cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A performance-based technique for timing keyframe animations

From our experience observing novice animators, it is clear that setting keyframe spatial values is straightforward while specifying the keyframe timing is difficult and often time consuming. This paper presents a modified approach to the keyframing paradigm, performance timing, that lets the user focus on the timing of keyframes separately from the spatial values. In performance timing, the user ''acts-out'' the timing information using a simple 2D input device such as a mouse or pen-tablet. The user's input is analyzed and features of the user's input are mapped to the spatial features of the keyframed motion. The keyframes are then distributed in time according to the timing of the user's input path. We demonstrate the approach on several scenes and discuss the situations in which it is most and least effective. We present the results of a user study of over 20 subjects in which we compare accuracy using performance timing to accuracy using a standard animation package for specifying keyframe timing.
Biochemical Reference Intervals for the Resting State in the Adult Lobster Homarus americanus

ABSTRACT Clinical biochemistry is the measurement of body fluid constituents, and is considered an integral component of disease diagnosis in human and veterinary medicine. Biochemical reference intervals are the ranges of values of specific analytes at the population level that are expected to encompass 95% of “normal” individuals. However, how do we define a “normal” lobster? Homarus americanus (H. Milne Edwards, 1837) is a sublittoral ectotherm with a limited homeostatic ability to adapt to rapid environmental changes. An experiment was designed to measure the changes that may occur in selected analytes as wild lobsters “acclimate” to captivity. Biological variation was minimized by the maintenance of strict environmental conditions, uniform life stages, nutrition, and molt status. The results of this experiment suggest that elevations in hemolymph levels of glucose, L-lactate, crustacean hyperglycemic hormone, ammonia, ionic calcium, and a decrease in ionic potassium may be indicative of the stress as...
A MATTER OF APPEARANCES: HOW CORPORATE LEADERS MANAGE THE IMPRESSIONS OF FINANCIAL ANALYSTS ABOUT THE CONDUCT OF THEIR BOARDS

Our theory and findings suggest that relatively negative stock analyst appraisals prompt corporate leaders to increase externally visible dimensions of board independence without actually increasin...
Simulation of narrow-band monopulse measurements of closely-spaced targets

When more than one target is in the main lobe of a monopulse radar, the problem of target resolution is important. Simulation of monopulse measurements by two methods of resolving the targets is considered. The first method uses pulse compression by means of a phase coded waveform in order to enhance the range resolution. The second is the transmission of a series of short pulses combined with Doppler processing in order to resolve targets in radial velocity rather than by range measurements alone, The returning echoed subpulses do not occur simultaneously with those generated by the signal processing system, causing each subpulse to generally contribute to two consecutive matched filter outputs. Thus, to be fully resolvable by measurement of range, any two targets in the beam must be separated by a range (time) exceeding two subpulse intervals. In Pulse Doppler the returning echoes are captured within a series of range gates during the periods between the transmitted pulses. Knowledge of both range and range rate, subject to ambiguities in both, is obtained. An algorithm for the simulation of monopulse measurements of closely spaced targets at given ranges, range rates, and RCS is presented.
Does PET/MR Imaging Improve Cancer Assessments? Literature Evidence from More Than 900 Patients

Various integrated PET/MR imaging systems have recently been developed to provide improved clinical assessments of cancers in tissues that may be anatomically better characterized with MR imaging than with CT, to explore whether the combined anatomic and functional capabilities of MR imaging together with the molecular PET information provide new insights into disease phenotypes and biology, and to reduce radiation exposure to vulnerable populations such as children and women of child-bearing age. The following review summarizes the published studies and informs about the potential diagnostic advantages of this new technology.
Impact of physician telephone management of nursing home residents before the initial assessment: a pilot study.

