cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Glycosidase activities of the 293 and NS0 cell lines, and of an antibody-producing hybridoma cell line.

We have previously demonstrated that Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lysates harbor sialidase, beta-galactosidase, beta-hexosaminidase, and fucosidase activities that can accumulate extracellularly in CHO cell culture, thereby potentially leading to extracellular modification of glycoprotein oligosaccharides. The sialidase activity in CHO cell lysates was surprisingly active and stable at pH 7.5, with a half-life of 57 h at 37 degrees C.We have extended this work to determine whether 293, NS0, or hybridoma cell lysates contain similar glycosidase activities. The pH-activity profiles of beta-galactosidase and beta-hexosaminidase in lysates of these three cell lines resemble the pH-activity profiles for these enzymes in CHO cell lysate, whereas the pH-activity profiles of sialidase and fucosidase appear to be cell-type dependent. Sialidase activities were relatively stable at pH 4.5 in 293, NS0, and hybridoma cell lysates. However, the activities in 293 and NS0 cell lysates were unstable at pH 7.5, with no activity remaining after a 2-h incubation at 37 degrees C. The sialidase activity in hybridoma cell lysate was moderately stable at pH 7.5 with 30% of the activity remaining after a 2-h incubation at 37 degrees C. We conclude that the sialidase activites from 293, NS0, and hybridoma cells have characteristics similar to the vast majority of reported mammalian sialidase activities, and that these activities are markedly differant from the CHO cell sialidase activity.Finally, sialidase, beta-galactosidase, beta-hexosaminidase, and fucosidase activities were measured at pH 7 in cell-free bioreactor supernatants of the hybridoma cell line. As previously observed in CHO cell culture, all four glycosidase activities were present in the hybridoma supernatants. However, the sialidase activity in hybridoma supernatant was an order of magnitude lower than in CHO cell culture supernatant despite the fact that the hybridoma cell lysis rate was an order of magnitude higher. (c) 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Creation of tunable absolute bandgaps in a two-dimensional anisotropic photonic crystal modulated by a nematic liquid crystal

Photonic crystals (PCs) have many potential applications because of their ability to control light-wave propagation. We have investigated the tunable absolute bandgap in a two-dimensional anisotropic photonic crystal structures modulated by a nematic liquid crystal. The PC structure composed of an anisotropic-dielectric cylinder in the liquid crystal medium is studied by solving Maxwell's equations using the plane wave expansion method. The photonic band structures are found to exhibit absolute bandgaps for the square and triangular lattices. Numerical simulations show that the absolute bandgaps can be continuously tuned in the square and triangular lattices consisting of anisotropic-dielectric cylinders by infiltrating nematic liquid crystals. Such a mechanism of bandgap adjustment should open up a new application for designing components in photonic integrated circuits.
Validation of a Remote Sensing Based Index of Forest Disturbance Using Streamwater Nitrogen Data

Vegetation disturbances are known to alter the functioning of forested ecosystems by contributing to export ('leakage') of dissolved nitrogen (N), typically nitrate-N, from watersheds that can contribute to acidification of acid-sensitive streams, leaching of base cations, and eutrophication of downstream receiving waters. Yet, at a landscape scale, direct evaluation of how disturbance is linked to spatial variability in N leakage is complicated by the fact that disturbances operate at different spatial scales, over different timescales, and at different intensities. In this paper we explore whether data from synoptic streamwater surveys conducted in an Appalachian oak-dominated forested river basin in western MD (USA) can be used to test and validate a scalable, synthetic, and integrative forest disturbance index (FDI) derived from Landsat imagery. In particular, we found support for the hypothesis that the interannual variation in spring baseflow total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) and nitrate-N concentrations measured at 35 randomly selected stream stations varied as a linear function of the change in FDI computed for the corresponding set of subwatersheds. Our results demonstrate that the combined effects of forest disturbances can be detected using synoptic water quality data. It appears that careful timing of the synoptic baseflow sampling under comparable phenological and hydrometeorological conditions increased our ability to identify a forest disturbance signal.
Double-exponential decay of flourescence from polarized atoms

Abstract Time resolved fluorescence from oriented 5S excited sodium atoms in the presence of xenon gas has been observed. The decay of the σ- (σ+) polarized component of 5S-3P lines has been found to be a double-exponential with rates corresponding to natural lifetime (φ = 1/τ) and collisional depolarization (φ'=1/τ+1/τdepol) of the 5S level. The measured cross section for depolarization is 2.6 × 10-15 cm2. The technique is applicable to higher S states in alkalies.
Estimating sample sizes for predementia Alzheimer's trials based on the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative.

