 0.4 × 10−10 M (pKapp = 9.11) and 6.9 ± 0.3 × 10−10 M (pKapp = 9.16) for substitution and inactivation, respectively. The fact that the anomalous behavior of lysine-41 is observed at least as far as pH 10 reveals that an arginine side chain interacts with the amino group of this residue. Moreover, the kinetic behavior in the region above pH 10 is compatible with the view that the protein undergoes a conformational change which disrupts the configuration responsible for the anomalous behavior of lysine-41. The average value of the dissociation constant for the nine normal e-amino groups in RNase A from the kinetic analysis is 7.4 ± 0.9 × 10−11 M (pKapp = 10.1), in agreement with titration data. The pH-independent second order rate constant was found to be 0.93 ± 0.07 M −1·min−1. The corresponding quantities for the α-amino group in RNase A were 7.2 ± 0.1 × 10−9 M (pKapp = 8.14) and 0.057 ± 0.009 M −1·min−1, respectively. A linear relationship between pKapp and the pH-independent second order rate constant was observed to apply for the kinetically distinguishable amino groups. This relationship was used to estimate indirectly the enthalpy of ionization of the e-amino group at position 41. With the aid of this quantity, the pH-independent second order rate constants for the reaction at lysine-41 at each of six temperatures between 3.6 and 65° were determined. Transition state analysis revealed normal behavior as far as the region in which the protein enters its thermal transition above 50°. The rate constant found at 65° was of a magnitude consistent with normalization of the pKapp of lysine-41.
Batting Reaction-Time

(1950). Batting Reaction-Time. Research Quarterly. American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 21, No. 4, pp. 353-356.
ALA Guide to Medical & Health Sciences Reference, edited by Robert Kieft and Denise Bennett

The American Library Association's Guide to Reference has been recognized as a core resource for developing and maintaining reference collections in academic and public libraries. In the ALA Guide ...
Spice and the Demon

One of the oldest mysteries of oceanography is how temperature and salt concentration interact in the midlatitude ocean. Measurements as a function of depth reveal a remarkably tight and predictable relation between temperature and salinity below the surface. In his Perspective, Schmitt discusses results presented in the same issue by Rudnick and Ferrari that offer some clues as to the solution of the puzzle. The new measurements suggest that internal mixing rather than atmospheric forcing may explain the temperature-salinity relation. Furthermore, the process of "salt fingering"--convective cells that transport heat and salt at different rates--appears to play an important role.
Termination of context-sensitive rewriting with built-in numbers and collection data structures

Context-sensitive rewriting is a restriction of rewriting that can be used to elegantly model declarative specification and programming languages such as Maude. Furthermore, it can be used to model lazy evaluation in functional languages such as Haskell. Building upon previous work on constrained equational rewrite systems (CERSs), an expressive and elegant class of rewrite systems that contains built-in numbers and supports the use of collection data structures such as sets or multisets, context-sensitive rewriting with CERSs is investigated in this paper. This integration results in a natural way for specifying algorithms in the rewriting framework. In order to automatically prove termination of this kind of rewriting, a dependency pair framework for context-sensitive rewriting with CERSs is developed, resulting in a flexible termination method that can be automated effectively. Several powerful termination techniques are developed within this framework. An implementation in the termination prover AProVE has been successfully evaluated on a large collection of examples, including several examples obtained from functional Maude modules.
Metallurgical Reactions Involving Ag-ln-Cd Control Rod Assemblies

Three pieces of control rod and Zircaloy guide tube from the Three Mile Island Unit 2 reactor have been examined at Argonne National Laboratory. Microstructure and microchemistry of the materials h...
Molecular mechanisms of human immunodeficiency virus type I mother-infant transmission

