cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the quantitative balance between insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 ligand, receptor, and binding protein levels to predict cell sensitivity and therapeutic efficacy.

The insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system impacts cell proliferation and is highly activated in ovarian cancer. While an attractive therapeutic target, the IGF system is complex with two receptors (IGF1R, IGF2R), two ligands (IGF1, IGF2), and at least six high affinity IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) that regulate the bioavailability of IGF ligands. We hypothesized that a quantitative balance between these different network components regulated cell response. OVCAR5, an immortalized ovarian cancer cell line, were found to be sensitive to IGF1, with the dose of IGF1 (i.e., the total mass of IGF1 available) a more reliable predictor of cell response than ligand concentration. The applied dose of IGF1 was depleted by both cell-secreted IGFBPs and endocytic trafficking, with IGFBPs sequestering up to 90% of the available ligand. To explore how different variables (i.e., IGF1, IGFBPs, and IGF1R levels) impacted cell response, a mass-action steady-state model was developed. Examination of the model revealed that the level of IGF1-IGF1R complexes per cell was directly proportional to the extent of proliferation induced by IGF1. Model analysis suggested, and experimental results confirmed, that IGFBPs present during IGF1 treatment significantly decreased IGF1-mediated proliferation. We utilized this model to assess the efficacy of IGF1 and IGF1R antibodies against different network compositions and determined that IGF1R antibodies were more globally effective due to the receptor-limited state of the network. Changes that affect IGF1R occupancy have predictable effects on IGF1-induced proliferation and our model captured these effects. Analysis of this model suggests that IGF1R antibodies will be more effective than IGF1 antibodies, although the difference was minimal in conditions with low levels of IGF1 and IGFBPs. Examining how different components of the IGF system influence cell response will be critical to improve our understanding of the IGF signaling network in ovarian cancer.
Cycles of Pain: Risk Factors in the Lives of Incarcerated Mothers and Their Children

This study extends the risk factors model of background or social history analysis to the lives of incarcerated mothers. Interviews were conducted with a sample of incarcerated mothers. The presence of a number of criminogenic influences such as poverty, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and witnessing violence in the lives of women incarcerated for primarily nonviolent—largely drug-related—offenses and in the lives of their children were identified. The implications of these findings for understanding female criminality and breaking the so-called cycle of crime are discussed.
Hemodynamics in normal cattle.

A satisfactory method has been described for conducting hemodynamic studies in cattle. With the animals in normal standing position, and without sedation or tranquilization, cardiac catheterization can be readily performed. With a muzzle mask, ventilatory studies are also feasible. Using this method, each of 10 normal steers was studied four times during a six-month period. This permitted the establishment of normal values for a number of circulatory measurements. In addition, an evaluation of chlorpromazine administration in normal cattle demonstrated some of the numerous complex effects of this drug on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. These included hemodilution, hypoventilation, and a marked reduction of the arteriovenous oxygen difference.
Insights into gender bias: rat cytochrome P450 3A9.

Some members of the CYP3A subfamily show gender-dependent expression. Using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, we report that female rats have 28-fold higher CYP3A9 mRNA levels than males in liver and 3.8-fold higher in lung. Furthermore, the CYP3A9 expression profile in kidney exhibits a regio-specific distribution, i.e., a 10-fold higher expression in cortex compared with medulla. Also, we observed tissue-specific estrogen regulation of the CYP3A9 message. Estrogen treatment caused a significant up-regulation in liver and a marked down-regulation both in the cortex and medulla of the kidney. Upon ovariectomy, hepatic and brain CYP3A9 expression were reduced significantly, but a modest increase in kidney expression was observed. The effects of ovariectomy on CYP3A9 gene expression were reversed upon exogenous estrogen treatment. CYP3A protein levels and hepatic microsomal activity toward benzphetamine after various treatments showed changes parallel to CYP3A9 mRNA levels. We report for the first time that CYP3A9 levels change dramatically during the course of pregnancy.
Functional link between muscarinic receptors and large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels in freshly-isolated human detrusor smooth muscle cells

Activation of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) constitutes the primary mechanism for enhancing excitability and contractility of human detrusor smooth muscle (DSM). Since the large-conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) (KCa1.1) channels are key regulators of human DSM function, we investigated whether mAChR activation increases human DSM excitability by inhibiting KCa1.1 channels. We used the mAChR agonist, carbachol, to determine the changes in KCa1.1 channel activity upon mAChR activation in freshly isolated human DSM cells obtained from open bladder surgeries using the perforated whole cell and single KCa1.1 channel patch-clamp recordings. Human DSM cells were collected from 29 patients (23 males and 6 females, average age of 65.9 ± 1.5 years). Carbachol inhibited the amplitude and frequency of KCa1.1 channel-mediated spontaneous transient outward currents and spontaneous transient hyperpolarizations, which are triggered by the release of Ca(2+) from ryanodine receptors. Carbachol also caused membrane potential depolarization, which was not observed in the presence of iberiotoxin, a KCa1.1 channel inhibitor, indicating the critical role of the KCa1.1 channels. The potential direct carbachol effects on KCa1.1 channels were examined under conditions of removing the major cellular Ca(2+) sources for KCa1.1 channel activation with pharmacological inhibitors (thapsigargin, ryanodine, and nifedipine). In the presence of these inhibitors, carbachol did not affect the single KCa1.1 channel open probability and mean KCa1.1 channel conductance (cell-attached configuration) or depolarization-induced whole cell steady-state KCa1.1 currents. The data support the concept that mAChR activation triggers indirect functional KCa1.1 channel inhibition mediated by intracellular Ca(2+), thus increasing the excitability in human DSM cells.
National identity during periods of controversy: celebrating Cinco de Mayo in Phoenix, Arizona

