cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Generation of CRISPR-Edited Rodents Using a Piezo-Driven Zygote Injection Technique

Direct modification of the genome of the zygotes (i.e., one-cell embryos) by the CRISPR/Cas9-editing reagents, followed by embryo transfer to pseudopregnant females for live birth, has been the most effective method to generate laboratory rodent models for research. The method relies on proper delivery of the editing reagents into zygotes, which is commonly achieved by a standard or slightly modified pronuclear microinjection technique. In this chapter, we describe in detail an alternative delivery method, named piezo-driven cytoplasmic microinjection, which offers a superior embryo survival and birth rate. Because this method uses a much wider injection needle than that in pronuclear injection, it allows a larger volume of the editing materials to be transported into the zygotes, leading to an increase in the targeting efficiency. This also eliminates the clogging issues seen regularly in pronuclear injection. Moreover, Cytochalasin B that is used to soften zygotes during piezo-driven microinjection has been suggested a role in improving the knockin efficiency, which provides an additional benefit to use this injection method.
Applying Ecosystem and Landscape Models in Natural Resource Management

Managing today’s lands is becoming an increasingly difficult task. Complex ecological interactions across multiple spatiotemporal scales create diverse landscape responses to management actions that are often novel, counter-intuitive and unexpected. To make matters worse, exotic invasions, human land use, and global climate change complicate this complexity and make past observational ecological studies limited in application to the future. Natural resource professionals can no longer rely on empirical data to analyze alternative actions in a world that is rapidly changing with few historical analogs. New tools are needed to synthesize the high complexity in ecosystem dynamics into useful applications for land management. Some of the best new tools available for this task are ecological and landscape simulation models. However, many land management professionals and scientists have little expertise in simulation modeling, and the costs of training these people will probably be exorbitantly high because most ecosystem and landscape models are exceptionally complicated and difficult to understand and use for local applications. This book was written to provide natural resource professionals with the rudimentary knowledge needed to properly use ecological models and then to interpret their results. It is based on the lessons learned from a career spent modeling ecological systems. It is intended as a reference for novice modelers to learn how to correctly employ ecosystem landscape models in natural resource management applications and to understand subsequent modeling results.
MRI image harmonization using cycle-consistent generative adversarial network

Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) is a valuable modality for evaluating breast abnormalities found in mammography and performing early disease detection in high-risk patients. However, images produced by various MRI scanners (e.g., GE Healthcare & Siemens) differ in terms of intensity and other image characteristics such as noise distribution. This is a challenge both for the evaluation of images by radiologists and for the computational analysis of images using radiomics or deep learning. For example, an algorithm trained on a set of images acquired by one MRI scanner may perform poorly on a dataset produced by a different scanner. Therefore, there is an urgent need for image harmonization. Traditional image to image translation algorithms can be used to solve this problem, but they require paired data (i.e. the same object imaged using different scanners). In this study, we utilize a deep learning algorithm that uses unpaired data to solve this problem through a bi-directional translation between MRI images. The proposed method is based on a cycle-consistent adversarial network (CycleGAN) that uses two generator-discriminator pairs. The original CycleGAN struggles in preserving the structure (i.e. breast tissue characteristics and shape) during the translation. To overcome this, we modified the discriminator architecture and forced the penalization based on the structure at the scale of smaller patches. This allows the network to focus more on features pertaining to breast tissue. The results demonstrate that the transformed images are visually realistic, preserve the structure and harmonize intensity across images from different scanners.
Abstract 3313: iPSC-derived natural killer cells expressing EGFR-CAR against glioblastoma

Background: Natural Killer (NK) cells are a type of immune cells that belong to the innate immune system and executes a rapid immune reaction against cancer cells and viruses without prior activation. The huge success of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells has motivated scientists to genetically modify human NK cells with CARs to further improve their tumor killing capacity. To engineer NK cells with a CAR, NK cells can be isolated from peripheral blood and umbilical cord blood. NK cells can also be derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to produce a homogenous and standardized group of NK cells for the treatment of cancer. Here, we test the feasibility to engineer our EGFR-CAR construct into iPSC-derived hematopoietic stem cells (iPSC-HSC) to generate EGFR-CAR NK cells that will eradicate glioblastoma (GBM). Material and Methods: iPSCs-derived HSCs were differentiated into NK cells using co-culture with a feeder stroma of OP9-DL1 cells in the presence of human cytokines and NK cells were assessed by flow cytometry. Expanded NK cells (with K562 feeder cells expressing mb-IL-21 and 4-1BB) and HSCs from peripheral blood were efficiently transduced with a retroviral vector, carrying a CAR targeting EGFR. CAR expression was assessed by flow cytometry. After transduction, the CAR-NK cells were collected for cytotoxicity assay to test their efficacy. CAR-HSCs were differentiated into CAR-NK cells utilizing OP9-DL1 stroma cells. Results: Our results demonstrated that iPSCs can be fully differentiated into NK cells expressing typical NK cell surface markers including CD56, NKp46, CD16 and NKG2A, etc. In addition, HSCs can be engineered with EGFR-CAR without affecting their differentiation into CAR-NK cells. Our engineered EGFR-CAR NK cells showed an enhanced antitumor activity against GBM compared to NK cells without the EGFR-CAR. Conclusion: Collectively, our study suggests the feasibility of engineering CAR-EGFR NK cells from iPSCs for effective “off the shelf” immunotherapy. Our approach can be utilized to generate an unlimited number of CAR-NK cells to treat patients with cancer such as GBM in the clinical setting. Citation Format: Melissa Yu, Anthony G. Mansour, Kun-Yu Teng, Guoqiang Sun, Yanhong Shi, Michael A. Caligiuri. iPSC-derived natural killer cells expressing EGFR-CAR against glioblastoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 3313.
Prevalence of spatial neglect post-stroke: A systematic review.

