cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract TP304: The Challenge of Stroke Transitions from the Healthcare Provider’s Perspective: A Qualitative Study

Background: Inadequate transitional care contributes to poor patient outcomes including hospital readmissions, delayed recovery, and reduced quality of life. We report perspectives from healthcare providers on challenges and stroke educational needs which were collected to inform an intervention study designed to improve stroke transitions following discharge to home. Methods: During the development phase of the Michigan Stroke Transitions Trial (MISTT), a randomized trial testing a Social Work Case Management (SWCM) intervention, we convened 4 stakeholder meetings with healthcare providers. We aimed to understand provider perspectives regarding patient and system-level challenges and to identify patient educational needs. Michigan providers, including social workers, nurses, neurologists, physiatrists, rehabilitation therapists, and managers were invited to attend the focus groups. Transcriptions were analyzed for common patient and system-level challenges (themes) using qualitative methods and educational needs were determined. Results: Thirty-four providers, representing hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, nursing homes, and home healthcare agencies, attended the 4 meetings. They identified 43 patient-level, 36 healthcare-level, and 13 community-level challenges. The most common challenges were related to medical follow-up (n=10), consistency of care planning across settings (n=10), ability of patients to retain information (n=10), and unrealistic patient expectations (n=10). The most common stroke educational needs were stroke signs and symptoms recognition (n=10), post-stroke expectations (n=10), stroke risk factors (n=9), and post-stroke depression (n=9). Common medication topics included strategies for medication management (n=13), understanding the importance of medications (n=12), managing side effects (n=7), and communicating with physicians (n=5). Conclusion: These data were essential in directing the scope and organization of the MISTT case management intervention. Addressing common challenges and targeting stroke educational needs offers the best opportunity for in-home transitional support to maximize stroke recovery during the early transitional period.
Thirty-Day Readmission Among Patients With Non-Variceal Upper Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage and Effects on Outcomes

Background & Aims We aimed to determine the rate of hospital readmission within 30 days of non-variceal upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage and its impact on mortality, morbidity, and health care use in the United States. Methods We performed a retrospective study using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Readmission Database for the year 2014 (data on 14.9 million hospital stays at 2048 hospitals in 22 states). We collected data on hospital readmissions of 203,220 adults who were hospitalized for urgent non-variceal upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage and discharged. The primary outcome was rate of all-cause readmission within 30 days of discharge. Secondary outcomes were reasons for readmission, readmission mortality rate, morbidity (shock and prolonged mechanical ventilation) and resource use (length of stay and total hospitalization costs and charges). Independent risk factors for readmission were identified using Cox regression analysis. Results The 30-day rate of readmission was 13%. Only 18% of readmissions were due to recurrent non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding. The rate of death among patients readmitted to the hospital (4.7%) was higher than that for index admissions (1.9%) (P Conclusions In a retrospective study of patients hospitalized for non-variceal upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage, 13% are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge. Readmission is associated with higher mortality, morbidity, and resource use. Most readmissions are not for recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding.
Spinal Biologics in Minimally Invasive Lumbar Surgery

As the use of minimally invasive spine (MIS) fusion approaches continues to grow, increased scrutiny is being placed on its outcomes and efficacies against traditional open fusion surgeries. While there are many factors that contribute to the success of achieving spinal arthrodesis, selecting the optimal fusion biologic remains a top priority. With an ever-expanding market of bone graft substitutes, it is important to evaluate each of their use as it pertains to MIS techniques. This review will summarize the important characteristics and properties of various spinal biologics used in minimally invasive lumbar surgeries and compare their fusion rates via a systematic review of published literature.
Characterizing Electrocatalysts with Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy

Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) is a “non-contact” scanning probe technique capable of providing chemical and/or topographic information about surfaces immersed in a solution. It is a powerful in situ and operando tool for obtaining insights into electrocatalytic rates and mechanisms. Herein, examples are given on how SECM can be used to characterize (1) hydrogen oxidation reaction electrocatalysts for fuel-cell applications, (2) oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalysts for water splitting applications, and (3) electrochemical CO2-reducing catalysts. We also report a new operando method of SECM in which we can separate electrochemical reduction of CO2 to CO in aqueous media from parasitic hydrogen evolution as a function of applied potential. Understanding hydrogen evolution suppression is a major challenge in the intelligent design of CO2-reducing electrocatalysts. Via this multireactional SECM technique, we observed the optimal potential window for electrochemically reducing CO2 to CO with ...
Do “high commitment” human resource practices affect employee commitment?

