cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tautomerism of Warfarin: Combined Chemoinformatics, Quantum Chemical, and NMR Investigation

Warfarin, an important anticoagulant drug, can exist in solution in 40 distinct tautomeric forms through both prototropic tautomerism and ring-chain tautomerism. We have investigated all warfarin tautomers with computational and NMR approaches. Relative energies calculated at the B3LYP/6-311G++(d,p) level of theory indicate that the 4-hydroxycoumarin cyclic hemiketal tautomer is the most stable tautomer in aqueous solution, followed by the 4-hydroxycoumarin open-chain tautomer. This is in agreement with our NMR experiments where the spectral assignments indicate that warfarin exists mainly as a mixture of cyclic hemiketal diastereomers, with an open-chain tautomer as a minor component. We present a diagram of the interconversion of warfarin created taking into account the calculated equilibrium constants (pK(T)) for all tautomeric reactions. These findings help with gaining further understanding of proton transfer and ring closure tautomerization processes. We also discuss the results in the context of chemoinformatics rules for handling tautomerism.
The Management of Wetlands for Biological Diversity: Four Principles

There are vast areas of major kinds of wetlands: swamps, marshes, fens, and bogs (Table 2.1). Because plant and animal species, vegetation, and wetland types are so variable, it may seem difficult to treat all of these together. Far too often, one encounters specialist publications on the plants or animals of a particular bog, fen, marsh, mire, reed swamp or aquatic community; these balkanized treatments detract from the general principles involved in managing wetlands. Furthermore, because so much focus in wetland management is placed on fish and wildlife production this too often takes precedence over other ecological objectives. Large expanses of wetland vegetation are generally ignored or treated in passing as “aquatic plants.” Our objective here is to try to pull together all these disparate vegetation types, species, and physiographic types, and present four general principles necessary for managing them to maintain and enhance biological diversity.
Labour Economic Policy, June 1975–March 1976: ‘We Knew we were Riding a Crisis’

This chapter reviews British economic policy during a period of intermittent ‘structural’ pressure for policy change upon the authorities. In June 1975, the IMF noted that ‘balance of payments management was obviously becoming more difficult’ for the British (De Vries 1985, 1: 464). OPEC countries with large current account surpluses were increasingly less willing to place them in London, and downward pressure on the pound had created a growing sense of urgency on the Government to take measures that would ‘restore confidence.’ After extensive and difficult negotiations between and among the Government and the Trades Union Congress (TUC), a tougher ‘voluntary’ incomes policy emerged in July 1975 that sharply limited wage increases. By early 1976, the Government’s public expenditure plans had been substantially scaled back.
Refugee Resettlement Housing Scout

According to the United States High Commission for Refugees (UNHCr), there are 65.3 million forcibly displaced people in the world today, 21.5 million of them being refugees. This has led to an unprecedented refugee crisis which has led countries to accept refugee families and to resettle them. Diverse agencies are helping refugees coming to US to resettle and start their new life in the country. One of the first and most challenging steps of this process is to find affordable housing that also meets a suite of additional constraints and priorities. These include being within a mile of public transportation and near schools, faith centers and international grocery stores. We detail an interactive data-driven web-based tool, which incorporates in one consolidated platform most of the needed information. The tool searches, filters and demonstrates a list of possible housing locations, and allows for the dynamic prioritization based on user-specified importance weights on the diverse criteria. The platform was created in a partnership with New American Pathways, a nonprofit that supports refugee resettlement in the metro Atlanta, but exemplifies a methodology that can help many other organizations with similar goals.
Utilizing Nested Normal Form to Design Redundancy Free JSON Schemas