Cinco de Mayo, celebrated by Mexican Americans as well as Americans of other ethnicities, provides an opportunity to examine the influence of ethnic festivals on broader US identity. Given the recent controversy over the immigration bill, State Bill 1070, passed in Arizona in 2010, the themes presented in newspaper articles concerning the celebration of the holiday in Phoenix, Arizona (2006–11) and the public response to these articles are examined. This examination reveals the intense contestation associated with the presentation of symbols and themes of national identity during periods of political controversy. It also illustrates that ordinary people have strong, long-standing opinions about the future of the nation and national identity and will express their opinions when an outlet is provided to them
Using iterated function systems to model discrete sequences

Two iterated function system (IFS) models are explored for the representation of single-valued discrete-time sequences: the self-affine fractal model and the piecewise self-affine fractal model. Algorithms are presented, one of which is suitable for a multiprocessor implementation, for identification of the parameters of each model. Applications of these models to a variety of data types are given where signal-to-noise ratios are presented, quantization effects of the model parameters are investigated, and compression ratios are computed. >
Siderophores from Neighboring Organisms Promote the Growth of Uncultured Bacteria

The majority of bacterial species do not grow on synthetic media. Many non-growers require growth factors from other bacteria, but the nature of these compounds is largely unknown. We show here that previously uncultured isolates from marine sediment biofilm grow on a Petri dish in the presence of cultured organisms from the same environment. The growth factors produced by one cultured helper strain were identified as new acyl-desferrioxamine siderophores. A panel of previously uncultured isolates exhibited a range of siderophore promiscuity for growth promotion. This siderophore-based approach has enabled the culturing of organisms only distantly related to previously cultured microbes. The lack of growth in the laboratory for many strains from this habitat stems from an inability to autonomously produce siderophores, and the resulting chemical dependence on other microorganisms regulates community establishment in the environment.
Plasma cortisol and neuropeptide Y in female victims of intimate partner violence

Background: The experience of intimate partner violence (physical and sexual violence) has been linked to psychiatric disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder, yet data on the neuroendocrine profile in this population is sparse. This study sought to examine baseline plasma cortisol and neuropeptide Y (NPY) levels in female victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). Methods: Morning plasma samples were collected for cortisol and NPY determination in 22 women with histories of IPV (10 with current PTSD, 12 without current or lifetime PTSD) and 16 non-abused controls. Results: Mean cortisol levels were significantly lower in IPV subjects compared with controls, but did not distinguish IPV subjects with and without PTSD. There were no significant differences in mean NPY levels between the groups. Neither cortisol nor NPY levels were significantly correlated with PTSD symptoms. Conclusions: These preliminary findings suggest that victims of IPV, like women traumatized by childhood abuse, may be characterized by alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning, however, further study is needed to identify specific stress system disturbances in this group.
Champlain Sea Foraminifera and Ostracoda: a systematic and paleoecological synthesis

Champlain Sea deposits from Quebec, Ontario and the United States yielded over 40 ostracode and 60 benthonic foraminiferal species. Geographical trends in foraminiferal species diversity as measured by the Shannon-Wiener Information Function, H(S), show highest diversities (H(S) = 1.6-1.7) in the western Champlain Sea of Ontario, southern Quebec and near Quebec City, while a significantly less diverse fauna (H(S) = 1.0) inhabited the Champlain Valley. Three environmentally distinct phases of the sea based on ostracode species distribution were recognized in the Champlain Valley and southern Quebec An early period, characterized by fresh water and euryhaline marine species, represents a lacustrine-marine transition. Subsequently, frigid to subfrigid, polyhaline to euhaline conditions prevailed. Finally, some time between 11,000 and 10,600 yr BP a salinity decrease and a water temperature increase is inferred from the dominance of mesohaline, cold temperate ostracode species. Additional evidence for temporal salinity variation are mean foraminiferal species diversity values which are 1.0, 1.5 and 1.2 respectively for the three phases.
Cutting Edge: Viral Infection Breaks NK Cell Tolerance to “Missing Self”

