cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functional signaling and gene regulatory networks between the oocyte and the surrounding cumulus cells.

The maturation and successful acquisition of developmental competence by an oocyte, the female gamete, during folliculogenesis is highly dependent on molecular interactions with somatic cells. Most of the cellular interactions identified, thus far, are modulated by growth factors, ions or metabolites. We hypothesized that this interaction is also modulated at the transcriptional level, which leads to the formation of gene regulatory networks between the oocyte and cumulus cells. We tested this hypothesis by analyzing transcriptome data from single oocytes and the surrounding cumulus cells collected from antral follicles employing an analytical framework to determine interdependencies at the transcript level. We overlapped our transcriptome data with putative protein-protein interactions and identified hundreds of ligand-receptor pairs that can transduce paracrine signaling between an oocyte and cumulus cells. We determined that 499 ligand-encoding genes expressed in oocytes and cumulus cells are functionally associated with transcription regulation (FDR 0.85, FDR < 1.8 × 10− 5) patterns between oocytes and cumulus cells. Hundreds of co-expressing genes showed clustering patterns associated with biological functions (FDR < 0.5) necessary for a coordinated function between the oocyte and cumulus cells during folliculogenesis (i.e. regulation of transcription, translation, apoptosis, cell differentiation and transport). Our analyses revealed a complex and functional gene regulatory circuit between the oocyte and surrounding cumulus cells. The regulatory profile of each cumulus-oocyte complex is likely associated with the oocytes’ developmental potential to derive an embryo.
QCD β -function on the string worldsheet

We consider confining strings in pure gluodynamics and its extensions with adjoint (s)quarks. We argue that there is a direct map between the set of bulk fields and the worldsheet degrees of freedom. This suggests a close link between the worldsheet $S$-matrix and parton scattering amplitudes. We report an amusing relation between the Polchinski--Strominger amplitude responsible for the breakdown of integrability on the string worldsheet and the Yang--Mills $\ensuremath{\beta}$-function ${b}_{0}=\frac{{D}_{cr}\ensuremath{-}{D}_{ph}}{6}.$ Here ${b}_{0}=11/3$ is the one-loop $\ensuremath{\beta}$-function coefficient in the pure Yang--Mills theory, ${D}_{cr}=26$ is the critical dimension of bosonic strings and ${D}_{ph}=4$ is the dimensionality of the physical space-time we live in. A natural extension of this relation continues to hold in the presence of adjoint (s)quarks, connecting two of the most celebrated anomalies---the scale anomaly in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) and the Weyl anomaly in string theory.
O Espaço ao Espaço Público e ao Sentido dos Fatos que os Media nos Oferecem

Comunicar e tornar comum e informar e dar forma a comunicacao. Entre um e outro vai frequentemente uma distancia que nem sempre e possivel eliminar. O objetivo deste artigo e mostrar que tanto a comunicacao como a informacao sao um espaco ao sentido da vida. Pese embora as contrariedades e obstaculos, a conivencia com os poderes, os imperativos de rentabilidade, a pressao do tempo e a aceleracao, os media oferecem um espaco ao espaco publico, ao sentido dos fatos, a interpelacao; um espaco ao sentido da vida.
Resonant Harmonic Generation Near 100μm in an Asymmetric Double Quantum Well

We have observed the generation of resonant second- and third-harmonic radiation near 100 μm in an AlGaAs/GaAs asymmetric coupled double-quantum well (ADQW) which approximates a two-level system. Resonant effects are studied by Stark tuning the system through the pump laser frequency. We measure much larger nonlinear susceptibilities than reported in structures optimized for nonlinear optics in the midinfrared, and we observe saturation of the second-harmonic generation. These measurements constitute the first resonant harmonic generation experiments in a heterostucture in which many-electron effects are important. We find that the second-order susceptibility can be modeled satisfactorily by single-electron perturbation theory when the intersubband spacing is replaced with the depolarization-shifted resonance frequency.
Germinal Centers, Hassall’s Corpuscles, and Epithelioid Granulation Tissue

The germinal centers of lymphatic tissue, the Hassall’s corpuscle of the thymus, and the tubercle of epithelioid granulation tissue are three unique histologic entities that may have a common biological significance. All three structures morphologically show a superficial similarity, and we sometimes refer to atrophic germinal centers depleted of their parenchymal cells as pseudotubercles or pseudo-Hassall’s corpuscles [1, 2]. Separating the structures from the point of view of diagnostic pathology has not been a major issue [2]. Shared functional properties, however, would be of considerable interest and would explain the anatomical similarity.
Wednesday, September 26, 2018 10:35 AM – 12:00 PM Cervical Spine Trauma: 26. The clinical implications of adding computed tomography angiography in the evaluation of cervical spine fractures: a propensity matched analysis

