cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relationship of running intensity to hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes.

Purpose: To estimate the independent relationships of running intensity with antihypertensive, LDL-cholesterol-lowering, and antidiabetic medication use when adjusted for running volume (km[middle dot]d-1). Methods: Self-reported medication use was compared cross-sectionally to running pace (m[middle dot]s-1 during usual run) in 25,552 male and 29,148 female National Runners' Health Study participants. Results: The men ran a mean +/- SD of 5.2 +/- 3.1 km[middle dot]d-1 at 3.3 +/- 0.5 m[middle dot]s-1 (8.3 +/- 1.4 min[middle dot]mile-1) and the women 4.7 +/- 2.9 km[middle dot]wk-1 at 3.0 +/- 0.4 m[middle dot]s-1 (9.2 +/- 1.8 min[middle dot]mile-1). When adjusted for kilometers per day, each meter-per-second increment in intensity in men and women reduced the odds for antihypertensive drug use by 54% and 46%, respectively, reduced the odds for LDL-cholesterol-lowering medication use by 55% and 48%, respectively, and reduced the odds for antidiabetic medication use by 50% and 75%, respectively (all P < 0.0001). Compared with men who ran slower than 10 min[middle dot]mile-1, the odds for medication use in those who ran or exceeded a 7-min[middle dot]mile-1 pace were 72% less for antihypertensive, 78% less for LDL-cholesterol lowering, and 67% less for antidiabetic medications (the corresponding odds reductions in women were 61%, 64%, and 87%, respectively, for 8 min[middle dot]mile-1 or faster versus slower than 11 min[middle dot]mile-1). Although usual running pace correlated significantly with a 10-km performance (male, r = 0.55; females, r = 0.49), usual pace remained significantly related to lower use of all three medications in men and antihypertension and antidiabetic medications in women when adjusted for a 10-km performance. Conclusions: Although these results do not prove causality, they show that exercise intensity is inversely associated with the prevalence of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes independent of exercise volume and cardiorespiratory fitness (10-km performance), suggesting that the more vigorous the exercise, the healthier the health benefits.
Interaction of Missile Nose-Tip Vortices with a Control Surface

The interaction between vortices forming at the nose tip of a missile model and a single fin located down the axis of the model was investigated experimentally for a range of axial fin positions [2.6 < —180 deg), and Reynolds number (6 x 103 < Red < 3.4 x 10 4) for two angles of attack, 30 and 45 deg. Symmetric, attached vortices formed over the model at the lower angle of attack, whereas the vortices were asymmetric when the angle of attack was increased to 45 deg. The interaction was documented using flow visualization and mean pressure measurements on the fin surfaces. The pressure data were used to compute the normal force coefficients on the fin. The effects of the interaction on the fin are described; in particular, the similarities and differences in the flowfield at the two angles of attack are discussed for one axial fin location [(x/d)f = 7.1]. Nomenclature Cfp = normal force coefficient, port surface of fin C/.v = normal force coefficient, starboard surface of fin Cft = total normal force coefficient Cp = pressure coefficient d = model diameter Red = Reynolds number based on model diameter x = axial distance along model from nose tip x' = axial distance from leading edge of fin (x/d)f = dimensionless distance from nose to leading edge of fin y' = transverse (spanwise) distance from root chord of fin a = pitch angle (p azimuthal angle of fin, measured from leeward ray
Remarks on the value distribution of quasimeromorphic mappings

We discuss the value distribution of normal quasircgular mappings in domains in A Characterization of normality in terms of the cercles de remplissage is given.
The near ultraviolet spectra of benzene in inert solids

Abstract The near ultraviolet absorption spectra of benzene in argon, krypton, and nitrogen have been recorded for deposit temperatures from 4.2 to 30°K. The spectra exhibit multiple structure that are dependent on the deposit temperature. These multiples can be explained by assuming one component is caused by isolated benzene molecules in the host solid and the remaining components are due to interacting pairs of benzene molecules trapped at nonnearest-neighbor sites in the host.
NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF AN EUV CORONAL WAVE BASED ON THE 2009 FEBRUARY 13 CME EVENT OBSERVED BY STEREO

On 2009 February 13, a coronal wave—CME—dimming event was observed in quadrature by the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) spacecraft. We analyze this event using a three-dimensional, global magnetohydrodynamic model for the solar corona. The numerical simulation is driven and constrained by the observations, and indicates where magnetic reconnection occurs between the expanding CME core and surrounding environment. We focus primarily on the lower corona, extending out to 3 R ☉; this range allows simultaneous comparison with both EUVI and COR1 data. Our simulation produces a diffuse coronal bright front remarkably similar to that observed by STEREO/EUVI at 195 A. It is made up of two components, and is the result of a combination of both wave and non-wave mechanisms. The CME becomes large-scale quite low (< 200 Mm) in the corona. It is not, however, an inherently large-scale event; rather, the expansion is facilitated by magnetic reconnection between the expanding CME core and the surrounding magnetic environment. In support of this, we also find numerous secondary dimmings, many far from the initial CME source region. Relating such dimmings to reconnecting field lines within the simulation provides further evidence that CME expansion leads to the "opening" of coronal field lines on a global scale. Throughout the CME expansion, the coronal wave maps directly to the CME footprint. Our results suggest that the ongoing debate over the "true" nature of diffuse coronal waves may be mischaracterized. It appears that both wave and non-wave models are required to explain the observations and understand the complex nature of these events.
Using Workflow Diagrams to Address Hand Hygiene in Pediatric Long-Term Care Facilities