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight data-interchange format for the Internet. JSON is built on two structures: (1) a collection of name/value pairs and (2) an ordered list of values (http://www.json.org/). Because of this simple approach, JSON is easy to use and it has the potential to be the data interchange format of choice for the Internet. Similar to XML, JSON schemas allow nested structures to model hierarchical data. As data interchange over the Internet increases exponentially due to cloud computing or otherwise, redundancy free JSON data are an attractive form of communication because they improve the quality of data communication through eliminating update anomaly. Nested Normal Form, a normal form for hierarchical data, is a precise characterization of redundancy. A nested table, or a hierarchical schema, is in Nested Normal Form if and only if it is free of redundancy caused by multivalued and functional dependencies. Using Nested Normal Form as a guide, this paper introduces a JSON schema design methodology that begins with UML use case diagrams, communication diagrams and class diagrams that model a system under study. Based on the use cases’ execution frequencies and the data passed between involved parties in the communication diagrams, the proposed methodology selects classes from the class diagrams to be the roots of JSON scheme trees and repeatedly adds classes from the class diagram to the scheme trees as long as the schemas satisfy Nested Normal Form. This process continues until all of the classes in the class diagram have been added to some JSON scheme trees.
Scientific Computing for Chemists: An Undergraduate Course in Simulations, Data Processing, and Visualization

The Scientific Computing for Chemists course taught at Wabash College teaches chemistry students to use the Python programming language, Jupyter notebooks, and a number of common Python scientific libraries to process, analyze, and visualize data. Assuming no prior programming experience, the course introduces students to basic programming and applies these skills to solve a variety of chemical problems. The course is structured around Jupyter notebooks as easily shareable documents for lectures, homework sets, and projects; the software used in this course is free and open source, making it easily accessible to any school or research lab.
Variation in cadmium accumulation in spring wheat cultivars: uptake and redistribution to grain

Due to the risks of cadmium (Cd) toxicity in the human diet, there is need to develop low-Cd wheat, since wheat is one of the most consumed food worldwide. The objective of this study was to investigate variations in Cd accumulation in grain among spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars, and the relationships between root morphology and Cd accumulations in grain and shoot biomass, to better understand Cd accumulation mechanisms in grain. Grain yield, shoot biomass, Cd concentration and content, and root characteristics were measured in multiple spring wheat cultivars in a greenhouse experiment with and without Cd amendments, and in a field experiment conducted in un-contaminated soils at two locations in southeastern Idaho, USA. Cultivars ‘LCS Star’ and ‘UI Pettit’ had greater root morphological parameters (e.g., root length, surface area, and volume), and concentrations and contents of Cd in grain than ‘UI Platinum’ and ‘UI Stone’. Cadmium concentration and content in grain were positively correlated with those in shoot biomass, and root morphological parameters (e.g., length, surface area, and volume). Differences in root morphological characteristics between spring wheat cultivars is an important factor that contributes to Cd accumulation in grain.
Phylogenetic analysis of the metazoan carotenoid oxygenase superfamily: a new ancestral gene assemblage of BCO-like (BCOL) proteins.

Here we describe a new family of carotenoid cleavage oxygenases (CCOs) in metazoans, the BCO2-like (BCOL) clade, which contains lancelet, nematode, and molluscan carotenoid oxygenase sequences. Phylogenetic analysis of CCOs in all kingdoms of life confirmed that the BCOL enzymes are an independent clade of ancient origin. One of the predicted lancelet BCOL proteins, cloned and analyzed for carotenoid cleavage activity in a bacterial carotenoid expression system, had activity similar to lancelet BCO2 proteins, although with a preference for cis isomers. Our docking predictions correlated well with the cis-favored activity. The extensive expansions of the new animal BCOL family in some species (e.g., lancelet) suggests that the carotenoid cleavage oxygenase superfamily has evolved in the “extremely high turnover” fashion: numerous losses and duplications of this family are likely to reflect complex regulation processes during development, and interactions with the environment. These findings also serve to provide a rationale for the evolution of the BCO-related outlier RPE65 retinol isomerase, an enzyme that does not utilize carotenoids as substrate or perform double-bond cleavage.
Combustion Chemistry of Nitrogen

The purpose of this chapter is to examine reactions of nitrogen-containing species that are important in high-temperature gas-phase systems so as to provide the best set of rate coefficients presently available for use in combustion chemistry modeling. Since the 1984 review of N/H/O rate coefficients by Hanson and Salimian 1984 there has been a major review of nitrogen chemistry under combustion conditions by Miller and Bowman (1989). Several compilations of evaluated rate coefficients have also appeared. We update these discussions where appropriate and then analyze a number of chemically activated reactions that are relevant to understanding nitrogen chemistry.
Writing Practices for Mainstream Teachers of Middle School English Learners: Building on What We Know Works Effectively.