Objective To describe physician telephone management of newly admitted nursing home residents before direct evaluation by the physician, and the effect on resident outcomes. Design Retrospective chart review of 111 consecutive discharge records from two proprietary community nursing homes in Baltimore, Maryland in 1999. Measurements Data regarding the admission process were collected, with an emphasis on physician telephone orders at admission and all subsequent telephone orders before the first physician visit. Physicians were categorized as attending physicians or on-call physicians. Unexpected outcomes defined as an unplanned admission to an acute hospital or an unanticipated death within 14 days of admission to the nursing home were identified. The relationships among resident, physician, and admission characteristics and unexpected outcomes were analyzed. Results Most residents (97 of 111 (87%)) were admitted from an acute hospital, and the remaining 13% were admitted from home or another nursing home. An attending physician confirmed admission orders for 87 of 111 (78%) residents, and an on-call physician confirmed admission orders for the remainder. Physicians changed medications at the time of admission, as compared with preadmission medications, in 58 of 111 (52%) residents and ordered laboratory studies or radiographs in 59 of 111 (53%). On-call physicians were just as likely to make both types of changes as attending physicians. In the time interval after the initial telephone contact but before the first physician visit, medication changes were made in 35 of 111 (32%) residents and testing was ordered in 16 of 111 (14%). Nineteen of 111 (17%) residents were either readmitted to the hospital or died within 14 days of admission to the nursing home. These unexpected outcomes were statistically less likely to occur in the group of residents for whom physicians made medication changes at the time of admission as compared to the group for whom no medication changes were made [6 of 58 (10%) versus 13 of 53 (25%), P = 0.04, respectively], and in the group for whom tests were ordered at the time of admission as compared to not ordered [4 of 59 (7%) versus 15 of 51 (29%), P = 0.002, respectively]. There were no differences in the likelihood of unexpected outcomes when physicians made medication changes or ordered tests after the time of admission but before the first physician visit. Conclusions In this study, physicians made adjustments in medications and ordered tests for newly admitted nursing home patients before seeing the resident in the majority of cases. Unexpected outcomes including readmission to the hospital or death within 14 days of admission were less common among those residents when such changes were made at the time of admission. Further studies are needed to identify those changes as well as those resident and physician characteristics that might lead to improved outcomes.
Serial plasma vasopressin concentration in healthy and hospitalised neonatal foals

Summary Reasons for performing study Vasopressin dysregulation occurs in critically ill human patients and in neonatal foals. Limited data about serial plasma vasopressin dynamics exist in sick neonatal foals. Objectives To evaluate serial plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP) concentrations in sick neonatal foals. Study design Prospective, longitudinal clinical study. Methods Plasma samples were collected from 7 healthy and 26 sick foals before and after initial fluid resuscitation and 12, 24, 36, 48 and 96 h after presentation. Foals with a modified sepsis score ≥11 were considered septic. Results Admission AVP was increased in septic foals compared to healthy and to sick, nonseptic foals. There were no significant differences between groups on subsequent days. Nonsurvivors had higher AVP concentrations than survivors. Conclusions Plasma AVP concentrations are higher in septic foals on admission than in healthy and sick nonseptic foals. Higher early plasma AVP concentrations are associated with increased mortality.
A manufacturing tool for a new century

Abstract An attempt has been made to present the progress in the applications of high-pressure fluid jets over a period of almost three decades. Based on all published literature and experience through the years, it is shown that advances in techniques, materials, design and automation have made the fluid jet not only a viable tool, but also an overwhelmingly advantageous tool for a wide variety of industrial applications. The technology will have an outstanding role to play in the 21st century when new materials that are hard to machine by conventional means will be used commonly by industries, and when the highest ecological requirements are imposed.
The Germination-Specific Lytic Enzymes SleB, CwlJ1, and CwlJ2 Each Contribute to Bacillus anthracis Spore Germination and Virulence

The bacterial spore cortex is critical for spore stability and dormancy and must be hydrolyzed by germination-specific lytic enzymes (GSLEs), which allows complete germination and vegetative cell outgrowth. We created in-frame deletions of three genes that encode GSLEs that have been shown to be active in Bacillus anthracis germination: sleB, cwlJ1, and cwlJ2. Phenotypic analysis of individual null mutations showed that the removal of any one of these genes was not sufficient to disrupt spore germination in nutrient-rich media. This finding indicates that these genes have partially redundant functions. Double and triple deletions of these genes resulted in more significant defects. Although a small subset of DeltasleB DeltacwlJ1 spores germinate with wild-type kinetics, for the overall population there is a 3-order-of-magnitude decrease in the colony-forming efficiency compared with wild-type spores. DeltasleB DeltacwlJ1 DeltacwlJ2 spores are unable to complete germination in nutrient-rich conditions in vitro. Both DeltasleB DeltacwlJ1 and DeltasleB DeltacwlJ1 DeltacwlJ2 spores are significantly attenuated, but are not completely devoid of virulence, in a mouse model of inhalation anthrax. Although unable to germinate in standard nutrient-rich media, spores lacking SleB, CwlJ1, and CwlJ2 are able to germinate in whole blood and serum in vitro, which may explain the persistent low levels of virulence observed in mouse infections. This work contributes to our understanding of GSLE activation and function during germination. This information may result in identification of useful therapeutic targets for the disease anthrax, as well as provide insights into ways to induce the breakdown of the protective cortex layer, facilitating easier decontamination of resistant spores.
Anomaly detection without a pre-existing formal model: Application to an industrial manufacturing system

Some faults in manufacturing systems that are evident in event-based data cannot be detected by existing solutions. This paper summarizes a method for identifying anomalies in event-based data using model generation. The method is based on knowledge of events and resources of the system and generates a set of Petri Net models to detect the anomalies. The method is applied to an industrial machining cell that has been experiencing a gantry waiting problem. The anomaly detection solution is able to accurately identify the gantry waiting anomaly and another anomaly that occurred right before the gantry waiting issue, indicating a possible cause.
Gender Roles and Party Roles