Abstract Objective Spatial neglect (SN) impedes stroke rehabilitation progress, slows functional recovery, and increases caregiver stress and burden. The estimation of SN prevalence varies widely across studies. Background We aimed to establish the prevalence of SN based on the injured cerebral hemisphere, recovery stage post-stroke, and diagnostic methodology. Materials and methods All journal articles published up to February 27, 2019 from CINAHL, PsycINFO, PubMed and Web of Science were searched. We selected original research articles that described observational studies, included both individuals with left brain damage (LBD) and those with right brain damage (RBD) post-stroke, and reported specific diagnostic methods for SN. All authors reached consensus for the final selection of 41 articles. Time post-stroke, patient selection criteria, study setting, SN diagnostic methods were extracted. Results A total of 6324 participants were included: 3411 (54%) with RBD and 2913 (46%) with LBD. Without considering time post-stroke or diagnostic methods, the occurrence rate of SN was 29% (38% after RBD and 18% after LBD). Using ecological assessments resulted in higher prevalence than using tests not directly related to daily life activities (53% vs. 24%). Using methods based on a single-cutoff criterion led to lower occurrence of SN than using multi-test methods (27% vs. 33%). The prevalence decreased from the acute to chronic stage post-stroke. Conclusions The estimated prevalence of SN after unilateral stroke is 30%. SN is more common after RBD than after LBD, but SN after LBD is still quite common. Using ecological assessments and multi-test methods to detect SN is preferred to using a single-cutoff criterion of a test that is not directly related to daily function. The decrease in SN prevalence over time is evident, but the exact prevalence in later stages cannot be estimated. More research is needed to better understand chronic SN.
Line field Fourier domain optical coherence tomography based on a spatial light modulator

In this study, we developed a line-field Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (LF-FDOCT) system that performs lateral scanning using a two-dimension spatial light modulator and detects multiple channels of spectral domain OCT signal in parallel using a two-dimensional sensor. The LF-FDOCT system eliminates the need for mechanical scanning to acquire volumetric OCT data. It allows parallel acquisition of signal for B mode scan imaging through snapshot detection and offers unprecedented flexibility to select a fast scanning dimension. In this work, we describe the principle of LF-FDOCT imaging and present experimental results to demonstrate the effectiveness of this technology.
Interventions to Reduce the Impact of Client Death on Home Care Aides: Employers’ Perspectives:

For home care agencies and aides, the death of clients has important, yet often unrecognized, workforce implications. While research demonstrates that client death can cause grief and job insecurit...
The response of the water surface layer to internal turbulence and surface forcing

We have carried out an experimental study of the turbulence kinetic energy dissipation rate (ϵ), temperature dissipation rate (χ), and turbulent heat flux (THF) within the water surface layer in the presence of non-breaking wave, surface convection, and horizontal heat and eddy fluxes that play a prominent role in the front. We noted that the non-breaking wave dominates ϵ values within the surface layer. While analyzing the vertical ϵ variability, the presence of a wave-affected layer from the water surface to a depth of z≈1.25λw is observed, where λw is the wavelength. ϵ associated with non-breaking waves ranged to 4.9×10−6–7×10−6 m2/s3 for the wavelength range of 0.038 m /dz). The value of the THF is approximately constant within the surface layer. It represents that the measured THF near the water surface can be considered a surface water THF, challenging to measure directly.
Low-Pressure Heat Transfer Fluids for Pumped Two-Phase Cooling