NK cells attack cells lacking MHC class I, yet MHC class I-deficient mice have normal numbers of NK cells with intact, albeit diminished, functions. Moreover, wild-type NK cells are tolerant of MHC class I-deficient cells in mixed bone marrow chimeras. In this study, we investigated how the absence of MHC class I affects NK cells. NK cells from β2-microglobulin-deficient (B2m−/−) and wild-type mice exhibit similar phenotypic and functional characteristics. Both B2m−/− and wild-type Ly49H+ NK cells proliferated robustly and produced IFN-γ after infection with mouse CMV. NK cells in mixed wild-type:B2m−/− chimeric mice were initially tolerant of MHC class I-deficient host cells. However, this tolerance was gradually lost over time and after mouse CMV infection was rapidly broken, with a pronounced rejection of host B2m−/− hematopoietic cells. Thus, although NK cells can be held in check against “missing self,” acute inflammation driven by infection can rapidly break established self-tolerance.
Predicting habits of vegetable parenting practices to facilitate the design of change programmes.

OBJECTIVE Habit has been defined as the automatic performance of a usual behaviour. The present paper reports the relationships of variables from a Model of Goal Directed Behavior to four scales in regard to parents' habits when feeding their children: habit of (i) actively involving child in selection of vegetables; (ii) maintaining a positive vegetable environment; (iii) positive communications about vegetables; and (iv) controlling vegetable practices. We tested the hypothesis that the primary predictor of each habit variable would be the measure of the corresponding parenting practice. DESIGN Internet survey data from a mostly female sample. Primary analyses employed regression modelling with backward deletion, controlling for demographics and parenting practices behaviour. SETTING Houston, Texas, USA. SUBJECTS Parents of 307 pre-school (3-5-year-old) children. RESULTS Three of the four models accounted for about 50 % of the variance in the parenting practices habit scales. Each habit scale was primarily predicted by the corresponding parenting practices scale (suggesting validity). The habit of active child involvement in vegetable selection was also most strongly predicted by two barriers and rudimentary self-efficacy; the habit of maintaining a positive vegetable environment by one barrier; the habit of maintaining positive communications about vegetables by an emotional scale; and the habit of controlling vegetable practices by a perceived behavioural control scale. CONCLUSIONS The predictiveness of the psychosocial variables beyond parenting practices behaviour was modest. Discontinuing the habit of ineffective controlling parenting practices may require increasing the parent's perceived control of parenting practices, perhaps through simulated parent-child interactions.
A simplified mathematical approach to model and analyze magnet defects fault signatures in permanent magnet synchronous motors

This paper deals with modeling and analysis of broken magnet fault signatures in permanent magnet surface mounted (PMSM) motor variables. A detailed mathematical analysis based on the linear model of PMSM motor is developed to predict the behavior of different fault signatures in stator current and back-emf for various motor operation points. In order to verify the results, a three phase, 8-pole PMSM motor is modeled using finite element analysis (FEA) and 7% of one magnet is cut using a fine cutter on the rotor to model the broken magnet fault. This paper also presents a comprehensive fault severity analysis and its impacts on the current and voltage fault signatures. For this purpose, the fault intensity imposed to the motor is increased in four steps by removing 25% of one magnet at each step. Throughout each fault level, the changes in the spectrum are analyzed which provides an essential information to design threshold fault detection.
Data Envelopment Analysis: History, Models, and Interpretations

In about 30 years, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) has grown into a powerful quantitative, analytical tool for measuring and evaluating the performance. DEA has been successfully applied to a host of many different types of entities engaged in a wide variety of activities in many contexts worldwide. This chapter discusses the basic DEA models and some of their extensions.
Spurious Correlation in Dimensional Analysis

Dimensional analysis often leads to the appearance of common or highly correlated variables in the independent and dependent parameters. A new quantitative measure of spurious correlation, ρ s , is introduced. Its variation is studied from equations derived for jointly normally distributed variables and for nonparametric distributions with coefficients of variation η 1, ρ s is studied by digital simulation and is found to be less than that predicted by the method of differentials developed for η s and its effect on predictive inferences are presented. It is recommended that the repeating variables should have smaller η than the variables of interest and should not be highly correlated with each other. Where the statistical distributions for the variables involved are unavailable, it is recommended that confidence intervals around the predictive relations be determined from the calculated standard error of prediction.
Sensorimotor grounding and reused cognitive domains

Anderson suggests that theories of sensorimotor grounding are too narrow to account for his findings of widespread "reuse" supporting multiple different cognitive "task domains." I call some of the methodological assumptions underlying this conclusion into question, and suggest that his examples reaffirm rather than undermine the special status of sensorimotor processes in cognitive evolution.
The Effect of Substrate Temperature on the Crystallinity and Stress of Ion Beam Sputtered Silicon on Various Substrates

