cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multivariate Statistical Monitoring of Sensor Faults of A Multivariable Artificial Pancreas

Abstract Sensor faults in an artificial pancreas (AP) system for people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) can yield insulin infusion rates that may cause hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia. New statistical process monitoring methods are proposed for real-time detection of sensor-related faults in AP systems to mitigate their effects. Remodulated dynamic time warping for synchronization of signal trajectories and Savitzky-Golay filter for calculation of real-time numerical derivatives are integrated with multiway principal component analysis. Data from 14 subjects that participated in 60 hours of closed-loop AP experiments with variations in meals and physical activity levels and times are used. Glucose measurements from a continuous glucose monitoring sensor are monitored for fault detection. The results illustrate that the proposed method is able to detect various types of unexpected dynamical changes or faults, and label them correctly. There were no missed faults in any tested cases. The algorithm can inform AP users about sensor faults and unexpected changes, and provides valuable information to an AP for prevention hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia that may be caused by sensor faults.
Learning to Discover Domain-Specific Web Content

The ability to discover all content relevant to an information domain has many applications, from helping in the understanding of humanitarian crises to countering human and arms trafficking. In such applications, time is of essence: it is crucial to both maximize coverage and identify new content as soon as it becomes available, so that appropriate actions can be taken. In this paper, we propose new methods for efficient domain-specific re-crawling that maximize the yield for new content. By learning patterns of pages that have a high yield, our methods select a small set of pages that can be re-crawled frequently, increasing the coverage and freshness while conserving resources. Unlike previous approaches to this problem, our methods combine different factors to optimize the re-crawling strategy, do not require full snapshots for the learning step, and dynamically adapt the strategy as the crawl progresses. In an empirical evaluation, we have simulated the framework over 600 partial crawl snapshots in three different domains. The results show that our approach can achieve 150% higher coverage compared to existing, state-of-the-art techniques. In addition, it is also able to capture 80% of new relevant content within less than 4 hours of publication.
Recurrent Iliofemoral Venous Thrombosis in the Setting of May-Thurner Syndrome as the Presenting Symptom of Behcet's Disease.

Background Vascular manifestations including pulmonary artery aneurysms and venous thrombosis are seen in up to 14% of patients with Behcet's disease. We report a patient who had recurrent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) as the presenting symptom of Behcet's Disease. Methods A 19-year-old male who presented with acute iliofemoral DVT, confirmed by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and venogram. May-Thurner syndrome was also observed. Repeated catheter-based pharmacomechanical thrombolysis, thrombectomy, and subsequent iliac vein stenting were performed. The patient was then discharged on rivaroxaban and aspirin. Results Five months later, the patient experienced left calf pain. In the interim, he had been diagnosed with Behcet's disease by a rheumatologist who was consulted due to oral ulcers and skin lesions and accordingly started on prednisone, colchicine, and azathioprine. At this time, IVUS and venogram revealed thrombotic occlusion of the previously placed stent. Tissue plasminogen activator was infused into the stent, and pharmacomechanical thrombectomy restored flow through the left iliac veins. Follow-up laboratory workup revealed that subtherapeutic azathioprine dosing, and after appropriate adjustment, the patient has been asymptomatic for 12 months. Conclusions Acute refractory DVT is a possible presenting symptom of Behcet's disease, which may be complicated by May-Thurner syndrome. Such patients should receive therapeutic immunosuppression in addition to anticoagulation.
IFNγ: signalling, epigenetics and roles in immunity, metabolism, disease and cancer immunotherapy.

IFNγ is a cytokine with important roles in tissue homeostasis, immune and inflammatory responses and tumour immunosurveillance. Signalling by the IFNγ receptor activates the Janus kinase (JAK)–signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) pathway to induce the expression of classical interferon-stimulated genes that have key immune effector functions. This Review focuses on recent advances in our understanding of the transcriptional, chromatin-based and metabolic mechanisms that underlie IFNγ-mediated polarization of macrophages to an ‘M1-like’ state, which is characterized by increased pro-inflammatory activity and macrophage resistance to tolerogenic and anti-inflammatory factors. In addition, I describe the newly discovered effects of IFNγ on other leukocytes, vascular cells, adipose tissue cells, neurons and tumour cells that have important implications for autoimmunity, metabolic diseases, atherosclerosis, neurological diseases and immune checkpoint blockade cancer therapy.
Immunohistochemical characterization of developing and mature primate retinal blood vessels.