The increasing heat flux from chips, and high server- and rack-level heat densities in high performance computing infrastructure have resulted in the advent of advanced cooling technologies, such as cold plates and immersion cooling. Water-based heat transfer fluids are used in cold plate systems. It is widely debated if it will be effective and energy efficient for cooling of chips with heat flux exceeding 500 kW/m2. Two-phase cooling with dielectric fluorinated fluids, such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), hydrochlorofluoroolefins (HCFO), hydrofluoroolefins (HFO), hydrofluoroethers (HFE), in cold plates may be more suited to sustain the ever-increasing heat density. The need to cool devices with ever-increasing power density, the push towards lower global warming potential fluids, and the occupational and equipment safety requirements has motivated a search for suitable two-phase heat transfer fluids. This paper introduces the environmental and occupational safety aspects, and effect of global regulations on the selection of fluorinated heat transfer fluids for use in data centers. This study presents drop-in performance evaluation of low-pressure fluid options, namely, HCFO-1233zd (E), HFC245fa and HFE-7000, in pumped two-phase cooling system for heat flux up to 640 kW/m2. Performance is also compared with single-phase water cooling. The performance is reported in terms of thermal resistances of the cold plate and the system. Compared to water cooling, two-phase cooling achieved lower junction temperatures and more uniform cooling at much lower flow rate. System level thermal resistance was lower for two-phase cooling, except with HFE-7000, which had considerably high thermal resistance in the condenser. Unlike HCFO-1233zd(E), HFC-245fa will be eventually phased-down globally, therefore it is not a sustainable long-term option for the industry. This study shows that HCFO-1233zd(E) is a feasible low-pressure heat transfer fluid option for thermal management of high performance computing infrastructure.
CLOCKWORK ORANGE promotes CLOCK-CYCLE activation via the putative Drosophila ortholog of CLOCK INTERACTING PROTEIN CIRCADIAN.

Summary The Drosophila circadian clock is driven by a transcriptional feedback loop in which CLOCK-CYCLE (CLK-CYC) binds E-boxes to transcribe genes encoding the PERIOD-TIMELESS (PER-TIM) repressor, which releases CLK-CYC from E-boxes to inhibit transcription. CLOCKWORK ORANGE (CWO) reinforces PER-TIM repression by binding E-boxes to maintain PER-TIM bound CLK-CYC off DNA, but also promotes CLK-CYC transcription through an unknown mechanism. To determine how CWO activates CLK-CYC transcription, we identified CWO target genes that are upregulated in the absence of CWO repression, conserved in mammals, and preferentially expressed in brain pacemaker neurons. Among the genes identified was a putative ortholog of mouse Clock Interacting Protein Circadian (Cipc), which represses CLOCK-BMAL1 transcription. Reducing or eliminating Drosophila Cipc expression shortens period, while overexpressing Cipc lengthens period, which is consistent with previous work showing that Drosophila Cipc represses CLK-CYC transcription in S2 cells. Cipc represses CLK-CYC transcription in vivo, but not uniformly, as per is strongly repressed, tim less so, and vri hardly at all. Long period rhythms in cwo mutant flies are largely rescued when Cipc expression is reduced or eliminated, indicating that increased Cipc expression mediates the period lengthening of cwo mutants. Consistent with this behavioral rescue, eliminating Cipc rescues the decreased CLK-CYC transcription in cwo mutant flies, where per is strongly rescued, tim is moderately rescued, and vri shows little rescue. These results suggest a mechanism for CWO-dependent CLK-CYC activation: CWO inhibition of CIPC repression promotes CLK-CYC transcription. This mechanism may be conserved since cwo and Cipc perform analogous roles in the mammalian circadian clock.
Robotic Soave pull-through procedure for Hirschsprung's disease in children under 12-months: long-term outcomes

To describe the long-term outcomes of the robotic Soave pull-through (RSPT) procedure for Hirschsprung’s disease (HSCR) in children younger than 12 months. A prospective observational study was conducted on HSCR patients under 12 months of age who underwent RSPT at our institution between 2011 and 2020. Data regarding demographics, clinical features, technical details, operative time, hospital stay, postoperative complications, and long-term outcomes were prospectively collected. A total of 15 patients (9 male; 6 female) were included, with a median age at surgery of 4 months (interquartile range 3–6), and a mean weight of 6.8 ± 1.3 kg. Twelve patients suffered from rectosigmoid aganglionosis and three from long HSCR (extending up to the hepatic flexure). The mean total operative time was 240 ± 72 min. The median hospital stay was 3 days (interquartile range 3–4). Partial anastomosis dehiscence was observed in one patient, requiring reoperation on the 4th postoperative day. With a median follow-up of 79 months (interquartile range 45–115), no fecal incontinence or mild soiling were observed. Constipation occurred in two patients and mild enterocolitis in one case. RSPT procedure for Hirschsprung’s disease in children younger than 12 months is a safe and effective procedure, with few complications and satisfactory long-term continence outcomes.
Simulation Testbed for Evaluating Distributed Querying and Searching of Mass Spectrometry Big Data in a Network-based Infrastructure