Relying on a cross-level paradigm and on social exchange theory (i.e., perceived organizational support) I explore the relationships among human resource practices, trust-in-management, and organizational commitment. Individual-level analyses from a sample of 1689 employees from 180 credit unions indicate that trust-in-management partially mediates the relationship between perceived organizational support and organizational commitment. Cross-level analyses using hierarchical linear modeling indicate that human resource practices affect the relationship between perceived organizational support and organizational commitment or trust-in-management.
ANTINOCICEPTIVE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF SUBCUTANEOUS TRAMADOL IN CHINCHILLAS (CHINCHILLA LANIGERA)

Abstract Tramadol has been demonstrated to provide analgesia in rats and mice and has been increasingly used in other small companion mammals for treatment of moderate to severe pain. Currently no evidence is available that supports the use of tramadol as an effective analgesic in chinchillas. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antinociceptive efficacy and safety of subcutaneously administered tramadol in chinchillas. Initial dose-escalation studies were performed to determine if dose-dependent adverse effects occur in chinchillas. At 60 mg/kg subcutaneously (SC), but not at lower doses, tramadol induced clinically significant dose-limiting adverse effects, consisting of whole body tremors and facial muscle fasciculation. Therefore, in a subsequent analgesimetry experiment, tramadol was evaluated at a single dose of 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg SC in a randomized, blinded, controlled, complete crossover design. Thermal antinociceptive efficacy was determined by measuring hindlimb withdrawal latencies following a thermal noxious stimulus (Hargreaves’ method) at 0, 1, 2, 4, and 8 hours after drug administration. Changes in daily food intake and fecal output following tramadol administration were measured. At 10 to 40 mg/kg SC no thermal antinociceptive effects could be demonstrated. A self-limiting and transient significant reduction in food intake and fecal output occurred in a dose-dependent manner when tramadol was administered at 20 and 40 mg/kg. Based on the results of this study tramadol cannot be recommended as an analgesic drug in chinchillas.
Association between treatment facility volume and mortality in patients with glioblastoma (GBM): A large national analysis.

2026Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive primary malignancy of the brain, treated with surgical resection and chemo-radiotherapy, yet it has a dismal prognosis of 12-14 month overall sur...
Short Tandem Repeats Information in TCGA is Statistically Biased by Amplification

The current paradigm in data science is based on the belief that given sufficient amounts of data, classifiers are likely to uncover the distinction between true and false hypotheses. In particular, the abundance of genomic data creates opportunities for discovering disease risk associations and help in screening and treatment. However, working with large amounts of data is statistically beneficial only if the data is statistically unbiased. Here we demonstrate that amplification methods of DNA samples in TCGA have a substantial effect on short tandem repeat (STR) information. In particular, we design a classifier that uses the STR information and can distinguish between samples that have an analyte code D and an analyte code W. This artificial bias might be detrimental to data driven approaches, and might undermine the conclusions based on past and future genome wide studies.
Criminal Justice in Gotham: The Role of the Dark Knight

Of all the facets of the Dark Knight’s life and career as the protector of Gotham City, none is more interesting than his relationship with the police department and how he conducts himself alongside and in contrast to his official counterparts. In his more rational moments, Batman’s description of his role resembles police officers or detectives, limiting himself to solving crimes and apprehending suspects. He explained to a young Dick Grayson that “the people we’re after have broken the law. It’s our job to find them, stop them, and arrest them. Do your job well, and you make that arrest stick. Do your job badly… and you might not get a second chance.” Even the classic images of Batman thwarting a mugging or robbery, and then leaving the assailant tied up and hanging from a lamp pole with a note attached to the police with a bat-symbol on it, symbolize this aspect of his behavior—as does his reputation as the World’s Greatest Detective, solving crimes already committed and helping the police find the suspect.
Merging network governance and systems analysis for urban water management

ABSTRACTMetropolitan regions have diverse governance systems comprised of many organisations. In western North American cities, networks of water supply agencies are highly complex. Agencies face future challenges, especially promoting alternative water sources to cope with imported water scarcity and population growth. How might such operational changes affect existing management structures? Answering this question requires integrated analysis of resource management systems, combining network governance and operations research techniques. This paper presents an analysis of changes to network governance that could result from shifts to alternative local water supplies in the metropolitan Los Angeles region. The analysis investigates ⁠potential changes in governance for LA’s water supply across future management and operational scenarios. It presents the novel concept of dynamic centrality to understand how network governance interactions could vary across changes in operational scenarios of water availabi...
Resonant nonlinear refraction of 4.3-μm light in CO 2 gas

We use time- and frequency-resolved measurements of self-focusing and self-defocusing of 4.3-\ensuremath{\mu}m radiation in ${\mathrm{CO}}_{2}$ gas to study the resonant nonlinear optical response in the vicinity of individual rovibrational lines. Measurements over a range of lines on the $4P$ and $4R$ branch of the 000-001 transition indicate that the nonlinear response of ${\mathrm{CO}}_{2}$ is strongly affected by power broadening, resulting in a sign reversal of the nonlinearity as compared to that of a saturable two-level system.
Understanding and Improving Financial Literacy With Respect to Healthcare Expenditures in Retirement