Purpose. To characterize developing retinal blood vessels with vascular markers and to relate the histochemical profile of maturing vessels to morphologic stages in retinal vascular development. Methods. Vessels were examined in frozen and paraffin-embedded retinas and in wholemounts of Macaca monkeys ranging in age from fetal day 75 (F75) to adulthood. Endothelial cells were visualized immunohistochemically using antisera to von Willebrand's factor and CD31 with lectins Ulex europaeus, Bandeiraea simplicifolia, peanut agglutinin, Ritinis communis, and wheat germ agglutinin, and by ATPase and ADPase enzymatic histochemistry. Antibodies to vascular basement membrane and matrix markers laminin, fibronectin, and collagen types I and VIII, and antisera recognizing cell cycle-specific nuclear proteins (cyclin, Ki-67, Mib-1) also were used. Results. Newly formed and mature vessels were reactive with reagents specific for CD31, von Willebrand's factor, types I and VIII collagens, laminin, fibronectin, U. europaeus, ft communis, and peanut agglutinin. Wheat germ agglutinin labeled vessels only after pretreatment with neuraminidase. All vascular markers appeared simultaneously, but some were distributed differentially between capillaries and larger vessels, along the central—peripheral extent of a vascular plexus, and among different vascular laminae. Markers of vessels failed to label spindle-shaped presumed vascular precursor cells lying peripheral to the advancing vessels during development. Spindle cells exhibited cyclin, Ki-67, and Mib-1 immunoreactivity. Conclusions. Immature and mature vitread and sclerad vessels displayed histochemical profiles that were qualitatively similar but that had subtle quantitative differences. Results do not support identification of spindle-shaped cells as vascular precursors in the developing monkey retina and are discussed in relation to mechanisms of retinal vascularization. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1996; 37:93-103.
The De Giorgi Method for Nonlocal Fluid Dynamics

In 1957, E. De Giorgi [7] solved the 19th Hilbert problem by proving the regularity and analyticity of variational (“energy minimizing weak”) solutions to nonlinear elliptic variational problems. In so doing, he developed a very geometric, basic method to deduce boundedness and regularity of solutions to a priori very discontinuous problems. The essence of his method has found applications in homogenization, phase transition, inverse problems, etc.
Are men making informed decisions according to the prostate-specific antigen test guidelines? Analysis of the 2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening recommendation endorses the opportunity for men to make an informed decision about whether or not to screen. This entails speaking with a provider to discuss the potential advantages, disadvantages, and uncertainties about the PSA screening test. The purpose of this study was to examine (a) the reported level of being informed about the PSA test by race and (b) the association between the receipt of the PSA test and participants reporting that they were informed about the test. U.S. adult males (ages 40-74 years) were identified from the 2015 Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System (BRFSS; n = 3,877). Chi-square analysis assessed bivariate differences among men who received different levels of PSA screening information. Binomial logistic regression models assessed the relationship of race/ethnicity and the receipt of the PSA test on being informed about the PSA test. Over half (54.3%) of the sample had a PSA test and most (72.0%) reported that they did not receive information about both the advantages and disadvantages (being informed) of the PSA test. Black men (40.3%) were significantly most likely to report being informed ( p < .001), and 61.3% reported receipt of a recommendation from their provider ( p < .001). White men (63.1%) were significantly more likely to report receiving the PSA test. Findings indicate that more men reported receiving the PSA test than men who reported being informed about it. Future research and interventions should strive for men of all racial and ethnic backgrounds to be informed about the PSA test before making a decision.
Acculturation of Japanese and American Intermarried Couples: Case Study of Their Marital Experiences and Parenting

This qualitative case study sought to gain in-depth understanding of Japanese and American family unions and the intermarried couples’ acculturation processes. It explored how intermarried couples view cultural differences, and how they negotiate and compromise in conflicts caused by such differences. Qualitative interviews were conducted with four couples comprising Japanese wives and their European-American husbands residing in the Midwestern United States. Interview questions included couples’ communication style, marital expectations, and parenting, from their perspective. The study found factors such as communication style, gender role expectations, marital expectations, and parenting style, contributed to conflicts in co-parenting and communication. Further investigation including sociopolitical aspects and cultural adaptation are recommended for future research.
Mouse Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Alleviate Perinatal Brain Injury Via a CD8 + T Cell Mechanism in a Model of Intrauterine Inflammation

The objective of this study was to determine if mouse bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) ameliorate preterm birth and perinatal brain injury induced by intrauterine inflammation (IUI). A mouse model of IUI-induced perinatal brain injury at embryonic (E) day 17 was utilized. BMMSCs were derived from GFP-transgenic mice and phenotypically confirmed to be CD44+, Sca-1+, CD45−, CD34−, CD11b−, and CD11c− by flow cytometry and sorted by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Dams were assigned to four groups: phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) + PBS, PBS + BMMSCs, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) + PBS, and LPS + BMMSCs. Following maternal IUI, there was a significant increase in CD8+ T cells in the placentas. Maternally administered BMMSCs trafficked to the fetal side of the placenta and resulted in significantly decreased placental CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, fetal trafficking of maternally administered BMMSCs correlated with an improved performance on offspring neurobehavioral testing in LPS + BMMSC group compared with LPS + PBS group. Our data support that maternal administration of BMMSCs can alleviate perinatal inflammation-induced brain injury and improve neurobehavioral outcomes in the offspring via CD8+ T cell immunomodulation at the feto-placental interface.
Risk of Noninfectious Uveitis with Female Hormonal Therapy in a Large Healthcare Claims Database.