This study modeled predementia Alzheimer's disease clinical trials. Longitudinal data from cognitively normal (CN) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) participants in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative were used to calculate sample size requirements for trials using outcome measures, including the Clinical Dementia Rating scale sum of boxes, Mini-Mental State Examination, Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale with and without delayed recall, and the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Task. We examined the impact on sample sizes of enrichment for genetic and biomarker criteria, including cerebrospinal fluid protein and neuroimaging analyses. We observed little cognitive decline in the CN population at 36 months, regardless of the enrichment strategy. Nonetheless, in CN subjects, using Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Task total as an outcome at 36 months required the fewest subjects across enrichment strategies, with apolipoprotein E genotype e4 carrier status requiring the fewest (n = 499 per arm to demonstrate a 25% reduction in disease progression). In MCI, enrichment reduced the required sample sizes for trials, relative to estimates based on all subjects. For MCI, the Clinical Dementia Rating scale sum of boxes consistently required the smallest sample sizes. We conclude that predementia clinical trial conduct in Alzheimer's disease is enhanced by the use of biomarker inclusion criteria.
On the Analysis of Multidimensional Contingency Tables

Abstract The principle of minimum discrimination information estimation is described and used to generate estimates for tests of hypotheses concerning various interactions and effects in the analysis of multidimensional contingency tables. All classical hypotheses for contingency tables can be generated by the use of this principle when certain marginals are considered as fixed. Analysis of information tables are given for a four-way contingency table.
Effect of N‐form on growth and nutrient content of creeping bentgrass 1

Abstract The primary nitrogen forms utilized by plants are ammonium and nitrate. Although the importance of nutrients other than nitrogen for proper turfgrass growth is well established, the amounts of these nutrients in the plant tissue in relation to the use of different N‐forms has not been clearly documented. This study was conducted under greenhouse conditions to determine the effect of N‐form and cutting regime on growth, macronutrient, and micronutrient content of creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris Huds. ‘Penncross'). Treatments consisted of 100% NO3− (calcium nitrate), 100% NH4 + (ammonium sulfate), and a 50:50 ratio of NH4 +:NO3 −. Half the turfgrass plants were maintained at a height of 1 cm (cut), while the other half of the plants were not cut until the end of the study (uncut). The uncut 50:50 treatment yielded the highest shoot, verdure, and total plant dry matter, while the uncut NO3 − treatment produced the highest root dry matter. The uncut NH4 + treatment yielded the least shoot, roo...
Phase equilibria in alloys displaying diffusional and displacive characteristics

The characteristics of phase equilibria and their representation by means of phase diagrams are examined for simple systems that can undergo both diffusive and displacive phase transitions. The displacive and diffusional transitions are modeled using a simple shear and miscibility gap with a consolute critical point, respectively. Under certain conditions, both the displacive and diffusional transitions can be graphically represented using free energy-concentration diagrams with accompanying common-tangent construction. The displacive transition can lead to tricritical points and critical end points in a temperature-concentration phase diagram. It is also shown that martensite start and finish temperatures can be equilibrium features of a phase diagram under certain mechanical loading conditions and that surface relief effects can also result from a purely diffusional phase transition.
Cooperative Learning and Ability Grouping: An Issue of Choice:

Cooperative learning has been enthusiastically embraced by schools as a way of addressing many of the ills faced in education. Cooperative learning has been pitted against ability grouping since ma...
Enculturating the Supersized Mind

In the final pages of Supersizing the Mind, Clark describes Dawkins’ ‘‘mental flip.’’ Dawkins asked biologists to abandon their focus on individual organisms and instead to imagine ‘‘bodies falling transparent so as to reveal the near-seamless play of replicating DNA.’’ By taking such a view, one might see that an organism is just a gene’s way of replicating itself. Clark goes onto say that a similar mental flip is needed in the sciences of mind ‘‘...to cease to unreflectively privilege the inner, the biological, and the neural.’’ In this view, ‘‘[t]he human mind ... emerges as the productive interface of brain, body, and social and material world.’’ Clark is to be congratulated for making this case and bolstering it with empirical evidence. From low-level processes of motor control to high-level processes of reasoning Clark shows us how cognitive processes are enacted in systems that transcend the boundaries of the individual organism. Supersizing the Mind delivers us to a point from which yet another ‘‘mental flip’’ is both possible and necessary. In this commentary I will try to describe this next flip and some of the things that become apparent when it is made.
Length and Velocity Formulas in Approximate Oscillator-Strength Calculations

The matrix element for electric dipole transitions is correctly given by the length formula in the Hartree-Fock, configuration-interaction, and related approximations, which involve the diagonalization of an approximate, but nonlocal, Hamiltonian.
Significance tests of automatic machine translation evaluation metrics

Automatic evaluation metrics for Machine Translation (MT) systems, such as BLEU, METEOR and the related NIST metric, are becoming increasingly important in MT research and development. This paper presents a significance test-driven comparison of n-gram-based automatic MT evaluation metrics. Statistical significance tests use bootstrapping methods to estimate the reliability of automatic machine translation evaluations. Based on this reliability estimation, we study the characteristics of different MT evaluation metrics and how to construct reliable and efficient evaluation suites.
Finding equilibria in large sequential games of imperfect information