Health care costs are an increasingly significant category of expenditures for retirees. Studies have demonstrated that many retirees face a shortfall with respect to these out-of-pocket health care expenses, but there has been little investigation into why. Are retirees unable to save for or otherwise finance such expenditures or are they unaware of the magnitude of likely future expenditures? This article explores this question by examining what individuals approaching and in retirement expect with regard to their own future out-of-pocket health care expenditures in retirement. By conducting a survey of 2000 individuals ages 40 to 80 through Rand Corporation’s American Life Panel, this study ascertains respondents’ expectations regarding insurance coverage and health care expenditures in retirement and compares their answers to policy experts’ estimates. While, respondents’ answers neared experts’ estimates on some dimensions, such as median monthly expenditures, there was a significant discrepancy on others, including in lump-sum estimations and expectations regarding long-term care costs. Furthermore, responses signaled a greater gap between expectations and likely expenditures for women and younger cohorts. Finally, respondents failed to differentiate between sources of uncertainty in spending due to high individual costs, policy changes, or health care inflation, and underestimated the possible effects of these sources of uncertainty on individual expenditures. These results suggest and the article discusses important implications for financial education, health care policy, and further research.
Bayesian calibration of a physics-based crystal plasticity and damage model

Abstract In this work, we present a model parameter calibration procedure for a physics-based crystal plasticity model. The calibration process utilizes a powerful statistics-based Bayesian calibration method. Calibration of the crystal plasticity parameters makes use of experimentally-measured data, i.e. compressive stress–strain response, from 〈 100 〉 and 〈 123 〉 single crystal copper dynamically loaded via Kolsky bar tests. The calibration of damage parameters is achieved using experimentally-measured free-surface velocity history data from plate impact test on 〈 100 〉 and 〈 110 〉 single crystal copper, which generates shock compression followed by dynamic tensile failure. A validation assessment is then carried out by comparing the calibrated model predictions and experimental measurements of the dynamic tensile damage generated in an impacted bicrystal copper plate. Lastly, a model-informed rationale for the experimentally-observed dependence of the spatial distribution of ductile damage (porosity) on crystallography is provided.
SPARTQA: A Textual Question Answering Benchmark for Spatial Reasoning

This paper proposes a question-answering (QA) benchmark for spatial reasoning on natural language text which contains more realistic spatial phenomena not covered by prior work and is challenging for state-of-the-art language models (LM). We propose a distant supervision method to improve on this task. Specifically, we design grammar and reasoning rules to automatically generate a spatial description of visual scenes and corresponding QA pairs. Experiments show that further pretraining LMs on these automatically generated data significantly improves LMs’ capability on spatial understanding, which in turn helps to better solve two external datasets, bAbI, and boolQ. We hope that this work can foster investigations into more sophisticated models for spatial reasoning over text.
1166-P: Immunoproteasome Function in the Liver: A Proteomics Analysis

The liver is a key metabolic organ with functions in glucose and lipid metabolism, and whose dysfunction and inflammation are intimately linked to many metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The immunoproteasome is an inducible type of proteasome that plays crucial roles in homeostasis, immunity, and inflammation. The immunoproteasome incorporates three catalytic β subunits; LMP2, MECL1, and LMP7 which replace the proteasome subunits β1, β2, and β5, respectively, in the presence of inflammatory cytokines. We previously showed that mTORC1 promotes immunoproteasome formation, indicating that nutritional status regulates immunoproteasome abundance. Despite its strong relevance to disease, the functions of the immunoproteasome remain poorly understood. In this study we sought to illuminate the functions of the immunoproteasome in hepatocyte metabolism through multiplexed proteomics using LMP2-/- primary mouse hepatocytes. Through Reactome Pathway and GO Biological Process analysis, we found that LMP2 depletion in primary hepatocytes reduces the abundance of proteins involved in glucose metabolism and detoxification of reactive oxygen species while increasing abundance of proteins involved in mitochondrial biogenesis, TCA cycle and electron transport chain, mitochondrial and peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation, and the unfolded protein response. Under interferon γ (IFNγ)-stimulated conditions, proteins in keratinization and apoptosis were reduced suggesting reduced inflammation in LMP2-/- hepatocytes, and proteins in fatty acid and amino acid metabolism are increased. Combined, these results suggest that the immunoproteasome might play important roles in hepatic metabolism. Disclosure A. Edmund: None. C. Yun: None. D. Kim: None. Funding American Diabetes Association (1-19-IBS-071 to D-H.K.); National Institutes of Health (5T32DK007203-40)
A Theory-guided Deep Neural Network for Time Domain Electromagnetic Simulation and Inversion Using a Differentiable Programming Platform

