cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Genetic Algorithm for Developing Modular Product Architectures

The architecture of a product is determined by both the elements that compose the product and the way in which they interact with each other. In this paper, we use the design structure matrix (DSM) as a tool to capture this architecture. Designing modular products can result in many benefits to both consumers and manufacturers. The development of modular products requires the identification of highly interactive groups of elements and arranging (i.e. clustering) them into modules. However, no rigorous DSM clustering technique can be found in product development literature. This paper presets a review of the basic DSM building blocks used in the identification of product modules. The DSM representation and building blocks are used to develop a new DSM clustering tool based on a genetic algorithm (GA) and the minimum description length (MDL) principle. The new tool is capable of partitioning the product architecture into an “optimal” set of modules or sub-systems. We demonstrate this new clustering method using an example of a complex product architecture for an industrial gas turbine.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Preemption and Theories of Federalism

Today's legal debates about federalism, as it applies to issues of health and safety and to the environment, are often debates about statutory preemption. This essay focuses on Congress's preemption power and examines the most common legal and theoretical issues surrounding its use. The two most important questions about preemption are related. The first is for the lawmaker: When, or in what way, should state laws be preempted? The second is for the judge: How do you know that state law has been preempted? This essay examines both questions. On the subject of congressional choice, the authors assess the justifications commonly offered for and against preemption, as well as for cooperative, or "power-sharing" arrangements between the federal and state governments. On the subject of judicial review, the authors investigate the constitutional and practical arguments for the common presumptions that underlie many, but not all, court decisions, including the on-again-off-again "clear" evidence rule. The essay devotes attention to three particularly difficult types of preemption cases that fuel much of today's controversy: cases involving asserted preemption by agency action, cases involving areas of traditional federal or state concern, and cases involving statutory "savings" clauses. In the end, the authors observe a general lack of coherence in preemption principles and judicial rules as applied, setting the stage for a broader debate on this important subject.
MELD × MD Folds Nonthreadables, Giving Native Structures and Populations

A current challenge is to compute the native structures of proteins from their amino acid sequences. A main approach of bioinformatics is threading, in which a protein to be predicted is computationally threaded onto protein fragments of similar sequence having an already known structure. However, ∼15% of proteins cannot be folded in this way; this has been called the glass ceiling, and the proteins are called nonthreadables. For these, physical molecular dynamics (MD) modeling is promising because it does not require templates. We find that MD, when used with an accelerator called MELD, can fold many nonthreadables. For 41 nonthreadable proteins with fewer than 125 residues, MELD-accelerated MD (MELD × MD) folds 20 of them to better than 4 A error. In 10 cases, MELD × MD succeeds even when the force field does not properly encode the native state. In 11 cases, MELD × MD foretells its own success; seeing large Boltzmann populations in the simulations predicts it has converged to the correct native state. ...
BPH-Related Voiding Dysfunction—i-Tind

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common condition that affects a majority of the aging male population. The majority of aging male population was afflicted with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Over the past several years, there has been an armamentarium of advances in the treatment of this condition to improve a patient’s quality of life (QoL). A new treatment that shows promising results is the i-TIND system, an implantable device. We present the most current literature on this therapy. There are ongoing trials evaluating the use of the newer second-generation i-Tind, although there are currently no functional differences from the first-generation device. The pilot study of the first-generation device was shown to improve both IPSS score and Qmax over the course of 12 months with a trend to benefit in the 24 to 36-month period. The i-Tind represents another attempt to introduce an office-based procedure for the treatment of BPH. The preliminary results seem to indicate that this device shows efficacy in improving urinary symptoms. There is promising evidence for the use of i-Tind as an office-based treatment for BPH. An important consideration, however, will center on patient selection. There will be a cohort of men who elect to undergo this minimally invasive procedure over the gold standard TURP. However, this will not be a viable treatment option for men with particularly large prostate volumes.
Effects of transplantation on atrioventricular nodal accommodation and hysteresis.