BACKGROUND CONTEXT Screening asymptomatic blunt trauma patients for cervical arterial injury is controversial. Vertebral artery injury (VAI) is most commonly associated with cervical spine fracture and some guidelines advocate indiscriminate screening of all cervical spine fractures. PURPOSE To determine whether the addition of computed tomography angiography (CT-A) resulted in a change in management for patients with cervical spine fractures. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING Propensity score matching cohort study. Participants of this study originated from two large academic trauma centers located in a single city. PATIENT SAMPLE Adult patients with acute cervical spine fractures sustained after blunt trauma between 2000 and 2015 were included. Patients with penetrating trauma, neoplasm and prior cervical spine surgery were excluded. There were 3,943 patients screened for inclusion and 2,831 patients eligible. OUTCOME MEASURES Recommendation for a change in management with antithrombosis was the primary outcome measure. Detection of stroke and vertebral artery injury were secondary outcomes. METHODS Demographic data, cervical spine fracture characteristics, utilization of CT-A, presence of vertebral artery injury and outcome were extracted from the medical record. Logistic regression identified factors associated with obtaining a CT-A. Propensity score matching was performed to negate the significant baseline characteristic differences including age, race, medical comorbidities, injury burden, mechanism of injury, upper cervical spine fracture, foramen transversarium involvement, multilevel involvement and associated facet dislocation. This resulted in one cohort receiving CT-A and one cohort that did not, both with 644 patients and equivalent demographic and clinical characteristics. The score matched patients who obtained CT-A with those who obtained CT alone to create two statistically equivalent cohorts. RESULTS In the matched cohorts, average age was 59 years and 57% of each cohort was male. CT-A identified definite or indeterminate VAI in 113 patients and 62 patients had antithrombosis recommended. In the cohort without CT-A, VAI was discovered in 11 patients incidentally through other imaging and eight were recommended antithrombosis. Two patients in the CT-A group had major adverse bleeding events as a result of antithrombosis initiation. There were no preventable strokes in either group. CONCLUSIONS The addition of CT-A increased the detection of VAI and antithrombosis recommendation. There was a high incidence of indeterminate CT-A findings. There were no preventable strokes in either cohort and two major adverse bleeding events as a result of recommended pharmacologic antithrombosis. Non-selective screening is not warranted and should be limited to a high-risk subset of patients. FDA DEVICE/DRUG STATUS This abstract does not discuss or include any applicable devices or drugs.
Age Effects of Frames of Reference in Self-reports of Health, Well-being, Fatigue and Pain.

Self-reports of health and well-being are central for population monitoring, so it is paramount that they are measured accurately. The goal of this study was to examine the impact of age on the use of the comparison standards or frames of reference (FoRs) in self-reports of health, life-satisfaction, fatigue, and pain, and to determine if the age-health outcome associations were affected by age differences in FoRs. Respondents (n = 2000) selected from the U.S. general population self-rated their life-satisfaction and health outcomes. Following this, they were asked to indicate if they used any comparisons (FoRs) when making their rating and the direction of these comparisons (upward, lateral or downward). Analyses examined (a) whether age groups differed in the type and direction of FoRs, and (b) whether age patterns in health, life-satisfaction, fatigue, and pain were altered when FoRs were statistically controlled. Compared to middle-aged and older people, younger respondents were more likely to compare themselves with other people when self-rating their health and life-satisfaction. They were also more likely to use a hypothetical situation when evaluating their pain and fatigue. Younger participants used lateral comparisons less often and downward comparisons more often than middle-aged and older participants. When these age differences in FoRs were statistically controlled, the observed age patterns in self-reported health outcomes were somewhat reduced. The results show that people of different ages use different FoRs when self-reporting their life-satisfaction and health outcomes.
INCREASED CLINICAL BURDEN OF HEART FAILURE IN PATIENTS WITH DEPRESSION: INSIGHTS FROM THE NATIONAL INPATIENT SAMPLE DATABASE

Depression (DEP) has been associated with worse outcomes in cardiovascular (CV) diseases. However, the clinical burden of heart failure (HF) in DEP is unclear. We used the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from 2012 to examine the burden of HF in patients with DEP and whether DEP is
Humoral Interrelations of the Pineal Gland with Lateral Eyes and Orbital Glands

Three kinds of general interrelationships are currently accepted concerning the pineal gland, the lateral eyes and the glands of the orbit: (1) The mammalian pineal gland has evolved from eye-like structures (“median or third eyes”) in the pineal complex of lower vertebrates, and its specialized parenchymal cells, the pinealocytes, have residual features of photoreceptor cells (Collin, 1969, 1979; and reviews by Oksche and Kappers in the present volume). (2) The mammalian pineal gland, starting a few days after birth, receives its photic input via the lateral eyes, CNS and sympathetic innervation (Wurtman et al., 1967; Moore et al., 1968; Klein and Moore, 1979). (3) Pineal gland, lateral eye retina, and, to a lesser degree, the Harderian gland of the orbit, share some special biochemical characteristics or capacities. At the present time, the best known and most relevant of these shared characteristics is the presence of the melatonin-forming enzyme, hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase (HIOMT)(Quay, 1965; Quay et al., 1969; Cardinali and Wurtman, 1972; Nagle et al., 1972a, 1972b, 1974; Cardinali et al., 1974; Pevet et al., 1978; Suzuki and Yagi, 1978; Balemans et al., 1980; Pevet et al., 1980a, 1980b, 1981; Ralph, 1980; Vivien-Roels et al., 1981) and its 5-methoxyindole products (Bubenik et al., 1974, 1976a, 1976b; Pang et al., 1977, 1980; Reiter et al., 1981; Yu et al., 1981).
Abstract B38: Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic implications of argininosuccinate synthesis 1 regulation in targeted arginine- and glutamine-starvation cancer therapy