AbstractImproving the writing of middle-school English learners can improve their academic thinking, literacy, and content knowledge. The Writing Reform and Innovation for Teaching Excellence (WRIT...
Motion image data collection simulation for structure-from-motion 3D target reconstruction

Motion imagery can be used in some circumstances as a source of data for reconstructing three-dimensional (3D) representations of targets and objects in the scene. This research explores the utility of using motion image data collection simulation for input to a 3D target reconstruction algorithm based on structure-from-motion. The use of simulated video is advantageous for testing potential collections on targets or geographical areas for which real video and images may be unavailable. Examples are provided of tests of angular sampling and occlusion, degradation of input imagery through blurring, and measurement of their effects on 3D reconstruction quality.
Keynote: Online Communication and Psychological Well-being

Since the dawn of the Internet era, researchers, policy-makers and the general public have questioned how new technology is influencing our psychological well-being. This talk will review research I’ve done with students and collaborators over the past 18 years to cast light on this question. Our earliest work in the 1990s indicated that more Internet use, independent of type, predicted increases in depression and declines in other measures of well-being. However, later research demonstrates that whom one communicates with online and the nature of the communication are the important factors, not Internet use per se. In Facebook, for example, receiving targeted, composed communication from strong ties predicts improvements in well-being, while viewing wide-audience broadcasts, receiving one-click feedback, and receiving composed communication from weak ties does not. In online health support groups, it is messages exchanged in public that predict improvements in well-being, while private message exchanges predict declines.
"This is not a drill": Activation of a student-led influenza vaccination point of dispensing.

Objective: To describe activation of a Point of dispensing (POD) in response to an influenza outbreak, highlighting the use of a student-led model. Participants: Faculty, staff, and students of Har...
Headache in the Pediatric Patient

Because migraine headaches can commonly start in childhood and adolescence, early recognition and establishment of a treatment plan and implementation of lifestyle changes can alter disease progression and ultimately improve the child’s quality of life. Obtaining a thorough history and comprehensive examination is often sufficient to make the diagnosis. However, instances do exist which should alert the clinician to the possibility of a secondary cause of headaches, and appropriate diagnostic testing should be ordered in such situations. Once the diagnosis has been made, an individualized therapeutic approach, taking into account the developmental stage of the child and the high rate of psychiatric and other comorbidities, can be implemented.
Die kreiszylindrische Antenne

Als zweites Antennenproblem betrachten wir einen kreiszylindrischen Strahler nach Fig. 17.1. Die Erregung denken wir uns auf einen sehr schmalen Spalt in der Strahlermitte bei z = 0 konzentriert, wo wir uns etwa eine Feldstarke E z langs des Spaltumfanges zwischen den beiden Antennenhalften eingepragt denken. Dies bedeutet naturgemas eine weitgehende Idealisierung der tatsachlichen Verhaltnisse, da in Wirklichkeit die Speisung der Antenne uber eine Energieleitung erfolgt, deren Einflus beim Vergleich zwischen Theorie und Experiment berucksichtigt werden mus. Wir betrachten den axial-symmetrischen Fall.
A Parody of Belshazzar’s feast in Dickens’s Martin Chuzzlewit

According to Robert C. Hanna in his Preface to The Dickens Christian Reader, “one does not have to read very far in either the major or the minor works of Dickens to learn lessons contained in both...
Modified mixed generalized ordered response model to handle misclassification in injury severity data

Traditional crash databases that record police-reported injury severity data are prone to misclassification errors. Ignoring these errors in discrete ordered response models used for analyzing inju...
Lyme Neuroborreliosis: Clinical Outcomes, Controversy, Pathogenesis, and Polymicrobial Infections

Lyme borreliosis is the object of numerous misconceptions. In this review, we revisit the fundamental manifestations of neuroborreliosis (meningitis, cranial neuritis, and radiculoneuritis), as these have withstood the test of time. We also discuss other manifestations that are less frequent. Stroke, as a manifestation of Lyme neuroborreliosis, is considered in the context of other infections. The summary of the literature regarding clinical outcomes of neuroborreliosis leads to its controversies. We also include new information on pathogenesis and on the polymicrobial nature of tick-borne diseases. In this way, we update the review that we wrote in this journal in 1995. ANN NEUROL 2019;85:21-31.
A neuromechanical model of multiple network oscillators for forward locomotion in C. elegans