In the present study, atrioventricular nodal accommodation and hysteresis characteristics were evaluated in awake, unsedated dogs, before (n = 10) and after cardiac transplantation (n = 10). Chronically instrumented animals were atrially paced at a cycle length (CL) of 400 ms, followed by an abrupt decrease in pacing CL to 300 ms, followed by an abrupt return in pacing CL to 400 ms (with pacing sustained for 60 s at each CL). Atrioventricular nodal conduction characteristics (assessed by AH intervals) were simultaneously monitored. Under control conditions, AH intervals lengthened rapidly after an abrupt decrease in pacing CL [mean time for AH interval lengthening to stabilize (Tonset) = 2 +/- 1 s], whereas AH intervals lengthened more slowly (P less than 0.05) after transplantation (Tonset = 41 +/- 4 s). Similarly, after an abrupt increase in pacing CL, control AH intervals shortened rapidly [mean time for AH interval to return to base line (Tonset) = 5 +/- 1 s], whereas AH intervals shortened more slowly (P less than 0.05) after transplantation (Tonset = 42 +/- 5 s). Thus accommodation appears to be an intrinsic atrioventricular nodal response (present after cardiac denervation by transplantation) to abrupt, sustained atrial CL changes. Furthermore equivalence (P = NS) in atrioventricular nodal accommodation responses to symmetric CL decreases and increases after transplantation suggests that hysteresis [i.e., nonequivalence (P less than 0.05) in atrioventricular nodal accommodation responses], as seen under control conditions, results primarily from extrinsic (neural) modification of intrinsic atrioventricular nodal responses to symmetric CL changes.
Compliance With American Urological Association Guidelines for Nonmuscle Invasive Bladder Cancer Remains Poor: Assessing Factors Associated With Noncompliance and Survival in a Rural State.

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To identify factors associated with nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) American Urological Association (AUA) guideline compliance in a rural state, to evaluate compliance rates over time, and to assess the impact of patient and provider rurality on delivery of NMIBC care. METHODS We identified 847 Iowans in Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare from 1992 to 2009 with high-grade NMIBC who survived 2 years and were not treated with cystectomy or radiation during this period. Compliance with AUA guidelines was assessed over time and compared to patient demographic, tumor, and treatment institution variables. Impact of rurality was analyzed using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results ZIP code data travel distance of patient to nearest urologist practice location. RESULTS Overall compliance with AUA guidelines was low ( 30 miles) but distance did not affect compliance with other measures. Compliance was not associated with cancer-specific survival. CONCLUSION Compliance with post-Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumor (TURBT) NMIBC treatment guidelines has improved but remains suboptimal in our rural state, and is highly associated with treatment at an academic cancer center for reasons that could not be fully explained with these data.
Landscape on CT screening for lung cancer in Asia.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer incidence and mortality worldwide. Approximately 60% of the world’s new cases of lung cancer and deaths from it are expected in Asia in 2018. Currently, lung cancer screening using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) is recommended for heavy smokers in North America, Europe and some countries in Asia. Tobacco smoking being the major risk factor for lung cancer, but in Asia, lung cancer in never-smokers (LCINS) is also a concern. This paper reviews on lung cancer incidence, mortality, etiology, smoking in Asia, and systematic reviews on LDCT lung cancer screening studies, including ongoing projects and recommendation on lung cancer screening in Asia. Some of the earliest studies of LDCT lung cancer screening worldwide were in Asia. Many countries in Asia have developed LDCT screening studies in various high-risk participants. Currently, there are several ongoing large-scale lung cancer screening trials to evaluate the efficacy of LDCT screening for never-smokers and light smokers, as well as heavy smokers, and to evaluate the feasibility of population-based LDCT lung cancer screening.
Getting the most out of your “non-negotiable” contract: It's all about the little things

Abstract When you have been offered your first job out of fellowship, you experience a great amount of joy and relief. Finally, you are joining the adult workforce and you feel as if all of your hard work has paid off. However, suddenly, you feel anxious as the recruiter or chairman starts a conversation about your contract. Now, you wish you had dabbled in business or economics or law. So, when you are sent your “non-negotiable” contract, what do you need to know? What can you do? This manuscript explores strategies to deal with this situation.
The Utility of Color Doppler to Confirm Endotracheal Tube Placement: A Pilot Study.

Author(s): Gildea, Thomas H.; Anderson, Kenton L.; Niknam, Kian R.; Gharahbaghian, Laleh; Williams, Sarah R.; Angelotti, Timothy; Auerbach, Paul S.; Lobo, Viveta | Abstract: Introduction: Grayscale ultrasound (US) imaging has been used as an adjunct for confirming endotracheal tube (ETT) placement in recent years. The addition of color Doppler imaging (CDI) has been proposed to improve identification but has not been well studied. The aim of this study was to assess whether CDI improves correct localization of ETT placement.Methods: A convenience sample of emergency and critical care physicians at various levels of training and experience participated in an online assessment. Participants viewed US video clips of patients, which included either tracheal or esophageal intubations captured in grayscale or with CDI; there were five videos of each for a total of 20 videos. Participants were asked to watch each clip and then assess the location of the ETT.Results: Thirty-eight subjects participated in the online assessment. Levels of training included medical students (13%), emergency medicine (EM) residents (50%), EM attendings (32%), and critical care attendings (5%). The odds ratio of properly assessing tracheal placement using color relative to a grayscale imaging technique was 1.5 (p = 0.21). Regarding the correct assessment of esophageal placement, CDI had 1.4 times the odds of being correctly assessed relative to grayscale (p = 0.26). The relationship between training level and correct assessments was not significant for either tracheal or esophageal placements.Conclusion: In this pilot study we found no significant improvement in correct identification of ETT placement using color Doppler compared to grayscale ultrasound; however, there was a trend toward improvement that might be better elucidated in a larger study.
Foldit Drug Design Game Usability Study: Comparison of Citizen and Expert Scientists