This article uses discriminant analysis to assess sex and party differences across four aspects of party organization: incentives for participation, party role definitions, party activities and electoral ambition. The results illustrate that gender roles operate most distinctly in the two areas of electoral ambition and party activities. Party context is more important than sex in terms of the other two areas, party role definitions and incentives for participation. The authors conclude that party activists' gender-related behavior can be better understood by discovering how the context of party organization either modifies or reinforces such behavior.
An ethnographic approach to understanding the illness experiences of patients with congestive heart failure and their family members.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose was to understand the illness experiences of patients with congestive heart failure and their family members. DESIGN AND SETTING: The study design was a focused ethnography that took place in 1 outpatient cardiology clinic, 2 outpatient heart failure clinics, and informants' homes located in a large metropolitan city in southeast Texas. SAMPLE: The sample consisted of 28 informants (patients, n = 16; family members, n = 12). METHOD: Data were collected from observations, participant observations, demographic forms, chart reviews, and interviews. Interviews were open-ended, semistructured, in-depth, and audiotaped. A thematic analysis process was conducted through domain analysis and constructing data into themes and subthemes. FINDINGS: Patients with congestive heart failure and their family members experience a process of disruption, incoherence, and reconciling. Reconciling emerged as the salient experience described by informants and was manifested as struggling, participating in partnerships, finding purpose and meaning in the illness experiences, and surrendering.
Interaction of Sucrose and Propoxylated Sucrose Esters with Some Pharmaceuticals

The interaction between either fatty acid mono or diesters of sucrose or fatty acid monoesters of propoxylated sucrose and benzoic acid or a series of hydroxy and amino substituted benzoic acids is reported. The sugar esters, because of their lack of long polyether chains, have been proposed for use in formulations in which association between a nonionic emulsifier and preservative is a problem. A dialysis method was used to study the interactions. The degree of interaction appears to be dependent upon the type of functional group present and its position in the complexed molecule. In the case of the surfactant the esters of the propoxylated sucrose appear to associate more than those of sucrose. The fatty acid moiety influences the extent of interaction; of the series studied, the laurate esters generally undergo interaction to the greatest extent, while the stearate esters exhibit only slight interaction. The results obtained differ to some degree from work previously reported with other nonionic surfactants. A possible mechanism of interaction based upon the binding of drug within the palisade layer of the micelles of the surfactant solution is proposed.
Experimental investigation of electrostatic effects on ethanol and ethanol-diesel blend sprays in atmospheric ambiance

An experimental investigation of electrosprays of ethanol-diesel blends and electrostatically assisted injection of ethanol and ethanol-isooctane blends was performed in order to investigate the potential of novel injection techniques for ethanol-containing fuels. An exponential dependence of liquid fuel conductivity on ethanol content was established. Simple, fundamental electrosprays of ethanol-diesel blends containing 5-15% ethanol exhibited micro-dripping atomisation and produced sprays that approached the monodispersity that has been observed for pure ethanol sprays operating in the cone-jet mode. Experiments were also performed with ethanol and ethanol?isooctane blends on a commercially available swirl-type fuel injector that was modified with a conductive cap in order to electrostatically charge the fuel emerging from it. Electrostatically charged ethanol sprays penetrated in the ambient gas significantly less at the early stage of injection, especially for lower injection pressures. In addition, the angle formed by the hollow cone of spray was larger for the charged sprays. Such effects are expectedly diminishing with decreasing alcohol content.
Year-Round Operation: The First Attempt

By 1970, two summer Investigators, Bodil Schmidt-Nielsen and Bill Kinter, had decided to become year-round Investigators at the MDIBL. Despite some space and administrative concerns, the move went smoothly, thus beginning the first attempt to evolve from a summer-only institution to a year-round research laboratory. This also brought more fiscal comfort, because of overhead from their NIH grants. In an effort to more carefully monitor the research productivity of current and new Investigators, a Scientific Advisory Committee was instituted. NSF institutional grants continued, providing for new equipment and renovation and construction, and the Karnofsky Laboratory was renovated for the new year-round research programs. Year-round maintenance of marine animals presented problems for the seasonal seawater supply system, as did new regulations from the Federal Clean Water Act of 1972, so new seawater and sewage systems were installed. A grant from the Kresge Foundation provided funds for the construction, in 1973, of the last new laboratory at the MDIBL for 35 years, and named after E.K. Marshall. Increased demand for cottages for summer investigators in the 1970s prompted a reassessment of the historic cottage Leasehold program, but after significant discussions, Leaseholds remained for the next three decades, although the last Leasehold was provided in the early 1990s. By the late 1970s, the expanding budget sheets and administrative work of the Laboratory led to the hiring of a Business Manager. Because of the common interest in renal and epithelial transport, the Monday Morning Transport Seminars began and continued for the next four decades. Research by members of the Third Generation continued in the 1970s, including work on cytokinesis, fish gill ultrastructure, drug metabolism in fish and invertebrates, carbonic anhydrase, cellular osmoregulation, toxicology, nitrogen excretion, hormonal control of renal function, gastric secretion, shark renal function, urea transport, the effects of DDT on osmoregulation and bird egg shell thinning, the blood–brain barrier, shark hemodynamics, sugar transport, and nervous control of shark cardiovascular function.
Quantification of Structural Uncertainties in the k -w Turbulence Model