Purpose To determine if female hormonal therapy (FHT) increases the incidence of noninfectious uveitis. Design Retrospective cohort study. Participants Women exposed to FHT and matched women unexposed to FHT enrolled in a national insurance plan. Methods Estimation of noninfectious uveitis incidence used multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression. To account for differences between the exposed and unexposed cohorts, a propensity score for being prescribed FHT was created using logistic regression, and inverse probability of treatment weighting was performed. Main Outcome Measures Incidence of noninfectious uveitis. For the primary outcome, incident noninfectious uveitis was defined as a new diagnosis code for noninfectious uveitis followed by a second instance of a noninfectious uveitis code within 120 days. For the alternative outcome definition, a corticosteroid prescription or code for an ocular corticosteroid injection within 120 days of the uveitis diagnosis code was used instead of the second uveitis diagnosis code. Results There were 217 653 women exposed to FHT and 928 408 women not unexposed to FHT. For the primary outcome, the hazard ratio (HR) for incident noninfectious uveitis was not significantly different between the FHT and unexposed cohorts (HR, 0.99; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.83–1.17; P = 0.87). With the alternative outcome definition, the FHT cohort was more likely to develop uveitis (HR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.04–1.41; P = 0.01). When examined by anatomic subtype, for anterior uveitis there was a greater likelihood of incident uveitis in the exposed cohort (HR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.05–1.45; P = 0.01) for the alternative outcome definition but not for the primary outcome. With age stratification, women exposed to FHT aged ≥45 years at the time of FHT prescription were more likely to develop uveitis (HR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.03–1.47; P = 0.03) for the alternative outcome definition. A similar HR (1.22) was seen for women aged ≤44 years at the time of prescription, but this association did not meet statistical significance (P = 0.20). Conclusions Exposure to FHT increases the rate of incident noninfectious uveitis when uveitis is defined on the basis of both diagnostic codes and documentation of corticosteroid treatment. However, the risk is modest and FHT is likely safe with regard to noninfectious uveitis risk in the majority of patients exposed to these drugs.
A new solid-phase immunoassay for terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase: analysis of TdT antigen in cells, plasma, and serum

A solid-phase immunoassay for terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase has been developed using a primary antibody-coated polystyrene bead and secondary antibody conjugated with horseradish peroxidase. The immunoassay was compared with assays for enzyme activity and detection of antigen with immunofluorescence using cells from peripheral blood and bone marrow from patients with leukemia or lymphoma. In each instance, the solid-phase immunoassay correlated correctly with cellular samples judged to be positive by other tests. However, the level of detection of terminal transferase antigen in plasma or serum of patients with leukemia did not reflect accurately the level of terminal transferase in neoplastic cells. The solid-phase immunoassay was greater than 100-fold more sensitive than conventional assays for enzyme activity, rendering it potentially useful for quantitatively monitoring terminal transferase in patients with leukemia.
The Interconnections of Mal de Débarquement Syndrome and Vestibular Migraine.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS Mal de debarquement syndrome (MDDS) is characterized by a persistent rocking sensation, as though on a boat. It may occur following exposure to passive motion (motion-triggered MDDS [MT-MDDS]), or spontaneously (spontaneous-onset MDDS [SO-MDDS]). This study investigated the characteristics of MDDS patients with vestibular migraine (MDDS-VM) to those without (MDDS-O). STUDY DESIGN Retrospective review. METHODS Retrospective, single-center study of 62 patients with MDDS. Clinical characteristics, Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), Migraine Disability Assessment Score (MIDAS), job impact, and optimal treatment(s) were studied. RESULTS There were 23 MDDS-O (19 women), and 39 MDDS-VM (35 women) patients. Comparisons between MDDS-VM and MDDS-O showed significant differences in age of onset (41 vs. 52 years, P = .005), interictal visually induced dizziness (89.7% vs. 30.4%, P < .001), interictal head motion-induced dizziness (87.2% vs. 47.8%, P = .001), other vestibular sensations (59% vs. 13%, P < .001), interictal aural symptoms (25.6% vs. 0%, P = .008), number of interictal symptoms (4.3 vs. 2.3, P < .001), total DHI score (54.9 vs. 38.1, P = .005), DHI-P (physical domain) score (16.1 vs. 10, P = .004), DHI-F (functional domain) score (20.9 vs. 15.7, P = .016 MIDAS (4.6 vs. 32, P = .002), and job resignations (23.2% vs. 5%, P = .016). On the other hand, between-group comparisons for MT-MDDS and SO-MDDS did not reveal any significant differences whatsoever. For optimal treatment, venlafaxine was the most used (27.3%) in all groups. For MDDS-VM, antiepileptic drugs and migraine preventive vitamins were also useful in relieving symptoms. CONCLUSIONS MDDS-VM patients appear to be more disabled than MDDS-O, in terms of severity of dizziness, job impact, and number of symptoms, but have good potential for improvement, particularly with migraine prophylactic treatment. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 3 Laryngoscope, 131:E1653-E1661, 2021.
Neuro Ablative Procedures in the Management of Traumatic Trigeminal Neuralgia