In building a new drug design mode for the popular citizen scientist game Foldit, we focus on creating an easy-to-use and intuitive interface to confer complex scientific concepts to citizen scientist players. We hypothesize that to be efficient in the hands of citizen scientists such an interface will look different from well-established drug-design software used by experts. We used the relaxed think-aloud method to compare citizen and expert scientists working with our prototype interface for Foldit Drug Design Mode (FDDM). First, we tested if the two groups are providing different feedback when it comes to the usability of the prototype interface. Second, we investigated how the difference between the two groups might inform a new game design. As expected, the results confirm that experienced scientists differ from citizen scientists in engaging their background knowledge when interacting with the game. We then provided a prioritization list of background knowledge employed by the expert scientists to derive design suggestions for FDDM.
A Local Feature Oriented Ensemble Method for Caricature Recognition

Caricature is a popular art form. Caricature artists usually exaggerate facial features to highlight the characteristics of people. Although it is not difficult for people to recognize caricature faces even if the face structures are far away from real faces, traditional face recognition methods do not perform well in matching caricature faces with real faces. Based on the Webcaricature database and Residual Neural Network (ResNet), an ensemble method that emphasizes local features of faces is proposed in this paper. Local features are trained separately to form models that evaluate the distances of different features. Then all local feature models are weighted and combined with a full-face model. In order to stabilize the average performance, the weight of each local feature must be controlled within an appropriate range. Through many experiments, the ensemble model that integrates eyes, mouth, and full-face model with adapted weights demonstrated better performance, and the overall accuracy rate of recognition indicated considerable improvement. This paper proposed a promising ensemble method to deal with the current difficulties in caricature recognition
A CFD study on hydrocarbon mean residence time in a horizontal oil–water separator

This study presents computational fluid dynamics analyses on oil–water flow characteristics in a horizontal separator. The performance of these vessels are inferred from mean residence time and cumulative residence time distribution of the hydrocarbon phase inside the separator. The authors model a separator used by previous researchers and evaluate mean residence time of the hydrocarbon phase in a two-phase mixture of oil and water. Three different water-cuts of 21%, 32%, and 57% are used. Additional analyses are done to assess how certain geometric features of the separator influence hydrocarbon mean residence time. The results show that the addition of a second perforated baffle plate does not improve the hydrocarbon mean residence time significantly. However, introducing a downward slanting throat section between the primary zone and the gravity separation zone improves the hydrocarbon mean residence time at 21% and 32% water-cuts. The results suggest oil–water separators with a throat section may be more efficient than regular horizontal separators without the throat section at low water-cuts.
The Pleasant Yield of Financial Illiteracy

Latest SCF 2016 wave shows that 57% of US households exhibit signs of financial illiteracy, a phenomenon even among college degree holders. Despite the previous findings about mistakes associated by financial illiterates, our findings portrays a picture in which financial illiterates households actually follow the standard financial theory. Specifically, financial illiterates report that they are aware of their lack of financial knowledge, and thus they bear less financial risk and allocate less money in risky assets, and constructively less overconfident (trade less frequently). Our findings enhance our understanding of the women and minorities unique portfolios, who exhibit highest level of illiteracy. Collectively, financial illiterates’ households adopt a portfolio choice strategy that is fully rational.
Direct Oral Anticoagulants and Warfarin for Atrial Fibrillation Treatment: Rural and Urban Trends in Medicare Beneficiaries.

Data are needed on the use of oral anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) in rural versus urban areas, including the initiation of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). We used Medicare data to examine rural/urban differences in anticoagulation use in patients with AF. We identified incident AF in a 20% sample of fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries (aged ≥ 65 years) from 2011 to 2016 and collected ZIP code and covariates at the time of AF. We identified the first anticoagulant prescription filled, if any, following AF diagnosis. We categorized beneficiaries into four rural/urban areas using rural–urban commuting area codes and used Poisson regression models to compare anticoagulant use. We included 447,252 patients with AF (mean age 79 ± 8 years), of which 82% were urban, 9% large rural, 5% small rural, and 4% isolated. The percentage who initiated an anticoagulant rose from 34% in 2011 to 53% in 2016, paralleling the uptake of DOACs. In a multivariable-adjusted analysis, those in rural areas (vs. urban) were more likely to initiate an anticoagulant. However, rural beneficiaries (vs. urban) were less likely to initiate a DOAC; those in isolated areas were 17% less likely (95% confidence interval [CI] 13–20), those in small rural areas were 12% less likely (95% CI 9–15), and those in large rural areas were 10% less likely (95% CI 8–12). Among Medicare beneficiaries with AF, anticoagulation use was low but increased over time with the introduction of DOACs. Rural beneficiaries were less likely to receive a DOAC.
CausalAF: Causal Autoregressive Flow for Goal-Directed Safety-Critical Scenes Generation.