Finding an equilibrium of an extensive form game of imperfect information is a fundamental problem in computational game theory, but current techniques do not scale to large games. To address this, we introduce the ordered game isomorphism and the related ordered game isomorphic abstraction transformation. For a multi-player sequential game of imperfect information with observable actions and an ordered signal space, we prove that any Nash equilibrium in an abstracted smaller game, obtained by one or more applications of the transformation, can be easily converted into a Nash equilibrium in the original game. We present an algorithm, GameShrink, for abstracting the game using our isomorphism exhaustively. Its complexity is O(n2), where n is the number of nodes in a structure we call the signal tree. It is no larger than the game tree, and on nontrivial games it is drastically smaller, so GameShrink has time and space complexity sublinear in the size of the game tree. Using GameShrink, we find an equilibrium to a poker game with 3.1 billion nodes--over four orders of magnitude more than in the largest poker game solved previously. We discuss several electronic commerce applications for GameShrink. To address even larger games, we introduce approximation methods that do not preserve equilibrium, but nevertheless yield (ex post) provably close-to-optimal strategies.
Regression Analysis of Poisson-Distributed Data

Abstract The principle of maximum likelihood is used to obtain estimates of the parameters in a regression model when the experimental observations are assumed to follow the Poisson distribution. The maximum likelihood estimates are shown to be equivalent to those obtained by minimization of a quadratic form which reduces to a modified chi square under the Poisson assumption. Computationally, both of these estimation procedures are equivalent to a properly weighted least squares analysis. Approximate tests of the assumed Poisson variation and “goodness of fit” of the data to the model are proposed. Applications of the estimation procedure to linear and nonlinear regression models are discussed, and numerical examples are presented.
Echocardiographic findings in Fulminant and acute myocarditis

AbstractOBJECTIVESWe sought to use echocardiography to assess the presentation and potential for recovery of left ventricular (LV) function of patients with fulminant myocarditis compared with thos...
Modeling motor cortical operations by an attractor network of stochastic neurons

Understanding the neural computations performed by the motor cortex requires biologically plausible models that account for cell discharge patterns revealed by neurophysiological recordings. In the present study the motor cortical activity underlying movement generation is modeled as the dynamic evolution of a large fully recurrent network of stochastic spiking neurons with noise superimposed on the synaptic transmission. We show that neural representations of the learned movement trajectories can be stored in the connectivity matrix in such a way that, when activated, a particular trajectory evolves in time as a dynamic attractor of the system while individual neurons fire irregularly with large variability in their interspike intervals. Moreover, the encoding of trajectories as attractors ensures high stability of the ensemble dynamics in the presence of synaptic noise. In agreement with neurophysiological findings, the suggested model can provide a wide repertoire of specific motor behaviors, whereas the number of specialized cells and specific connections may be negligibly small if compared with the whole population engaged in trajectory retrieving. To examine the applicability of the model we study quantitatively the relationship between local geometrical and kinematic characteristics of the trajectories generated by the network. The relationship obtained as a result of simulations is close to the `2/3 power law' established by psychophysical and neurophysiological studies.
Transcriptional Repression by v-Ski and c-Ski Mediated by a Specific DNA Binding Site

The Ski oncoprotein has been shown to bind DNA and activate transcription in conjunction with other cellular factors. Because tumor cells or myogenic cells were used for those studies, it is not clear that those activities of Ski are related to its transforming ability. In this study, we use a nuclear extract of c-ski-transformed cells to identify a specific DNA binding site for Ski with the consensus sequence GTCTAGAC. We demonstrate that both c-Ski and v-Ski in nuclear extracts are components of complexes that bind specifically to this site. By evaluating the features of the sequence that are critical for binding, we show that binding is cooperative. Although Ski cannot bind to this sequence on its own, we use cross-linking with ultraviolet light to show that Ski binds to this site along with several unidentified cellular proteins. Furthermore, we find that Ski represses transcription either through upstream copies of this element or when brought to the promoter by a heterologous DNA binding domain. This is the first demonstration that Ski acts as a repressor rather than an activator and could provide new insights into regulation of gene expression by Ski.
Efficient calculation of molecular properties from simulation using kernel molecular dynamics.

Understanding the relationship between chemical structure and function is a ubiquitous problem within the fields of chemistry and biology. Simulation approaches attack the problem utilizing physics to understand a given process at the particle level. Unfortunately, these approaches are often too expensive for many problems of interest. Informatics approaches attack the problem with empirical analysis of descriptions of chemical structure. The issue in these methods is how to describe molecules in a manner that facilitates accurate and general calculation of molecular properties. Here, we present a novel approach that utilizes aspects of simulation and informatics in order to formulate structure−property relationships. We show how supervised learning can be utilized to overcome the sampling problem in simulation approaches. Likewise, we show how learning can be achieved based on molecular descriptions that are rooted in the physics of dynamic intermolecular forces. We apply the approach to three problems i...
EFFECT OF DIETARY PROTEIN LEVEL ON REGRESSION OF CHOLESTEROL-INDUCED HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA AND ATHEROSCLEROSIS OF COCKERELS.