Publisher Summary Maternal-fetal transmission accounts for approximately 80% of all HIV-1 infections in children. Mother-to-infant transmission of HIV-1 predominately occurs perinatally at an estimated rate of more than 30%. However, the rate of transmission also depends on the symptoms of the disease and the frequency of delivery at estimated rates of 24% in symptom-free mothers and 65% in mothers with the disease or who have had a previous child with AIDS. In contrast, the rate of HIV-2 mother-infant transmission is much lower compared to HIV-1 and dually infected mothers could transmit both viruses, but the transmission of HIV-1 has generally been observed. There are no clearly defined factors, viral or host, associated with maternal transmission of HIV-1. However, maternal parameters, including advanced clinical stages of the mother, low CD4+ lymphocyte counts, maternal immune response to HIV-1, recent infection, high level of circulating HIV-1, and maternal disease progression have been implicated in an increased risk of mother-to-infant transmission of HIV-1. Molecular and biological properties of HIV-1 involved in mother-to-infant transmission are critical determinants of perinatal transmission. Studies from my laboratory compared the HIV-1 DNA sequences in the V3 region of the envelope gene from seven mother-infant pairs, following perinatal transmission. The minor HIV-1 genotype predominates initially as a homogeneous population in the infant and then becomes diverse as the infant grows older. Nucleotide sequencing directly derived from HIV-1 DNA isolated from infected mother-infant pairs' peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), alignment of deduced amino acid sequences, and phylogenetic analysis have provided a powerful tool to analyze and identify HIV-1 genotypes transmitted from mother to infant.
Power system state estimate on a personal computer

The authors present the implementation of a power-system state estimator on a personal computer. The method uses a weighted-least-squares (WLS) algorithm to estimate the system unknowns. The program was developed in two parts. Part one uses only the real and reactive line flows as measurements. Part two adds the measurement of bus voltage magnitudes, bus real and reactive injected power, and line-current magnitudes. The convergence rates of these two methods are compared. >
Non-standard Parallel Solution Strategies for Distributed Sparse Linear Systems

A number of techniques are described for solving sparse linear systems on parallel platforms. The general approach used is a domain-decomposition type method in which a processor is assigned a certain number of rows of the linear system to be solved. Strategies that are discussed include non-standard graph partitioners, and a forced load-balance technique for the local iterations. A common practice when partitioning a graph is to seek to minimize the number of cut-edges and to have an equal number of equations per processor. It is shown that partitioners that take into account the values of the matrix entries may be more effective.
Dynamics of Political Support-Alienation

Three hypotheses about the relationship between political performance (specific support) and attitude about the political system (diffuse support) are investigated. Data are from a two-wave panel study carried out during 1974–1976 in the Federal Republic of Germany. No support is found for an Independence hypothesis, which predicts that because system support is acquired during an early age it will be resistant to change during adulthood. The results indicate that the relationship between performance evaluation and system attitude is complex. Support is found for (1) a Social Learning hypothesis, which predicts that system support will respond to differential satisfaction with the performance of an incumbent administration, and (2) a Structuring hypothesis, which predicts that system attitude will influence one's evaluation of the performance of an incumbent administration. It is therefore not possible to rule out reciprocal causation between performance evaluation and system attitude, suggesting that uni...
Abstract T P347: Metabolomic Analysis of PFO-Related Stroke Shows Immediate and Persistent Decrease of Homocysteine Post PFO Closure

Background: PFO, an independent stroke risk factor, enables direct mixing of venous and arterial circulation. As we have found previously, PFO serves not only as a conduit for venous clots, but also enables harmful factors such as serotonin (5HT) to avoid pulmonary filtration to remain within circulation at elevated levels, potentially contributing to a prothrombotic state. We hypothesize that in addition to 5HT, other factors may also be involved. In the context of endovascular PFO closure, a bedside model to understand PFO circulatory signaling, we performed a full metabolomic profile of mediators that may respond to PFO closure. Method: Non-migraine stroke patients were recruited in accordance with IRB approval, plasma was sampled from left and right atria pre and post closure and also from venous blood 3 months post PFO closure. A discovery metabolite screening was performed in 14 patients who underwent PFO closure, and analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA. Result: After stringent data filtering (537 metabolites, one-way ANOVA, p-value Conclusion: We found PFO closure to lower HYC immediately in left atrial (arterial) blood, and this effect persists in peripheral venous circulation at 3 months post procedure. Since high level of HYC is independently associated with stroke and heart disease, our results suggest that mechanical PFO repair may improve circulatory profile of PFO stroke patients. Studies in a larger patient cohort and validation of other important metabolites are ongoing.
Reconciling variability and optimal behaviour using multiple criteria in optimization models