In this communication, a trainable theory-guided recurrent neural network (RNN) equivalent to the finite-difference-time-domain (FDTD) method is exploited to formulate electromagnetic propagation, solve Maxwell’s equations and the inverse problem on differentiable programming platform Pytorch. For forward modeling, the computation efficiency is substantially improved compared to conventional FDTD implemented on Matlab. Gradient computation becomes more precise and faster than the traditional finite difference method benefiting from the accurate and efficient automatic differentiation on the differentiable programming platform. Moreover, by setting the trainable weights of RNN as the material-related parameters, an inverse problem can be solved through training the network. Numerical results demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the method for forward and inverse electromagnetic modeling.
Energy Optimization for Optical Receivers Based on a Cherry-Hooper Emitter Follower Transimpedance Amplifier Front-end in 130-nm SiGe HBT Technology

We present an interpretation of conventional figure-of-merit (FOM) and average input-referred noise current density (IRNCD) that characterizes optical receivers to determine how technologies and circuits best address energy efficiency. A design methodology is presented for differential optical receivers based on Cherry-Hooper Emitter Follower (CHEF) front-end designs targeting 56-Gbps applications is realized in a 130-nm SiGe BiCMOS process. The electrical measurements in a 50- $\Omega$ environment demonstrate data rates up to 112 Gbps and 84 Gbps for two design variants. In an open input and maximum gain configuration, the rms input referred noise currents are 3.59 $\mu$ $A_{RMS}$ and 2.41 $\mu$ $A_{RMS}$ and the corresponding average input referred noise current densities are 17.25 $pA/\sqrt{Hz}$ and 12.86 $pA/\sqrt{Hz}$ . The packaged electro-optical measurements of the receiver variants is carried out with a single commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) photodetector demonstrate open eyes at data rates up to 64 Gbps. At 60 Gbps, the receiver variants achieve a $BER and $BER . The total power consumption for the variants are 162 mW and 138 mW for overall energy efficiencies (with respect to electro-optical performance) of 2.53 $pJ/bit$ and 2.3 $pJ/bit$ .
System Engineering Challenges of Future Space Missions

A viewgraph presentation on the system engineering challenges that face NASA's future space missions is shown. The topics include: 1) Future Space Missions; 2) Trends; and 3) Developing System Engineers.
Oceanographic Evaluation of Geoid Surfaces in the Western North Atlantic

An accurate gravimetric model is required for altimetric determination of surface current velocities. Three models of varying resolution and accuracy are evaluated in the western North Atlantic on the basis of oceanographic information.
A Systems Framework for the Study of Economic and Social Dynamics of Biotechnology

Over the last few decades there has been a growing recognition of the need for a systemic approach to the study of economic growth and technological change. Various explicitly or implicitly systemic interpretations have been offered in the literature, including industrial districts (Marshall 1890), development blocs (Dahme n 1950, 1989), technological systems (Hughes 1987), techno-economic paradigms/systems (Freeman, Perez 1988), and techno-economic networks.
Maximizing Intensity in TiO2 Waveguides for Nonlinear Optics

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) represents an attractive candidate for nonlinear optical devices due to its large refractive index and large Kerr nonlinearity. These properties can strongly enhance confinement and nonlinear interactions. TiO2 also possesses high transparency, exhibiting no linear absorption within the entire visible spectrum and no two-photon absorption at wavelengths above 800 nm. Considering these qualities, TiO2 is capable of outperforming most other widely transparent materials, such as fused silica, silicon nitride, and diamond. Using electron beam lithography and a liftoff procedure followed by reactive ion etching, we structure both amorphous TiO2 as well as polycrystalline anatase thin films to create photonic devices that exploit this material’s properties in order to study nonlinear optics (Bradley et al. Opt Express 20:23821–23831, 2012; Evans et al. Opt Express, submitted) Nonlinear optics benefit from prolonged interactions, necessitating large intensities along extended waveguide lengths. For this reason, waveguide losses need to be minimized. We study the effects of mask materials and annealing procedures on waveguide propagation losses. We also study a variety of taper structures and optimize the insertion losses of these waveguides. For ultrafast pulses, dispersion becomes an important parameter since strong dispersion can elongate a pulse and lower the large peak intensities needed for nonlinear optics. Within nano-scale structures, this parameter can be tailored without difficulty by changing the waveguide geometry. We present a finite-element analysis that demonstrates the geometries necessary to obtain negligible or anomalous dispersion and thus maintain large pulse intensities. These techniques can readily be applied to other novel photonic material platforms.
Using Celebrity News Stories to Effectively Reduce Racial/Ethnic Prejudice