Amorphous and polycrystalline silicon films are commonly used in a wide range of microelectronic and optical devices. Polycrystalline silicon is conventionally deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) at temperatures in excess of 600°C. At these high deposition temperatures, thermal diffusion of dopants and thermally induced chemical reactions may occur within the substrate or device. Also, substrates with low melting temperatures such as germanium, may undergo irreversible deformation. In the present study, ion beam sputtering has been shown to enable the deposition of a stable polycrystalline silicon film on germanium as well as on silicon and glass substrates at temperatures as low as 350-400°C. The crystallization properties of silicon on the different substrate surfaces is reported. Crystallinity of the ion beam sputtered silicon films as a function of deposition temperature and substrate type is measured by X-Ray diffraction. These polysilicon films are shown to be thermally stable, have randomly oriented crystals, and have good adhesion to the substrates despite high compressive deposition stresses ranging from 700MPa to lOOOMPa. Magnetron sputtered silicon films deposited on substrates in the same temperature range produced only completely amorphous films, with lower stresses and which are also thermally stable. This study demonstrated the feasibility of depositing extremely hard polycrystalline silicon films on germanium and other substrates by means of physical vapor deposition at temperatures as low as 350°C.
The Hydnaceae of Iowa. III. The Genera Radulum, Mucronella, Caldesiella and Gloiodon

1. Narrowly reflexed, sometimes resupinate, thick, not cracking; clamp con? nections numerous; spores 5-7 X 3-4 ^.3. R. pallidum. 1. Resupinate, adnate, varying in thickness, sometimes cracking; clamp con? nections present or absent; spores usually larger.. (2) 2. Cracking; clamp connections few or absent; spores 6-8 X 3-4 ^ 2. R. quercinum. 2. Generally not cracking; clamp connections numerous; spores 8 -12 X 3-4 m, curved. 1. R. orbiculare.
Graduate Training in Statistics

(1946). Graduate Training in Statistics. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 53, No. 4, pp. 193-199.
Well-posedness of Mindlin---Timoshenko Plate with Nonlinear Boundary Damping and Sources

This study addresses well-posedness of a Mindlin---Timoshenko (MT) plate model that incorporates nonlinear viscous damping and nonlinear source term in Neumann boundary conditions. The main results verify local and global existence of solutions as well as their continuous dependence on the initial data in appropriate function spaces. Along with (Pei et al. in J Math Anal Appl 418(2):535---568, 2014, in Nonlinear Anal 105:62---85, 2014) this work completes the fundamental well-posedness theory for MT plates under the interplay of damping and source terms acting either in the interior or on the boundary of the plate.
Phonon Anharmonicity of PdO Studied by Raman Spectrometry

Raman spectra were measured for palladium oxide (PdO) at temperatures from 298 to 973 K. The first-order scattering B1g and Eg phonon modes show prominent frequency and line width dependencies on temperature. The phonon behaviors are described well by a model considering contributions from thermal expansion related quasiharmonicity and explicit lattice anharmonicity from both cubic and quartic phonon decay processes. Compared to the quasiharmonicity for the line shift, the explicit anharmonicity is found to be relatively smaller for the B1g mode with the cubic anharmonicity leading the quartic term. The Eg mode has a smaller line shift which mostly follows a quartic phonon decay mechanism while the cubic contribution is canceled by thermal expansion effects. The cubic anharmonicity dominates mostly the line broadening with more prominent quartic effects responsible for the larger broadening of the Eg mode. Multiple potential asymmetric cubic and quartic anharmonic decay channels including down-conversion ...
[ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, AT-1 antagonists in heart failure. Right dosage and combination].

Medical treatment of chronic heart failure is applied in accordance with the recommendations of the Task Force Report of the European Society of Cardiology [9] adapted to the respective NYHA stage of the cardiac failure. Currently, it includes the use of ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, AT1 receptor antagonists, diuretics including the aldosterone antagonists, and digitalis. While a positive impact on the prognosis has been confirmed for ACE inhibitors, beta blockers and aldosterone antagonists, this is not the case for diuretics and digitalis. These substance groups are used in the treatment of chronic heart failure because of their morbidity-lowering action. The objective of more recent therapeutic concepts is to block neurohumoral achses or local maladaptation processes (e.g. endothelial antagonists, cytokine inhibition, apoptosis inhibition) activated during the heart failure, or to promote protective mechanisms (e.g. endopeptidase inhibition). Here, however, the results of ongoing or planned randomized studies have to be awaited.
The Retail Service Innovator: A Canonical-Based Segmentation of the Early Adopter Catalog-Grocery User

This study provides insights into a canonically-based clustering of the early adopters of a retail service innovation: catalog-grocery marketing. The results indicate that consumer typologies based on a priori couplings of predictor and criteria variables are externally unique as to spending behavior. As a result, a “targeting” can be directed toward predisposed heavy users, and warehouse location decisions can be affected. Finally, the efficacy of the advocated segmentation procedure is demonstrated.
Boundary control of two dimensional burgers PDE using approximate dynamic programming