This work describes a new method for building a statistical model for the structural uncertainties in the k ! turbulence model. An inverse RANS problem is solved using the adjoint method to determine the turbulent viscosity that produces the ow eld closest to that predicted by direct numerical simulation. We describe the dierence in the turbulent viscosity eld inferred by the inverse RANS problem and turbulent viscosity eld predicted by RANS as a Gaussian random eld, and develop a statistical model of this random eld using maximum likelihood estimation. The resulting statistical model is used to propagate uncertainty to engineering quantities of interest using non-intrusive techniques. Results for turbulent ow in a periodic straight walled channel are presented and analyzed.
Self-Folding Origami Microstrip Antennas

This communication presents antennas that incorporate self-folding polymer substrates that transform planar, two-dimensional structures into three-dimensional antennas when exposed to a light source. Pre-strained polystyrene sheets supporting a patterned copper foil form the light-activated structures. Black ink that is inkjet printed on the polymer substrate selectively absorbs light and controls the shape of the transformation. This approach represents a simple method to reconfigure the shape of an antenna and a hands-free method to assemble 3D antennas from many of the conventional methods that are used to pattern 2D metal foils. We demonstrate and characterize two embodiments that highlight this concept: a monopole antenna that transforms from a conventional microstrip transmission line and a microstrip patch antenna that converts within seconds into a monopole antenna.
Classical and Quantum Error-Correction Coding in Genetics

The subject of this chapter is the use of classical/quantum information theory and coding in genetics and evolution. The chapter starts with the description of using the concepts from both classical and quantum information theories to describe the evolution of biological channel capacity through generations. In order to do so, several classical and quantum biological channel models are employed including the Markovian classical and Markovian-like quantum model, hybrid quantum-classical model, multilevel symmetric channel model, and Kimura model-based Markovian process. In order to describe the reliable long-time storage of genetic information in DNA, the use of unequal error protection (UEP) coding is studied. Several classes of error-correction codes suitable for UEP on a cellular level are described including nested coding, multilevel coding (MLC), rate-adaptive coding, and generalized LDPC coding. The use of concepts of constrained coding to describe the genetic information flow from DNA to proteins is also described as well as joint-constrained and error-correction coding. After that, the use of quantum error-correction concepts to deal with environmental errors including canonical quantum error-correction and stabilizer codes is briefly described. One particular class of stabilizer codes, known as topological codes, is then described that might be relevant to biological processes as they only involve the local qubits in encoding process. Another relevant class of codes, the subsystem codes, is then described. The key idea behind subsystem codes is to decompose the quantum code as the tensor product of two subsystems, exon subsystem A and intron subsystem B, and we are concerned with correcting errors only on the exon subsystem. Finally, we describe the use of nonbinary quantum stabilizer codes to deal with nucleobase substitution errors, both random and burst errors. We also briefly discuss the possible use of both classical and quantum error-correction concepts to improve tolerance to tumor and cancer introducing errors.
Optimization of Preparation Conditions and Surface Modification of Water-soluble Quantum Dots

The water-soluble CdSe nanoparticles are synthesized using L-cysteine as stabilizer.Effects of the reaction temperature,reaction time,molar ratios of L-cysteine/Cd/Se and pH are investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy,and optimal synthesis scheme is established.CdS as a shell is used to modify the surface of CdSe.The resultant CdSe/CdS core/shell nanoparticles are characterized by TEM,XRD and spectroscopy,respectively,and shown to have superior fluorescence properties with red shift of emission and absorption spectra in comparison with the CdSe plain core quantum dots.The preparation conditions have a strong influence on the photoluminescence of the CdSe/CdS core-shell quantum dots.
Reaching Out: The Subversive Nature of Touch in the Kindergarten Schoolroom

As young children make sense of the world by being in it, not moving through it, they reflect the beliefs and norms of those wisdom cultures espousing a life in the world, in the moment. Yet, in school, the deeply encountering, spirited child is likely to be wrapped securely in the swaddling clothes of the rules, procedures, and surveillance of the schoolroom. In the course of a recent research project analyzing children’s resistance to these structures in kindergarten classrooms, a particularly striking finding was related to the children’s ingenuity in finding ways to engage in physical contact with one another. This chapter details the means by which the young children apply their tacit understanding of the workings of the schoolroom, in order to subvert the structures keeping them apart.
Presentation of Neurolytic Effect of 10% Lidocaine after Perineural Ultrasound Guided Injection of a Canine Sciatic Nerve: A Pilot Study