Multiple mechanisms contribute to the generation, propagation, and coordination of rhythmic patterns necessary for locomotion in Caenorhabditis elegans. Current experiments have focused on two possibilities: pacemaker neurons and stretch-receptor feedback. Here, we focus on whether locomotion behavior can be produced by a chain of network oscillators in the ventral nerve cord. We use a simulation model to demonstrate that a repeating neural circuit identified in the worm9s connectome can be chained together to drive forward locomotion on agar in a neuromechanical model of the nematode, in the absence of pacemaker neurons or stretch-receptor feedback. Systematic exploration of the space of possible solutions reveals that there are multiple configurations that result in locomotion that match the kinematics of the worm on agar. Analysis of the best solutions reveals that gap junctions between different classes of motoneurons are likely to play key roles in coordinating oscillations along the ventral nerve cord.
A Sulfonated Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticle for Enzyme Protection against Denaturants and Controlled Release under Reducing Conditions

Abstract Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSiNPs) are attractive enzyme hosts, but current MSiNPs are limited by leaching, poor enzyme stabilization/protection, and difficulty in controlling enzyme release. Sulfonated MSiNPs are promising alternatives, but are challenged by narrow channels, lack of control over enzyme adsorption to particle surfaces, and controlled release of enzyme. By introducing amines on particle surfaces and sulfonate groups into the channels via disulfide bonds, we developed a unique sulfonated MSiNP to selectively encapsulate enzymes to the channels with enhanced enzyme stabilization under denaturing conditions. Via pore-expansion, the channel diameter was increased which allows for encapsulating nm-sized enzymes. This new concept/strategy to immobilize and deliver enzymes or other biomacromolecules were demonstrated using two model enzymes. Furthermore, we combine site-directed spin labeling with Electron Paramagnetic Resonance to confirm the enhanced enzyme-host interaction and reveal the preferred enzyme orientation in the channels. Lastly, the presence of disulfides allows for enzyme release under reducing conditions, a great potential for cancer treatments. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of sulfonated MSiNPs that simultaneously offer enhanced stability against denaturants and controlled release of enzymes under reducing conditions, with enzyme orientation resolved in the channels.
Bacterial Component Induced Inflammatory Response in Roosters from Diverse Genetic Lines

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a component of gram-negative bacterial cell walls that can stimulate a cellular inflammatory reaction. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of genetic line and time on LPS-induced pro-inflammatory response. Thirty roosters were divided into two groups of challenge and non-challenge for this experiment. The challenged birds were intravenously injected with LPS, to characterize the genetic response to inflammatory stimuli. At hours one and three post-injection, blood was collected, white blood cells (WBC) were isolated, and RNA isolated from the WBC. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was conducted to estimate gene expression levels from mRNA. In summary, all three genetic lines responded to LPS with enhanced gene expression, and the three unique genetic lines differed both in baseline levels and in LPS response in mRNA expression of IL-6 and IFN-γ cytokines. The results indicate that there is a genetic component associated with inflammation response.
Talking Points: A Modulating Circle Increases Listening Effort Without Improving Speech Recognition in Young Adults

Speech recognition is improved when the acoustic input is accompanied by visual cues provided by a talking face (Erber in Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 12(2), 423–425, 1969; Sumby & Pollack in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 26(2), 212–215, 1954). One way that the visual signal facilitates speech recognition is by providing the listener with information about fine phonetic detail that complements information from the auditory signal. However, given that degraded face stimuli can still improve speech recognition accuracy (Munhall, Kroos, Jozan, & Vatikiotis-Bateson in Perception & Psychophysics, 66(4), 574–583, 2004), and static or moving shapes can improve speech detection accuracy (Bernstein, Auer, & Takayanagi in Speech Communication, 44(1–4), 5–18, 2004), aspects of the visual signal other than fine phonetic detail may also contribute to the perception of speech. In two experiments, we show that a modulating circle providing information about the onset, offset, and acoustic amplitude envelope of the speech does not improve recognition of spoken sentences (Experiment 1) or words (Experiment 2). Further, contrary to our hypothesis, the modulating circle increased listening effort despite subjective reports that it made the word recognition task seem easier to complete (Experiment 2). These results suggest that audiovisual speech processing, even when the visual stimulus only conveys temporal information about the acoustic signal, may be a cognitively demanding process.
Collision Detection in Dense Wi-Fi Networks using Self-Interference Cancellation