This article argues that exposure to admirable media celebrities from racial/ethnic outgroups is an effective, proactive, and viable strategy for prejudice reduction and intergroup harmony. It uses mediated contact and exemplification theories to demonstrate that reading news stories about likable outgroup media personalities who serve as counter-stereotypic exemplars can subtly modify racial attitudes, which are malleable and context-sensitive. Specifically, results from a between-participants experiment (N = 88) show that exposure to news stories about counter-stereotypic African American media personalities as compared to stereotypical ones reduces stereotypical perceptions and symbolic racist beliefs of White Americans about African Americans. Furthermore, these favorable attitudes translate into an increased willingness to support affirmative action policies.
Identification, analysis, and use of nuclear export signals in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Publisher Summary The study of nuclear-cytoplasmic transport has been made tremendous progress and a great deal about the factors that are involved in these trafficking events has been learned. Many proteins shuttle between the cytoplasm and the nucleus. Many of these import and export events are highly regulated. To understand the biological significance of these regulatory steps, it is essential that one characterize the signals in the transported proteins and analyze the pathways that mediate the corresponding trafficking events. The chapter presents the protocols to identify and characterize nuclear export signals (NESs) in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae . These protocols are useful to analyze NES motifs in proteins that can be localized to the cytoplasm, at least under certain growth conditions. If a protein is inside the nucleus at steady state, other techniques are available to study the potential shuttling behavior, for example, with the help of a well-established heterokaryon assay.
Rural extension services

Anderson and Feder analyze the considerations that lead policymakers to undertake extension investments as a key public responsibility, as well as the complex set of factors and intra-agency incentives that explain why different extension systems' performance vary. The authors provide a conceptual framework outlining farmers' demand for information, the welfare economic characterizations of extension services, and the organizational and political attributes that govern the performance of extension systems. They use the conceptual framework to examine several extension modalities and to analyze their likely and actual effectiveness. Specifically, the modalities reviewed include "training and visit" extension, decentralized systems, "fee-for-service" and privatized extension, and farmer-field-schools. The authors also discuss methodological issues pertaining to the assessment of extension outcomes and review the empirical literature on extension impact. They emphasize the efficiency gains that can come from locally decentralized delivery systems with incentive structures based largely on private provision that in most poorer countries is still publicly-funded. In wealthier countries, and for particular higher income farmer groups, extension systems will likely evolve into fee-for-service organizations. This paper - a joint product of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department and Rural Development, Development Research Group - is part of a larger effort in the Bank to study the opportunities and challenges facing agricultural extension.
The Potential Role of Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics in People With Schizophrenia and Comorbid Substance Use

Objective: Treatment of schizophrenia in patients with comorbid substance use (alcohol/illicit drug use, abuse, or dependence) presents challenges for public health systems. Substance use in people with schizophrenia is up to four times greater than the general population and is associated with medication nonadherence and poor outcomes. Therefore, continuous antipsychotic treatment in this population may pose more of a challenge than for those with schizophrenia alone. Many clinical trials and treatment recommendations in schizophrenia do not take into consideration substance use, as people with comorbid substance use have typically been excluded from most antipsychotic trials. Nonetheless, antipsychotic treatment appears to be as efficacious in this population, although treatment discontinuation remains high. The objective of this review was to highlight the importance and utility of considering long-acting injectable antipsychotics for patients with schizophrenia and comorbid substance use. Methods: We ...
“I Disrespectfully Agree”: The Differential Effects of Partisan Sorting on Social and Issue Polarization

Disagreements over whether polarization exists in the mass public have confounded two separate types of polarization. When social polarization is separated from issue position polarization, both sides of the polarization debate can be simultaneously correct. Social polarization, characterized by increased levels of partisan bias, activism, and anger, is increasing, driven by partisan identity and political identity alignment, and does not require the same magnitude of issue position polarization. The partisan-ideological sorting that has occurred in recent decades has caused the nation as a whole to hold more aligned political identities, which has strengthened partisan identity and the activism, bias, and anger that result from strong identities, even though issue positions have not undergone the same degree of polarization. The result is a nation that agrees on many things but is bitterly divided nonetheless. An examination of ANES data finds strong support for these hypotheses.
Dystrophin–glycoprotein complex regulates muscle nitric oxide production through mechanoregulation of AMPK signaling

Patients deficient in dystrophin, a protein that links the cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix via the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex (DGC), exhibit muscular dystrophy, cardiomyopathy, and impaired muscle nitric oxide (NO) production. We used live-cell NO imaging and in vitro cyclic stretch of isolated adult mouse cardiomyocytes as a model system to investigate if and how the DGC directly regulates the mechanical activation of muscle NO signaling. Acute activation of NO synthesis by mechanical stretch was impaired in dystrophin-deficient mdx cardiomyocytes, accompanied by loss of stretch-induced neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) S1412 phosphorylation. Intriguingly, stretch induced the acute activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in normal cardiomyocytes but not in mdx cardiomyocytes, and specific inhibition of AMPK was sufficient to attenuate mechanoactivation of NO production. Therefore, we tested whether direct pharmacologic activation of AMPK could bypass defective mechanical signaling to restore nNOS activity in dystrophin-deficient cardiomyocytes. Indeed, activation of AMPK with 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide riboside or salicylate increased nNOS S1412 phosphorylation and was sufficient to enhance NO production in mdx cardiomyocytes. We conclude that the DGC promotes the mechanical activation of cardiac nNOS by acting as a mechanosensor to regulate AMPK activity, and that pharmacologic AMPK activation may be a suitable therapeutic strategy for restoring nNOS activity in dystrophin-deficient hearts and muscle.
Lysolecithin-induced fusion of fibroblasts.