Background: Phenol and alcohol have been used to ablate nerves to treat pain but are not specific for nerves and can damage surrounding soft tissue. Lidocaine at concentrations ＞ 8% injected intrathecal in the animal model has been shown to be neurotoxic. Tests the hypothesis that 10% lidocaine is neurolytic after a peri-neural blockade in an ex vivo experiment on the canine sciatic nerve. Methods: Under ultrasound, one canine sciatic nerve was injected peri-neurally with 10 cc saline and another with 10 cc of 10% lidocaine. After 20 minutes, the sciatic nerve was dissected with gross inspection. A 3 cm segment was excised and preserved in 10% buffered formalin fixative solution. Both samples underwent progressive dehydration and infusion of paraffin after which they were placed on paraffin blocks. The sections were cut at 4 mm and stained with hemoxylin and eosin. Microscopic review was performed by a pathologist from Henry Ford Hospital who was blinded to which experimental group each sample was in. Results: The lidocaine injected nerve demonstrated loss of gross architecture on visual inspection while the saline injected nerve did not. No gross changes were seen in the surrounding soft tissue seen in either group. The lidocaine injected sample showed basophilic degeneration with marked cytoplasmic vacuolation in the nerve fibers with separation of individual fibers and endoneurial edema. The saline injected sample showed normal neural tissue. Conclusions: Ten percent lidocaine causes rapid neurolytic changes with ultrasound guided peri-neural injection. The study was limited by only a single nerve being tested with acute exposure. (Korean J Pain 2016; 29: 158-63)
Mammary epithelial morphogenesis and early breast cancer. Evidence of involvement of basal components of the RNA Polymerase I transcription machinery

Upregulation of RNA Polymerase (Pol I)-mediated transcription of rRNA and increased ribogenesis are hallmarks of breast cancer. According to several datasets, including The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), amplification/upregulation of genes encoding for basal components of the Pol I transcriptional machinery is frequent at different breast cancer stages. Here we show that knock down of the RNA polymerase I-specific transcription initiation factor RRN3 (TIF-IA) in breast cancer cells is sufficient to reduce rRNA synthesis and inhibit cell proliferation, and second that stable ectopic expression of RRN3 in human mammary epithelial (HME1) cells, by increasing rRNA transcription, confers increased sensitivity to the anti-proliferative effects of a selective Pol I inhibitor. Further, RRN3-overexpressing HME1 cells, when grown in in vitro 3-dimensional (3D) culture, develop into morphologically aberrant acinar structures lacking a lumen and filled with proliferative cells, thus acquiring a morphology resembling in situ ductal breast cancer lesions (DCIS). Consequently, interference with RRN3 control of Pol I transcription seems capable of both compromising mammary epithelial morphogenetic processes at early breast cancer stages, and driving breast cancer progression by fostering proliferation.
Ethics and entrapment: Understanding counterterrorism stings

ABSTRACTThis article examines domestic counterterrorism sting operations in the USA. It considers why critics consider these operations unethical and illegitimate. In particular, it looks at claims that counterterrorism sting operations have entrapped innocent people. This article explains why the U.S. courts have rejected claims of entrapment. It discusses different standards of entrapment used by the U.S. courts and sets out how these standards apply to counterterrorism sting operations. The article will show how key pieces of evidence convinced the courts that the targets of sting operations were predisposed towards terrorism. As a result, defendants were not able to mount successful entrapment defenses. By the end of the article, the reader will have a better understanding of the ethical and legal safeguards governing counterterrorism sting operations in the USA.
Navajo Pedagogy and Earth Systems

The Navajo interpretation of nature attributes geological change and equilibrium, and the sustainability of life in the surface environment, to dynamic processes of renewal driven by interactions b...
The Accumulation of Capital in General

This chapter conceives how capital’s basic production of commodities with commodities leads to the accumulation of capital in its most general, elementary form. The outcome of capital accumulation is examined, both with respect to its implications for economic justice and for setting the stage for the circulation of capital. The primitive accumulation, whereby capital first historically arises, is examined in respect to Marx’s account, which is shown to contradict basic assumptions of Marxism.
Employee job satisfaction and organizational performance: The role of conflict management

Organizational conflict is often thought of as a malady to be avoided or quickly resolved. Such views neglect the potential value of conflict—that is, the constructive management of conflict—to organizational outcomes. Managerial practices resulting in too little conflict may shape and reflect an organization hypersensitive to discord, dissent, and innovation. But management practices promoting excessive conflict may overload an organization with information, rendering it incapable of reaching timely decisions, generating animosity, or creating other unproductive outcomes. This paper examines constructive conflict management, which gives employees voice and encourages authentic participation in decision-making. We hypothesize that such an approach is positively related to employee job satisfaction and organizational performance. However, given the potential for “too much of a good thing” when it encouraging conflict, we also test for a curvilinear relationships between conflict management and organizational outcomes. “To work in an organization is to be in conflict. To take advantage of joint work requires conflict management” (Tjosvold, 2008, p. 19).
Rational Re-Engineering of the O-Dealkylation of 7-Alkoxycoumarin Derivatives by Cytochromes P450 2B from the Desert Woodrat Neotoma lepida.