Hand hygiene (HH) in pediatric long-term care settings has been found to be sub-optimal. Multidisciplinary teams at three pediatric long-term care facilities developed step-by-step workflow diagrams of commonly performed tasks highlighting HH opportunities. Diagrams were validated through observation of tasks and concurrent diagram assessment. Facility teams developed six workflow diagrams that underwent 22 validation observations. Four main themes emerged: 1) diagram specificity, 2) wording and layout, 3) timing of HH indications, and 4) environmental hygiene. The development of workflow diagrams is an opportunity to identify and address the complexity of HH in pediatric long-term care facilities.
Aquatic resources in arid lands: Issues and opportunities

. The purpose of the conferencewas to assemble experts in sustainable water use, aquaticecosystems, genetics and species conservation to explorewater issues in arid and semi-arid regions from social andecological perspectives. A focus on aquatic resources inarid lands provides insight for management of aquatic re-sources in all regions of the World. Although stresses thathumans place on aquatic resources appear similar in allregions, they are more acute and potentially long lastingin arid and semi-arid regions. Because of their sensitivityto disturbance, knowledge gained from studying aquaticresources in arid regions may provide early warnings ofpotential problems in less arid regions. Water is clearly one of the most important natural resources in the western United States as well as in many other regions of the World. The availability of wa-ter continues to be a primary limitation for crop and live-stock production, urban growth and economic develop-ment, and management of indigenous aquatic species.Worldwide demand for water has more than tripled since1950 and is projected to double again by 2035 (Postel,1997). Approximately 3.4 billion people may be living in water-scarce or water-stressed conditions by 2025(Engelman et al., 2000) and the most susceptible popu-lations are those in arid environments. An importantchallenge is to balance highly variable water supplies in a manner that can sustain competing demands posedby urban developments, agriculture, and ecological systems.
Nestmate Recognition and Intraspecific Aggression Based on Environmental Cues in Argentine Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

A number of introduced ant species are characterized by an absence of nestmate recognition or discrimination. This unicolonial social behavior often aids these species in outcompeting native species to the extent of becoming serious urban and agricultural pests. The Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr), is a widespread pest species that is thought to rarely show intraspecific aggression in their introduced populations. We found, however, that colonies from both within Los Angeles and between Los Angeles and other cities in California will frequently exhibit aggression toward each other. When the aggressive colonies were retested after 2 mo under uniform conditions, all of the formerly incompatible pairs exhibited little to no aggression. Thus, intraspecific aggression does exist across introduced populations of Argentine ants, and nestmate recognition is likely to be based primarily on environmental cues. It may be possible to potentially manipulate such cues between neighboring nests to aid in the biocontrol of this pest species.
Brine delineation and monitoring with electrical resistivity tomography and electromagnetic borehole logging at the Fort Knox well field near West Point, Kentucky

The potable water system at Fort Knox is threatened by brine contamination from improperly abandoned natural gas exploration wells. The Fort Knox well field is located near the town of West Point, Kentucky, in the flood plain of the Ohio River. At the site, unconsolidated sediments approximately 30 – 40 m thick, overlie shale and porous limestone. Brine is believed to flow vertically from the underlying formations to the unconsolidated aquifer through damaged or leaky well casings under a high hydraulic gradient from the artificially pressurized porous limestone, which is utilized for natural gas storage by a regional energy company. Upon reaching the unconsolidated aquifer, brine-contaminated groundwater enters water supply production wells under the pumping-induced gradient. As part of the Fort Knox remediation strategy to reduce the impact of brine contamination, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and borehole electromagnetic (EM) logs are being collected annually to detect gross changes in subsurface conductivity. The 2009 ERT data show areas of high conductivity on the western (contaminated) side of the site with conductivities more than an order of magnitude higher than on the eastern (uncontaminated) side of the site. The areas of high conductivity are interpreted as brine contamination, consistent with known regions of brine contamination. Conductivities from the EM logs are consistent with the results from the ERT inversions. The EM logs show little change between 2008 and 2009, except for some small changes in the brine distribution in well PZ1. Yearly ERT surveys will be continued to detect new areas of brine contamination and monitor the remediation effort.
Interobserver agreement for the diagnosis of venous thromboembolism on computed tomography chest angiography and indirect venography of the lower extremities in emergency department patients.