Argininosuccinate synthetase 1 (ASS1) is the rate-limiting enzyme that catalyzes the biosynthesis of arginine (Arg). Many malignant human tumors are auxotrophic for Arg because ASS1 is silenced. We previously demonstrated that ASS1 is a sensor of Arg auxotrophic response and a chemosensitivity marker for Arg starvation therapy. Upregulation of ASS1 is the primary mechanism of resistance to Arg starvation therapy using Arg-depleting recombinant protein, pegylated arginine deiminase (ADI-PEG20). We will present in this conference that ASS1 is also a sensor for glutamine (Gln)-deprivation response, and that upregulation of ASS1 expression is associated with resistance to Gln-starvation treatments. Knockdown of ASS1 expression resulted in increased sensitivity to both Arg- and Gln-starvation, whereas increased ASS1 expression by ectopic transfection is associated with resistance to both Arg- and Gln-starvation. The addition of permeable fumarate, a metabolite that bridges the tricarboxylic acid and urea cycles, resulted in downregulation of ASS1 expression and increased sensitivity to both Arg- and Gln-deprivation treatments. Metabolically, ASS1 sits in the middle of several metabolic pathways linking Gln and ASS1 metabolism. This may explain how ASS1 can sense both Gln- and Arg-starvation from opposite directions. Mechanistically, the Gln-deprivation response, like the Arg-auxotrophic response, downregulates HIF-1α resulting in de-repression of ASS1. In the meantime, an activator, c-Myc, is upregulated; and the upregulated c-Myc transcriptionally turns on ASS1 expression. We further also demonstrate that Arg starvation-induced c-Myc activation is regulated by the signaling transduction pasthway involving Gas/Axl → PI3 kinase → Akt → GSK3beta → cMyc. Collectively, our results have revealed the molecular basis of auxotropic responses to Arg- and Gln-deprivation, and provided preclinical implications for improving the treatment efficacy of Arg- and Gln-starvation therapies which have been in several current clinical trials. (Supported by NCI grant R01 CA149260.) Note: This abstract was not presented at the conference. Citation Format: Macus Tien Kuo, Wen-Bin Tsai, Yan Long. Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic implications of argininosuccinate synthesis 1 regulation in targeted arginine- and glutamine-starvation cancer therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR International Conference held in cooperation with the Latin American Cooperative Oncology Group (LACOG) on Translational Cancer Medicine; May 4-6, 2017; Sao Paulo, Brazil. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2018;24(1_Suppl):Abstract nr B38.
Effective power analysis of multi-tone excitation transmitting system

Inter-modulation would occur when the transmitting system is under multi-tone excitation; therefore, the non-linear response of power amplifier unit should be considered in the system design. Here, by establishing non-linear theory simulation model of the transmitting system, we introduce the channel consistency factor, put forward the concept of effective jamming power, analyse the effective power of the multi-channel array transmitting system under multi-tone excitation, and carry out relevant experiments for verification, thereby providing reference for the design of multi-signal transmitting system.
Post-agrarian aspirations: tourism and rural politics in Ecuador.

This ethnographic study examines post-agrarian aspirations and rural politics in Ecuador. After decades of urban outmigration under a neoliberal agrarian order, many rural places have witnessed eff...
Beyond Resilience and Burnout: The Need for Organizational Change to Promote Humanistic Practice and Teaching in Healthcare

Rapid changes in healthcare organization and practice environments, increasingly driven by business models and commercial interests, are associated with widespread burnout and dissatisfaction among healthcare professionals and pose barriers to humanistic relationship-centered quality care. Studies show burnout and significant stress currently affect over half of US physicians and nurses. Clinicians’ ability to provide compassionate care is significantly challenged. Most solutions to date have included individual interventions designed to enhance well-being and promote resilience. We examined organizational factors that inhibit or promote humanistic practice by faculty physicians in today’s healthcare environment. In this qualitative study, physician faculty who completed a one-year faculty development program in humanism at eight US academic medical centers provided written answers to two open-ended questions: a) What institutional or specific organizational unit-related factors promote humanism for you and others? b) What institutional or specific organizational unit-related factors inhibit or pose barriers, to humanism for you and others? 74% (68/92) of the physicians participated. The constant comparative method was used to analyze responses. We found that organizational culture was the central theme. Motivators of humanism included leadership supportive of humanistic practice, responsibility to role model humanism, organized activities promoting humanism, and practice structures that facilitate humanism. Factors that inhibited humanism included “top down” organizational culture, non-supportive leadership, time and bureaucratic pressures, and non-facilitative practice structures. Our findings suggest that organizational culture is, at a minimum, equally important as individual interventions. We describe features of organizational culture that reinforce humanistic practice and care in healthcare institutions and offer recommendations for organizational change that support the primacy of humanistic, compassionate, high quality patient care.
First-principles theory of the Dirac semimetal Cd 3 As 2 under Zeeman magnetic field