On the basis of recent functional and structural characterization of cytochromes P450 2B from the desert woodrat (Neotoma lepida), the 7-alkoxycoumarin and 7-alkoxy-4-(trifluoromethyl)coumarin O-dealkylation profiles of CYP2B35 and CYP2B37 were re-engineered. Point mutants interchanging residues at seven positions in the enzyme active sites were created and purified from an Escherichia coli expression system. In screens for O-dealkylation activity, wild-type CYP2B35 metabolized long-chain 7-alkoxycoumarins but not 7-alkoxy-4-(trifluoromethyl)coumarins or short-chain 7-alkoxycoumarins. Wild-type CYP2B37 metabolized short-chain substrates from both series of compounds. CYP2B35 A367V showed maximal activity with 7-butoxycoumarin as opposed to 7-heptoxycoumarin in the parental enzyme, and CYP2B35 A363I/A367V produced an activity profile like that generated by CYP2B37. CYP2B35 A363I/A367V/I477F showed 7-ethoxycoumarin and 7-ethoxy-4-(trifluoromethyl)coumarin O-dealkylation rates similar to those of CYP2B37 and...
Hippocampal slice preparation in rats acutely suppresses immunoreactivity of microtubule‐associated protein (Map2) and glycogen levels without affecting numbers of glia or levels of the glutamate transporter VGlut1

Introduction With its preservation of cytoarchitecture and synaptic circuitry, the hippocampal slice preparation has been a critical tool for studying the electrophysiological effects of pharmacological and genetic manipulations. To analyze the maximum number of slices or readouts per dissection, long incubation times postslice preparation are commonly used. We were interested in how slice integrity is affected by incubation postslice preparation. Methods Hippocampal slices were prepared by three different methods: a chopper, a vibratome, and a rotary slicer. To test slice integrity, we compared glycogen levels and immunohistochemistry of selected proteins in rat hippocampal slices immediately after dissection and following 2 and 4 hr of incubation. Results We found that immunoreactivity of the dendritic marker microtubule-associated protein 2 (Map2) drastically decreased during this incubation period, whereas immunoreactivity of the glutamate transporter VGlut1 did not significantly change with incubation time. Astrocytic and microglial cell numbers also did not significantly change with incubation time whereas glycogen levels markedly increased during incubation. Conclusion Immunoreactivity of the dendritic marker Map2 quickly decreased after dissection with all the slicing methods. This work highlights a need for caution when using long incubation periods following slice preparation.
Anti-infective Acquisition Costs for a Stewardship Program: Getting to the Bottom Line.

Background Though antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) are in place for patient safety, financial justification is often required. In 2016, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) recommended that anti-infective costs be measured by patient-level administration data normalized for patient census. Few publications use this methodology. Here, we aim to compare 3 methods of drug cost analysis during 3 phases of an ASP as an example of this recommendation's implementation. Methods At a freestanding pediatric hospital, we retrospectively assessed anti-infective cost using pharmacy purchasing data, patient-level administration data from the electronic medical record (EMR), and patient-level administration data from the Pediatric Hospital Information Systems (PHIS) database, all normalized to patient census. Costs pre-ASP, while planning the ASP, and post-ASP were then compared for each method. Results Significant differences in costs between the methods were observed. Pharmacy purchasing endorsed minimal financial benefit (decrease planning to post-ASP of $590 dollars per 1000 patient-days), while the EMR and PHIS data endorsed a decrease of $12785 and $21380 per 1000 patient-days, respectively, for a total yearly cost savings of $54656 for pharmacy purchasing data, $1184336 for EMR data, and $2117522 for PHIS data. Conclusions Pharmacy purchasing data underestimated cost savings compared with EMR and PHIS data, while EMR and PHIS data were comparable in magnitude of savings. At Children's Hospital Colorado, savings justified the full cost of the ASP. EMR patient-level administration data, normalized to patient census, offers a readily available and standardized measure of anti-infective costs over time.
Dynamics of gaps, vegetation, and plant species with and without fire.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Areas lacking dominant plants, or gaps, can support high diversity and specialist species. Previous chronosequence research in Florida rosemary scrub showed indistinct gap area patterns with fire and the dependence of certain species on gaps. We hypothesized that fire and gap size would affect extinction, colonization, diversity, and vegetation composition. METHODS In 2011-12, we revisited gaps first sampled in 2003, recording vascular plant and ground lichen occurrence by species, gap area, and burn history. We analyzed gap, vegetation, and species dynamics using linear mixed models, with Florida rosemary scrub patch as a random factor. KEY RESULTS Gap areas declined quickly during the first 10 yr postfire and then stabilized. Between 2003 and 2011-12, unburned gaps usually remained extant or split, whereas burned gaps usually merged. Unburned gaps tended to shrink, whereas burned gaps became larger. Species richness was positively related to gap area, fire, and their interaction. Over time, richness declined in unburned gaps and increased in burned gaps. Local extinction and colonization of individual species were related to fire between 2003 and 2011-12. In burned gaps, ground lichens disappeared, but many herbaceous species, including those killed by fire, increased occupancy. Colonization of most species was favored by burning, large gaps, or both. CONCLUSIONS In Florida rosemary scrub, fire and increasing gap size increased species richness and many individual species occurrences, reduced local extinctions, and increased colonizations. Therefore, land management activities that encourage the creation and maintenance of large gaps will promote biodiversity in this system.
Apremilast Alters Behavioral Responses to Ethanol in Mice: I. Reduced Consumption and Preference.