Summary The influence of dietary protein levels on regression of hypercholesterolemia and aortic and coronary atherosclerosis in cockerels was studied. It was found that regression of hypercholesterolemia was retarded more or less proportionately to the dietary protein level during the cholesterol-oil-free unloading period of 2–3 weeks following a protracted period on a cholesterol-oil diet. However, the effect of differences at low protein levels was disproportionately greater than that at high protein levels. Aortic atherosclerosis showed no evidence of regression within the 2–3 week period studied. Coronary atherosclerosis showed significant regression when the diet contained protein levels above 15 %. No significant differences were observed between various protein levels above 15 %. Regression was strikingly retarded, however, when protein levels were below 15 % (7.5 % and 10 %). It is concluded that an adequate level of dietary protein is an essential factor for the occurrence of satisfactory regression of previously induced hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis.
The LC Domain of hnRNPA2 Adopts Similar Conformations in Hydrogel Polymers, Liquid-like Droplets, and Nuclei

Many DNA and RNA regulatory proteins contain polypeptide domains that are unstructured when analyzed in cell lysates. These domains are typified by an over-representation of a limited number of amino acids and have been termed prion-like, intrinsically disordered or low-complexity (LC) domains. When incubated at high concentration, certain of these LC domains polymerize into labile, amyloid-like fibers. Here, we report methods allowing the generation of a molecular footprint of the polymeric state of the LC domain of hnRNPA2. By deploying this footprinting technique to probe the structure of the native hnRNPA2 protein present in isolated nuclei, we offer evidence that its LC domain exists in a similar conformation as that described for recombinant polymers of the protein. These observations favor biologic utility to the polymerization of LC domains in the pathway of information transfer from gene to message to protein.
Fly Control Through Manure Management

Abstract Fly control and manure management for poultry enterprises are closely related problems. Accidental and intentional addition and removal of water from the manure are critical factors. Land is required not only for the physical facilities but also as a medium for utilization of manure and manure residues. Predominant housing and manure handling systems (high-rise, scraper/belt, flush) and manure utilization practices (land application and lagoons) influence greatly the scope and intensity of fly control programs. Climate and geography are also important factors. Operator preferences for manure management systems of the future will be based primarily on convenience and reduced management.
Robust lossy detection using sparse measurements: The regular case

Sparse measurement structures - in which each measurement only depends on a small number of the inputs - arise in models of many problems such as sensor networks, group testing and even lossless data compression. The most important question in these applications is ‘How many measurements are sufficient to reconstruct the input ?’. Regular structures, where each input is measured the same number of times, require fewer measurements than when arbitrary measurements are used. In this paper we conduct a general analysis of the performance of these regular measurement structures when used for lossy reconstruction of the input in the presence of measurement noise. The main contribution of our work is the generality of the result which is applicable to lossy detection with arbitrary, even non-linear measurements and with inputs and outputs in any discrete domain. The second contribution is the quantification of the effect of noise in the measurements on the reconstruction performance, which can be used to analyze the robustness of these sparse measurement structures. We show the generality and applicability of our results by analyzing the performance of pooling designs for rare allele detection.
CD8+ Th17 Mediate Costimulation Blockade-Resistant Allograft Rejection in T-bet-Deficient Mice

While studying Th responses induced by cardiac transplantation, we observed that mice deficient in the Th1 transcription factor T-bet (T-bet −/− ) mount both Th1 and Th17 responses, whereas wild-type recipients mount only Th1 responses. Cells producing both IFN-γ and IL-17 were readily detectable within the rejecting graft of T-bet −/− recipients, but were absent from the spleen, indicating that the in vivo microenvironment influences Th function. In addition, disrupting CD40-CD40L costimulatory interactions was highly effective at prolonging allograft survival in WT mice, but ineffective in T-bet −/− recipients. In this study, we report that CD8 + Th17 mediate costimulation blockade-resistant rejection in T-bet −/− allograft recipients. Depleting CD8 + cells or neutralizing IL-17 or the Th17-inducing cytokine IL-6 ablated the Th17 response and reversed costimulation blockade-resistant graft rejection. Neutralizing IL-4 in IFN-γ −/− allograft recipients did not induce Th17, suggesting that T-bet, rather than IL-4 and IFN-γ (known inhibitors of Th17), plays a critical role in negatively regulating Th17 in the transplant setting.
Reconsidering Virtuosity Religious Innovation and Spiritual Privilege

Spiritual virtuosity is an important but neglected concept for theoretical and empirical scholarship about movements for religious and social change. Weber focused primarily on ascetic spiritual vi...
Team-Aware Multirobot Strategy for Cooperative Path Clearing