Lysolecithin has been used to induce cell fusion between two metabolically deficient mouse fibroblast lines, A9 and B82. Attempted fusion in suspension led to excessive cell clumping and complete loss of viability. Addition of lysolecithin solutions to confluent monolyers caused extensive detachment of cells from glass or plastic surfaces. At higher levels of lysolecithin few cells survived. When the conditions were controlled (50 to 250 μg per ml for up to 20 min), extensive polykaryocyte formation was observed. In the presence of selective medium (HAT) colonies of hybrid cells grew and a series of cell strains were isolated. The presence of inosinic acid pyrophosphorylase (absent in A9 cells) was demonstrated in the hybrid cells which were shown to have almost double the cell volume of the parent A9 and B82 cells. Unlike the parent cell lines, the hybrid cells grew well in the presence of HAT both as monolayers and in suspension.
Allan J. Yates, MD, PhD, FRCP(C) (1943–2010)

T he fragility of human life sometimes is most evident in sudden and unexpected deaths. Such was the case of our friend and colleague, Allan Yates, who died on August 3, 2010, while traveling with his wife, Charlotte, on an ocean cruise in the High Arctic. Although Allan became an Emeritus Professor in October 2007, he continued to be professionally active in medical education relating to The Ohio State University Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program (IBGP), of which he was the founder and director. Allan J. Yates, MD, PhD, FRCP(C) Allan was born in Calgary in the province of Alberta, Canada. He received his premedical education at the University of Alberta in Calgary, and his medical degree from the same institution, but at the Edmonton campus. Of special importance was a psychiatric externship at Warren State Hospital in Pennsylvania, where he met his future wife, Charlotte. He then went on to the University of Toronto to pursue a PhD in neurochemistry at the Institute of Medical Science and did 6 months of residency …
Scleromyxoedema: treatment of cutaneous and systemic manifestations with high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin.

Summary Scleromyxoedema is a rare disease characterized by cutaneous sclerosis, mucin deposition and paraproteinaemia. Internal disease is common, particularly musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal and central nervous system involvement. We report a series of three consecutive patients with scleromyxoedema treated with high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (hdIVIg). Each of the three patients had relatively low levels of a highly basic IgG-λ paraprotein, and each has demonstrated a sustained response of both their cutaneous and extracutaneous disease to hdIVIg. As all patients had perioral skin involvement and microstomia, one measure of cutaneous improvement was the increase in intraincisor distance. Extracutaneous manifestations of scleromyxoedema that improved included ureteral stricture, vocal strength and dysphagia.
Computer scientist in profile: Mona Singh

Unassuming and soft spoken, you would have a hard time believing that the woman shaking your hand is Mona Singh, a Professor of Computer Science at Princeton University, recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineer in 2001, prolific researcher in bioinformatics, Chairperson of the NIH MABS study section, organizer of various top bioinformatics conferences, such as ISMB and ACM BCB, and esteemed and respected by colleagues across different disciplines intersecting with bioinformatics and computational biology.
Robert G. Edwards (1925–2013)

Robert G. Edwards, who with his colleagues Patrick Steptoe and Jean Purdy enabled the birth of the first "test tube" baby, died on 10 April at his home near Cambridge University in England. He was 87. In 2010, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the team's work, ushering in the era of in vitro fertilization (IVF), which allows infertile couples to have their own biological children. The societal impact of this revolution in human reproduction has been enormous. An estimated 5 million babies have been born as the result of assisted reproductive technologies, a number that will doubtless increase as a result of delayed childbearing. Sadly, due to failing health and dementia, Edwards was unable to attend the Nobel award ceremony, and it is unlikely that he even knew of this great recognition. His wife, Ruth Fowler Edwards (they met as graduate students), and former trainee, Martin H. Johnson, addressed the audience on his behalf, a cruel irony given the unbridled passion with which he spoke and wrote about his work on human reproduction.
Experimental Measurements and Computational Solutions for Aerodynamic Forces on an Ahmed Body at Various Ground Clearances

Reliable computer solutions to external aerodynamic flow fields on road vehicles are extremely desirable to road vehicle designers. In a previous publication a study was performed to validate a Reynolds-averaged unsteady Navier-stokes solution for the aerodynamic characterization of a large-scale bluff body. In the present study, the external aerodynamics of this body as a function of ground clearance are explored. Experimental force measurements are obtained in a full-scale wind tunnel using an Ahmed body model and test conditions representative of full-scale operating conditions. A Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes solver is employed for computational simulation of the external flowfield at the same conditions. Experimental and computational force coefficients versus vehicle ground clearance are presented for fixed ground, moving ground, and suction slot road simulations. Experimental results using boundary layer suction are compared to computational results with a moving ground plane in order to better understand the effect of a road simulation method.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Comparison of cytotoxin genotypes between Helicobacter pylori isolates from gastric biopsy and saliva H. pylori DNA