Time-reversal broken Weyl semimetals have attracted much attention recently, but certain aspects of their behavior, including the evolution of their Fermi surface topology and anomalous Hall conductivity with Fermi-level position, have remained underexplored. A promising route to obtain such materials may be to start with a nonmagnetic Dirac semimetal and break time-reversal symmetry via magnetic doping or magnetic proximity. Here we explore this scenario in the case of the Dirac semimetal ${\mathrm{Cd}}_{3}{\mathrm{As}}_{2}$ based on first-principles density-functional calculations and subsequent low-energy modeling of ${\mathrm{Cd}}_{3}{\mathrm{As}}_{2}$ in the presence of a Zeeman field applied along the symmetry axis. We clarify how each fourfold degenerate Dirac node splits into four Weyl nodes, two with chirality $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1$ and two higher-order nodes with chirality $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2$. Using a minimal $k\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}p$ model Hamiltonian whose parameters are fit to the first-principles calculations, we detail the evolution of the Fermi surfaces and their Chern numbers as the Fermi energy is scanned across the region of the Weyl nodes at fixed Zeeman field. We also compute the intrinsic anomalous Hall conductivity as a function of the Fermi-level position, finding a characteristic inverted-dome structure. ${\mathrm{Cd}}_{3}{\mathrm{As}}_{2}$ is especially well suited to such a study because of its high mobility, but the qualitative behavior revealed here should be applicable to other Dirac semimetals as well.
When Physical and Social Pain Coexist: Insights Into Opioid Therapy.

The US opioid epidemic challenges us to rethink our understanding of the function of opioids and the nature of chronic pain. We have neatly separated opioid use and abuse as well as physical and social pain in ways that may not be consistent with the most recent neuroscientific and epidemiological research. Physical injury and social rejection activate similar brain centers. Many of the patients who use opioid medications long term for the treatment of chronic pain have both physical and social pain, but these medications may produce a state of persistent opioid dependence that suppresses the endogenous opioid system that is essential for human socialization and reward processing. Recognition of the social aspects of chronic pain and opioid action can improve our treatment of chronic pain and our use of opioid medications.
Digestibility of phosphorus in growing pigs as influenced by source and concentration of dietary phosphorus and collection site

The current study examined the influence of source and concentration of dietary phosphorus (P) on the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of P in growing pigs. Eighteen cannulated barrows (25 ± 5 kg) were allotted to a triplicate 6 × 3 incomplete Latin square design with six diets and three periods. The diets comprised of soybean meal (SBM) or distillers' dried grain with solubles (DDGS) as sole sources of dietary P, and three concentrations of P (2.0, 2.5 or 3.0 g/kg) in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement. The AID and ATTD of P were not different (p = 0.37) in all diets. Apparent digestibility of P was affected (p < 0.01) by source and concentration of P. There was no interaction between source and concentration of dietary P on the apparent digestibility of P. Determined by regression analysis, the true ileal digestibility of P was 58.3% or 57.6%, and true total tract digestibility of P was 56.0% or 62.6%, for SBM or DDGS, respectively. The regression-derived ileal endogenous P loss (EPL) was 0.61 or 0.13 g/kg DM intake, and total tract EPL was 0.53 or 0.35 g/kg DM intake, for SBM or DDGS, respectively. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that both the source and concentration of dietary P affect the digestibility of P in growing pigs.
Investment in Human Capital and External Reporting Quality

Ensuring that firms devote sufficient resources to the reporting process is important for quality reporting. To explore the effects of resources invested in the reporting function, we use a regulatory intervention in South Korea that led to an increase in human capital invested in the reporting process. The new regulation required firms to file internally prepared, pre-audited financial statements before the start of the year-end field audit process. Using the staggered adoption of this regulation, we confirm that the regulation leads to an increase in internal accounting employees at firms, and that the increase in rank-and-file accounting employees is more pronounced than the increase in top executives. Using difference-in-differences tests, we find improvement in external reporting quality (i.e., fewer restatements) for treatment firms relative to similar-size control firms that were not subject to the regulation. The effects are greater when an increase in accounting employees is accompanied by an increase in external audit effort, measured using audit hours. Treatment firms also show a drop in their hiring of non-accounting employees suggesting reallocation of labor inside the firm. The findings suggest that regulatory efforts to increase investment in internal accounting employees lead to improved reporting quality but can reduce labor forces in other non-accounting functions.
Measuring Dynamic Young’s Modulus of Low-Density Foam Concrete Using Resonant Frequency Test