In this paper, we present a simulated version of a potential demining problem in which robotic minesweepers clear a battle area of anti-tank mines to enable troops to breach the field. The demining problem is modeled as a distributed optimization problem in which the robots strive to minimize an abstract cost function. Robots were simulated using the Java based simulator, TeamBots (www.teambots.org). The demining robots are responsible for clearing a direct vertical path between the top and bottom edges of the minefield. At each time step, robots must select one of three possible actions: move, scan ,o rdefuse. Each action has a time cost associated with it that represents the relative difficulty of the task for the robot; deactivating mines is not explicitly modeled in the simulation as an actuation task. This problem has characteristics of the consumeand graze tasks described in (Balch & Arkin 1995); robots explore unknown areas until they isolate a path that has few mines before converging to “consume” the mines. By varying the costs associated with each action, we can model the characteristics of different robotic deminers. Previous work suggests that a homogeneous strategy should perform well in this domain, given its similarity to other foraging-type tasks. However we show that robots using a simple homogeneous approach have difficulty completing the task due to high inter-robot interference. We suggest that the proper way to approach the problem of interference is to make the the robots more “team-aware”; each robot plans its strategy based on assumptions about what its teammates are doing and current sensor data. This approach works well and substantially outperforms the simple homogeneous approach in which each robot individually optimizes. Although this type of global optimization can become intractable for large numbers of robots, we present an efficient algorithm that only considers local interactions. For the “team-aware” optimization strategy, each robot models the decision-making process of its nearest peers. Since robots outside this neighborhood are less likely to interfere the robot’s goal, their impact on the choice of next action is not considered. For each teammate within this neighborhood the robot determines whether the teammate is also heading for its chosen column. This calculation can be performed in time for neighbors and creates a
INVERSE BORN SERIES FOR SCALAR WAVES

We consider the inverse scattering problem for scalar waves. We analyze the convergence of the inverse Born series and study its use in numerical simulations for the case of a spherically-symmetric medium in two and three dimensions.
DES and Hybrid RANS/LES models for unsteady separated turbulent flow predictions

This paper proposes two DES (Detached Eddy Simulation) model and one hybrid RANS (Reynolds Averaged Navier -Stokes)/ LES (Large Eddy Simulation) model for the simulations of unsteady separated turbulent f lows. The two -equation k -� based models are implemented in a full 3 -D Navier Stokes solver and simulations are carried out using a 3 rd order Roe scheme. The predictions of the models are compared for a benchmark problem involving transonic flow over an ope n cavity and the equivalence between the DES formulations and the hybrid formulation is established. Predicted results for the vorticity, pressure fluctuations, SPL (Sound Pressure level) spectra and different turbulent quantities; such as modeled and reso lved TKE (Turbulent Kinetic Energy) profiles, contours and spectra are presented to evaluate various aspects of the proposed models. The numerical results for the SPL spectra are compared with available experimental results and also with the prediction fro m LES simulations. The grid resolved TKE profiles are also compared with the LES predictions. A comparative study of the CPU time required for the two DES models and the hybrid model is also made.
Studies on the pathogenesis of swine dysentery. I. Characterization of the lesions in colons and colonic segments inoculated with pure cultures or colonic content containing Treponema hyodysenteriae.

Swine dysentery was induced in pigs and in ligated colonic segments by inoculation of pure cultures of, or colonic contents containing, Treponema hyodysenteriae. The mildest changes, best seen in ligated segments 48 or 72 hours after inoculation, were congestion and leucocytic margination in mucosal capillaries and depletion of mucigen from goblet cells lining the base of the crypts of Lieberkuhn. Superficial mucosal necrosis and crypt cell hyperplasia were later changes. Perfusion studies with India ink did not demonstrate occlusive mucosal ischemia in acute swine dysentery. Mucosa with lesions of swine dysentery contained at least 10(5) colony forming units of T. hyodysenteriae per gram. Mucosa without lesions had 10(5) or fewer T. hyodysenteriae per gram. Segments with acute swine dysentery were distended with clear mucoid fluid with electrolyte composition indicative of net colonic secretion. No increase in the concentration of volatile fatty acids was detected in content from intact colons or colonic segments with lesions of acute swine dysentery.
Peritoneovenous Shunts: Lessons Learned From an Eight-Year Experience With 70 Patients

• The peritoneovenous shunt (PVS) is preferred over other treatment modalities in the treatment of the cirrhotic patient who has intractable ascites. The favorable effects on nutrition, pulmonary, and renal function, in addition to prompt control of ascites, frequently overshadow potentially life-threatening complications. We summarized our experience with the PVS in 70 patients with portal hypertension at Emory University, Atlanta, and identified the perioperative complications and operative mortalities. Late complications of sepsis and variceal hemorrhage were frequent and often were fatal. Of the multiple preoperative clinical and laboratory determinants, only the serum bilirubin level (≥3 mg/dL) was predictive of the operative mortality and longevity of survivors. The PVS should be reserved for patients with disabling, truly refractory ascites. (Arch Surg1984;119:1133-1137)
Inexact match associative memory cell