A major objective in behavioural and evolutionary ecology is to understand how animals make decisions in complex environments. Examinations of animal behaviour typically use optimization models to predict the choices animals ought to make. The performance of animals under specific conditions is then compared against the predicted optimal strategy. This optimization approach has come into question because model predictions often do not match animal behaviour exactly. This has led to serious scepticism about the ability of animals to exhibit optimal behaviour in complex environments. We show that conventional approaches that compare observed animal behaviour with single optimal values may bias the way we view real-world variation in animal performance. Considerable insight into the abilities of animals to make optimal decisions can be gained by interpreting why variability in performance exists. We introduce a new theoretical framework, called ‘multi-objective optimization’, which allows us to examine decision-making in complex environments and interpret the meaning of variability in animal performance. A multi-objective approach defines the set of efficient choices animals may make in attempting to reach compromises among multiple conflicting demands. In a multi-objective framework, we may see variation in animal choices, but, unlike single-objective optimizations where there is one ‘best solution’, this variation may represent a range of adaptive compromises to conflicting objectives. An important feature of this approach is that, within the set of efficient alternatives, no choice can be considered to yield higher fitness, a priori, than any other choice. Thus, variability and optimal behaviour may be entirely consistent. We illustrate our point using selected examples from foraging theory where there is already an optimization program in place.
Electronics in transition

On 20 March 1968 at the International Convention, P.E. Haggerty was honored with the IEEE Founders Award. His acceptance speech, presented here, stresses the vital responsibilities imposed on electronic technology by a rapidly changing world.
Temporally resolved interactions between antigen-stimulated IgE receptors and Lyn kinase on living cells

Upon cross-linking by antigen, the high affinity receptor for immunoglobulin E (IgE), FcepsilonRI, is phosphorylated by the Src family tyrosine kinase Lyn to initiate mast cell signaling, leading to degranulation. Using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), we observe stimulation-dependent associations between fluorescently labeled IgE-FcepsilonRI and Lyn-EGFP on individual cells. We also simultaneously measure temporal variations in the lateral diffusion of these proteins. Antigen-stimulated interactions between these proteins detected subsequent to the initiation of receptor phosphorylation exhibit time-dependent changes, suggesting multiple associations between FcepsilonRI and Lyn-EGFP. During this period, we also observe a persistent decrease in Lyn-EGFP lateral diffusion that is dependent on Src family kinase activity. These stimulated interactions are not observed between FcepsilonRI and a chimeric EGFP that contains only the membrane-targeting sequence from Lyn. Our results reveal real-time interactions between Lyn and cross-linked FcepsilonRI implicated in downstream signaling events. They demonstrate the capacity of FCS cross-correlation analysis to investigate the mechanism of signaling-dependent protein-protein interactions in intact, living cells.
Differential regulation of TLR4 expression in human B cells and monocytes

Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is an innate immune receptor that is constitutively and inducibly activated in monocytes. Although TLR4 is expressed at very low levels on human B cells from healthy individuals, recent reports showed that TLR4 expression and function is elevated in B cells from inflammatory disease patients. New data showed that TLR4 expression on B cells is increased upon stimulation through surface Igμ and CD40 in combination with IL-4. In contrast, monocyte stimulation through CD40 and IL-4 receptors decreased TLR4 surface expression. Analysis of molecular signatures of TLR4 activation in stimulated B cells suggested that TLR4 is regulated by different mechanisms in B cells compared to monocytes. PU.1 and interferon regulatory factor association with the TLR4 promoter are sufficient for TLR4 transcription, but are not sufficient for surface TLR4 expression on B cells. In contrast, the PU.1/IRF combination is sufficient for surface TLR4 expression on monocytes. These data identify mechanisms that can activate B cell TLR4 expression in inflammatory disease patients, and demonstrate that B cells have additional layers of TLR4 regulation absent in monocytes.
Modulation of immune and inflammatory responses by dietary lipids.

Purpose of reviewThere continues to be considerable interest in the modulatingeffect of dietary lipids on immune and inflammatory responses.Although controversy still exists in research in this area, newconcepts and approaches have emerged providing usefulsuggestions. Analysis of the recent findings will help inunderstanding certain paradoxical findings as well asintroducing new strategies to guide future studies.Recent findingsThe tissue polyunsaturated fatty acid composition was found tobe correlated with changes in certain indices of immunefunction in individuals consuming habitual diets. It seems thatindividuals or animals with disordered immune systems aremore reactive to polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation,and genetic variation is also a determinant. N-3 polyunsaturatedfatty acids were shown to reduce both resistance to bacterialinfection and host survival. The studies on other non-classicfatty acids also demonstrated interesting findings. A proposedimmuno-enhancing effect of conjugated linoleic acid has notbeen confirmed by studies and even an adverse effect has beenimplied. Transfatty acids have been shown to increase theproduction of inflammatory cytokines, which may contribute totheir pro-atherogenic property.SummaryCurrent data suggest that the intake of polyunsaturated fattyacids, particularly n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, can modulateimmune and inflammatory responses, although a discrepancy isstill present. Some recent studies have provided usefulinformation explaining possible underlying reasons. Factorssuch as genetic variation, health status, disease, immuneresponse stage, stimulation type, and possibly age, allcontribute to the responsiveness to polyunsaturated fatty acidsupplementation in terms of immune function.Keywordsdietary lipids, immune function, inflammation, polyunsaturatedfatty acids
Case of “Slow” Stroke from Carotid Artery Occlusion Treated by Delayed but Cautious Endovascular Intervention