SUMMARY Neuroablation involves nerve sectioning, avulsion, thermal, or chemical treatments. Indications for these procedures are limited, but they can be effective for variable periods of time. Gasserian ganglion glycerolysis, cryocautery, and radiofrequency nerve lesions are less effective but also less destructive than alcohol neurolysis or direct nerve avulsion. Peripheral glycerol neurolysis has efficacy as a temporary alternative for classic trigeminal neuralgia, but its usefulness in traumatic disorders remains to be studied in depth.
Optimal Planning of Distribution Network Considering Photovoltaic Energy Consumption

The distributed photovoltaic consumption capacity and the corresponding development plan of distribution network have become the common concern of all parties at present. A PSO-based optimization method is proposed in this paper with the aim to evaluate the maximum distributed photovoltaic consumption ability of the distribution network, compared with the existing analysis methods, the evaluation method proposed in this paper can provide more accurate information of distribution network absorptive capacity, which is more flexible and more practical than the random scenario method. When the photovoltaic power generation consumption capacity exceeds the maximum consumption capacity of the distribution network, life cycle cost(LCC) theory is adopted and the LCC decomposition model of the planning scheme is given, that aiming at the minimum life cycle cost, and the economy of the distribution network development planning scheme is analyzed and evaluated when the high permeability distributed photovoltaic power generation is connected, so as to further improve the technical economy of the scheme. The effectiveness and rationality of the proposed method are illustrated by a specific example, which provides a strong references for the operation and planning of high permeability distributed photovoltaic in distribution network.
Acoustic Properties of Axial and Centrifugal Flow Left Ventricular Assist Devices and Prediction of Pump Thrombosis.

Abstract Objective To characterize the properties of the audible tones produced by current left ventricular assist device (LVAD) pumps approved for use, and to ascertain if changes in those may be present in the setting of pump thrombosis. Patients and Methods From August 31, 2016, to January 16, 2020, LVAD recipients consented to have surface recordings obtained using a high-fidelity digital stethoscope. Audio data were analyzed using digital recording and editing software to produce an acoustic spectrogram by Fast Fourier transformation. Results Recordings were obtained in 53 patient encounters (27 HeartMate II, 19 HeartWare and 7 HeartMate 3). In 12 patients (9 HeartMate II, 3 HeartWare) there was a clinical concern for pump thrombosis. In all patients and pump models, a fundamental frequency was noted, and the second and third harmonics were also clearly detectable. Where thrombosis occurred in the HeartMate II pump, the absolute (normal -46.9 [-57.5,-42.9] dB vs thrombosis -41.4 [-49.8,-26.8] dB; P=.08) and relative (normal 0.72 [0.62, 0.92] vs thrombosis 0.95 [0.86, 1.24]; P=.01) third harmonic frequencies were increased in amplitude. Where paired data were available, an increase in the absolute and relative third harmonic frequencies was observed in all patients. In the case of the HeartWare device, a consistent difference in harmonic amplitudes in the setting of thrombosis could not be identified. Conclusion A consistent pattern of fundamental and harmonic frequencies is common to all LVADs currently approved for use. Alterations in the amplitude of higher order harmonics may signal the onset of pump thrombosis in axial flow LVADs.
Risk factors for adverse outcomes among 35 879 veterans with and without diabetes after diagnosis with COVID-19.

INTRODUCTION: Risk factors and mediators of associations of diabetes with COVID-19 outcomes are unclear. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We identified all veterans receiving Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare with ≥1 positive nasal swab for SARS-CoV-2 (28 February-31 July 2020; n=35 879). We assessed associations of diabetes (with and without insulin use) with hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, or death at 30 days, and with hazard of death until the censoring date. Among participants with diabetes (n=13 863), we examined associations of hemoglobin A1c and antihyperglycemic medication use with COVID-19 outcomes. We estimated mediation between diabetes and outcomes by comorbidities (cardiovascular disease, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease), statin or ACE inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) use, and cardiac biomarkers (brain natriuretic peptide and troponin). RESULTS: Diabetes with and without insulin use was associated with greater odds of hospitalization, ICU admission, and death at 30 days, and with greater hazard of death compared with no diabetes (OR 1.73, 1.76 and 1.63, and HR 1.61; and OR 1.39, 1.49 and 1.33, and HR 1.37, respectively, all p<0.0001). Prior sulfonylurea use was associated with greater odds of hospitalization and prior insulin use with hospitalization and death among patients with diabetes; among all participants, statin use was associated with lower mortality and ARB use with lower odds of hospitalization. Cardiovascular disease-related factors mediated <20% of associations between diabetes and outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes is independently associated with adverse outcomes from COVID-19. Associations are only partially mediated by common comorbidities.
Gauging the bulk: generalized gauging maps and holographic codes