A new associative memory cell is described and analysed using SPICE3d1. The CMOS cell uses current summation to compute, in parallel, Hamming distances between the search key and each word in the memory. For 32 bit words, SPICE simulations of a 2μm process show a delay of 4ns/bit for Hamming distances less than three.
Parametric heap usage analysis for functional programs

This paper presents an analysis that derives a formula describing the worst-case live heap space usage of programs in a functional language with automated memory management (garbage collection). First, the given program is automatically transformed into bound functions that describe upper bounds on the live heap space usage and other related space metrics in terms of the sizes of function arguments. The bound functions are simplified and rewritten to obtain recurrences, which are then solved to obtain the desired formulas characterizing the worst-case space usage. These recurrences may be difficult to solve due to uses of the maximum operator. We give methods to automatically solve categories of such recurrences. Our analysis determines and exploits monotonicity and monotonicity-like properties of bound functions to derive upper bounds on heap usage, without considering behaviors of the program that cannot lead to maximal space usage.
Evolutionary crossroads in developmental biology: sea urchins

Embryos of the echinoderms, especially those of sea urchins and sea stars, have been studied as model organisms for over 100 years. The simplicity of their early development, and the ease of experimentally perturbing this development, provides an excellent platform for mechanistic studies of cell specification and morphogenesis. As a result, echinoderms have contributed significantly to our understanding of many developmental mechanisms, including those that govern the structure and design of gene regulatory networks, those that direct cell lineage specification, and those that regulate the dynamic morphogenetic events that shape the early embryo.
Huge Solitary Aneurysm in Left Main Coronary Artery with Arteriovenous Fistula

A 72-year-old female was found to have a huge solitary coronary artery aneurysm in the left main coronary artery, with an associated coronary artery fistula draining into the right atrium through the coronary sinus. She underwent resection and repair of the aneurysm successfully.
American Sign Language finger spelling recognition system

An American Sign Language (ASL) finger spelling recognition system was designed and constructed in order to translate the ASL alphabet into the corresponding printed and spoken English letters. This endeavor required the use of abduction and bend-sensing technology to accurately transform hand and finger positions into real-time digital joint-angle data. Computer algorithms were developed in Matlab and Labview to recognize the finger spelled letters and translate them into English letters.
Distraction rate and latency: factors in the outcome of paediatric maxillary distraction.

Summary Background/purpose Over 50 years ago, current tenets of distraction osteogenesis were developed through work on the lower extremity; however, the application of these tenets in the paediatric craniofacial skeleton remains questionable. Prompted by recent concern that traditional aspects of distraction may be either outdated or wholly inapplicable to the paediatric maxilla, we retrospectively evaluated maxillary distraction protocol using a 24-h latency period in conjunction with a distraction rate of 2mm/day. Methods Following maxillary advancement via a distraction protocol consisting of a 24-h latency period and a distraction rate of 2mm/day, seven consecutive paediatric cases were evaluated. Standard profile photos and cephalometric films taken preoperatively, at device removal and at 1-year follow-up were compared. With the sella as the point of registration, pre- and post-distraction films were superimposed on the sella–nasion plane. Sella–nasion–subspinale, the angle of convexity, the distance from incisal edges to the y- axis, and angulation of the upper incisor to the sella–nasion plane were analysed to evaluate hard-tissue changes. Results Patient age ranged from 3 to 14 years (mean=7.43 years). Maxillary distraction length averaged 11mm (range=10–12mm). Interval from device application to removal averaged 98 days (range=75–180 days). The interval of the active distraction ranged from 11 to 65 days (mean=24 days). From distraction completion to device removal averaged 85 days (range=60–150). Follow-up intervals ranged from 52 to 24 months (mean=34 months). All patients demonstrated substantial clinical advancement of the maxilla with correction of midfacial deficiencies. A single patient developed mild cellulitis at one skin–device interface; no other complications were noted. Cephalometric and clinical evaluations at 1 year post-distraction demonstrated stable results, and parental satisfaction was qualitatively high. Conclusions The surgical dogma of lower-extremity distraction osteogenesis is not absolute and may not be optimal for use in the paediatric maxilla. Our results demonstrate effective maxillary correction following application of a 24-h latency period coupled with rapid distraction at 2mm/day. Our success with a short latency period and more rapid device expanse may be a product of the significant vascularity and improved healing potential of the paediatric maxilla.
10Gb/s Free-Space Optical Transmission using OFDM

We report the first experimental demonstration of 10 Gb/s free-space optical transmission using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). The OFDM system provides superior performance, with a 3 dB improvement in receiver sensitivity over NRZ OOK.
Modeling and characterization of integrated passive elements for applications in silicon high frequency systems