In a challenging case of carotid occlusion with slowly evolving stroke, we used brain imaging to facilitate endovascular revascularization resulting in the relief of the patient's symptoms. Patients with carotid occlusion and continued neurological worsening or fluctuations present enormous treatment challenges. These patients may present “slow” strokes with subacute infarcts that present significant challenges and risks during attempts at revascularization of the occluded artery. We present such a case in which we used multimodal imaging techniques, including MR-perfusion, to facilitate endovascular revascularization. Our approach of delayed but cautious intra-arterial thrombolytic therapy, guided by brain imaging, and followed by stent placement across the residual stenosis, enabled revascularization of the occluded artery without overt in-hospital complications.
Control of dissipative tunneling dynamics by continuous wave electromagnetic fields: Localization and large-amplitude coherent motion.

The dynamics of a dissipative two-level system in a monochromatic field is studied numerically using an iterative path integral scheme that is based on the finite memory range of dissipative influence functionals. The focus of the paper is on the interplay between dissipation and field-induced localization or coherent tunneling. In accord with recent predictions based on approximate treatments, we find that weak dissipation can stabilize the localized state while strong dissipation destroys it. We also demonstrate the possibility of inducing and maintaining large-amplitude coherent oscillations by exploiting the phenomenon of quantum stochastic resonance. (c) 1995 The American Physical Society
Landscape planning in hazardous zones, lessons from Hurricane Katrina, August 2005

Abstract Land planners operate under the assumption that good things can happen if we plan for them. Land planners are optimistic about the future. Hurricane Katrina changed that for land planners along the Gulf Coast of the southern United States. The consequences of the devastation showed everyone what can happen when natural disasters foil our plans for the future. The aftermath of Katrina was most destructive. In New Orleans, Louisiana, flood waters broke through the levee system. Widespread flooding covered most portions of the city leaving it in total chaos. The damage throughout the Gulf Coast left transportation corridors in ruin. Communication and power systems failed. Water supplies and food stores were rendered useless or inaccessible. Consequently government officials, rescue teams, medical services, and security people could not handle the needs of the survivors trapped in the area. Almost immediately the media began reporting the chaos. Soon after there was much finger pointing, blaming and hindsight logic offered in a never-ending stream of acrimonious indignation to anyone who would listen. Some of this behavior is understandable. A year later, however, the carping continues. It is time for more reasonable thinking and action to take place. We need to make some sense out of this tragedy and convert our dissatisfaction and frustration into constructive thinking. We must look deeper into the problem to gain a more significant understanding of what went wrong and how we can plan better in the future. The land planning aspects of both the recovery and continued development of the region need to be reconsidered. The following discussion offers the reader three proposals for modifying how we might plan better. (I) Planning for recovery and sustainable growth speaks to the need to upgrade our land planning conventions. (II) Regional landscape sustainability addresses the need to reorganize the scale and emphasis of future development plans. (III) Spatial solutions concepts are reviewed as a possible means to integrate landscape ecology theory in future planning for the natural landscape and the people who will live in this region.
A token test battery for testing auditory comprehension in brain-injured adults.

Abstract An experimental Token Test battery for testing auditory comprehension in brain-injured adults is presented. Sequenced and nonsequenced pointing responses to spoken test commands and visual matching are evaluated under response-delay and no-response-delay conditions. Response delay caused worsened performance by left-hemisphere-damaged and right-hemisphere-damaged subjects. Right-hemisphere-damaged subjects performed less well on visual matching tests than on pointing-following-spoken-command tests, while left-hemisphere-damaged subjects performed better on visual matching tests than on “point-to” tests involving spoken commands. A system for plotting and interpreting subjects' test performance is presented.
Genome-wide Single-Cell Analysis of Recombination Activity and De Novo Mutation Rates in Human Sperm