Gauging is a general procedure for mapping a quantum many-body system with a global symmetry to one with a local gauge symmetry. We consider a generalized gauging map that does not enforce gauge symmetry at all lattice sites, and show that it is an isometry on the full input space including all charged sectors. We apply this generalized gauging map to convert global-symmetric bulk systems of holographic codes to gauge-symmetric bulk systems, and vice versa, while preserving duality with a global-symmetric boundary. We separately construct holographic codes with gauge-symmetric bulk systems by directly imposing gauge-invariance constraints onto existing holographic codes, and show that the resulting bulk gauge symmetries are dual to boundary global symmetries. Combining these ideas produces a toy model that captures several interesting features of holography - it exhibits a rudimentary sort of dynamical duality, can be modified to demonstrate the relationship between metric fluctuations and approximate error-correction, and serves as an illustration for certain no-go theorems concerning symmetries in holography. Finally, we apply the generalized gauging map to construct codes with arbitrary transversal gate sets - for any compact Lie group, we use a symmetry-preserving truncation scheme to construct covariant finite-dimensional approximate holographic codes.
Managing Algorithms: partial automation of middle management and its implications for gig worker

Platforms for gig work like Uber advertise their job opportunities as “entrepreneurial work” to potential workers and their company as technologically innovative to potential investors. One of the ...
Special Education No Man's Land

Unaccompanied minors with disabilities are being harmed because the federal regime that cares for them fails to consider how their disabilities may affect their needs while in custody. Although there are several ways in which disabled children are harmed by this regime, this Article focuses on the government’s failures in providing appropriate educational services to unaccompanied minors with disabilities while in Office of Refugee Resettlement-funded shelters (“ORR shelters”). Specifically, ORR does not require its shelters to provide unaccompanied minors with disabilities special education and related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”). Additionally, states provide no educational services to children in ORR shelters, including services under the IDEA. Since at least 2003, the U.S. Department of Education (“ED”) has issued letters explaining that neither state nor local school districts are required to extend the IDEA’s substantive and procedural protections to children with disabilities in federal prisons. This practice would appear to cover children in ORR custody. If this is a correct interpretation of the statute, then there is an entire class of children with disabilities in federal custody who are living in a special education no man’s land. Although this Article focuses on unaccompanied children in ORR custody, the ED’s statutory interpretation affects children with disabilities in the custody of other federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”), the Federal Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”), and the U.S. Marshals Service. Although it is clear that the IDEA protects non-citizens once they enroll in public schools, this Article seeks to answer whether unaccompanied minors in ORR shelters are entitled to the IDEA’s substantive and procedural rights while in government custody. It argues that while the plain language of the statute would require states—but not federal agencies—to provide their residents with the IDEA’s protections while in federal custody, it is at best unclear as to whether unaccompanied minors are state residents for the IDEA’s purposes while in ORR shelters. However, because unaccompanied minors with disabilities will have better outcomes if they are provided IDEA-related services once they arrive in this country, Congress should amend the IDEA to explicitly extend its protections to unaccompanied minors in ORR shelters.
DESIGN AND INTRODUCTION OF P/M PARTS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

A new P/M part is created due to one of three reasons: 1) Cost savings over a manufacturing method for a current part, 2) Cost savings over an alternative method to manufacture a new part or, 3) it's the only practical way to manufacture the part. In today's quality conscious atmosphere at Ford the suppliers of P/M parts should be aware of their responsibilities in producing a P/M part to required standards. The producer must become involved in early feasibility issues, prove process capability and maintain capability on an ongoing basis. A case history of such an evaluation will be discussed from initiation through a second generation design.
Plate Stability Theory

In this chapter, the classical theory of plate stability is described. The buckling and initial post-buckling behaviour of structural systems in general is first presented. The differential equation describing the linear bifurcation (or eigenvalue) problem of plates loaded in their own plane is then derived, starting from the Kirchhoff's assumptions. Next, by assuming that deflections are of the same order of the thickness, the von Karman equations are derived for plates with initial deviations from flatness. The plate stability problem under small and large deflections is thus formulated as a boundary value problem.
Mechanics of Lipid Bilayer Membranes