A methodology for robust integrated circuit passive element modeling has been developed. The methodology was used to design process-independent structures in a silicon CMOS process and combined a number of techniques and software packages to ensure run-to-run stability of element values. Experimental data verifying the techniques is presented.
Zebra Finches in Biomedical Research

Zebra finches (Taenopygia guttata, formerly Poephila guttata) are small, colorful songbirds that have been favored by bird fanciers since the nineteenth century. In captivity, zebra finches are prolific breeders and robust ‘easy keepers’; these characteristics, along with a diurnal activity pattern and the singing prowess of males, makes them an attractive model for biomedical researchers. Their increasing popularity resides especially in the fields of neurobiology, with a majority of investigations in the United States focusing on male vocal development, and behavior, such as the basis for mate preference and aggression. However, many other research applications, as well as the production of transgenic birds, have also been pursued. The zebra finch genome is the second avian species to be sequenced (Warren et al., 2010), after that of the chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus). Importantly, a high-resolution digital atlas of the zebra finch brain was recently published (Karten et al., 2013) and detailed; current protocols for using zebra finches in research can be accessed online (Cold Spring Harbor Press, 2014). One review article determined there were considerably more articles about zebra finches in 2008 relative to other passerine species (Bateson and Feenders, 2010), while a tally of PubMed entries for the subject ‘zebra finch’ reveals a steady annual increase in publications that started to escalate during the 1980s.
Evidence for Site- and Domain-Specific Phosphorylation of the 145-kDa Neurofilament Subunit InVivo

A comparison of two-dimensional phosphopeptide maps of NF-M phosphorylated in vivo and in vitro in combination with protein sequence data showed that phosphate groups on the amino terminal head domain are added by protein kinase A and protein kinase C. By contrast, the phosphate groups on the carboxy-terminal domain, which account for about 90% of the phosphate on NF-M, are added by heparin-sensitive second-messenger-independent protein kinase(s).
Coating of Fine-Grained Si3N4 Whiskers on a Porous Si3N4 Substrate by Gas Phase Processing for Membrane Filter Application

Silicon nitride (Si3N4) whiskers were coated on a porous Si3N4 substrate, which was coated with SiO2-Al2O3-Y2O3 oxides, by gas phase processing using amorphous Si3N4 and TiO2 powders as source materials. Coating was carried out in the interval 1350-1550°C in N2. At temperatures below the melting point of the oxides, α-Si3N4 whiskers of high aspect ratio were coated with weak adhesion to the substrate. At temperatures above the melting point, β-Si3N4 whiskers with diameters of 0.02 to 0.07μm (low aspect ratio) were coated with strong adhesion to the substrate. When the Si3N4 substrates coated with the β-Si3N4 whiskers were used as membrane filters, it could separate particles as fine as 0.05μm in diameter.
Bioelectronics with two-dimensional materials

In this article, we review the emerging field of bioelectronics with two-dimensional (2D) materials. Recently, 2D materials including graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), and other elementary 2D crystals, have emerged as functional materials in bioelectronic applications benefitting from their superior electrical, optical, and mechanical properties compared to conventional bulk semiconductor and metallic materials. The 2D dimensional materials enable advanced bioelectronics by allowing easy integration due to their atomic thinness, biocompatibility, mechanical flexibility and conformity. Electronics with 2D materials have thus far enabled various applications in chemical, biochemical and neurobiological sensing. Here we review bioelectronics with a variety of 2D materials including graphene, a popular material in the recent decade, as well as other emerging 2D materials such as TMDs including MoS2, MoSe2, WSe2, and WS2. First, we discuss the unique properties of 2D materials which make them suitable for bioelectronic applications. Next we highlight the transduction and detection mechanisms of 2D material-based bioelectronic systems, which include field-effect transistors, nanopores, multi-electrode arrays, and optical resonators. Lastly, we highlight current ongoing efforts to enable 2D materials to be even more effective in performance and sensitivity for biointerfacing. Display Omitted Review of recent developments of bioelectronics with various 2D materialsMaterial properties of 2D materials required for bioelectronics are discussed.Detection/sensing mechanisms of 2D material-based bioelectronic systems are discussed.Various applications and fabrication of bioelectronic sensors are introduced.Current effort/challenges and outlook on 2D material-based bioelectronics are summarized.
Lost in translation: Focused documentation improvement benefits trauma surgeons.