Objectives: To determine interobserver agreement between radiologists for computed tomography (CT) angiography and venography. CT venography of the lower extremities combined with standard CT angiography of the chest may result in an increased overall diagnosis rate of venous thromboembolism (pulmonary embolism or deep venous thrombosis). Methods: The study had a retrospective cohort design. The population consisted of emergency department patients who were evaluated for suspected pulmonary embolism. A random sample of 50 patients diagnosed and treated for venous thromboembolism and 50 age- and gender-matched patients whose CT angiograms and venograms were read as negative were enrolled. The original reading (R1) was compared with readings of two study radiologists: R2, a general radiologist, and R3, a radiologist with fellowship training in cross-sectional imaging. All readers were blinded to each other. Results: Both R2 and R3 found both CT angiogram and venogram components technically adequate in 95% (95% CI = 89% to 98%) and 86% (95% CI = 78% to 92%) of studies, respectively. The agreement was very good for CT angiography (lowest agreement = 92%; lowest κ= 0.83) and was good for CT venography (85%, κ= 0.65). In nine cases, R1 read the CT angiogram as negative but the venogram as positive for DVT, whereas both R2 and R3 read both components as negative in four of these nine, suggesting a false-positive isolated DVT rate of 44% (95% CI = 19% to 73%). In no case did R1 read both scan components as negative when R2 and R3 agreed on presence of pulmonary embolism or DVT. Conclusions: Diagnosis of pulmonary embolism on CT angiography is more reliable than diagnosis of isolated DVT on CT venography.
A data warehouse for integrating radiologic and pathologic data.

Purpose Much of the information needed for radiology teaching and research is not in the picture archiving and communication system but distributed in hospital information systems throughout the medical enterprise. Our objective is to describe the design, methodology, and implementation of a data warehouse to integrate and make accessible the types of medical data pertinent to radiology research and teaching, and to encourage implementation of similar approaches throughout the radiologic community. Methods We identified desiderata of radiology data warehouses and designed and implemented a prototype system (RadBank) to meet these needs. RadBank was built with open-source software tools on a Linux platform with a relational database. We created a text report parsing module that recognizes the structure of radiology reports and makes individual sections available for indexing and search. A database schema was designed to link radiology and pathology reports and to enable users to retrieve cases using flexible queries. Results Our system contains more than 2 million radiology and pathology reports, and allows full text search by patient history, findings, and diagnosis by radiology and pathology. RadBank has helped radiologists at our institution find teaching cases and identify research cohorts. Conclusion Data warehouses can provide radiologists access to important clinical information contained in radiology and pathology reports, and supplement the image information in picture archiving and communication system workstations. We believe that data warehouses similar to our system can be implemented in other radiology departments within a reasonable budget to make their vast radiologic-pathologic case material accessible for education and research.
TU‐C‐342‐02: Dual Energy CT: Promises and Challenges for Cardiovascular Imaging

Dual‐energy CT can be expected to play a new and evolving role in cardiovascular imaging. Clinical uses already reported include 1) direct CTangiography, whereby the dual energy algorithm identifies and removes bone in a 3‐D CT angiographic data set, allowing direct visualization of iodinated vessels without the need for user intervention to remove overlying bony anatomy, 2) removal of smaller hard plaques within vessels, allowing more rapid and clearer visualization of patent lumens in MIP projections, and 3) visualization of the perfused blood volume, also referred to as blood pool imaging, to demonstrate focal perfusion deficits. Dual energy bone and plaque removal techniques can be applied in retrospectively‐gated cardiacimaging, suppressing the appearance of calcified plaque and providing improved visualization of stenotic lumens. Additionally, dual‐energy CT can be used to identify and remove calcified plaque prior to image reconstruction in order to reduce the effects of calcium blooming, which creates artifactual elevation of CT numbers in voxels adjacent to calcified objects, often obscuring the dimensions of the true lumen for large or dense coronary artery calcifications. Finally, using projection‐space dual‐energy methods, mono‐energetic CTimages can be calculated, which greatly reduces beam hardening effects and increases the accuracy of CT number measurements. The use of dual‐energy CT techniques is being explored for the evaluation of myocardial perfusion deficits. Attendees of this presentation can expect to learn about: 1) the technical approaches to dual‐energy cardiacCT currently implemented or under investigation on commercial CT systems, 2) current clinical uses of dual‐energy CT in cardiovascular imaging and 3) areas of future investigation.
Lipid-stimulated somatostatin secretion in rainbow trout,Oncorhynchus mykiss

Previous work has shown that somatostatins (SS) affect teleost lipid metabolism indirectly by inhibition of insulin (INS) and directly by stimulation of hepatic lipolysis. In the present study, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were used to characterize further the lipid-SS relationship by evaluating how lipid, contributes to SS secretion bothin vivo andin vitro. In vivo hyperlipidemia was induced for up to 3 h by short-term (2 min) infusion of a triacylglycerol (TG)-rich lipid emulsion (20% Intralipid(®)). Plasma total lipid concentration increased 118 and 155% over control levels 1 h and 3 h, respectively, after infusion; much of this increase was due to elevated plasma fatty acids (FA), which increased 39 and 520%, respectively, over the same time-frame. The hyperlipidemic pattern was attended by a significant increase in the plasma concentration of SS. The specific effects of fatty acids were evaluated on isolated Brockmann bodies. Palmitic acid and oleic acid stimulated SS release 378 and 82%, respectively, over baseline levels. These results indicate that lipids, and in particular fatty acids, modulate SS secretion in rainbow trout.
'Bee-bot': using peripheral optical flow to avoid obstacles