Foam concrete is a cellular material mainly used in construction. Because of the low-strength feature of foam concrete, conventional concrete testing methods such as strength measurement are insufficient to characterize the key material attributes of foam concrete, especially for the low-density foam that is commonly designed for functional purposes. Inspired by the nondestructive feature of resonant frequency test, this study investigates the feasibility of using this method to evaluate the dynamic Young’s modulus of foam concrete, especially at the low-density range. Three variables that typically alter foam concrete mechanical properties are considered for evaluating the robustness of this approach—bulk density, water-to-cementitious ratio, and fly ash replacement ratio. The fundamental transverse frequency is found to be most suitable for determining the foam modulus. The experimental results demonstrate good accuracy of using this approach for measuring the dynamic Young’s modulus of different foam concrete samples. It is also confirmed that the foam modulus can be accurately designed if the bulk density of this material and solid modulus of its base cement paste are known.
Surveillance Colonoscopy Revealing Asymptomatic Low-Grade Appendiceal Mucinous Neoplasm

Appendicular mucinous neoplasms are a collection of rare tumors with diverse clinical presentations and pathologic potential, which can cause diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Traditionally, they are diagnosed by radiologic imaging or identified intraoperatively; however, rarely, they may be diagnosed during an endoscopic procedure. In this unusual case, we present the case of a 62-year-old Caucasian male undergoing routine surveillance colonoscopy due to a history of colonic neoplasia. During the colonoscopy, a submucosal, non-bleeding 1cm mass of benign appearance was found in the appendix. Further workup determined the mass was likely a mucocele, and surgical consultation was recommended. The patient denied any symptoms suggestive of a mucinous neoplasm prior to and during evaluation. A laparoscopic appendectomy was subsequently performed, and the histopathology report confirmed the diagnosis of a low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm. The patient recovered without complications and continued to deny any symptoms during his postoperative course and follow-up care. Given their rare incidence and unpredictable nature, appendiceal mucinous neoplasms remain difficult to identify. Discovering a low-grade mucinous neoplasm in an asymptomatic patient via colonoscopy illustrates the spectrum of unique presentations and modalities for diagnosis.
Intertemporal Pricing with Resellers: An Empirical Study of Product Drops

Product drops occur when a retailer releases a limited-edition product line on a specific date for a short period of time. Due to limited inventory of the product and the short sales horizon, a resale market emerges where products may resell at higher prices once the firm stocks out. The firm faces a central trade-off: pricing too high may lead to a longer stock-out time and future markdowns; pricing too low may lead to lost revenue with large markups in the resale market. Any firm in this position may ask, "How do resellers impact my profit?" To answer this question we build a dynamic structural model that can be used as a framework for managers to estimate the preferences of consumers that engage in strategic behavior to resell as well as capture the business requirement to sell inventory in a timely fashion. We estimate our model using a unique data set from a retailer of baby clothing with weekly product drops, where customers engage in a resale marketplace through Facebook groups. We find that ignoring the resale market in pricing reduces firm profit by 7.0%.
Efficacy of BERT embeddings on predicting disaster from Twitter data

Social media like Twitter provide a common platform to share and communicate personal experiences with other people. People often post their life experiences, local news, and events on social media to inform others. Many rescue agencies monitor this type of data regularly to identify disasters and reduce the risk of lives. However, it is impossible for humans to manually check the mass amount of data and identify disasters in real-time. For this purpose, many research works have been proposed to present words in machine-understandable representations and apply machine learning methods on the word representations to identify the sentiment of a text. The previous research methods provide a single representation or embedding of a word from a given document. However, the recent advanced contextual embedding method (BERT) constructs different vectors for the same word in different contexts. BERT embeddings have been successfully used in different natural language processing (NLP) tasks, yet there is no concrete analysis of how these representations are helpful in disaster-type tweet analysis. In this research work, we explore the efficacy of BERT embeddings on predicting disaster from Twitter data and compare these to traditional context-free word embedding methods (GloVe, Skip-gram, and FastText). We use both traditional machine learning methods and deep learning methods for this purpose. We provide both quantitative and qualitative results for this study. The results show that the BERT embeddings have the best results in disaster prediction task than the traditional word embeddings. Our codes are made freely accessible to the research community.
Violence, War, and Capital Punishment in For the Life of the World: Toward a Social Ethos of the Orthodox Church:

In response to the challenges presented by violence, war, and capital punishment, For the Life of the World: Toward a Social Ethos of the Orthodox Church argues that foundational liturgical, canoni...
Medical References: Information at Your Fingertips

examining the contents of a medical resident’s white coat pocket. Traditionally, in addition to various paraphernalia and reprinted articles, a resident’s white coat has contained as much reference material and books as that particular resident was able to carry. Although maximum intracranial knowledge was encouraged, occasional perusal of reference material was tolerated at the training level. Conversely, by tradition, attending physicians could be spotted by the relative paucity of any type of onboard books or reference material. Clinical questions, whether in the hospital or the outpatient setting, are usually answered by “cranial resources,” good guesses, or perhaps not at all. Clinical information is usually separated from the patient’s encounter in both time and space, which presents an almost insurmountable barrier to obtaining accurate, timely, and useful critical information. As Bob Dylan once wrote, “The times they are a-changin,” and with the advent of pocket-sized PDAs and the ever-increasing capacity of memory chips it has become possible to carry multiple books and resources in a shirt or coat pocket. The purpose of this chapter is to introduce and review these resources. I will place emphasis on the World Wide Web as the ideal place to peruse, evaluate, and, in most cases, download trial and fully functional versions of reference and book software. Also, please note that we show you alternative ways to get references on your handheld in Chapter 10 by using programs such as iSilo and AvantGo (these amazing programs allow you to put almost any Web content directly on your handheld).We also describe other references in our chapter on Evidence-Based Medicine (Chapter 14), and database references are described in Chapter 11. Finally, don’t forget to mine our chapter on Web sites for your handheld (Chapter 4), where numerous treasure troves of medical references are shown. 7
An ontology-supported information management agent with solution integration and proxy

This paper discusses how ontology helps information management processing to provide better FAQ services. We propose an ontology-supported information management agent that not only helps the user find out proper, integrated query results in accord with his proficiency level or satisfaction degree, i.e., user-oriented solution, but supports proxy access of query solutions through a four-tier solution finding process, which involves two operations, namely, web information preparation and solution application. Our experiments show the agent not only can effectively alleviate the overloading problem, but can improve precision rate and produce better query solutions.
Functional Differentiation of Salivary Glands

The sections in this article are: 1 Morphogenesis 1.1 Descriptive Embryology 1.2 Developmental Regulation 2 Cytodifferentiation 2.1 Descriptive Embryology 2.2 Developmental Regulation 3 Stimulus-Secretion Coupling Systems 3.1 Cyclic Adenosine 5’ -Monophosphate-Generating System 3.2 Cell Surface Receptors 3.3 Physiological Coupling With Nerves 4 Summary
Androgyny, archaeology of

Androgyny, or gender ambiguity—the combination of male and female genders within a single body—is almost impossible to identify archaeologically. Nonetheless, we know from ancient and modern myths, literature, religious beliefs, and art that androgyny was associated with power and/or change in many societies. Keywords: cross-dressing; gender ambiguity; hermaphrodite; third gender
A double-manifold sliding mode observer for the speed and flux of the induction motor using an alternative state-space model

The paper presents a sensorless double-manifold sliding mode observer for the induction motor (EVI) drive. The observer is designed using an alternative state-space model of the EVI — it estimates the speed and the stationary frame fluxes of the motor. These are typically needed in an EVI direct field orientation control scheme. First, the paper presents the alternative state-space model of the IM that is obtained from the traditional one using a change of variable. Based on this model, a Sliding Mode (SM) observer is designed. Sliding mode existence, observer convergence and gain design are discussed. The estimate of the speed is obtained by filtering one of the switching manifolds of the observer. Simulations show that the speed and flux estimates are fairly accurate. A sensitivity analysis with respect to the rotor and stator resistances and the magnetizing inductance is presented.
Comparison of two control schemes for operating an ultrasonic scanning device

An electromechanical device has been developed as a hand-held ultrasonic scanning probe. The device is composed of an oscillating probe where the ultrasound transducer is mounted, part of which is flexible so the probe can oscillate when energized. Electric current is supplied to two electromagnetic coils acting on two permanent magnets mounted on both sides of the probe. Two control schemes, a PID controller and a state-feedback controller, have been developed to control the angular position of the probe during operation. This paper presents the designs of both control schemes and the performance of the controllers in computer simulation. Although both control schemes showed promising performance over the entire operation frequencies, one control scheme performed better in terms of accuracy while the other one provided better energy efficiency.
Evaluation of the effectiveness of a cafeteria-based behavioral economics intervention designed to improve student intake of reimbursable meal components (1019.18)

Behavioral economics (BE), the study of the effects of psychological factors on decision-making, can be used in school cafeterias to influence student food choice and consumption. This study aimed to determine the impact of a cafeteria-based BE intervention on student intake of meal components (entree (grain/protein), vegetable, fruit, milk) and associated key nutrients (eg, fiber). Based on an assessment of cafeteria environments using The Smarter Lunchrooms Movement protocol, a BE intervention (identical across sites) was implemented in 4 elementary schools. A process evaluation checklist measured fidelity of intervention. Plate waste, an indirect indicator of dietary intake, was estimated 3 times before and after the intervention by scoring each meal component on a 5-point scale from 0 (all item eaten) to 4 (all item wasted). Estimated nutrient intakes were calculated by comparing plate waste data against nutrient content of food items per serving size. Of the 637 students’ trays surveyed from the 4 sc...
Potato spindle tuber viroid: IX. Molecular-weight determination by gel electrophoresis of formylated RNA