Abstract Introduction There is a translational gap between physicians who document in the medical record and coders, who ultimately determine which codes are submitted. This gap exists because physicians are never formally educated about documentation strategies despite the fact that the quality of physician documentation directly affects revenue, outcomes and public profiling. We evaluated the effect of a formal model of focused documentation improvement (FDI) on the trauma/critical care division. We hypothesized that FDI would improve physician documentation, resulting in revenue recovery and a shift in the case mix index (CMI) to more accurately reflect the clinical complexity of trauma patients. Methods FDI is defined as targeted physician education followed by concurrent inpatient chart review for documentation improvement opportunities by a clinical documentation specialist (CDS). All trauma surgeons (n = 9) at our Level 1 trauma center first completed three hours of mandatory training on documentation improvement. A CDS was subsequently assigned to the trauma service. They reviewed the charts of Medicare patients (n = 776) from January–December 2014 to identify opportunities for documentation improvement, participated in ICU rounds and provided ongoing education. Requests to clarify documentation (queries) were posted in the electronic medical record (EMR) and physicians were required to respond within 48 h. Data was collected on physician response rate, CMI and revenue recovery. Results 411 of 776 (57%) charts were reviewed. Opportunities for FDI were identified in 177 (43%) cases. The physician response rate to queries was 100%. The CMI for reviewed cases increased (1.80 (SD 0.15) vs. 2.11 (SD 0.19); p Conclusion FDI is an effective strategy to engage physicians in documentation improvement. It provides an infrastructure to assist physicians and yields a significant ROI.
Rationale for variations in clinical trial design in different HIV disease stages.

The magnitude of the challenge in testing new anti-HIV drugs is becoming steadily more apparent. For example, we are confronted with a gratifying proliferation of new drugs available for clinical trials. While some of these are related to existing drugs, particularly nucleoside analogs similar to zidovudine, others have entirely separate mechanisms of action. Presumably, these newer agents may require some modifications of clinical trial design, especially in the type and frequency of required laboratory monitoring. We are also forced to consider the different disease stages of HIV infection in designing clinical trials (Table 1) (1). It is not apparent to many people that clinical trial results from one part of the spectrum of HIV disease will apply to patients who are at a different disease stage. Because of the differences in disease manifestations and in individual tolerance to drug side effects, clinical trial designs have been thought to require modification for the population's HIV disease stage. Also, laboratory markers of HIV infection or of immunological damage vary between disease stages, potentially complicating the design and generalizability of clinical trial results. Finally, differences exist between HIV infection risk groups that may affect clinical trial design (2). The clinical progression rates and disease manifestations may, for example, be different according to age or between persons acquiring HIV infection from sexual contact as opposed to those becoming infected through intravenous drug use (3–6). Also, HIV infection groups may have different underlying diseases, such as in hemophilia, that may also require consideration in trial design (4,7). The clinical research community, charged with rapidly developing new treatments for HIV infection, must carefully consider each of the factors that may influence clinical trial design. It must do so, however, while maintaining an expeditious research pace. To efficiently, fairly, and quickly evaluate new treatments, researchers and regulators must examine the balance between proof and reasonable probability of drug efficacy. The use of drugs that may have a reasonable chance of clinical benefits should be allowed, while the use of drugs that are ineffective should be discouraged. Furthermore, the clinical research community must pay careful attention to the many existing impediments to the participation of appropriate research subjects if clinical trials, no matter how carefully designed, are to result in improvements in the care of patients with HIV disease.
Structure and Properties in Synthetic MSUM and the Corresponding Biomaterial

At the MRS Fall 2014 Meeting, Symposium E, we reported on morphologies, fragmentation, and hardness in synthetic hydrogen urate monohydrate (monosodium urate monohydrate, MSUM, or MSU) crystals. We are now presenting further characterization results, including some from the biomaterial that forms in humans with gout disease: The fanning of radiating blades (needles) in spherulitic grains of synthetic MSUM was examined by microscopy techniques. These and previous data are consistent with an interpretation in terms of the crystallographic parameters in the unit cell, and the presence of dislocation arrays at low angle boundaries. The kinetics of such branched growth is here related to thermodynamic properties and super-saturation levels. Secondary nucleation is an additional mechanism leading to more complex morphologies. Differences in overall growth rates, under conditions of either branched or single needle growth, are considered in relation to gout. Novel powder XRD and solid state NMR data show, respectively, preferred orientation in the biomaterial, and the potential of NMR for identifying and characterizing MSUM in specific environments, helping to resolve pending questions in gout. Present results are anticipated to be useful for designing bio-inspired and bio-mimetic materials, regarding morphologies, overall growth rates, and mechanical properties.
Kathleen Mears lecture : Allied health issues and actions

ABSTRACT.The term “allied health” is used to identify a cluster of health professions, encompassing as many as 100 occupational titles, exclusive of physicians and nurses. Approximately two million allied health professionals are employed in the United States. Neurodiagnostics is just one of many fields that fall under the domain of allied health. As the number of older Americans increases, so does the need for allied health professionals.There are many issues that affect allied health professionals. These issues include licensure, education, and research, to name a few. All allied health professions will need to search for opportunities to collaborate on common issues. Health Professions Network is an organization formed to link these individual organizations together. Through collaboration we can find more effective solutions and have a stronger voice when faced with legislative issues. This presentation highlights some issues and suggests some action we can take to position our profession and allied he...