An approximate dynamic programming (ADP) based near optimal boundary control of distributed parameter systems (DPS) governed by uncertain two dimensional (2D) Burgers equation under Neumann boundary condition is introduced. First, Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation is formulated without any model reduction. Next, optimal boundary control policy is derived in terms of value functional which is obtained as the solution to the HJB equation. Subsequently, a novel identifier is developed to estimate the unknown nonlinearity in the partial differential equation (PDE) dynamics. The suboptimal control policy is obtained by forward-in-time approximation of the value functional using a neural network (NN) based online approximator and the identified dynamics. Adaptive weight tuning laws are proposed for online learning of the value functional and identifier. Local ultimate boundedness (UB) of the closed-loop system is verified by using Lyapunov theory.
An Evolved Orthogonal Enzyme/Cofactor Pair

We introduce a strategy that expands the functionality of hemoproteins through orthogonal enzyme/heme pairs. By exploiting the ability of a natural heme transport protein, ChuA, to promiscuously import heme derivatives, we have evolved a cytochrome P450 (P450BM3) that selectively incorporates a nonproteinogenic cofactor, iron deuteroporphyrin IX (Fe-DPIX), even in the presence of endogenous heme. Crystal structures show that selectivity gains are due to mutations that introduce steric clash with the heme vinyl groups while providing a complementary binding surface for the smaller Fe-DPIX cofactor. Furthermore, the evolved orthogonal enzyme/cofactor pair is active in non-natural carbenoid-mediated olefin cyclopropanation. This methodology for the generation of orthogonal enzyme/cofactor pairs promises to expand cofactor diversity in artificial metalloenzymes.
Civic engagement among orphans and non-orphans in five low- and middle-income countries.

Communities and nations seeking to foster social responsibility in their youth are interested in understanding factors that predict and promote youth involvement in public activities. Orphans and separated children (OSC) are a vulnerable population whose numbers are increasing, particularly in resource-poor settings. Understanding whether and how OSC are engaged in civic activities is important for community and world leaders who need to provide care for OSC and ensure their involvement in sustainable development. The Positive Outcomes for Orphans study (POFO) is a multi-country, longitudinal cohort study of OSC randomly sampled from institution-based care and from family-based care, and of non-OSC sampled from the same study regions. Participants represent six sites in five low-and middle-income countries. We examined civic engagement activities and government trust among subjects > =16 years old at 90-month follow-up (approximately 7.5 years after baseline). We calculated prevalences and estimated the association between key demographic variables and prevalence of regular volunteer work using multivariable Poisson regression, with sampling weights to accounting for the complex sampling design. Among the 1,281 POFO participants > =16 who were assessed at 90-month follow-up, 45 % participated in regular community service or volunteer work; two-thirds of those volunteers did so on a strictly voluntary basis. While government trust was fairly high, at approximately 70 % for each level of government, participation in voting was only 15 % among those who were > =18 years old. We did not observe significant associations between demographic characteristics and regular volunteer work, with the exception of large variation by study site. As the world’s leaders grapple with the many competing demands of global health, economic security, and governmental stability, the participation of today’s youth in community and governance is essential for sustainability. This study provides a first step in understanding the degree to which OSC from different care settings across multiple low- and middle-income countries are engaged in their communities.
Hydrological and temperature change in Arctic Siberia during the intensification of Northern Hemisphere Glaciation

Abstract The Pliocene epoch represents an analog for future climate, with atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and continental configurations similar to present. Although the presence of multiple positive feedbacks in polar regions leads to amplified climatic changes, conditions in the Pliocene terrestrial Arctic are poorly characterized. High latitude sedimentary records indicate that dramatic glacial advance and decay occurred in the Pliocene Arctic, with attendant effects on global sea-level. Understanding these deposits and their implications for Earth's future requires developing a sense of climatic evolution across the Pliocene–Pleistocene transition and during the intensification of Northern Hemisphere Glaciation (iNHG) ∼2.7 million yr ago (Ma). Here we reconstruct Arctic terrestrial environmental change from 2.82–2.41 Ma (Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) G10–95) using the distribution of branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs) and the isotopic composition of plant leaf waxes (δDwax) in a sedimentary archive from Lake El'gygytgyn, Northeast Russia. Our records reveal changes in proxy behavior across this interval that we attribute to changing boundary conditions, including sea level, sea ice, vegetation and pCO2 during different MISs. We find that brGDGT temperatures and δDwax are decoupled for most of the record, although both show an increasing range of glacial–interglacial variability following iNHG. δDwax is stable from MIS G10–G4 despite changes in vegetation and temperature, suggesting different sources or pathways for moisture to Lake El'gygytgyn during the Late Pliocene.
Increased lateral microtubule contact at the cell cortex is sufficient to drive mammalian spindle elongation