Abstract By coelectrophoresis of formylated tobacco ringspot satellite virus RNA (SATRNA), formylated transfer RNA, formylated 5 S ribosomal RNA, and formylated carnation mottle virus RNA in polyacrylamide gels, the molecular weight of SATRNA was determined to be between 7.7 × 10 4 and 8.4 × 10 4 . Gel electrophoresis of purified, formylated potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTV), using formylated transfer RNA, formylated 5 S ribosomal RNA, and formylated SAT-RNA as molecular-weight markers, showed that the electrophoretic mobility of PSTV is comparable to that of SAT-RNA. Thus, by this method, the molecular weight of PSTV is in the range of 7.5 × 10 4 to 8.5 × 10 4 . Electrophoresis of formylated PSTV in polyacrylamide gels resulted in paucidisperse distribution of the RNA. Two components with somewhat different electrophoretic mobilities were resolved.
SODA: an optimizing scheduler for large-scale stream-based distributed computer systems

This paper describes the SODA scheduler for System S, a highly scalable distributed stream processing system. Unlike traditional batch applications, streaming applications are open-ended. The system cannot typically delay the processing of the data. The scheduler must be able to shift resource allocation dynamically in response to changes to resource availability, job arrivals and departures, incoming data rates and so on. The design assumptions of System S, in particular, pose additional scheduling challenges. SODA must deal with a highly complex optimization problem, which must be solved in real-time while maintaining scalability. SODA relies on a careful problem decomposition, and intelligent use of both heuristic and exact algorithms. We describe the design and functionality of SODA, outline the mathematical components, and describe experiments to show the performance of the scheduler.
Towards a Theory of Balancing Exploration and Exploitation in Probabilistic Environments.

Learning to make good choices in a probabilistic environment requires that the Decision Maker resolves the tension between exploration (learning about all available options) and exploitation (consistently choosing the best option in order to maximize rewards). We present a mathematical learning model that makes selections in a repeated-choice probabilistic task based on the expected payoff associated with each option and the information gain that will result from choosing that option. This model can be used to analyze the relative impact of exploration and exploitation over time and under different conditions. It predicts the aggregated and individual learning trajectories of participants in various versions of the task sufficiently well to support our basic argument: Information gain is a valid and rational criterion underlying human decision making. Future modeling work will be addressing the exact nature of the interaction between exploration and exploitation.
A simplex genetic algorithm hybrid

One of the main obstacles in applying genetic algorithms (GAs) to complex problems has been the high computational cost due to their slow convergence rate. To alleviate this difficulty, we developed a hybrid approach that combines a GA with a stochastic variant of the simplex method in function optimization. Our motivation for developing the stochastic simplex method is to introduce a cost-effective exploration component into the conventional simplex method. In an attempt to make effective use of the simplex operation in a hybrid GA framework, we used an elite-based hybrid architecture that applies one simplex step to a top portion of the ranked population. We compared our approach with five alternative optimization techniques, including another simplex-GA hybrid, developed independently by Renders and Bersini (1994), and adaptive simulated annealing (ASA). We used two function optimization problems to compare our approach with the five alternative methods. Overall, these tests showed that our hybrid approach is an effective and robust optimization technique. We also tested our hybrid GA on the seven function benchmark problems on real space and showed its results.
Getting Started in an Area of Interest

How does a physician become acknowledged as an expert in a particular area? This question is often asked by trainees and junior staff physicians because the mountain seems very high from the bottom. I should emphasize at the outset that it is very important to have at least one area of special interest, knowledge and ability. As William James, the philosopher, emphasized, he would be upset if someone denigrated his ability as a philosopher or violinist but could not care less if he was told he was poor at chess or cooking or golf. Having a special interest and collecting information and improving in that area of interest gives direction to the day’s activities and helps an individual’s sense of accomplishment and self-worth. I think it often happens like this. Early in their career a doctor is struck with an individual encounter or event that stimulates an interest in a
Outcomes of small coronary artery stenting with bare-metal stents versus drug-eluting stents: results from the NHLBI Dynamic Registry.