The bee-bot demonstrates the ability to use low resolution motion vision over large fields of view to steer safely between obstacles. The system uses one receptive field for each of the left and right peripheral visual fields. This is implemented with a camera looking obliquely to each side of the robot. The largest optical flow in a receptive field indicates the proximity of the nearest object. The left and right proximities are easily compared to steer through the gap. Negative feedback control of steering is able to tolerate inaccuracies in this signal estimation. The low cost of such inexpensive basic navigation competence can free additional resources for attending to the environment.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Spinal afferents and cortical efferents of the anterior intralaminar nuclei: an anterograde-retrograde tracing study

The topographical relations among the terminal field of spinothalamic fibers and the cells projecting upon areas 4 and 5 were studied in the anterior intralaminar nuclei of the cat. Terminals anterogradely labeled from the spinal cord and cell populations retrogradely labeled from the lateral pericruciate and anterior suprasylvian cortex were simultaneously observed by means of a multiple fluorescent tracing strategy. The present findings confirm that spinal afferents in the central lateral and paracentral nuclei overlap with the cells projecting to area 4. Further, the present data demonstrate that spinal terminals are largely segregated from the intralaminar cell population projecting to area 5.
Multiresolutional distributed filtering

An algorithm for optimal and dynamic multiresolutional distributed filtering is derived. The wavelet transform is utilized as a bridge linking signals at different resolution levels. The algorithm can be employed for dynamic multisensor/data fusion. >
Which anti-thyroid drug?

Abstract Anti-thyroid drugs are widely used to treat diffuse toxic goiter (Graves' disease). Of the two drugs currently available in the United States, propylthiouracil is prescribed far more often than is methimazole (Tapazole). However, compared with propylthiouracil, methimazole can be given as a single daily dose, is cheaper, and, at low doses, is associated with less major toxicity; for these reasons, methimazole should be used for the routine management of Graves' disease when anti-thyroid drugs are selected as primary therapy. On the other hand, because of certain pharmacologic factors, propylthiouracil should be used in selected situations, particularly in patients with "thyroid storm" and in pregnant or lactating women.
The Passion in Mark: Transformation Ritual

This article uses Victor Turner's theory of liminality-communitas to interpret the trials and passion of Jesus in Mark. Turner provides the symbolic anthropological framework for reading these narratives as a ritual of status transformation. Jesus in the passion is viewed as undergoing a rite of passage, and his relationship to sympathetic characters in this context is also examined. Mark's overall objective is to portray Jesus as a model of discipleship for his readers.
Bile Acids, Diarrhea, and Antibiotics: Data, Speculation, and a Unifying Hypothesis

The primary bile acid, chenodeoxycholic acid, and the secondary bile acid, deoxycholic acid, when present at a concentration of greater than 3 mM, induce salt and water secretion from the human colon and cause a marked increase in the permeability of the human colon to molecules of a molecular weight of 200-500 daltons. Scanning electron microscopy indicates that this action may be associated with tissue damage in some species. In the healthy individual, the primary bile acids, cholic and chenodeoxycholic acid, are dehydroxylated in the colon and are simultaneously precipitated from solution; at pH less than 7, deoxycholic and lithocholic acid are insoluble. In patients with bile acid diarrhea resulting from bile acid malabsorption, dehydroxylation is decreased, and the concentration of bile acids in the colon is markedly elevated. The major secretory bile acid in solution is chenodeoxycholic acid. Administration of cholestyramine, a resin that binds bile acid, reduces the elevated concentration of chenodeoxycholic acid and abolishes the diarrhea. These facts can be used to develop a unifying hypothesis which proposes that elevated concentrations of primary bile acids in the colon play a role in diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis induced by clindamycin.
Coupling to wires in cavity enclosure using iterative algorithm

Electromagnetic field coupling to a wire placed inside a cavity enclosure through apertures has been studied by various numerical methods, such as the finite element method (FEM) and method of moments (MoM). However, published works have so far focused on coupling through small holes. We consider large apertures and cavities penetrated with wires through the aperture. The wires can be fully enclosed by the cavity or are partially interior and partially exterior to the cavity. This type of problem can be analyzed as a single unit. However, the resulting system is large and often ill-conditioned. We propose an alternative approach which decomposes the problem so that the wires and cavity are separately modeled, generating two different subsystems. The interaction between the decomposed structures is then handled by an iterative coupling approach. We validate our method by comparison of the electric field shielding (EFS) factor, which we define, with a well-validated full wave multilevel fast multipole moment method (MLFMM) (Sertel, K. and Volakis, J.L., Microwave and Optical Tech. Letters, vol.28, p.265-7, 2000; IEEE A P-S Conf. Digest, vol.4, p.1852-5, 2000).
Semi-automated Analysis Software for a Novel Biochemistry Assay