Goal-directed generation, aiming for solving downstream tasks by generating diverse data, has a potentially wide range of applications in the real world. Previous works tend to formulate goal-directed generation as a purely data-driven problem, which directly searches or approximates the distribution of samples satisfying the goal. However, the generation ability of preexisting work is heavily restricted by inefficient sampling, especially for sparse goals that rarely show up in off-the-shelf datasets. For instance, generating safety-critical traffic scenes with the goal of increasing the risk of collision is critical to evaluate autonomous vehicles, but the rareness of such scenes is the biggest resistance. In this paper, we integrate causality as a prior into the safety-critical scene generation process and propose a flow-based generative framework - Causal Autoregressive Flow (CausalAF). CausalAF encourages the generative model to uncover and follow the causal relationship among generated objects via novel causal masking operations instead of searching the sample only from observational data. By learning the cause-and-effect mechanism of how the generated scene achieves the goal rather than just learning correlations from data, CausalAF significantly improves the learning efficiency. Extensive experiments on three heterogeneous traffic scenes illustrate that CausalAF requires much fewer optimization resources to effectively generate goal-directed scenes for safety evaluation tasks.
Stimulated Photon Echo Induced by Broad-Bandwidth Pulses

Optical coherent transients induced by time-delayed correlated fluctuating pulses [1–4] have received a great deal of attention in the last few years, owing to their potential as a source of sub-picosecond time resolution. In particular, the effect of field fluctuations on the intensity of stimulated photon echoes (SPE) has been studied in some detail. Two laser pulses of duration tp, with wave vectors \({\vec k_1}\) and \({\vec k_2}\), respectively, are sent into a sample of two-level atoms with a relative time delay denoted by t12. These pulses (which may or may not be correlated ) create spatial gratings in the population difference of atoms with Bragg vectors \(n\vec K = n\left( {{{\vec k}_2} - {{\vec k}_1}} \right),n = 0, \pm 1, \ldots \) These gratings are subsequently probed by a third laser pulse with a wave vector \({\vec k_3}\) which is time delayed by t23 > tp relative to the first two excitation pulses. The SPE energy Wn(t12) in the directions \({\vec k_3} \pm n\vec K\) is measured as a function of delay time t12.
Magnesium homeostasis and derangements

Magnesium is an essential macroelement that is important in several physiologic processes. It serves as an essential cofactor for more than 300 enzymatic reactions involving ATP, such as transcription and translation of genetic information, and in the cellular energy-dependent reactions of glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation. Although the extracellular concentration of Mg depends on gastrointestinal absorption, renal excretion, and bone exchange, there is no precise homeostatic regulating system for Mg. This chapter discusses, among other things, the incidence and outcome of hypomagnesemic equine patients, and the association of hypomagnesemia with hypokalemia and hypocalcemia. It also explains the association of magnesium and endotoxemia, and the association of magnesium and insulin resistance. Hypermagnesemia is rare in all species and is commonly the result of iatrogenic Mg overdose, or excessive supplementation to a patient in renal failure.
Behavioral and neural evidence of increased attention to the bottom half of the face in deaf signers.

Purpose: This study examined the effects of deafness and sign language use on the distribution of attention across the top and bottom halves of faces. Methods: In a composite face task, congenitally deaf signers and typically hearing controls made same/different judgments of the top or bottom halves of faces presented with the halves aligned or spatially misaligned, while event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded. Results: Both groups were more accurate when judging misaligned than aligned faces, which indicates holistic face processing. Misalignment affected all ERP components examined, with effects on the N170 resembling those of face inversion. Hearing adults were similarly accurate when judging the top and bottom halves of the faces, but deaf signers were more accurate when attending to the bottom than the top. Attending to the top elicited faster P1 and N170 latencies for both groups; within the deaf group, this effect was greatest for individuals who produced the highest accuracies when attending to the top. Conclusions: These findings dovetail with previous research by providing behavioral and neural evidence of increased attention to the bottom half of the face in deaf signers, and by documenting that these effects generalize to a speeded task, in the absence of gaze shifts, with neutral facial expressions.
Body Perception: Parents Poorly Perceive Children’s Fitness Characteristics