Comparison of cytotoxin genotypes between Helicobacter pylori isolates from gastric biopsy and saliva H. pylori DNA
Female Combatants and the Perpetration of Violence: Wartime Rape in the Sierra Leone Civil War

Much of the current scholarship on wartime violence, including studies of the combatants themselves, assumes that women are victims and men are perpetrators. However, there is an increasing awareness that women in armed groups may be active fighters who function as more than just cooks, cleaners, and sexual slaves. In this article, the author focuses on the involvement of female fighters in a form of violence that is commonly thought to be perpetrated only by men: the wartime rape of noncombatants. Using original interviews with ex-combatants and newly available survey data, she finds that in the Sierra Leone civil war, female combatants were participants in the widespread conflict-related violence, including gang rape. A growing body of evidence from other conflicts suggests that Sierra Leone is not an anomaly and that women likely engage in conflict-related violence, including sexual violence, more often than is currently believed. Many standard interpretations of wartime rape are undermined by the participation of female perpetrators. To explain the involvement of women in wartime rape, the author argues that women in armed group units face similar pressure to that faced by their male counterparts to participate in gang rape. The study has broad implications for future avenues of research on wartime violence, as well as for policy.
Recent declines in New York City infant mortality rates

Background. Although infant mortality rates have declined gradually in New York City for many years, the rate of that decline began to accelerate dramatically at the end of the 1980s. Objective. To analyze the recent accelerated decline in infant mortality for three race/ethnicity designations in New York City and to investigate whether shifts in birth weight distribution or changes in birth weight-specific death rates were more important in determining these declines between 1988 to 1989 and 1992 to 1993. Methods. Two complete cohorts of linked birth–death certificate files consisting of all live births in New York City in 1988 to 1989 and 1992 to 1993 were examined. For each cohort, separate multinomial logistic regressions were estimated by race/ethnicity to analyze the probability of a neonatal or postneonatal death relative to survival as a function of a spectrum of covariates. The coefficients from these regressions were used to construct direct and indirect standardization exercises to predict changes in infant mortality holding characteristics of the cohort, including birth weight distribution, constant over time, or holding the influence of determinants, including birth weight-specific death rates, constant over time. Results. For whites, Hispanics, and blacks, infant mortality rates declined by 27.4%, 24.8%, and 22.7%, respectively, between 1988 to 1989 and 1992 to 1993. For whites and blacks, the largest decreases occurred for neonatal mortality rates, whereas for Hispanics, postneonatal rates fell the greatest. Although infant mortality rates among very low birth weight infants ( 2500 g). Infant mortality rate declines for this category of infants reached 31%, 31.7%, and 31.3%, respectively, for whites, Hispanics, and blacks. Direct and indirect standardization exercises indicated that the most important factor in determining these declines were decreases in birth weight-specific death rates, not improvements in the birth weight distribution over time. Conclusions. We conclude that the large decreases in infant mortality rates witnessed in New York City between 1988 to 1989 and 1992 to 1993 were attributable not to improvements in birth weight distribution of the population but to declines in birth weight-specific death rates and that normal birth weight infants showed the greatest improvement.
DEVELOPMENTAL STUDIES IN PORPHYRA (BANGIOPHYCEAE). II. CHARACTERIZATIO OF THE MAJOR LECTIN BINDING GLYCOPROTEINS IN DIFFERENTIATED REGIONS OF THE PORPHYRA PERFORATA THALLUS1

Detergent soluble extracts of differentiated regions of the Porphyra perforata J. Ag. thallus (holdfast, rhizoidal, vegetative and reproductive cells) were fractionated on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gels. Glycoproteins were identified by their lectin affinity. Extracts from all areas of the thallus contained glycoproteins, but the staining patterns were different for each region with each of the lectins tested: concanavalin A, Ulex europeaus agglutinin, Ricinus communis agglutinin, soybean agglutinin and peanut agglutinin. These data indicate that the morphologically distinct regions of the thallus also differ biochemically. Analysis of the lectin blots revealed the presence of tissue-specific glycoproteins in the five thallus areas. Such unique glycoproteins could be used as markers of differentiation in this species.
Determination of the organic content of natural waters by a rapid method

Abstract High temperature pyrolysis of organic substances in the presence of the water matrix yields methane, hydrogen, and other small molecular fragments. The pyrolytic products pass through a glass bead column without separation and are measured as a single peak by a flame ionization detector. The procedure is calibrated with solutions similar in composition to the waters being analyzed. The major advantages of the method are rapidity of analysis and high degree of sensitivity as compared to other currently used methods.
Minimizing broadcast latency in ad hoc wireless networks