All cells have membranes. The plasma membrane encapsulates the cell’s interior, acting as a barrier against the outside world. In cells with nuclei (eukaryotic cells), membranes also form internal compartments (organelles) which carry out specialized tasks, such as protein modification and sorting in the case of the Golgi apparatus, and ATP production in the case of mitochondria. The main components of membranes are lipids and proteins. The proteins can be channels, carriers, receptors, catalysts, signaling molecules, or structural elements, and typically contribute a substantial fraction of the total membrane dry weight. The equilibrium properties of pure lipid membranes are relatively well-understood, and will be the main focus of this article. The framework of elasticity theory and statistical mechanics that we will develop will serve as the foundation for understanding biological phenomena such as the nonequilibrium behavior of membranes laden with ion pumps, the role of membrane elasticity in ion channel gating, and the dynamics of vesicle fission and fusion. Understanding the mechanics of lipid membranes is also important for drug encapsulation and delivery.
Multiobjective Evolutionary Clustering Approach to Security Vulnerability Assesments

Network vulnerability assessments collect large amounts of data to be further analyzed by security experts. Data mining and, particularly, unsupervised learning can help experts analyze these data and extract several conclusions. This paper presents a contribution to mine data in this security domain. We have implemented an evolutionary multiobjective approach to cluster data of security assessments. Clusters hold groups of tested devices with similar vulnerabilities to detect hidden patterns. Two different metrics have been selected as objectives to guide the discovery process. The results of this contribution are compared with other single-objective clustering approaches to confirm the value of the obtained clustering structures.
Utility Theory-Based User Models for Intelligent Interface Agents

An underlying problem of current interface agent research is the failure to adequately address effective and efficient knowledge representations and associated methodologies suitable for modeling the users' interactions with the system. These user models lack the representational complexity to manage the uncertainty and dynamics involved in predicting user intent and modeling user behavior. A utility theory-based approach is presented for effective user intent prediction by incorporating the ability to explicitly model users' goals, the uncertainty in the users' intent in pursuing these goals, and the dynamics of users' behavior. We present an interface agent architecture, CIaA, that incorporates our approach and discuss the integration of CIaA with three disparate domains — a probabilistic expert system shell, a natural language input database query system, and a virtual space plane —that are being used as test beds for our interface agent research.
Mutants of Neurospora crassa Deficient in Ornithine-δ-Transaminase

The arg-12s mutation of Neurospora causes a partial block in the ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) reaction. Strains carrying this mutation will use endogenous ornithine, but not exogenous ornithine, as a precursor of arginine. Certain strains carrying arg-12s may be used for direct selection of variants able to use exogenous ornithine as an arginine precursor. Among eight such derivatives, six lacked the catabolic enzyme ornithine transaminase (OTA). All six mutations were alleles of a single gene, designated ota, on linkage group III. No mutation affected arginase, the first enzyme in the catabolic pathway with OTA. Strains carrying ota mutations alone are vigorous prototrophs, but, unlike wild-type Neurospora, fail to use ornithine efficiently as a sole nitrogen source. The selection method by which ota mutants arose suggests that OTA is severely competitive with OTC for exogeneous ornithine.
Carcinoma of the endometrium in premenopausal women

Abstract Twenty to 25 per cent of endometrial carcinomas occur in premenopausal women. Insufficient emphasis has been given this in the past. Therefore, delays of many months frequently occur before the origin of abnormal bleeding is clarified among women in their fourth and fifth decades. All cases of premenopausal endometrial carcinoma seen at the Indiana University Medical Center from 1945 through 1966 were reviewed. Diabetes, nulliparity, and obesity were noted to occur with almost the same frequency as among postmenopausal patients with endometrial cancer. Hypertension appeared to be less common in the younger patient but the incidence of thyroid disease seemed to be abnormally high. The absolute 5 year survival rate, among those patients eligible for such an assessment, was 90.2 per cent.
Enhancing pilot situational awareness of the airport surface movement area

Two studies are being conducted to address airport surface movement area safety and capacity issues by providing enhanced situational awareness information to pilots. One study focuses on obtaining pilot opinion of the Runway Status Light System (RSLS). This system has been designed to reduce the likelihood of runway incursions by informing pilots when a runway is occupied. The second study is a night demonstration of an integrated system consisting of an electronic moving map in the cockpit and display of the aircraft identification to the controller. Taxi route and hold bar clearances, positions of other traffic, and warning information will be sent to the aircraft via data link for display on the electronic moving map. This paper describes the plans for the two studies. >
Irreducible partitions and the construction of quasi-measures

A quasi-measure is a non-subadditive measure defined on only open or closed subsets of a compact Hausdorf space. We investigate the nature of irreducible partitions as defined by Aarnes and use the results to construct quasi-measures when g(X) = 1. The cohomology ring is an important tool for this investigation.
DNA replication in SV40-infected cells. IX. The inhibition of a gap-filling step during discontinuous synthesis of SV40 DNA.