SUMMARY Meiotic recombination and de novo mutation are the two main contributions toward gamete genome diversity, and many questions remain about how an individual human’s genome is edited by these two processes. Here, we describe a high-throughput method for single-cell whole-genome analysis that was used to measure the genomic diversity in one individual’s gamete genomes. A microfluidic system was used for highly parallel sample processing and to minimize nonspecific amplification. High-density genotyping results from 91 single cells were used to create a personal recombination map, which was consistent with population-wide data at low resolution but revealed significant differences from pedigree data at higher resolution. We used the data to test for meiotic drive and found evidence for gene conversion. High-throughput sequencing on 31 single cells was used to measure the frequency of large-scale genome instability, and deeper sequencing of eight single cells revealed de novo mutation rates with distinct characteristics.
Forbidden region virtual fixtures from streaming point clouds

Forbidden region virtual fixtures protect objects from unwanted contact with a robot. In this paper, we propose a method for creating forbidden region haptic virtual fixtures for teleoperation from streaming point clouds obtained by an RGB-D camera. Upon violating the protected area, the operator receives force feedback that opposes motion inside the forbidden region. Three architectures for creating virtual fixtures are presented and their advantages and disadvantages are described. The proposed methods have the ability to implement constraints and can handle dynamic environments in real-time. The effectiveness of the methods is demonstrated in experiments with a surgical robot.
Treatment of massive intraoperative brain swelling

Massive intraoperative brain swelling is an infrequent but catastrophic occurrence. In this report, we describe the use of very large doses of thiopental as a means of treating such swelling. In our initial 11 cases (5 arteriovenous malformations, 4 hematomas, and 2 penetrating injuries), this approach produced the following outcomes: 6 patients made a good recovery, 2 are moderately disabled, 1 is severely disabled, and 2 are dead. These results indicate that this condition, which once was considered unmanageable, can indeed be managed and that treatment often results in an acceptable outcome. More recent experience in an additional 6 patients suggests that the use of planned deep thiopental anesthesia, with induced cerebral silence, during intracranial surgery may even prevent the occurrence of this phenomenon.
Vaginitis Due to Candida krusei: Epidemiology, Clinical Aspects, and Therapy

Twelve women with vaginal Candida krusei infection were evaluated. In vitro antifungal susceptibility testing and molecular typing were performed. Patients infected with C. krusei frequently had refractory vulvovaginal signs and symptoms that were otherwise indistinguishable from vaginitis due to other yeasts. Patients were 32-63 years old and had previously received multiple courses of antimycotic agents, including fluconazole and miconazole. The most active azole in vitro was clotrimazole, with a 90% minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.25 microg/mL. Four of 6 patients treated with boric acid had clinical and mycological cure. Two dominant genotypes of C. krusei were identified via contour-clamped homogenous electrical field analysis. No major genotypic change was observed in successive isolates from the same patient in most cases, suggesting that these refractory cases were relapses. C. krusei is a rare but important cause of refractory vaginitis and is unique because of its intrinsic resistance to fluconazole.
Neighborhood unions and hamiltonian properties in graphs

We investigate the relationship between the cardinality of the union of the neighborhoods of an arbitrary pair of nonadjacent vertices and various hamiltonian type properties in graphs. In particular, we show that if G is 2-connected, of order p ≥ 3 and if for every pair of nonadjacent vertices x and y: 1. (a) ∥N(x) ⌣ N(y)∥ ≧ (p − 1)2, then G is traceable, 2. (b) ∥N(x) ⌣ N(y)∥ ≧ (2p − 1)3, then G is hamiltonian, and if G is 3-connected and 3. (c) ∥N(x) ⌣ N(y)∥ ≧ 2p3, then G is hamiltonian-connected.
Age-related decline in MRI volumes of temporal lobe gray matter but not hippocampus

The effect of normal aging on the volume of the hippocampus and temporal cortex was assessed cross-sectionally with quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in 72 healthy men, spanning 5 decades of the adult age range (21 to 70 years). Neither the hippocampal nor cortical white matter volumes were significantly correlated with age. By contrast, left and right temporal lobe gray matter volumes, exclusive of the hippocampal measures, each decreased with age (p < 0.01). Volumes of temporal lobe sulcal CSF and the ventricular system (temporal horns and lateral and third ventricles) significantly increased with age. Measures of verbal and nonverbal working memory showed age-related declines and were related to enlargement of the three ventricular regions, which may be indicative of age-related atrophy of the adjacent cortex but not the hippocampus, at least up to age 70 years.