Network wide broadcasting in ad-hoc wireless networks provides important control and route establishment functionality for a number of unicast and multicast protocols. In broadcasting, a source node sends the same message to all the nodes in the network. Broadcasting based on Minimum Connected Dominating Set (MCDS) is a frequently used approach to reduce the communication overhead. A set of connected nodes in a graph is a connected dominating set, if all the nodes in the graph are either in the set or neighbors of nodes in the set. MCDS is such a set with minimum cardinality. Several broadcasting algorithms in adhoc wireless networks based on neighborhood information use MCDSs. This approach minimizes the total number of transmissions in broadcasting process but it does not guarantee minimum broadcast latency. Minimum latency broadcast is NPhard for ad-hoc wireless network [1]. A proper collision-free broadcast scheduling among nodes in MCDS will minimize the broadcast latency. In this paper, we propose a collision-free broadcast scheduling algorithm to minimize the broadcast latency for a given network with the number of transmissions equal to cardinality of MCDS.
Earth science: Ancient mantle in a modern plume

Osmium isotopes record evidence for 2.5-billion-year-old mantle beneath the Azores. The origin of this ancient mantle has implications for the nature and timescale of mantle convection.
Control tests and kinetics of activated sludge process

Basic activated sludge process kinetics of: (1) complete-mix reactor without sludge recycle; (2) complete-mix reactor with sludge recycle; and (3) plug-flow reactor with sludge recycle, are summarized and illustrated. Some related operational tests and control parameters, such as biodegradability, oxygen uptake rate, sludge acclimation, solids and residuals, sludge settling, depth of sludge blanket, sludge units, and substrate utilization rate, are presented and discussed. The kinetics and test methods presented in the second part of the paper are for the determination of mean cell residence time and sludge age, net specific growth rate, sludge production, volumetric loading, recirculation ratio, BOD/COD and BOD/TOC ratios, ultimate BOD of microbial cells, effluent soluble BOD, oxygen requirements, treatment efficiency, yield coefficient and endogenous respiration coefficient, growth parameter, sludge volume index, sludge nitrifying ability, and sludge denitrifying ability. Some academic disputes in this field are also discussed and clarified.
How we broke the BOWS watermark

From December 2005 to March of 2006, the Break Our Watermarking System (BOWS) contest challenged researchers to break an image watermark of unknown design. The attacked images had to possess a minimum quality level of 30 dB PSNR, and the winners would be those of highest average quality over three images. Our research team won this challenge, employing the strategy of reverse-engineering the watermark before any attempts to attack it in earnest. We determined the frequency transform, sub-band, and an exploitable quirk in the detector that made it sensitive to noise spikes. Of interest is our overall methodology of reverse-engineering through severe false alarms, and we introduce a new concept, "superrobustness," which despite its positive name is a security flaw.
Shc and Fak Differentially Regulate Cell Motility and Directionality Modulated by Pten

Cell migration is modulated by regulatory molecules such as growth factors, oncogenes, and the tumor suppressor PTEN. We previously described inhibition of cell migration by PTEN and restoration of motility by focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and p130 Crk-associated substrate (p130Cas). We now report a novel pathway regulating random cell motility involving Shc and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase, which is downmodulated by PTEN and additive to a FAK pathway regulating directional migration. Overexpression of Shc or constitutively activated MEK1 in PTEN- reconstituted U87-MG cells stimulated integrin- mediated MAP kinase activation and cell migration. Conversely, overexpression of dominant negative Shc inhibited cell migration; Akt appeared uninvolved. PTEN directly dephosphorylated Shc. The migration induced by FAK or p130Cas was directionally persistent and involved extensive organization of actin microfilaments and focal adhesions. In contrast, Shc or MEK1 induced a random type of motility associated with less actin cytoskeletal and focal adhesion organization. These results identify two distinct, additive pathways regulating cell migration that are downregulated by tumor suppressor PTEN: one involves Shc, a MAP kinase pathway, and random migration, whereas the other involves FAK, p130Cas, more extensive actin cytoskeletal organization, focal contacts, and directionally persistent cell motility. Integration of these pathways provides an intracellular mechanism for regulating the speed and the directionality of cell migration.
Vector measures and the strong operator topology

A fundamental result of Nigel Kalton is used to establish a result for operator valued measures which has improved versions of the Vitali-Hahn-Saks Theorem, Phillips's Lemma, the Orlicz-Pettis Theorem and other classical results as straightforward corollaries.
Catalysis of the oxidation of triphenylphosphine and of trimethyl phosphite by hydrogen peroxide in the presence of FeIII compounds

Abstract The oxidation of triphenylphosphine to the corresponding oxide in pyridine is faster in the presence of Fe III compounds, especially FeCl 3 . Even greater effects are seen for the oxidation of trimethyl phosphite.