SV40 DNA apparently replicates by a discontinuous mechanism similar to that proposed for bacteria and bacteriophages. Transient, 4–5 S oligonucleotide intermediates are formed during a brief pulse-labeling with 3H-thymidine, and these fragments are rapidly joined to preexisting progeny strands (Fareed and Salzman, 1972). An inhibitor of DNA synthesis, hydroxyurea, interferes with the joining of these short 4–5 S oligonucleotide intermediates into longer DNA molecules. This results in the accumulation of replicating forms of SV40 DNA with 4–5 S oligonucleotide fragments hydrogen-bonded at the replication forks to parental DNA strands. Replicating molecules of SV40 DNA isolated from lytically infected cells treated with hydroxyurea were repaired in an in vitro DNA synthesizing system using T4 DNA polymerase and Escherichia coli polynucleotide ligase. The experimental results indicate that at least 80% of the short 4–5 S fragments are separated from themselves or longer progeny molecules by single-stranded gaps in the DNA double helix. These gaps can be repaired in vitro, and the fragments ligased to form longer polynucleotide chains. A model for SV40 DNA replication involving two different DNA polymerases is discussed.
Effect of testosterone on input received by an identified neuron type of the canary song system: a Golgi/electron microscopy/degeneration study.

Combinations of the Golgi stain, anterograde degeneration, and electron microscopy are used to further characterize the hormone-sensitive “type IV” neuron of the forebrain nucleus robustus archistriatalis (RA) of adult female canaries. Anterograde degeneration was used to “stain,” at the electron-microscopic level, the axon terminals of neurons projecting to RA from hyperstriatum ventralis, pars caudalis (HVc) and from the lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior neostriatum (L- MAN). The HVc neurons projecting to RA type IV cells form synapses predominantly on the dendritic spines of those cells, while L-MAN neurons that project to RA type IV cells form a 2.5:1 mixture of shaft and spine synapses. There were about 1000 synapses from HVc neurons (about 30% of all spine synapses) on typical type IV cells and about 50 synapses from L-MAN neurons. Earlier work had shown that in female canaries the dendrites of type IV neurons of the avian song control nucleus RA increase in total length after systemic testosterone treatment, and that this increase in dendritic length was accompanied by the development of malelike song. We now show that testosterone treatment also increases the number of dendritic spines present in type IV neurons. Presumably this is accompanied by an increase in the number of synaptic inputs received by type IV cells. Earlier evidence suggested that the testosterone-induced addition of extra dendritic length to type IV cells occurred at existing dendritic tips. We tested the hypothesis that these added peripheral ends received a special subset of inputs, which might then account for the change in behavior, and found it to be false. Mapping and counts of degenerating synapses resulting from lesion of HVc and L-MAN suggest that under the influence of hormone, new synapses are added throughout the dendritic tree, with no special distribution or change in ratio of inputs occurring at the tip of dendrites. Under the influence of testosterone, each type IV cell may receive only “more of the same” inputs it received before onset of treatment. We speculate on how such changes in circuitry may relate to song stability and learning.
On Optimal Decision-Making in Ant Colonies.

Colonies of ants can collectively choose the best of several nests, even when many of the active ants who organize the move visit only one site. Understanding such a behavior can help us design efficient distributed decision making algorithms. Marshall et al. propose a model for house-hunting in colonies of ant Temnothorax albipennis. Unfortunately, their model does not achieve optimal decision-making while laboratory experiments show that, in fact, colonies usually achieve optimality during the house-hunting process. In this paper, we argue that the model of Marshall et al. can achieve optimality by including nest size information in their mathematical model. We use lab results of Pratt et al. to re-define the differential equations of Marshall et al. Finally, we sketch our strategy for testing the optimality of the new model.
Human αβ and γδ Thymocyte Development: TCR Gene Rearrangements, Intracellular TCRβ Expression, and γδ Developmental Potential—Differences between Men and Mice

To evaluate the role of the TCR in the αβ/γδ lineage choice during human thymocyte development, molecular analyses of the TCRβ locus in γδ cells and the TCRγ and δ loci in αβ cells were undertaken. TCRβ variable gene segments remained largely in germline configuration in γδ cells, indicating that commitment to the γδ lineage occurred before complete TCRβ rearrangements in most cases. The few TCRβ rearrangements detected were primarily out-of-frame, suggesting that productive TCRβ rearrangements diverted cells away from the γδ lineage. In contrast, in αβ cells, the TCRγ locus was almost completely rearranged with a random productivity profile; the TCRδ locus contained primarily nonproductive rearrangements. Productive γ rearrangements were, however, depleted compared with preselected cells. Productive TCRγ and δ rearrangements rarely occurred in the same cell, suggesting that αβ cells developed from cells unable to produce a functional γδ TCR. Intracellular TCRβ expression correlated with the up-regulation of CD4 and concomitant down-regulation of CD34, and plateaued at the early double positive stage. Surprisingly, however, some early double positive thymocytes retained γδ potential in culture. We present a model for human thymopoiesis which includes γδ development as a default pathway, an instructional role for the TCR in the αβ/γδ lineage choice, and a prolonged developmental window for β selection and γδ lineage commitment. Aspects that differ from the mouse are the status of TCR gene rearrangements at the nonexpressed loci, the timing of β selection, and maintenance of γδ potential through the early double positive stage of development.
The Mycobacterium marinum mel2 locus displays similarity to bacterial bioluminescence systems and plays a role in defense against reactive oxygen and nitrogen species