At least 155 million school-age children worldwide are overweight or obese. Body Mass Index (BMI) as a measurement of parental recognition of child’s overweight status ranges from 6%-73%. When examining overweight children, less than 50% of parents identify their child as such. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine parental ability to appropriately identify their child’s BMI status and also measures of physical fitness (body composition, muscular strength, flexibility and aerobic fitness). METHODS: Subjects consisted of 200 males (10.8±2.16 years), 170 females (11.2±2.44 years) and their maternal parent. Males and females scores were compared to maternal perception of score: BMI, body composition, and fitness characteristics (muscular strength, aerobic fitness and flexibility) were categorized according to normative rankings. The maternal perception questionnaire was administered while subject’s fitness characteristics were evaluated. Data associations were examined using descriptive statistics and bivariate correlation. RESULTS: BMI, body fat and fitness characteristics ranged categorically from poor to excellent. Maternal parents ability to correctly identify fitness characteristics by categorical selection were: BMI (75.14%), body composition (46.49%), flexibility (27.57%), muscular strength (31.08%) and aerobic fitness (38.11%). The relationship between subjects scores and parental perception of scores was considered moderate to strong, as determined by Pearson correlation (BMI: r=.677, body composition: r=.603, muscular strength: r=.251, aerobic fitness: r=.389 and flexibility r=.407). CONCLUSION: In children ranging from under-weight to obese, parent’s ability to predict characteristics relative to weight and body composition is substantially better than their ability to predict fitness characteristics. Parents have a strong influence on children’s behavior and physical activity levels. Primary prevention is key in fighting the obesity epidemic, thus adult’s awareness of their child’s fitness status is imperative. As such, professional or school-based screening could be suggested as a necessary tool to identify children’s fitness characteristics for parental informative purposes.
Configurational Energies in Terms of Effective Cluster Interactions in Binary Substitutional Alloys: Connection between the Embedded Cluster Method and the Generalized Perturbation Method

Starting from the formal expansion of the configurational energy in terms of fully renormalized effective cluster interactions, it is shown that the Embedded Cluster Method (ECM) and the Generalized Perturbation Method (GPM) lead to identical expressions for the energy of a given alloy configuration within the Coherent Potential Approximation (CPA). Correction terms associated with fluctuations in the reference medium can be calculated in both methods. Numerical results are presented for a model tight binding Hamiltonian which clearly indicate the significance of multisite cluster interactions in the determination of the tendencies toward ordering or phase separation and phase stability in alloys.
Does Listening to Mozart benefit Children with Severe Epilepsy

Investigators from the Universities of Salerno and Perugio, Italy, studied the effect of listening to a set of Mozart's compositions on sleep quality, behavior, and seizure recurrence in 11 outpatients (7 males and 4 females), between 1.5 and 21 years of age (mean age, 11.9 years), with drug-resistant epilepsy.
Freedom Bound: Law, Labor, and Civic Identity in Colonizing English America, 1580-1865

Freedom Bound is about the origins of modern America - a history of colonizing, work and civic identity from the beginnings of English presence on the mainland until the Civil War. It is a history of migrants and migrations, of colonizers and colonized, of households and servitude and slavery, and of the freedom all craved and some found. Above all it is a history of the law that framed the entire process. Freedom Bound tells how colonies were planted in occupied territories, how they were populated with migrants - free and unfree - to do the work of colonizing and how the newcomers secured possession. It tells of the new civic lives that seemed possible in new commonwealths and of the constraints that kept many from enjoying them. It follows the story long past the end of the eighteenth century until the American Civil War, when - just for a moment - it seemed that freedom might finally be unbound.
Determination of Cibacron blue F3GA substitution in blue Sephadex and blue dextran-Sepharose

Abstract A simple procedure is described for determination of the amount of covalently bound Cibacron blue F3GA dye present in preparations of blue Sephadex and blue dextran-Sepharose. This method involves hydrolysis of the Sephadex and Sepharose dye derivatives in 6 m hydrochloric acid followed by spectrophotometric determination of the dye released.
V2O5-SiO2 xerogels for methane oxidation to oxygenates: preparation, characterization, and catalytic properties

Abstract V2O5-SiO2 xerogels with a wide range of vanadium contents (1–25 wt.% V2O5) and high surface areas (267–509 m2/g) were synthesized by a two-step sol–gel process as new catalytic materials for selective methane conversion. Three types of V species in the V2O5-SiO2 xerogels were identified by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), solid-state 51 V nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and Raman spectroscopy, i.e. (1) accessible surface tetrahedral V5+ species, (2) inaccessible surface tetrahedral V5+ species, and (3) crystalline V2O5. Only the accessible surface tetrahedral V5+ species were the active sites for methane conversion to oxygenates (e.g. methanol and formaldehyde). On the basis of the accessible surface tetrahedral V5+ species, the turnover frequencies of both methane conversion and oxygenates formation substantially decreased with increase in vanadium content and the 1 wt.% V2O5-SiO2 xerogel catalyst exhibited the highest activity as well as the highest selectivity for methane conversion to oxygenates. This result appears to suggest that the accessible surface tetrahedral V5+ species tend to form surface polymeric tetrahedral V5+ species at high vanadium content, which is not active for methane conversion to oxygenates.
Nonlinear enhancement of the fractal structure in the escape dynamics of Bose-Einstein condensates