Advance access and reuse mechanisms for large-scale Mass Spectrometry (MS) data are essential for democratizing data for the omics research community and making it adhere to FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles. Although a number of centralized data repositories have been established, they have been limited to search mechanisms that depend on the meta-data associated with these MS datasets. Furthermore, they require constant influx of resources for maintenance. In this paper, we proposed an alternative novel distributed infrastructure for direct MS/MS spectral search. We designed and developed a simulation testbed using concepts from computer networks, queuing theory, and stochastic simulation methods. Results show that a distributed MS search based on raw MS/MS spectra can scale gracefully for up-to 2000 participating nodes, while simultaneously processing queries using the proposed networked infrastructure on the order of milliseconds to a few seconds for up-to a total of fifty billion MS/MS spectra.
Genome-Wide Assessment of Differential DNA Methylation Associated with Autoantibody Production in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterized by the development of autoantibodies associated with specific clinical manifestations. Previous studies have shown an association between differential DNA methylation and SLE susceptibility, but have not investigated SLE-related autoantibodies. Our goal was to determine whether DNA methylation is associated with production of clinically relevant SLE-related autoantibodies, with an emphasis on the anti-dsDNA autoantibody. In this study, we characterized the methylation status of 467,314 CpG sites in 326 women with SLE. Using a discovery and replication study design, we identified and replicated significant associations between anti-dsDNA autoantibody production and the methylation status of 16 CpG sites (pdiscovery<1.07E-07 and preplication<0.0029) in 11 genes. Associations were further investigated using multivariable regression to adjust for estimated leukocyte cell proportions and population substructure. The adjusted mean DNA methylation difference between anti-dsDNA positive and negative cases ranged from 1.2% to 19%, and the adjusted odds ratio for anti-dsDNA autoantibody production comparing the lowest and highest methylation tertiles ranged from 6.8 to 18.2. Differential methylation for these CpG sites was also associated with anti-SSA, anti-Sm, and anti-RNP autoantibody production. Overall, associated CpG sites were hypomethylated in autoantibody positive compared to autoantibody negative cases. Differential methylation of CpG sites within the major histocompatibility region was not strongly associated with autoantibody production. Genes with differentially methylated CpG sites represent multiple biologic pathways, and have not been associated with autoantibody production in genetic association studies. In conclusion, hypomethylation of CpG sites within genes from different pathways is associated with anti-dsDNA, anti-SSA, anti-Sm, and anti-RNP production in SLE, and these associations are not explained by genetic variation. Thus, studies of epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation represent a complementary method to genetic association studies to identify biologic pathways that may contribute to the clinical heterogeneity of autoimmune diseases.
Chromatographic studies of purine metabolism. II. The mechanism of E. coli inhibition by A-methopterin.

Abstract The observed effect of A-methopterin upon Escherichia coli metabolism has been the intracellular accumulation of 5-amino-4-imidazole-carboxamide ribotide, with the concomitant exclusion of formate-C 14 and glycine-C 14 from purine derivatives. Correlation between the observed amount of intracellular accumulation of aminoimidazolecarboxamide ribotide and the degree of growth inhibition by various levels of A-methopterin provided evidence that blockade of the de novo synthesis of purines was the primary site of A-methopterin inhibition. The metabolic sequence from formate to the various purine ribotides was apparently the same for an A-methopterin-resistant strain of E. coli as for its parent strain.
Metreleptin and generalized lipodystrophy and evolving therapeutic perspectives.

Introduction: Metreleptin was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of generalized lipodystrophy, a condition characterized by leptin deficiency. Its efficacy as hormone replacement therapy suggests broader applications in diseases also characterized by leptin abnormalities, such as familial partial lipodystrophy (FPLD), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and common obesity. Metreleptin, in conjunction with other pharmacologic interventions, has the potential to address one of the most widespread epidemics of our time, obesity.Areas covered: This review covers the physiology of leptin, the pharmacologic properties of recombinant methionyl human leptin (R-metHu-Leptin, metreleptin), evidence for metreleptin’s efficacy in the treatment of generalized lipodystrophy from both completed and ongoing clinical trials, safety concerns, and future directions in metreleptin research.Expert opinion: Metreleptin’s approval for generalized lipodystrophy is the first step in def...
Linear feedback control for a class of nonlinear systems

The authors discuss a class of nonlinear vector systems that admit a Lyapunov function of the form V(x)=(x- alpha )/sup T/ rho (x- alpha ). Examples of this class include Lorenz's system, the starting point for the modern study of systems with chaotic attractors, and Euler systems arising in the study of rotational motion of rigid and linked systems such as satellites and robots. In the context of Lyapunov's second method, sufficient conditions that produce either of the following two types of global behavior are discussed: the origin is a global asymptotic stable point or the system is point dissipative. Associated with each set of conditions is a linear algebra problem relating to controllability. >
Temperature-mediated changes in microbial carbon use efficiency and 13 C discrimination