Background Phosphodiesterase type 4 (PDE4) inhibitors produce widespread anti-inflammatory effects and reduce ethanol (EtOH) consumption in several rodent models. These drugs are potential treatments for several diseases, including central nervous system disorders, but clinical use is limited by their emetic activity. Apremilast is a selective PDE4 inhibitor with fewer gastrointestinal side effects that is FDA-approved for the treatment of psoriasis. Methods We measured the acute and chronic effects of apremilast on EtOH consumption in male and female C57BL/6J mice using the continuous and intermittent 24-hour 2-bottle choice drinking models. We also studied the effects of apremilast on preference for sucrose or saccharin, spontaneous locomotor activity, and blood EtOH clearance. Finally, apremilast levels in plasma, liver, and brain were measured 1 or 2 hours after injection. Results In the continuous and intermittent drinking tests, apremilast (15 to 50 mg/kg, p.o.) dose dependently reduced EtOH intake and preference in male and female mice. Higher doses of apremilast (30 to 50 mg/kg) also reduced total fluid intake in these mice. Chronic administration of apremilast (20 mg/kg) produced a stable reduction in EtOH consumption in both drinking tests with no effect on total fluid intake. The drinking effects were reversible after drug treatment was replaced with vehicle administration (saline) for 2 to 4 days. Six daily apremilast injections did not alter preference for saccharin or sucrose in male or female mice. Apremilast (20 mg/kg) transiently decreased spontaneous locomotor activity and did not alter blood EtOH clearance. The highest levels of apremilast were found in liver followed by plasma and brain. Conclusions Apremilast produced stable reductions in voluntary EtOH consumption and was rapidly distributed to plasma and tissues (including the brain), suggesting that it may be an improved PDE4 inhibitor for medication development and repurposing efforts to treat alcohol abuse.
Preparation of alkyltrifluoroborates via Matteson Hydroboration Method

Abstract An efficient one-pot method for synthesis of simple alkyltrifluoroborate salts has been developed. Alkyldichloroboranes, prepared by the Matteson Hydroboration Method using in situ generated HBCl2, were esterified with 2-propanol, treated with aqueous KHF2 and isolated using standard procedures. The overall isolated yields were generally greater than 90% when fluoridation was conducted under nitrogen. In contrast, reactions using “open air” conditions showed oxidation and gave lower yields of the alkyltrifluoroborate salts.
Anesthesia for Major Joint Surgery

Major joint surgery of the shoulder, hip, and knee are some of the most commonly performed procedures in the United States. These ‘routine’ surgeries require careful attention, as patients undergoing these procedures are older and have more co-morbidities than in the past. Appropriate use of regional and neuraxial anesthesia can help to reduce complications and improve outcomes. Post-operative pain is a major concern requiring aggressive management. Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are common causes of morbidity and mortality that need to be considered. The anesthesia provider should also be cognizant of other considerations such as bone cement syndrome, the use of tourniquets, and fat embolism syndrome. A thorough understanding of potential pitfalls and optimal techniques for major joint surgery will result in better patient outcomes and satisfaction.
Correlation in Electron-Atom Excitation

The use of delayed coincidences and photon polarization measurements to study correlation effects in electron-atom inelastic scattering is detailed. Sources of systematic error in experimental results with respect to determination of the correlation parameters λ and χ for helium are discussed. The results of several calculations are compared to the experimental data for the 21P1 state of helium.
Sex differences in radial maze performance: Influence of rearing environment and room cues