We consider the escape dynamics of an ensemble of Bose-Einstein-condensed atoms from an optical-dipole trap consisting of two overlapping Gaussian wells. Earlier theoretical studies (based on a model of quantum evolution using ensembles of classical trajectories) predicted that self-similar fractal features could be visible in this system by measuring the escaping flux as a function of time for varying initial conditions. Here, direct numerical quantum simulations show the clear influence of quantum interference on the escape data. Fractal features are still evident in the data, albeit with interference fringes superposed. Furthermore, the nonlinear influence of atom-atom interactions is also considered, in the context of the $(2+1)$-dimensional Gross-Pitaevskii equation. Of particular note is that an attractive nonlinear interaction enhances the resolution of fractal structures in the escape data. Thus, the interplay between nonlinear focusing and dispersion results in dynamics that resolve the underlying classical fractal more faithfully than the noninteracting quantum (or classical) dynamics.
Structure and enzymology of a death-associated protein kinase

Abstract The structure of the catalytic domain of death-associated protein kinase (DAPK), a serine/threonine kinase implicated in programmed cell death and tumor suppression, has been determined recently in several crystal forms, including the highest resolution kinase structure available. The structures provide detailed knowledge about ATP–kinase complexes, reveal novel features that might be important in the regulation of enzyme activity, and allow a proteomics-type approach to DAPK enzymology and its role in signal transduction pathways.
Using Motif-Based Methods in Multiple Genome Analyses: A Case Study Comparing Orthologous Mesophilic and Thermophilic Proteins†

Protein motifs represent highly conserved regions within protein families and are generally accepted to describe critical regions required for protein stability and/or function. In this comprehensive analysis, we present a robust, unique approach to identify and compare corresponding mesophilic and thermophilic sequence motifs between all orthologous proteins within 44 microbial genomes. Motif similarity is determined through global sequence alignment of mesophilic and thermophilic motif pairs, which are identified by a greedy algorithm. Our results reveal only modest correlation between motif and overall sequence similarity, highlighting the rationale of motif-based approaches in comprehensive multigenome comparisons. Conserved mutations reflect previously suggested physiochemical principles for conferring thermostability. Additionally, comparisons between corresponding mesophilic and thermophilic motif pairs provide key biochemical insights related to thermostability and can be used to test the evolutionary robustness of individual structural comparisons. We demonstrate the ability of our unique approach to provide key insights in two examples: the TATA-box binding protein and glutamate dehydrogenase families. In the latter example, conserved mutations hint at novel origins leading to structural stability differences within the hexamer structures. Additionally, we present amino acid composition data and average protein length comparisons for all 44 microbial genomes.
Amphiregulin Mediates Estrogen, Progesterone, and EGFR Signaling in the Normal Rat Mammary Gland and in Hormone-Dependent Rat Mammary Cancers

Both estrogen (E) and progesterone (P) are implicated in the etiology of human breast cancer. Defining their mechanisms of action, particularly in vivo, is relevant to the prevention and therapy of breast cancer. We investigated the molecular and cellular mechanisms of E and/or P-induced in vivo proliferation, in the normal rat mammary gland and in hormone-dependent rat mammary cancers which share many characteristics with the normal human breast and hormone-dependent breast cancers. We show that E+P treatment induced significantly greater proliferation in both the normal gland and mammary cancers compared to E alone. In both the normal gland and tumors, E+P-induced proliferation was mediated through the increased production of amphiregulin (Areg), an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) ligand, and the activation of intracellular signaling pathways (Erk, Akt, JNK) downstream of EGFR that regulate proliferation. In vitro experiments using rat primary mammary organoids or T47D breast cancer cells confirmed that Areg and the synthetic progestin, R5020, synergize to promote cell proliferation through EGFR signaling. Iressa, an EGFR inhibitor, effectively blocked this proliferation. These results indicate that mediators of cross talk between E, P, and EGFR pathways may be considered as relevant molecular targets for the therapy of hormone-dependent breast cancers, especially in premenopausal women.
Predicting lexical density growth rate in young children with autism spectrum disorders.