Abstract. Understanding how carbon dioxide (CO2) flux from ecosystems feeds back to climate warming depends in part on our ability to quantify the efficiency with which microorganisms convert organic carbon (C) into either biomass or CO2. Quantifying ecosystem-level respiratory CO2 losses often also requires assumptions about stable C isotope fractionations associated with the microbial transformation of organic substrates. However, the diversity of organic substrates' δ13C and the challenges of measuring microbial C use efficiency (CUE) in their natural environment fundamentally limit our ability to project ecosystem C budgets in a warming climate. Here, we quantify the effect of temperature on C fluxes during metabolic transformations of cellobiose, a common microbial substrate, by a cosmopolitan microorganism growing at a constant rate. Biomass C specific respiration rate increased by 250 % between 13 and 26.5 °C, decreasing CUE from 77 to 56 %. Biomass C specific respiration rate was positively correlated with an increase in respiratory 13C discrimination from 4.4 to 6.7 ‰ across the same temperature range. This first demonstration of a direct link between temperature, microbial CUE, and associated isotope fluxes provides a critical step towards understanding δ13C of respired CO2 at multiple scales, and towards a framework for predicting future ecosystem C fluxes.
On the reesterification of fatty acids during absorption of fat: studies in patients with chyluria.

Summary The composition of chylomicrons was determined after patients were fed chemically defined fats. The triglycerides of chylomicrons had a fatty acid composition almost identical with that of the dietary fat except in those instances in which short chain acids were fed. Fatty acids of 10 carbon atoms or fewer were not present in the chylomicrons; lauric and myristic acids were only partially absorbed via the lymphatics. Dietary fatty acids were incorporated into phospholipids and cholesterol esters of chylomicrons, but their contribution to these ester classes was relatively smalI. Dietary fats which were composed of roughly equimolar amounts of myristic acid and oleic acid yielded comparable distributions of triglyceride species in chylomicrons whether they were fed as mixtures of trimyristin and triolein or as mixtures of the triglycerides formed by random esterification of the same fatty acids into trimyristin, dimyristylolein, dioleylmyristin, and triolein. This indicates that lipolysis of nearly all triglyceride moleeules must extend to at least the monoglyceride stage. Furthermore, the distribution of the fatty acids into triglyceride species du ring the process of reesterification is shown to be nonrandom. The present study does not afford an explanation of this selective esterification.
Giant marginal ulcer

Marginal ulcer is a well-known complication of gastroenterostomy. It occurs in 3% of patients post-Billroth II subtotal gastrectomy; it occurs in less than 1% if truncal vagotomy is included but in up to 30% of patients with gastroenterostomy without vagotomy [10, 11, 14, 16]. These ulcers occur at the anastomosis, but always on the jejunal side, and are known to develop complications of their own — e.g., intractable pain, hemorrhage, obstruction, perforation, and fistula formation [6, 8, 17]. Prior to the advent of upper-GI endoscopy the main method of diagnosis was by history and upper GI series but the accuracy of the upper-GI series was about 50% or less. Now that upper-GI endoscopy is available, the accuracy of diagnosis is 95% or better. Since truncal vagotomy has been widely adopted as an integral part of gastric surgery — e.g., antrectomy, hemigastrectomy, subtotal gastrectomy, and gastroenterostomy — the incidence of marginal ulcer has declined. The use of cimetidine, ranitidine, famotidine, omeprazole, sucralfate, and antacids has improved the medical management of duodenal ulcer to such a degree that in recent years there is much less need for surgical intervention and thus the incidence of marginal ulcer has declined even more. In addition, the H-2 blockers and omeprazole can be used in patients with marginal ulcer and achieve healing; therefore complications that so frequently required surgical intervention are much less frequent [3, 12]. This report describes the clinical course of a patient with a virulent form of marginal ulcer and recurrent gastric bezoars, who was 5 years post truncal vagotomy and hemigastrectomy, with no evidence of a Zollinger-Ellison syndrome and low gastric acid as determined by two studies.
Microsoft in Southeast Europe: A Conversation with Goran Radman

Goran Radman (GR) joined Microsoft in 1996 and served until Fall 2008 as Microsoft Chairman, Southeast Europe (SEE) and Chairman, East and Central Europe (ECEE). Based in Croatia, where he enjoys sailing the Adriatic coast and islands, he spoke with the authors during 2008 and 2009 about his experience launching Microsoft's commercial presence in the region. His conversation ranged widely and incisively among such topics as Microsoft's business model, its market entry strategy, the role of partnerships, the structure and process of Microsoft's business operations, national business environments in the region, the role of country managers, and Microsoft's practice of knowledge management. This article captures highlights of these conversations. Goran Radman is currently founder and director of NAUTAR consultancy in Zagreb.
Phase contrast imaging using a scanning transmission electron microscope

Abstract A Vacuum Generators HB5 Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope which is fitted with postspecimen lenses, a light optical detector assembly and digital, pulse-counting image collection facilities has been used to study the effects of detector aperture configuration on high resolution bright field images of thin specimens. Differential phase contrast using a split-field detector arrangement has been demonstrated. However, the main emphasis has been to study the image contrast and resolution as a function of detector aperture size. It is demonstrated that, in agreement with previous theories, image quality remains good over a range of sizes centered about an optimum detector aperture radius and then rapidly deteriorates toward the pure amplitude contrast situation as the radius increases.
Effects of variable attribute weights on landform classiﬁcation