Some of the work done in the Baker lab at the University of Nevada, Reno has been directed towards the analysis of muscle tissue in a single molecule arrangement. The process is a novel high-throughput single molecule binding assay or SiMBA for short. This assay is performed by binding single-headed skeletal muscle myosin to a cover slip and looking at how the fluorescently labeled actin filaments bind to these myosin as imaged with a fluorescence microscope. The conditions are varied and the effects on actin-myosin binding kinetics are observed. In order to analyze the binding times and unbound times, a researcher must observe the interactions and manually collect the data. This particular method of data collection is tedious and time consuming, thereby making this portion of the experiment the "rate limiting" factor for producing results in a timely manner. As this can take many hours to analyze a one minute long movie, an automated or semi-automated solution would be beneficial to this assay. This paper presents the design and implementation of a semi-automated solution for identifying and tracking a variable number of objects that exhibit a multitude of behaviors, and extracting the specific behaviors of motion and stagnation as well as the duration of these behaviors.
Delayed pedicle screw augmentation after spinal instrumentation for fractures in patients with multiple myeloma.

ultiple myeloma (MM) is a malignancy of plasma cells (mature B cells) that develops inside the bone marrow M and causes increased osteoclastic activity (1). An estimated 20,000 new cases occur each year in the United States (9). Approximately 70% of patients have infiltration of the spine, and a pathologic fracture with acute back pain or neurologic deficit often is the presenting symptom (11). Asymptomatic involvement of the spine may be managed conservatively, but pathologic fractures with associated neurologic deficits or instability may require surgical intervention (10, 14).
NGSUtils: a software suite for analyzing and manipulating next-generation sequencing datasets.

Summary: NGSUtils is a suite of software tools for manipulating data common to next-generation sequencing experiments, such as FASTQ, BED and BAM format files. These tools provide a stable and modular platform for data management and analysis. Availability and implementation: NGSUtils is available under a BSD license and works on Mac OS X and Linux systems. Python 2.6+ and virtualenv are required. More information and source code may be obtained from the website: http://ngsutils.org. Contact: ude.iupui@uilnuy Supplemental information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Family Therapy Training and Supervision Literature: A Comparative Review

The family therapy field is more sophisticated developmentally in its therapeutic methodologies than in the areas of training and supervision. Publications and research efforts on these latter topics have not kept pace with the progress of the clinical aspects of the field. Family therapy training and supervision literature were reviewed and found to be fragmented and disorganized. There is a need for a comprehensive source which would synthesize this literature and compare the existing viewpoints. This paper works toward this end by reviewing, contrasting, and categorizing the available publications according to a series of content areas frequently appearing in the literature. These topic areas are: (1) Goals of Training and Supervision and Skills of the Supervisor; (2) Training and Supervision Techniques; (3) Supervisor-Supervisee Relationship; (4) Personal Therapy for Trainees; (5) Politics of Family Therapy Training; and (6) Evaluation of Training. A comprehensive table is provided to quickly access references in the content area. Recommendations are offered for future efforts in this area.
The Ontology of Vaccine Adverse Events (OVAE) and its usage in representing and analyzing adverse events associated with US-licensed human vaccines.

Background Licensed human vaccines can induce various adverse events (AE) in vaccinated patients. Due to the involvement of the whole immune system and complex immunological reactions after vaccination, it is difficult to identify the relations among vaccines, adverse events, and human populations in different age groups. Many known vaccine adverse events (VAEs) have been recorded in the package inserts of US-licensed commercial vaccine products. To better represent and analyze VAEs, we developed the Ontology of Vaccine Adverse Events (OVAE) as an extension of the Ontology of Adverse Events (OAE) and the Vaccine Ontology (VO).
Analysis of the pKas of aliphatic amines using quantum chemical descriptors

Previous theoretical studies (Gross and Seybold, Int J Quantum Chem 2000, 80, 1107; Gross et al., J Org Chem 2001, 66, 6919; Gross et al., Int J Quantum Chem 2002, 90, 445) demonstrated that variations in several quantum chemical charge and energy indices for substituted anilines were strongly correlated with the experimentally observed pKa variations of these compounds. The present study examines whether a similar analysis can be extended to the pKas of nonaromatic amines. A particular interest will lie in assessing the role of the aqueous solvent in influencing the pKas. It is found that, in general, the quantum chemical indices obtained for the isolated molecules in the aliphatic amines do not correlate strongly with the experimental pKas. However, addition of a solvent model (SM5.4A, Chambers et al., J Phys Chem 1996, 100, 16385) leads to good correlations between the experimental pKas and the energy differences (Eaq) between the neutral amines and their cations. The calculations in this study were performed at both the semiempirical RM1 and density functional B3LYP/6-31G* levels. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem 108: 2849 -2855, 2008
Climbing the ladder of density functional approximations