Purpose The purpose of this longitudinal correlational study was to test whether an environmental variable and 4 child variables predicted growth rate of number of different nonimitative words used...
DNA Repair Biomarker Profiling of Head and Neck Cancer: Ku80 Expression Predicts Locoregional Failure and Death following Radiotherapy

Purpose: Radiotherapy plays an integral role in the treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Although proteins involved in DNA repair may predict HNSCC response to radiotherapy, none has been validated in this context. We examined whether differential expression of double-strand DNA break (DSB) repair proteins in HNSCC, the chief mediators of DNA repair following irradiation, predict for treatment outcomes. Experimental Design: Archival HNSCC tumor specimens ( n = 89) were assembled onto a tissue microarray and stained with antibodies raised against 38 biomarkers. The biomarker set was enriched for proteins involved in DSB repair, in addition to established mechanistic markers of radioresistance. Staining was correlated with treatment response and survival alongside established clinical and pathologic covariates. Results were validated in an independent intramural cohort ( n = 34). Results: Ku80, a key mediator of DSB repair, correlated most closely with clinical outcomes. Ku80 was overexpressed in half of all tumors, and its expression was independent of all other covariates examined. Ku80 overexpression was an independent predictor for both locoregional failure and mortality following radiotherapy ( P Conclusions: Ku80 overexpression is a common feature of HNSCC, and is a candidate DNA repair-related biomarker for radiation treatment failure and death, particularly in patients with high-risk HPV-negative disease. It is a promising, mechanistically rational biomarker to select individual HPV-negative HNSCC patients for strategies to intensify treatment. Clin Cancer Res; 17(7); 2035–43. ©2011 AACR .
Minimum Time Trajectory Optimization and Learning

This paper presents a numerical algorithm for finding the bang-bang control input associated with the time optimal solution of a class of nonlinear dynamic systems. The proposed algorithm directly searches for the optimal switching instants based on a projected gradient optimization method. It is shown that this algorithm can be made into a learning algorithm by using on-line measurements of the state trajectory. The learning is shown to have the potential for significant robustness to mismatch between the model and the system. It learns a nearly optimal input through repeated trials in which it utilizes the measured terminal state error of the actual system and gradients based on the theoretical state equation of the system but evaluated along the actual state trajectory. The success of the method is demonstrated on an under-actuated double pendulum system called the acrobot.
Does the Order of Face-to-Face and Computer-Mediated Communication Matter in Diverse Project Teams? An Investigation of Communication Order Effects on Minority Inclusion and Participation

Purpose -- This study investigated whether meeting electronically first using computer-mediated communication (CMC) before meeting face-to-face (FTF) increases the inclusion of a female group member in a predominantly male project team. Design/methodology/approach -- We used an experimental design and a sample of 200 college students grouped within 50 four-person teams of one woman and three men. Twenty-five teams communicated using CMC first, then FTF. The other 25 teams communicated using FTF first, then CMC. Findings -- Results showed that women felt more included in the teams when they used CMC first and then FTF as opposed to the more often recommended FTF and then CMC. Findings showed that the order of communication medium influenced perceived inclusion, which in turn influenced individual participation. Implications -- Conventional wisdom suggests that today’s project teams, whose members typically use a variety of communication media, should always meet FTF first at the beginning of their life cycle to enhance individual and team performance. Our study suggests that within diverse teams in which one minority team member is different from the rest of team and may feel excluded, initial CMC may help the minority member feel more included. Originality/value -- This study shows that the order of communication medium can influence team outcomes. In particular, meeting using CMC first and then FTF can be helpful for diverse teams with minority team members.
Wave-induced pore pressures and effective stresses in inhomogeneous seabed foundations

Abstract Stability analyses of homogeneous and inhomogeneous seabed foundations under attack by storm waves are made by calculating the wave-induced effective stresses. Wave-induced effective stress analysis of homogeneous seabed is made using the theory previously developed by the author which is based on the poro-elastic theory of Biot. Effective stresses in inhomogeneous seabeds induced by waves are calculated by approximating aa inhomogeneous bed by many layers of homogeneous soils each of which has different geotechnical soil properties. A good agreement is obtained between the theory and the pore pressure data from in situ field measurements. For a given wavelength, it is found that there exists a most unstable thickness of homogeneous seabed when the thickness is one-fifth of the wave length. As a realistic example of an inhomogeneous bed, the effective stresses in a typical seabed formation at the Mississippi Delta area of the Gulf of Mexico under the attack of design storm waves are calculated. The numerical results indicate that the storm waves induce a continuous submarine landslide which extends as deep as 9 m from the mud line. Numerical calculations also indicate that such landslides and liquefaction of seabeds can be prevented by placing a layer of concrete blocks or rubble on top of the seabeds.
Microscopic and Spectroscopic Characterization of Aluminosilicate Waste Form with Cs/Sr/Ba Loading Using Scanning Electron Microscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy, and X-Ray Diffraction