This paper focuses on the attribute weight issue and advocates use of modiﬁable attribute weights in terrain-based environmental analysis and classiﬁcation. A question was asked: ‘How much will the result of a terrain-based environmental analysis be affected if the weights of used terrain attributes are changed?’ The literature on landform classiﬁcation and the fuzzy k-means method was reviewed in particular to help clarify the background and importance of this weight assignment issue. As an example, the effects of modifying attribute weights were evaluated for fuzzy k-means landform classiﬁcation in a case study area. A total of 102 classiﬁcations were compared with each other and with a soil map, and comparison methods were speciﬁcally designed to evaluate the differences between these classiﬁcations. The results show that fuzzy k-means landform classiﬁcation is sensitive to weight adjustments of adopted terrain attributes. The sensitivity is particularly high when the attribute weights started to be tuned away from the standard (i.e. uniform) weight of one. Better matching between landform classiﬁcation and a soil map may be produced when attribute weights are tuned. In all, we advocate the widespread adoption of an exploratory attitude in assigning attribute weights for environmental analysis and classiﬁcation. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A linear algorithm for the group path problem on chordal graphs

Abstract Assume that each edge of a graph G=(V,E) is given a weight, which is an element of some group G . The weight of a path P is defined as the product of the weights of the edges along P. The group path problem is to find a chordless path of a given weight between two given vertices. It generalizes the parity path problem considered by Hsu. We show that the recognition problem associated with the group path problem is NP-complete in general, and present an O(| G |·|E|+|V|) time algorithm for the group path problem on a chordal graph.
Tunable interconnection network using a thick photorefractive (PR) crystal

A tunable interconnection network using a photorefractive (PR) crystal with an array of diode lasers is proposed. The interconnection data are wavelength multiplexed in a PR crystal reflection-type hologram. An N × N interconnection network can be realized by N holograms, for which the network can be reconfigured in real-time mode. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A physician's workstation designed for NASA and earth-based applications

One of the prime missions for NASA is the safety and care of astronauts. In addressing this challenge, a tool has been developed which has great potential for earth-based applications. The multimedia physician's workstation is the result of 13 years of planning and technical revolution in the field of computer science. Today, we have the hardware and the software to make a major change in the office-based practice of physicians. By offering the online features of a medical library as well as a complete multimedia medical record system, we are now in a position to introduce advance decision support technology that can be used on a daily basis for routine outpatient care. The system supports a new platform for patient education and offers the doctor an opportunity to share his expertise with his patient and their family. Although NASA will need several more years before this technology can be applied to a remote space environment, we plan to introduce this system into the doctor's office as an initial test of its feasibility. The basic design and general specifications of this multimedia workstation/office system are described and illustrated as they currently exist.
The nature of enzyme-substrate complexes in acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenases.

Abstract The nature of the purple complex formed upon the addition of octanoyl-CoA to the medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase from pig kidney has been addressed by chemical quenching studies. Previous work, using quenching in 0.1 m KOH, suggested that the dehydrogenation product, trans-2-octenoyl-CoA, was not a participant in reduced rat liver enzyme complexes because no octenoic acid was detected after denaturation ( Y. Ikeda, D. G. Hine, K. Okamura-Ikeda and K. Tanaka (1985) J. Biol. Chem.260, 1326–1337 ). However, when the octanoyl-CoA-reduced pig kidney enzyme is quenched rapidly in 2 m HCl, the ratio of trans-2-octenoyl-CoA/octanoyl-CoA released is 9 1 . A milder acid denaturation procedure yields the corresponding ratio of 0.4 1 , i.e., now with an excess of the saturated substrate. Similarly, quenching the pig kidney dehydrogenase in 0.1 M KOH reveals only minor levels of octenoyl chains released into the supernatant. When quenching is insufficiently rapid compared to the internal equilibration of oxidized enzyme · octanoyl-CoA and reduced enzyme · octenoyl-CoA forms, the outcome is decided by the greater kinetic lability of the oxidized enzyme species. These data are fully consistent with the original ascription that the purple species observed upon reduction of the acyl-CoA dehydrogenases with substrate represents a charge transfer complex between reduced flavin as the donor and trans-2-octenoyl-CoA as the acceptor.
Perceptual coloring and 2D sketching for segmentation of neural pathways

We present a system which visualizes the geometric disparity between white matter tracts obtained from DT-MRI by coloring in perceptually uniform color space and allows expert users of the application to select regions interactively with a 2D based sketching mechanism. This approach, in contrast to automatically clustering tracts, better reflects the uncertainity in forming scientific model from geometric information and the 2D sketching interface exploits neuroscientists' expertise with sectional anatomy.
Survey of the impact of National Institutes of Health clinical research curriculum awards (K30) between 1999 and 2004.