Mycobacteria have developed a number of pathways that provide partial protection against both reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). We recently identified a locus in Mycobacterium marinum, mel2, that plays a role during infection of macrophages. The molecular mechanism of mel2 action is not well understood. To better understand the role of the M. marinum mel2 locus, we examined these genes for conserved motifs in silico. Striking similarities were observed between the mel2 locus and loci that encode bioluminescence in other bacterial species. Since bioluminescence systems can play a role in resistance to oxidative stress, we postulated that the mel2 locus might be important for mycobacterial resistance to ROS and RNS. We found that an M. marinum mutant in the first gene in this putative operon, melF, confers increased susceptibility to both ROS and RNS. This mutant is more susceptible to ROS and RNS together than either reactive species alone. These observations support a role for the M. marinum mel2 locus in resistance to oxidative stress and provide additional evidence that bioluminescence systems may have evolved from oxidative defense mechanisms.
Synchrotron infrared imaging of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) in cardiac tissue from mice fed high glycemic diets

Recent research findings correlate an increased risk for dieases such as diabetes, macular degeneration and cardiovascular disease (CVD) with diets that rapidly raise the blood sugar levels; these diets are known as high glycemic index (GI) diets which include white breads, sodas and sweet deserts. Lower glycemia diets are usually rich in fruits, non-starchy vegetables and whole grain products. The goal of our study was to compare and contrast the effects of a low vs. high glycemic diet using the biochemical composition and microstructure of the heart. The improved spatial resolution and signal-to-noise for SR-FTIR obtained through the coupling of the bright synchrotron infrared photon source to an infrared spectral microscope enabled the molecular-level observation of diet-related changes within unfixed fresh frozen histologic sections of mouse cardiac tissue. High and low glycemic index (GI) diets were started at the age of five-months and continued for one year, with the diets only differing in their starch distribution (high GI diet = 100% amylopectin versus low GI diet = 30% amylopectin/70% amylose). Serial cryosections of cardiac tissue for SR-FTIR imaging alternated with adjacent hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained sections allowed not only fine-scale chemical analyses of glycogen and glycolipid accumulation along a vein as well as protein glycation hotspots co-localizing with collagen cold spots but also the tracking of morphological differences occurring in tandem with these chemical changes. As a result of the bright synchrotron infrared photon source coupling, we were able to provide significant molecular evidence for a positive correlation between protein glycation and collagen degradation in our mouse model. Our results bring a new insight not only to the effects of long-term GI dietary practices of the public but also to the molecular and chemical foundation behind the cardiovascular disease pathogenesis commonly seen in diabetic patients.
FRAGMENTED COURTS AND CHILD PROTECTION CASES

This article discusses the proposed implementation of a model court project that can serve as an alternative approach to adjudicating child abuse and neglect cases. The model project allows criminal child abuse cases to be processed with related civil proceeding in one court before one judge. This integrated approach can ensure more efficient case processing, more informed judicial decision making, and more effective delivery of services to children and families.
Continuing education: the only way to survive

This paper sets out to establish the importance of continuing education to businesses, and the benefits to individuals. The potential contributions to the competitiveness of businesses through efficient production and cost–effective utilisation of human resources are outlined. Evidence of the benefits to individuals through participation in CE is presented, comparing the situations in the USA and Finland.
Biosynthesis and Processing of Epithelial Sodium Channels in Xenopus Oocytes

The epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) provides the rate-limiting step in the reabsorption of sodium by many epithelia. The number of channels at the cell surface is tightly regulated; most cells express only a few channels. We have examined the biosynthesis and cell surface expression of ENaC in Xenopus oocytes. The subunits of ENaC are readily synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum, but most of them remain as immature proteins in pre-Golgi compartments, where they are degraded by the proteasomal pathway without apparent ubiquitination. Even when the three subunits, alpha, beta, and gamma, are expressed in the same cell, only a very small fraction of the total channel population leave the endoplasmic reticulum, acquire complex oligosaccharides, and reach the plasma membrane. Overexpression of subunits does not increase the number of channels in the plasma membrane but results in the appearance of cytoplasmic subunits in a form not membrane bound. The data indicate that maturation and assembly of the subunits are slow and inefficient processes, and constitute limiting steps for the expression of functional ENaC channels in the plasma membrane.
Epidermal growth factor receptor: Elements of intracellular communication

While EGF has an important function in cell growth regulation, the molecular mechanisms by which intracellular signal connect the EGF: receptor complex on the plasma membrane with the initiation of DNA synthesis and mitogenesis is not well understood. The discovery that rasGAP, PI-3 kinase and PLC-gamma 1 are substrates for the EGF receptor tyrosine kinase has provided a beginning in understanding the biochemistry underlying growth factor receptor transduction.