An aluminosilicate waste form has been proposed for the storage and disposal of cesium and strontium isolated from recycled nuclear fuel. To examine the impact of sintering temperature on the waste form product, thermal analysis (thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)) was used to identify key transition temperature ranges. Samples were produced in each temperature range to examine the impact on phase formation and microstructure. Examination of the synthesized materials by X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the formation of the expected Cs- and Sr-aluminosilicate crystalline phases. However, microscopic characterization by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed a spongelike, glassy morphology with high porosity and no observed crystallinity. This discrepancy was investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), which identified the presence of discrete, submicron, crystalline phases within the bulk amorphous matrix. Elemental analysis by energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) indicated that the strontium and barium were incorporated into the crystalline phase, while the cesium was incorporated into the amorphous matrix. Further analysis of samples synthesized without barium or strontium allowed for the identification of submicron crystalline phases within the amorphous matrix, identifying the source of the cesium aluminosilicate crystal peaks in the XRD patterns, with elemental analysis showing that the cesium was present in both the crystalline inclusions and the amorphous bulk phase.
"Systematizing" ethics consultation services.

While valuable work has been done addressing clinical ethics within established healthcare systems, we anticipate that the projected growth in acquisitions of community hospitals and facilities by large tertiary hospitals will impact the field of clinical ethics and the day-to-day responsibilities of clinical ethicists in ways that have yet to be explored. Toward the goal of providing clinical ethicists guidance on a range of issues that they may encounter in the systematization process, we discuss key considerations and potential challenges in implementing system-wide ethics consultation services. Specifically, we identify four models for organizing, developing, and enhancing ethics consultation activities within a system created through acquisitions: (1) train-the-trainer, (2) local capacity-building, (3) circuit-riding, and (4) consolidated accountability. We note each model’s benefits and challenges. To our knowledge, this is the first paper to consider the broader landscape of issues affected by consolidation. We anticipate that clinical ethicists, volunteer consultants, and hospital administrators will benefit from our recommendations.
Scanned focussed ultrasound hyperthermia: initial clinical results.

Abstract Between November 1986 and July, 1987, a preliminary study to determine the feasibility of scanned focussed ultrasound for clinical hyperthermia at various sites was conducted. Fourteen patient (17 tumors) have been treated using a microprocessor-controlled apparatus developed at the University of Arizona by modifying a commercially available diagnostic ultrasound unit. We have treated nine pelvic tumors, four extremity tumors, two brain tumors, and two extracranial head and neck tumors for a total of 42 treatments. Multipoint thermometry was achieved for all patients, with 2–25 (mean = 10) points monitored during each treatment within the scanned tumor volume. Average maximum temperature within the scanned tumor volume was 44.2, 44.7, 44.8, and 42.0°C for pelvic, extremity, brain, and extracranial head and neck tumors, respectively; similarly, 55%, 45%, 71%, and 0 of monitored points exceeded 42.5°C. Pain limited applied power in 15 of 42 treatments, and bone pain with a periodicity similar to the scanning periodicity was seen in 11 treatments. A non-randomized comparison of temperatures achieved using scanned focussed ultrasound to those achieved using the microwave annular array and the CDRH Helix suggests that scanned focussed ultrasound may have promise and potential advantages in heating selected pelvic tumors.
High-pressure liquid chromatographic resolution of vitamin A compounds

Straight and reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography systems capable of separating a wide range of retinoids including cis- and trans-isomers have been developed. The advantages of these techniques include rapid separation, quantitative recovery, elimination of artifact production during chromatography, and high sensitivity. Detection of 1 ng of retinoic acid was achieved with these methods.
Architecture, srailroads, and Ruskin's rhetoric of bodily form

Readers of Ruskin have long recognized the thematic significance of the body in his writings: his ambivalent attitude toward sexuality; his embodied sense of aesthetic vision; his regard for the value of creative, physical labor; his consistent emphasis on the moral authority of affective judgment. Less noticed, however, is the importance he attributes to the schematic organization of the body itself. This articles shows how Ruskin's idea of bodily form structures and correlates two prominent areas of his thought: his theory of architecture and his negative response to industrial technology, particularly as exemplified by the railroad.
Identification of the a 3Π0-(0−) → X1Σ+ (0+) transition of the InH molecule

Abstract Four bands of the doubly forbidden a 3 Π 0- (0 − ) → X 1 Σ + (0 + ) transition of InH have been analyzed and the a 3 Π 0- state characterized. These results allow comparison of the molecular constants for all six components of the a 3 Π state. Considerations of coupling and “mixing” effects in the a 3 Π states of GaH, InH, and TlH lead to the conclusion that the a 3 Π 0- (0 − ) → X 1 Σ + (0 + ) sub-band in InH is made “allowed” primarily by rotational mixing with the a 3 Π 1- (1 − ) state.