Background This report summarizes a survey conducted in 2004 by the Association of Clinical Research Training Program Directors9 Evaluation Committee. The purpose of this survey was to determine the early capacity of the 59 National Institutes of Health (NIH) K30 programs (funded between 1999 and 2004) to produce clinical investigators trained in core skills required in clinical research. Methods In July 2004, a 37-item Web-based survey was distributed to institutions funded by the NIH K30 award mechanism. Frequencies and proportions were computed for each categorical response, and means were calculated for nominal responses using SPSS, version 11.5 (SPSS, Chicago, IL). Items 7 (funding year) and 8 (recruitment year) were cross-tabulated to ascertain the tempo at which programs were able to establish their enrolment processes. Results Forty-five of the 59 programs funded by the K30 award (76%) responded to this survey. The average number of active trainees in each program is 32. Women constitute 53% of active trainees, and 22% of them are underrepresented minorities. Ninety-six percent of active trainees have medical degrees. The average number of graduates over the 5-year funding period is 18. Of the graduates, 50% are women and 17% are underrepresented minorities. Fifty-six percent of them earned certificates, 44% earned master of science degrees, and 13% earned other degrees. Sixty-one percent of K30 program graduates have some extramural funding to support their research. The average number of publications per trainee for all trainees (active and graduate) is 2.3. Conclusion The K30 program has been a catalyst at multiple US institutions for improving the pedagogy for clinical research training. It has successfully fulfilled the mandate set forth by the 1998 NIH Director9s Panel on Clinical Research (Nathan Report).
Weighted fair share scheduling for loosely controlled concurrent event systems

In asynchronous event systems, the production of an event is decoupled from its consumption via an event queue. The loose coupling of such systems allows great flexibility as to where and when within the system the event handler of a given event is actually executed, allowing them to scale with increasing number of processors on a given node or across multiple nodes in a distributed system. Although this flexibility is useful in heterogeneous distributed systems, such as SOA, it may appear not to be well suited for real-time systems, which require an upper bound on how long an event can remain unhandled in a queue. However, we show how the weighted fair scheduling algorithms developed for QoS (quality of service) routing can be adapted to event queues to bound the delay between production and consumption. We achieve this, despite the fact that the underlying execution environment is only weakly controlled, through the use of predictive techniques on a calibrated model of the event system. Our choice of algorithms and data structures is driven in part by the highly concurrent nature of the system. We show how a weighted fair scheduler can be built on a lock-free concurrent priority queue. We analyze the performance of various such queues proposed in the literature and show that a very simple linear quantizing queue yields the best performance.
The effect of shear modulus on the stress distribution produced by a planar array of screw dislocations near a bi-metallic interface

Shear modulus effect on stress distribution of planar array of screw dislocations near bimetallic welded half-planes interface
Thermodynamic and fractal geometric aspects of ion-solid interactions

A thermodynamic approach to atomic diffusion in a thermal spike is reviewed. The approach is based on recent ion mixing experiments which demonstrate the influence of the heat of mixing and the cohesive energy of solids on ion mixing. These thermodynamic effects are assimilated into a phenomenological model of ion mixing. The model is generalized to low-energy ion mixing during sputter depth profiling and is used to elucidate the nature of atomic diffusion in a thermal spike. The onset of radiation-enhanced diffusion in ion mixing is also discussed. A fractal geometry approach to spike formation is presented. An “idealized” collision cascade constructed from the inverse-power potential V(r) ∝ r−1/m (0
Metrics-Based Management of Software Product Portfolios

Commmercial software product vendors such as Microsoft, IBM, and Oracle develop and manage a large portfolio of software products, which might include operating systems, middleware, firmware, and applications. Many institutions (such as banks, universities, and hospitals) also create and manage their own custom applications. Managers at these companies face an important problem: How can you manage investment, revenue, quality, and customer expectations across such a large portfolio? A heuristics-based product maturity framework can help companies effectively manage the development and maintenance of a portfolio of software products
Comparison of Obstacle Avoidance Strategies for Mars Landers

A novel autonomous obstacle avoidance controller for the safe landing of a Mars mission in hazardous terrain is developed. The controller uses iterative, closed-loop reactions based on feedback of the landing site terrain. The method was evaluated using a Monte Carlo simulation, including models of reference vehicle dynamics, landing site terrain, and a light detection and ranging sensor. An expected safe landing rate of approximately 60% was shown with no obstacle avoidance control. With the controller, success rates improved to 72.2% for a low control authority thruster design and 97.4% for a high control authority thruster design. The effectiveness of the novel strategy is compared to previous methods. Implications regarding the importance of control logic design and thruster design are inferred.
On the asymptotic stability of a particular class of distributed parameter feedback control systems

In this paper the stability problem for a particular class of non-linear feedback control systems governed by a parabolic partial differential equation is considered. A sufficient condition for global asymptotic stability of the null equilibrium state is derived by the method of comparison functions.
Al Qaeda Confronts Hamas: Divisions in the Sunni Jihadist Movement and its Implications for U.S. Policy