The spindle is a dynamic structure that changes its architecture and size in response to biochemical and physical cues. For example, a simple physical change, cell confinement, can trigger centrosome separation and increase spindle steady-state length at metaphase. How this occurs is not understood, and is the question we pose here. We find that metaphase and anaphase spindles elongate at the same rate when confined, suggesting that similar elongation forces can be generated independent of biochemical and spindle structural differences. Furthermore, this elongation does not require bipolar spindle architecture or dynamic microtubules. Rather, confinement increases numbers of astral microtubules laterally contacting the cortex, shifting contact geometry from "end-on" to "side-on." Astral microtubules engage cortically anchored motors along their length, as demonstrated by outward sliding and buckling after ablation-mediated release from the centrosome. We show that dynein is required for confinement-induced spindle elongation, and both chemical and physical centrosome removal demonstrate that astral microtubules are required for such spindle elongation and its maintenance. Together the data suggest that promoting lateral cortex-microtubule contacts increases dynein-mediated force generation and is sufficient to drive spindle elongation. More broadly, changes in microtubule-to-cortex contact geometry could offer a mechanism for translating changes in cell shape into dramatic intracellular remodeling.
Fault Detection and Identification for Advanced Vehicle Control Systems

Abstract A preliminary design of a health monitoring system for automated vehicles is developed and tests using a high-fidelity nonlinear simulation are very encouraging. The approach is to fuse data from dissimilar instruments using modeled dynamic relationships and fault detection and identification filters. The filters are constructed so that the residual has static directional characteristics associated with the presence of a fault. These patterns may be blurred by sensor noise, disturbances, unmodeled dynamics and nonlinearities. A Bayesian neural network is designed to produce a probability that a fault has occured conditioned on the residuals. This is done by recognizing, in a stochastic sense, quasi-static fault patterns embedded in the residual.
Estimating inverse-probability weights for longitudinal data with dropout or truncation: The xtrccipw command

Individuals may drop out of a longitudinal study, rendering their outcomes unobserved but still well defined. However, they may also undergo truncation (for example, death), beyond which their outcomes are no longer meaningful. Kurland and Heagerty (2005, Biostatistics 6: 241-258) developed a method to conduct regression conditioning on nontruncation, that is, regression conditioning on continuation (RCC), for longitudinal outcomes that are monotonically missing at random (for example, because of dropout). This method first estimates the probability of dropout among continuing individuals to construct inverse-probability weights (IPWs), then fits generalized estimating equations (GEE) with these IPWs. In this article, we present the xtrccipw command, which can both estimate the IPWs required by RCC and then use these IPWs in a GEE estimator by calling the glm command from within xtrccipw. In the absence of truncation, the xtrccipw command can also be used to run a weighted GEE analysis. We demonstrate the xtrccipw command by analyzing an example dataset and the original Kurland and Heagerty (2005) data. We also use xtrccipw to illustrate some empirical properties of RCC through a simulation study.
Evolutionary Studies Research

The BOXES Methodology uses a signature table that is modified in real-time to such an extent that the cells that the algorithm judges to have contributed control decisions are rewarded and punished so that effective stable control can be learned in much the same way as a board game is played. The state space is divided into regions and processed as subsets of integers. The boundaries that define exactly where a state variable migrates from one region to another are either arbitrarily selected or based on expert help—and the topic of much discussion. This chapter addresses this potential flaw in the algorithm by describing a possible evolutionary algorithm that uses the statistical values of individual cell strengths to alter the boundary locations inside the system to gain merit advantage. This chapter is the subject of ongoing research and included to encourage others to pursue the topic.
Adaptação da Abordagem Theme para Linhas de Produtos de Software

Dissertacao apresentada Faculdade de Ciencias e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para obtencao do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia Informatica
Repair and mutation induction in mouse germ cells: a summary and some thoughts.

Evidence for repair of premutational lesions induced in mammalian germ cells has come from several directions, and some of it has been around for quite some time. Yet it is only as a result of relatively recent work that we now have the opportunity, with experimental mammals, to penetrate into areas of research that have already yielded rich rewards in yeast and Drosophila, namely, the genetics of repair capacity. This opportunity is particularly welcome in view of the fact that experimental mammals, which obviously could provide animal models for human genetic disease, have lagged behind man in the study of repair-deficiency states. Several such states are known in humans; in the mouse, we are only now on the threshold of discovering some.
High-Throughput Immunofluorescence Microscopy Using Yeast Spheroplast Cell-Based Microarrays

We have described a protocol for performing high-throughput immunofluorescence microscopy on microarrays of yeast cells. This approach employs immunostaining of spheroplasted yeast cells printed as high-density cell microarrays, followed by imaging using automated microscopy. A yeast spheroplast microarray can contain more than 5,000 printed spots, each containing cells from a given yeast strain, and is thus suitable for genome-wide screens focusing on single cell phenotypes, such as systematic localization or co-localization studies or genetic assays for genes affecting probed targets. We demonstrate the use of yeast spheroplast microarrays to probe microtubule and spindle defects across a collection of yeast strains harboring tetracycline-down-regulatable alleles of essential genes.
Arachidonic Acid Metabolism in Tissue Injury