Kohn–Sham density functional theory is the most widely used method of electronic-structure calculation in materials physics and chemistry because it reduces the many-electron ground-state problem to a computationally tractable self-consistent one-electron problem. Exact in principle for the ground-state energy and electron density, it requires in practice an approximation to the density functional for the exchange-correlation energy. Common approximations fall on the rungs of a ladder, with higher rungs being more complicated to construct and use but potentially more accurate. Each rung of the ladder introduces an additional ingredient to the energy density. From bottom to top, the rungs are (1) the local spin density approximation, (2) the generalized gradient approximation (GGA), (3) the meta-GGA, (4) the hybrid functional, and (5) the generalized random phase approximation. The semi-local rungs (1–3) are important, because they are computationally efficient, they can be constructed non-empirically, they can serve as input to fourth-rung functionals, and the meta-GGA by itself can be accurate for equilibrium properties. Recent and continuing improvements to the meta-GGA are emphasized here.
Quantitative Imaging of Single Live Cells Reveals Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Multistep Signaling Events of Chemoattractant Gradient Sensing in Dictyostelium

Activation of G-protein-coupled chemoattractant receptors triggers dissociation of Galpha and Gbetagamma subunits. These subunits induce intracellular responses that can be highly polarized when a cell experiences a gradient of chemoattractant. Exactly how a cell achieves this amplified signal polarization is still not well understood. Here, we quantitatively measure temporal and spatial changes of receptor occupancy, G-protein activation by FRET imaging, and PIP3 levels by monitoring the dynamics of PH(Crac)-GFP translocation in single living cells in response to different chemoattractant fields. Our results provided the first direct evidence that G-proteins are activated to different extents on the cell surface in response to asymmetrical stimulations. A stronger, uniformly applied stimulation triggers not only a stronger G-protein activation but also a faster adaptation of downstream responses. When naive cells (which have not experienced chemoattractant) were abruptly exposed to stable cAMP gradients, G-proteins were persistently activated throughout the entire cell surface, whereas the response of PH(Crac)-GFP translocation surprisingly consisted of two phases, an initial transient and asymmetrical translocation around the cell membrane, followed by a second phase producing a highly polarized distribution of PH(Crac)-GFP. We propose a revised model of gradient sensing, suggesting an important role for locally controlled components that inhibit PI3Kinase activity.
On-chip vertically coiled solenoid inductors and transformers for RF SoC using 90nm CMOS interconnect technology

This paper presents very small on-chip vertically coiled solenoid inductors (V-solenoid) using 90nm CMOS multilevel interconnect technology. In addition, a variety of areas-saving (10um × 20um) transformers without any additional processing steps are demonstrated: a V-solenoid surrounded by another different inside-diameter V-solenoid (dual-tube transformer), a V-solenoid coiled around another one with same dimensions (a double-helix or DNA-like transformer), and face-to-face V-solenoids (face-to-face transformer). Radio-frequency characteristics were evaluated on the basis of 2-port S-parameter measurements. Measured self-resonance frequencies resulted in higher than 40GHz, and coupling coefficients were larger than 0.6.
AuAl2: Optical Properties and Consideration as a Transparent Electrode Material

AuAl2 is a purple colored intermetallic compound with reasonably high metallic conductivity (σ > 105 Ω−1 cm−1). The optical properties of this material are determined by Kramers-Kronig analysis of reflectance data obtained over a range of photon energies 0.03 < hν < 11 eV. The distinctive color is associated with a reflectance minimum in the green, λ ≈ 550 nm (hν ≈ 2.2 eV). Near this wavelength, AuAl2 also exhibits a minimum in its absorption coefficient of value ≈ 3.7 × 105 cm−1 which is low for metals with comparable electrical conductivity. This material in thin film form may be of possible interest in radiation sensing devices which require electrodes with reasonable transparency in the visible spectral region. AuAl2 ist eine purpurfarbige intermetallische Verbindung mit ziemlich hoher metallischer Leitfahigkeit (σ > 105 Ω−1 cm−1). Die optischen Eigenschaften dieses Materials werden durch die Kramers-Kronig-Analyse von Reflexionsmessungen im Photonenenergie-Bereich von 0,03 < hν < 11 eV bestimmt. Die besondere Farbe ist mit einem Reflexionsminimum bei λ = 550 nm (grun) (hν ≈ 2,2 eV) verbunden. In der Nahe dieser Wellenlange zeigt AuAl2 auch ein Minimum in seinem Absorptionskoeffizienten mit dem Wert ≈ 3,7 × 105 cm−1, welcher gering ist fur Metalle mit vergleichbarer elektrischer Leitfahigkeit. Dieses Material in Dunnschichtanordnung ist moglicherweise von Interesse fur Strahlungsmessungsvorrichtungen, welche Elektroden mit ausreichender Durchlassigkeit im sichtbaren Spektralgebiet benotigen.
Ground and excited state electronic spectra of perylenediimide dimers with flexible and rigid geometries in DNA conjugates