There have been conflicting reports on whether or not male rats outperform females in the radial arm maze. Three factors—rearing environment, room cues, and whether all of the maze arms are baited with food—may differentially influence the performance of male and female rats. In the present experiment, littermate male and female hooded rats were reared either in same-sex groups in a complex environment or alone in standard cages for 30 days after weaning. The rats were then trained for 24 days in a partially baited 17-arm radial maze with either a minimum of room cues or a large number of cues. Regardless of rearing condition or number of cues, males made fewer errors (baited and un-baited) than did females, and both sexes reared in the complex environments made fewer errors (baited and unbaited) than did the rats reared alone.
Axonal and Dendritic Transport by Dyneins and Kinesins in Neurons

Because of their extreme size and polarity, neurons employ a supply system composed of microtubule tracks and two types of microtubule-dependent molecular motor proteins, called kinesins and dyneins. These supply systems physically move large amounts of material from sites of synthesis in the neuronal cell body to synapses and also keep the axon and dendrite supplied with ion channels, cytoskeletal proteins, membrane proteins, organelles, and many other essential components. These systems also support the movement and signaling of growth factors that are moved to and then secreted at neuronal termini to signal forward to targets or that signal back to the neuronal nucleus following complex formation with receptors.
The Clinical Dilemma of Anticoagulation Use in Patients with Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy and Atrial Fibrillation.

This review highlights current management of patients with concomitant cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) and atrial fibrillation (AF). We review quantifying risk of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke as well as treatments to minimize future risk. Ischemic stroke risk in AF can be quantified by CHA2DS2-VASc and assessing left atrial echocardiographic characteristics. Patients deemed not low risk by CHA2DS2-VASC should be anticoagulated. CAA increases intracranial hemorrhage risk. CAA biomarkers include cortical microbleeds (CMBs), cortical superficial siderosis (cSS), convexal subarachnoid hemorrhage (cSAH), and lobar intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). CAA with prior lobar ICH has an annual recurrence rate of 8.9%. CAA with cSAH carries an even higher annual lobar ICH risk of 19%. CMBs are associated with a dose-dependent risk of ICH, which rises with OACs. In patients with AF, antithrombotics should be avoided in CAA with predominant ICH, cSS, or cSAH features. Those with ≥ 2 CMB require in-depth risk-benefit analysis using a multidisciplinary approach.
Modelling ocean waves in ice-covered seas

Abstract Over the past decade there has been a rapid growth of interest in wave propagation through ice covers. This paper summarizes the author’s observation of the modeling efforts on this topic. Models can be theory-based, data-driven, or a combination of the two. A pure data-driven model relies on a large amount of observations and is only becoming available recently. Theory-based models on the other hand have a long history. They are always a simplified version of the reality. As our knowledge grows, theories become more complicated. A theory for waves-in-ice that captures all possible processes does not exist. However, when integrated with observation through calibration, these combined theory + data-based models may be used with some confidence. In this paper, different models, their basic concepts, their calibration and validation are discussed. The present theory-based models do not have the correct spectral attenuation trend as observed from field or laboratory experiments. Hence, through calibration they may fit different parts of the wave spectra but not all. Pure data-driven models can reproduce the correct trend, but its dependability outside the situation where the data are collected is uncertain. In addition to offering tools to forecast waves-in-ice, these model building and validating efforts point to missing mechanisms that should be carefully studied. Despite the many challenges towards building a satisfactory general waves-in-ice model, significant progress has been made for models that work reasonably well in the marginal ice zone. We anticipate much more data will become available in the coming years to help us improve the existing models.
A Qualitative Exploration of Pre-health Students' Perceptions of Academic Success and Persistence

Motivation and psychological characteristics play important roles in college student success. Upon matriculation, pre-health students must strive for academic success to present competitive profile...
Resource Sensor Design for Quantifying Resource Competition in Genetic Circuits

Sharing of cellular resources in genetic circuits negatively affects performance and often leads to unpredictable behavior. Measuring key metrics from experimental data that quantify resource sharing and its effect on a system's output would be highly useful. In this paper, we propose two metrics, Q and S, representing the quantity of resources used by a genetic circuit module and the sensitivity of the output of a module to resource disturbances, respectively. Together, Q and S may be used to estimate the change in the output of a module in response to the disturbances in the availability of resources. We cast the problem of finding these metrics as a parameter estimation problem and outline a simple procedure to estimate these metrics from data. Knowledge of Q and S for a circuit module enables prediction of the effects of resource sharing and allows for resource-aware design of genetic circuits.
The Computing Landscape of the 21st Century

This paper shows how today's complex computing landscape can be understood in simple terms through a 4-tier model. Each tier represents a distinct and stable set of design constraints that dominate attention at that tier. There are typically many alternative implementations of hardware and software at each tier, but all of them are subject to the same set of design constraints. We discuss how this simple and compact framework has explanatory power and predictive value in reasoning about system design.