The significance of enhanced arachidonic acid metabolism in a variety of inflammatory disorders has been the focus of intense investigation for over 20 years. Several types of tissue injury, including hydronephrosis (Morrison et al.,1977; Nishikawa et al.,1977), glomerulonephritis (Lianos et al.,1983), renal vein constriction (Zipser et al., 1980), myocardial infarction (Evers et al., 1985), ulcerative colitis (Zipser et al.,1985), rheumatoid arthritis (McGuire et al., 1982), and pulmonary fibrosis (Clark et al.,1983), are characterized by marked quantitative, as well as qualitative, changes in arachidonic acid metabolism. In each case, the exaggerated eicosanoid production is associated with the invasion of inflammatory cells into the site of injury. A major interest in this laboratory has been understanding the temporal relations between inflammatory cell influx and enhanced arachidonate metabolism. Additionally, attempts have been made to correlate the biochemical events with the pathophysiological response observed following the onset of tissue injury.
Tobacco, Drug, and HIV Preventive Media Interventions

Media-based health promotion interventions can reach large segments of the population and lower barriers to participation in programs. By collaborating with media specialists, we can develop interventions that might be broader, more publicized, and ultimately more likely to change behaviors and attitudes within the community. The present paper describes a series of media interventions involving smoking cessation, drug abuse prevention, stress reduction, weight control, and HIV/AIDS prevention. The process by which I became involved in these interventions is discussed, and the implications of developing these types of large-scale behavioral interventions are discussed.
Holomorphic Structures on Topological Surfaces

In this chapter, we address the natural problem of determining conditions for a topological surface to admit a holomorphic structure. One necessary condition is, of course, that the surface be orientable. According to Rado’s theorem (Theorem 2.11.1), another necessary condition is that the surface be second countable. It turns out that these two conditions are also sufficient.
Multisegment nanowire/nanoparticle hybrid arrays as electrochemical biosensors for simultaneous detection of antibiotics

Abstract Antibiotics such as penicillin and tetracycline drugs are widely used in food animals to treat, control, and prevent diseases, and penicillin is approved for use to improve growth rates in pigs and poultry. However, due to the overuse of antibiotics in food and medical industry, the antimicrobial resistance is starting to show up in some developing countries. The antibiotic abuse may cause allergic reactions, resistance in microorganisms and general lowering of immunity in consumers of meat and dairy products. It is important and necessary to develop an easy, inexpensive, and quantitative sensing method to monitor and analyze the antibiotics concentration in real samples such as milk or meat. In this research, an electrochemical biosensor based on hybrid nanowire/nanoparticle array with various bio-molecular receptors was fabricated for the simultaneous detection of penicillin and tetracycline. The vertically aligned Pt-Au nanowire array has been prepared by an electrodeposition method within anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes; L -cysteine was used to form a monolayer on the Au segment as the bio-receptor for tetracycline detection; electroless plating of Au nanoparticles was applied on the Pt nanowire segments, and then the penicillinase was immobilized on the Au nanoparticles using EDC/NHS cross-linker. The prepared Au( L -cysteine)-Pt(penicillinase) nanowire array electrode showed simultaneous detection ability and remarkably high sensitivity of penicillin and tetracycline, which are 41.2 μA μM−1 cm−2 for penicillin detection and 26.4 μA μM−1 cm−2 for tetracycline detection. The sensitivities of each analytes with different segment length were also investigated. Real sample tests with chicken and beef extract were conducted, which showed good recovery performance. Due to the advantages of the hybrid nanowire/nanoparticle array structure, this new sensor can serve as an enhanced platform for simultaneous detection of various bioanalytes.
Hive: Collective Design Through Network Rotation

Collectives gather online around challenges they face, but frequently fail to envision shared outcomes to act on together. Prior work has developed systems for improving collective ideation and design by exposing people to each others' ideas and encouraging them to intermix those ideas. However, organizational behavior research has demonstrated that intermixing ideas does not result in meaningful engagement with those ideas. In this paper, we introduce a new class of collective design system that intermixes people instead of ideas: instead of receiving mere exposure to others' ideas, participants engage deeply with other members of the collective who represent those ideas, increasing engagement and influence. We thus present Hive: a system that organizes a collective into small teams, then intermixes people by rotating team membership over time. At a technical level, Hive must balance two competing forces: (1) networks are better at connecting diverse perspectives when network efficiency is high, but (2) moving people diminishes tie strength within teams. Hive balances these two needs through network rotation: an optimization algorithm that computes who should move where, and when. A controlled study compared network rotation to alternative rotation systems which maximize only tie strength or network efficiency, finding that network rotation produced higher-rated proposals. Hive has been deployed by Mozilla for a real-world open design drive to improve Firefox accessibility.
COMPARISON OF ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC VASCULAR, VALVULAR, AND MYOCARDIAL VARIABLES IN PATIENTS WITH SEVERE AORTIC STENOSIS AND PRESERVED EJECTION FRACTION GROUPED BY FLOW AND GRADIENT

The pathophysiology of severe aortic stenosis (SAS) is complex with vascular, valvular and myocardial components. We compared echocardiographic and clinical variables in patients with SAS and preserved EF according to flow and gradient to better define this process. We retrospectively studied the
Deliberate self-harm in older adults: A national analysis of US emergency department visits and follow-up care.