The structure and electronic spectra of six DNA conjugates possessing two face-to-face perylenediimide (PDI) chromophores have been investigated. Structures of hairpins possessing two adjacent PDI base analogues opposite a tetrahydrofuran abasic site on the same or opposite strands were simulated using molecular dynamics. These structures are compared with those previously reported for a duplex and hairpin dimer possessing PDI linkers. The minimized structures all have face-to-face PDI geometries but differ in the torsional angle between PDI long axes and the offset between PDI centers. These structures provide the basis for analysing differences in the electronic spectra of the PDI dimers both in the ground state (UV-Vis and circular dichroism spectra) and excited state (fluorescence and transient absorption) determined in aqueous buffer and in the denaturing solvent dimethyl sulfoxide. PDI dimers with rigid structures and large PDI–PDI torsional angles display large effects of exciton coupling in their UV-Vis and CD spectra and also display split transient absorption bands; whereas PDI dimers with smaller PDI–PDI torsional angles and flexible structures display weaker UV-Vis and CD exciton coupling and a single transient absorption band. The excimer fluorescence maxima and decay times for all of these DNA–PDI constructs are similar.
Impact of plant derivatives on the growth of foodborne pathogens and the functionality of probiotics

Numerous studies have been published on the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of various plant components. However, there is relatively little information on the impact of such components on the enhancement of probiotics and production of antimicrobial compounds from these probiotics. Hence, this paper focuses on the influence of plant-derived components against pathogens, enhancement of cell viability and functionality of probiotics, and potential applications of such components in food safety and human health.
Application-oriented multimedia scheduling over lossy wireless networks

This work seeks a better understanding of the relations between the better network service provided by QoS-oriented wireless packet scheduling and the actual benefits perceived by the multimedia applications that use them. Through extensive simulations driven by real (multimedia and wireless channel error) traces, we observe that in general, there is a performance gap between application perceived QoS and network QoS provided by the wireless fair packet scheduler. This gap tends to increase further as the channel error rate aggravates. The exact distribution of channel errors greatly affects the multimedia application performance, but its impact on network QoS is much smaller. We then present the solution, which is based on idealized weighted fair queuing (IWFQ) to further improve three popular multimedia applications' performance.
Ultrastructural characteristics of the luteal phase endometrium in patients undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation.

Abstract Objective: To provide a descriptive analysis of the ultrastructure of the endometrial surface epithelium during the luteal phase from patients undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH). Design: Prospective, observational study. Setting: Tertiary care academic IVF center. Patient(s): Twelve oocyte donors undergoing COH. Intervention(s): After oocyte aspiration, patients underwent two endometrial biopsies 2 to 7 days after hCG administration. Main Outcome Measure(s): Appearance of the endometrial epithelial surface as evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. Result(s): Endometrial maturation proceeded in an orderly manner. The ciliated cells remained unchanged, both in regards to cell density, cilia density, and ratio of ciliated cells to nonciliated cells. The microvilli became more uniformly distributed as the luteal phase progressed. The central aspect of the cells also appeared to protrude more into the endometrial lumen as the cycle progressed. Elongation the glandular orifices also was noted with progression of the luteal phase. Apical protrusions, pinopods, were noted to develop and regress during a short period during the midluteal phase spanning days 4 to 7 after hCG administration. Initial pinopod development began in the region of the glandular orifices, with substantially fewer occurring outside this region. Conclusion(s): Although the development of the endometrial ultrastructural characteristics during the luteal phase progresses in an orderly manner that is comparable to that of endometrium obtained in unstimulated cycles, pinopod expression was noted at an earlier phase of endometrial maturation. This advanced development may result in an alteration the window of implantation and affect pregnancy rates in women undergoing COH.
Mortality of large-artery complication (aortic aneurysm, aortic dissection, and/or large-artery stenosis) in patients with giant cell arteritis: A population-based study over 50 years

Objective To determine the mortality of giant cell arteritis (GCA) with large-artery complication compared with that of GCA without large-artery complication. Methods An inception cohort of 168 residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota, in whom GCA was diagnosed between January 1, 1950, and December 31, 1999, was followed up. Mortality in patients with incident large-artery complication (aortic aneurysm, aortic dissection, and large-artery stenosis) was determined and compared with that in patients in whom large-artery complication did not develop. Results No difference in survival was observed between the total group of patients with any type of large-artery complication and patients without large-artery complication or the general population. However, mortality was markedly increased in the 9 patients in whom thoracic aortic dissection developed (median survival 1.1 years [interquartile range 0.2–7.8 years]) compared with that in all other patients with GCA (P < 0.001). No difference in survival was observed between the group of patients with either aortic aneurysm and/or dissection (thoracic and/or abdominal aorta) and the group with GCA without large-artery complication. Survival of patients with GCA and large-artery stenosis was not different from that of patients with GCA without large-artery complication. Conclusion Thoracic aortic dissection in GCA is associated with markedly increased mortality. Overall, mortality in the whole group of patients with GCA with large-artery complication was similar to that in patients with GCA without large-artery complication.
Expression of Functional Na + /K + -ATPase in Yeast