Almost eight years after the September 2001 attacks, U.S. counterterrorism strategy would benefit from a clearer definition of its adversaries. Some have suggested that U.S. counterterrorism policy focus primarily on Sunni jihadists. This term would account for groups such as Al Qaeda and the Abu Sayyaf Group in the Philippines, but not Shi'ite militias in Iraq or Hizbullah. Although any attempt to narrow the scope of U.S. counterterrorism strategy has merit, it is worth noting that important distinctions exist between the various groups. To explore these distinctions, this article examines the different historical trajectories and current arguments between two of the most well-known Sunni jihadists: Al Qaeda and Hamas.
Analysis of noise in energy-dispersive spectrometers using time-domain methods

This paper presents an integrated time domain approach to the optimization of the signal-to-noise ratio in all spectrometer systems that contain a detector that converts incoming quanta of radiation into electrical pulse signals that are amplified and shaped by an electronic pulse shaper. It allows analysis of normal passive pulse shapers as well as time-variant systems where switching of shaping elements occurs in synchronism with the signal. It also deals comfortably with microcalorimeters (sometimes referred to as bolometers), where noise-determining elements, such as the temperature-sensing element's resistance and temperature, change with time in the presence of a signal. As part of the purely time-domain approach, a new method of calculating the Johnson noise in resistors using only the statistics of electron motion is presented. The result is a time-domain analog of the Nyquist formula.
Identification of Surgical Complications and Deaths: An Assessment of the Traditional Surgical Morbidity and Mortality Conference Compared with the American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Program

Background Despite advances by surgeons in assessing quality and safety, the traditional surgical morbidity and mortality (MM 24% sample), were 0.9% versus 1.9%, respectively (p = 0.001). Complication rates reported in M&M were 6.4% versus 28.9% ACS-NSQIP (p Conclusions Traditional surgical M&M reporting considerably underreports both in-hospital and postdischarge complications and deaths as compared with ACS-NSQIP. Approximately one of two deaths and three of four complications were not reported in the M&M conference at our institution. A Web-based reporting system based on an ACS-NSQIP platform was created to automate, facilitate, and standardize data on surgical morbidity and mortality.
Effects of Overexpression of Ran/TC4 on Mammalian Cellsin Vitro

We investigated the effect of overexpression of Ran/TC4 on cell cycle progression. Ran/TC4 (ras-related nuclear protein) is a highly conserved 25-kDa GTP-binding protein that, in concert with its guanine-nucleotide-exchange factor RCC1, is involved in signal transduction. Ran and RCC1 act on nuclear transport of RNA and protein, cell cycle regulation at the G1/S interphase, chromatin decondensation after mitosis, and chromosome stability. These two proteins are essential for the coupling of DNA synthesis with the onset of mitosis. The cDNA for rabbit Ran/TC4 was identified in a cDNA library using degenerate oligonucleotide probes devised on the basis of deduced protein sequence data. This cDNA was cloned into pCDM8 expression vector to yield a plasmid, pTC4, in which Ran/TC4 expression is driven by the cytomegalovirus intermediate early promoter. Both a human tumor cell line, MCF7, and a normal rabbit fibroblast line, RK-13, were tested. Following transfection with pTC4 we observed an increase in Ran/TC4 transcript levels. Transfection with pTC4 prolonged the duration of S phase in both MCF7 and RK-13 cells and led to reduced cell proliferation and decreased total cell numbers. DNA fragmentation was seen in pTC4-transfected cultures but not in control cultures. These findings underscore the function of Ran/TC4 as a molecular switch that guides the cell to completion of DNA synthesis before it enters mitosis and suggest that its overexpression may greatly alter cell cycle kinetics and cell viability.
Reliability study of the Defense Mechanism Inventory.

Aims of this study are to replicate and elucidate reliability characteristics of the Defense Mechanism Inventory (Gleser & Ihilevich, 1969). College students (Men = 47, Women = 47) were administered the Defense Mechanism Inventory on two occasions separated by a 17-day interval. Whereas test-retest reliabilities for both the total and the women approximated the ranges reported by Gleser and Ihilevich (1969), the range of correlations for the men had a much lower limit. Significant sex differences were found on four of the five dimensions.
Accessible information in molecular-scale systems : Physical limits at small sampling volumes

We consider fundamental limits on information acquisition from localized regions of molecular-scale electronic systems. Our approach is based on a quantitative measure we call the volume accessible information, defined as the (Shannon) mutual information associated with the best possible quantum measurement that can access a system through a specified readout volume. Using results and techniques from quantum measurement theory, we obtain a general expression for an upper bound on the volume accessible information that depends only on the manner in which information is encoded in electron states and specification of the readout volume. An illustrative study of a model tight-binding system indeed reveals that the volume accessible information is sharply reduced at small sampling volumes, where the state distinguishability required for reliable information extraction is diminished.© (2005) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.