OBJECTIVE To examine mental health care received by older adults following emergency department (ED) visits for deliberate self-harm. METHODS This retrospective cohort analysis examined 2015 Medicare claims for adults ≥65 years of age with ED visits for deliberate self-harm (N = 16 495). We estimated adjusted risk ratios (ARR) for discharge disposition, ED coding of mental disorder, and 30-day follow-up mental health outpatient care. RESULTS Most patients (76.9%) were hospitalized with lower likelihoods observed for African American patients (ARR = 0.86, 99% CI = 0.79-0.94) and patients with either one medical comorbidity (ARR = 0.91, 99% CI = 0.83-0.99) or two to three comorbidities (ARR = 0.93, 99% CI = 0.88-0.99). Hospitalization was associated with recent depression (ARR = 1.09, 99% CI = 1.03-1.16) and recent psychiatric inpatient care (ARR = 1.13, 99% CI = 1.04-1.22). Among patients discharged to the community (n = 3818), 56.4% received an ED mental disorder diagnosis. Predictors of an ED mental disorder diagnosis included younger age (65-69 years; ARR = 1.53, 99% CI = 1.31-1.78), recent mental health care in ED (ARR = 1.50, 99% CI = 1.29-1.74) or outpatient (ARR = 1.62, 99% CI = 1.44-1.82) settings, recent diagnosis of mental disorder (ARR = 1.61, 99% CI = 1.43-1.80), and other/unknown lethality methods of self-harm (ARR = 1.24, 99% CI = 1.01-1.52). Among community discharged patients, 39.0% received 30-day follow-up outpatient mental health care, which was most strongly predicted by an ED diagnosis of mental disorder (ARR = 2.65, 99% CI = 2.25-3.12) and prior outpatient mental health care (ARR = 2.62, 99% CI = 2.28-3.00). CONCLUSION Most older adult Medicare beneficiaries who present to EDs with self-harm are hospitalized. Of those who are discharged to the community, many are not diagnosed with mental disorder in the ED or receive timely follow-up mental health care.
Viscoelastic properties of plasma-treated low-density polyethylene surfaces determined by nanoscale dynamic mechanical analysis

Nanoscale dynamic mechanical analysis (nanoDMA) was used to determine changes in surface viscoelastic properties of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) due to Ar plasma treatment. The experimental resu...
Spine Safety: Optimum Integration of Technology

The twenty-first century brought with it drastic technological advances in spine surgery, resulting in useful tools for surgeons to use in addressing spinal disorders. Improvements in spine instrumentation, imaging capabilities, neuromonitoring, osteotomy and fusion techniques, antifibrinolytic therapies, and minimally invasive techniques have dramatically altered the way surgeons go about their business, thereby improving their ability to fix increasingly complex spinal conditions in an effective and safe manner. It is important that these technologies do not replace surgical principles, such as careful surgical planning, thorough understanding of pathoanatomy, and intense attention to detail during surgery, strict indications, and always preceding with a high degree of caution and alertness. All the technological tools discussed should be regarded as mere tools that aid the surgeon to achieve highest safety within the operating room and should not be taken to enhance safety independently.
Who manages disaster volunteers? Why manage volunteers?

Abstract This chapter sets the stage for the management of disaster volunteers by looking at multiple kinds of disasters and the array of help that may be needed. Readers then learn about various organizations and professionals who may be tapped to manage disaster volunteers. The chapter then moves into why we want to manage them rather than let them just arrive. The chapter concludes by setting out an overview of the general tasks disaster volunteer managers do. Each section will establish a basis for subsequent chapters.
Reconsidering Time and Process in L2 Dynamic Assessment

The pre-test – treatment – post-test design in experimental research has long been a hallmark of psychological and educational studies emulating natural science research practices. In Dynamic Assessment (DA), an analogue to this design emerged as a means of understanding learner responsiveness to mediation (Haywood, Lidz, Dynamic assessment in practice. Clinical and educational applications. Cambridge University Press, New York, 2007). DA derives from L. S. Vygotsky’s (The collected works of L. S. Vygotsky. Volume 1: problems of general psychology, including the volume thinking and speech (Rieber RW, Carton AS, eds). Plenum, New York, 1987) argument that psychological functions that are not yet fully developed but are still ripening may be made visible through joint functioning on the dialogic plane of interpsychological functioning. Specifically, the quality of dialogic support learners require while cooperating with a teacher, or mediator, along with their responsiveness to such support is interpreted as indicative of how near they are to more independent functioning. In DA, the use of a pre-test serves to establish a baseline of learner abilities prior to the introduction of mediation while post-tests allow for determining gains made by learners following mediation. Sternberg and Grigorenko (Dynamic testing. The nature and measurement of learning potential. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2002) dubbed this the sandwich format of DA, and it has been the most widely used in cognitive education and psychology.