Investigations of the structure and mechanism of the Na+/K+-ATPase (sodium pump) have been greatly facilitated by the determination of the amino acid sequences of the a and β subunits of the enzyme using recombinant DNA methodologies (13,18–20). The availability of cloned DNAs for different isoforms of each subunit has made it possible for investigators to transfect these DNAs into cells, either in their unmodified forms or in forms containing specific mutations, for subsequent analysis of the structural basis of pump activity. Several heterologous expression systems for Na+/K+-ATPase have been examined by different investigators, and certain experimental advantages may be attributed to each one of these. Because all animal cells contain endogenous Na+/K+-ATPase molecules that might contribute to the measured activity in the heterologous expression system, however, the choice of the most appropriate expression cell is not obvious. We had previously observed that the ATPase activity measured in membranes from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was not inhibited by ouabain and that no highaffinity binding sites for [3H]ouabain could be detected in yeast membranes. These observations indicated that yeast cells do not contain endogenous Na+/K+-ATPase. Therefore, in order to avoid potential problems that may arise from the heterologous expression of the Na+/K+-ATPase in the presence of endogenous pump subunits, an expression system for Na+/K+-ATPase was developed using the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
RESPONSE SELECTIVITY FOR MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS OF FREQUENCY SWEEPS IN THE PALLID BAT INFERIOR COLLICULUS

1. While hunting, the pallid bat uses passive sound localization at low frequencies to find terrestrial prey, and echolocation for general orientation. It must therefore process two different types of acoustic input at the same time. The pallid bat's echolocation pulse is a downward frequency-modulated (FM) sweep from 60 to 30 kHz. This study examined the response selectivity of single neurons in the pallid bat's central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (ICC) for FM sweeps, comparing the response properties of the high-frequency population, tuned to the biosonar pulse, with the low-frequency population, tuned below the pulse. The working hypothesis was that the high-frequency population would exhibit a response selectivity for downward FM sweeps that was not present in the low-frequency population. 2. Neurons were tested for their selectivity for FM sweep direction, duration, frequency range and bandwidth, and rate of frequency change. The extent to which they responded exclusively to tones, noise, and FM sweeps was also examined. Significant differences in the response properties of neurons in the two populations were found. In the low-frequency population, all neurons responded to tones, but only 50% responded to FM sweeps. Only 23% were selective for sweep direction. In the high-frequency population, all neurons responded to FM sweeps, but 31% did not respond to tones. Over one-half of this population was selective for sweep direction, and of those that were selective, all preferred the downward sweep direction of the biosonar pulse. A large percentage (31%) responded exclusively to downward sweeps, and not to tones or upward sweeps. None of the cells in either population responded to noise, or did so only at very high relative thresholds. 3. Both populations contained neurons that were selective for short stimulus durations that approximated the duration of the biosonar pulse, although the percentage was greater in the high-frequency population (58% vs. 20%). In the high-frequency population, 31% of the neurons tested for duration responded exclusively to both the sweep direction and duration of the biosonar pulse. 4. Downward FM-selective neurons, with one exception, were generally insensitive to the rate of frequency change of the FM sweep, as well as the frequency range and bandwidth of the sweep. They responded similarly to both the full 60- to 30-kHz sweep and to 5-kHz bandwidth portions of the full sweep.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Choosing to Choose: The Effects of Decoys and Prior Choice on Deferral

Sellers are often more interested in inducing buyers to make a choice-any choice-than in influencing which option they choose. For example, many retailers are more concerned about maximizing customer purchases within categories than influencing which brand is purchased in any particular category. Although this issue is important to researchers and practitioners, research on how contextual factors, such as decoys and prior decisions, affect whether consumers will "choose to choose" is scarce. We propose a reference-dependent model to fill this gap. This model unites several streams of research and leads to novel predictions that are tested and supported in four experiments. The paper concludes with a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications of the findings. Data, as supplemental material, are available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2015.2289 . This paper was accepted by Pradeep Chintagunta, marketing.
Sensory load hierarchy-based classification of schizophrenia patients

Schizophrenia is currently diagnosed by physicians through evaluation of their clinical assessment and a patient's self-reported experience over the longitudinal course of the illness. There is great interest in identifying biologically based markers at illness onset, rather than relying on the evolution of symptoms across time. Functional connectivity shows promise in providing individual subject predictive power. However, the majority of previous studies considered only the analysis of functional connectivity during resting-state or performance of a single task. Changes in connectivity between rest and multiple tasks have not been used in the discrimination of schizophrenia patients from healthy controls. In this work, we propose a framework for classification of schizophrenia patients and healthy control subjects based on functional network component pairs which show consistency between patients and controls across levels of the resting-state data and task hierarchy. Our results show that these functional network components as a function of task contain valuable information for individual prediction of schizophrenia patients. Such information is useful for training and replicates in testing. Performance was improved significantly (up to ∼20%) relative to a single FNC (resting-state) measure.