Objectives Examine 1-year outcomes of patients with small coronary arteries in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Dynamic Registry (NHLBI) undergoing drug-eluting stent (DES) vs. bare-metal stent (BMS) placement. Background While randomized trials of DES vs. BMS demonstrate reduced target vessel revascularization, it is unclear whether similar outcomes are seen in unselected patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for small coronary arteries. Methods Utilizing patients from the NHLBI Registry Waves 1–3 for BMS (1997–2002) and Waves 4–5 for DES (2004 and 2006), demographic, angiographic, in-hospital, and 1-year outcome data of patients with small coronary arteries treated with BMS (n = 686) vs. DES (n = 669) were evaluated. Small coronary artery was defined as 2.50–3.00 mm in diameter. Results Compared to BMS-treated patients, the mean lesion length of treated lesions was longer in the DES treated group (16.7 vs. 13.1 mm, P < 0.001) and the mean reference vessel size of attempted lesions was smaller (2.6 vs. 2.7 mm, P < 0.001). Adjusted analyses of 1-year outcomes revealed that DES patients were at lower risk to undergo coronary artery bypass graft surgery (Hazard Ratio [HR] 0.40, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.17–0.95, P = 0.04), repeat PCI (HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.35–0.82, P = 0.004), and experience the combined major adverse cardiovascular event rate (HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.42–0.83, P = 0.002). There was no difference in the risk of death and myocardial infarction (MI) (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.46–1.35, P = 0.38). Conclusions In this real-world registry, patients with small coronary arteries treated with DES had significantly lower rates of repeat revascularization and major adverse cardiovascular events at 1 year compared to patients treated with BMS, with no increase in the risk of death and MI. These data confirm the efficacy and safety of DES over BMS in the treatment of small coronary arteries in routine clinical practice. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
(2,4,6‐Triisopropylphenyl)seleniumBromide

[130248-05-4] C15H23BrSe (MW 362.2) InChI = 1S/C15H23BrSe/c1-9(2)12-7-13(10(3)4)15(17-16)14(8-12)11(5)6/h7-11H,1-6H3 InChIKey = KJQSKARBIIMOGJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N (reagent used for the stereoselective ring closure of homoallylic alcohols to generate substituted tetrahydrofurans1) Alternate Name: TIPPSe-Br. Solubility: soluble in organic solvents. Form Supplied in: generated in situ. Preparative Methods: the reagent is generated in situ from di-(2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl)diselenide 1. Preparation of 1 (eq 1) is performed by lithium-halogen exchange of bromo-2,4,6-triisopropylbenzene 2 in THF with 2.3 equiv of t-BuLi added at −78 °C and then at 0 °C for 30 min. Selenium powder (1.06 equiv) is added in one portion turning the yellow solution reddish orange. The reaction is stirred for 15 min at 0 °C, then for 30 min at room temperature. The mixture is quenched by the addition of 1 M HCl and then extracted with ether. The organic layer is dried over anhydrous Na2SO4. (1) (2,4,6-Triisopropylphenyl)selenium Bromide (TIPPSe-Br) is generated upon treatment of the diselenide 1 with 1.0 equiv of bromine in DCM at −78 °C for 30 min (eq 2). (2) Purification: the drying agent was removed by filtration, the solution concentrated in vacuo and the residue purified by flash chromatography on silica gel (100% petroleum ether). Concentration in vacuo produced orange crystals. Recrystallization from ethanol led to yellow crystals in 86% yield. Mp 101–103 °C. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: store in a closed container. No noticeable degradation after 12 months at room temperature.
Self-compensation in tantalum-doped TiO2

The reversible change of oxygen content observed by gravimetric measurements on tantalum-doped rutile (TiO2) between specified states of oxidation and reduction is proportional to the dopant concentration. These measurements indicate that donordopants are ionically compensated by additional oxygen uptake in the oxidized state. The range of this reversible change in oxygen stoichiometry is up to more than an order of magnitude larger than the oxygen non-stoichiometry of the undoped TiO2. Self-compensation has been measured in TiO2 with up to 10 at% Ta+5 and a single-phase region from TaO 0.1 +5 Ti 0.1 +3 Ti 0.8 +4 O2 to Ta 0.1 +5 Ti 0.9 +4 O2.05 has been confirmed. The gravimetric measurements can be explained by either the creation of metal-deficit point defects (self-compensation) or a model involving a shear structure.
Design of membrane cascades for gas separation

Membrane cascade design with varying number of stages is systematically studied for a binary gas separation example. The constant separation factor (CSF) design strategy, with the same separation factor values for each stage in the cascade, was compared with the variable separation factor (VSF) strategy in which the separation factor values for each stage are optimized independently to minimize the energy consumption. Through enumeration and simulation of all feasible cascade configurations of interest, we identified the globally optimal configuration with the minimum energy usage. Interestingly, the same configuration is obtained as the globally optimal solution by the VSF as well as the CSF design methods. Moreover, irrespective of the design method used, the configuration has similar operating parameters at global optimality. Notably, the mixing losses due to the recycle stream are nearly absent under this condition, even though the possibility for losses was allowed in the simulation algorithm. Deviation in the number of stages in either direction from the one under global optimality leads to an increase in energy demand. When the number of stages in a cascade is reduced significantly below the global optimal value, the VSF design method with mixing losses is more likely to provide net lower energy consumption than the VSF design with the constraint of no mixing loss, whereas the CSF design method may not provide a feasible solution.
Application of a zeolite hemostatic agent achieves 100% survival in a lethal model of complex groin injury in swine

Background:Techniques for better hemorrhage control after injury could change outcome. We have previously shown that a zeolite mineral hemostatic agent (ZH) can control aggressive bleeding through adsorption of water, which is an exothermic process. Increasing the residual moisture content (RM) of Z