The deployment of dense Wi-Fi networks seeks to serve the growing number of wireless devices, but comes at a cost of interference, as the number of nodes sharing spectrum increases. In this paper, we present a means for detecting collisions at the access point(AP) using in-band full-duplex(FD) technology which allows us to detect collisions due to interference even while transmitting. Once a collision is detected, we propose a greedy algorithm that aims to avoid collisions, making better use of the available resources. Our methods require no modifications to the existing IEEE 802.11 standards nor to the Wi-Fi stations, making it backward-compatible and suggesting changes only to future network infrastructure. We implement our design using Network Simulator 3(ns-3), which indicates significant throughput gains can be had when employing our algorithm in various dense network scenarios.
Life or death: what factors impact the decision?

Death penalty cases are among the more controversial and costly. There are numerous factors that may influence a prosecutor’s decision to seek the death penalty in a capital murder case. This study considers offender demographics, district attorney characteristics, victim characteristics, local political and criminal climate, and county financial condition to gain a more holistic understanding of prosecutorial decisions surrounding the death penalty. Using multilevel logistic regression models, Texas death penalty cases from 2007 to 2018 (N = 436) were analyzed. Findings suggest a reduction in prosecutor decisions to seek the death penalty over time, and that prosecutors may be more likely to seek the death penalty if a higher percentage of victims killed were White.
The Emergence of Collaboration in the Education of Fellows and Residents during COVID-19.

Abstract Background COVID-19 has created a void in surgical education. Given social distancing and postponed surgeries, unique educational opportunities have arisen. Attendings from 10 adult reconstruction fellowships led a multi-institution web-based weekly collaborative, the Arthroplasty Consortium (AC), developed to educate trainees through complex arthroplasty case-based discussions. Methods We performed an anonymous survey of AC participants and American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) adult reconstruction fellows. Participants were polled with regards to educational tools used before and after COVID-19 and their value. Specifically, participation in the AC, AAHKS FOCAL (Fellows Orthopedic Continued AAHKS Learning) lectures, institutional lectures, industry lectures, textbooks, online videos, journal articles, and webinars was assessed. Results Fifty-seven participants responded with 49 (86%) at the fellow level. There was an increase in the use of web-based learning, including the AC (Not applicable pre, 61% post), AAHKS FOCAL lectures (Not applicable pre, 82% post), industry lectures (53% pre, 86% post), and AAHKS/AAOS webinars (35% pre, 56% post). Usage declined with institutional lectures (89% pre, 80% post), textbooks (68% pre, 49% post), and journal articles (97% pre, 90% post), with minimal change in the use of online surgical videos (84% pre, 82% post). The majority of fellows not involved in the AC would like to see the addition of a multi-institutional case conference added to fellowship education. Of AC participants, the 2 most valuable educational tools were the AC and FOCAL lectures. Conclusion Trainee education has changed post-COVID-19 with a greater focus on web-based learning. Multi-institutional collaborative lectures and case-based discussions have significant perceived value among trainees and should be considered important educational tools post-COVID 19.
Unemployment Experts: Governing the Job Search in the New Economy:

In recent years, sociologists have examined unemployment and job searching as important arenas in which workers are socialized to accept the terms of an increasingly precarious economy. While notin...
A Small Fan and a Small Handful of Fans Exploring the Acquisition of Count-mass Distinction in Mandarin

The count-mass distinction often served as a test case for asking how syntax and semantics are related, whether knowledge of one helps the acquisition of the other. Virtually no studies examined this distinction in classifier languages which supposedly lack the distinction. However, Cheng and Sybesma (1998) argued Mandarin as a classifier language encodes this distinction at the classifier level: classifiers can be categorized as “mass-classifiers” or “count-classifiers,” which categories denote different semantic meanings and occur in different syntactical constructions. The current study undertook Cheng and Sybesma’s framework to compare Mandarin adults’ and children’s interpretation of classifiers. Experiment 1 and 2 asked whether count-classifiers select individuals and mass classifiers non-individuals and sets of individuals. Adult data indicated that there is indeed such distinction in Mandarin, but 4to 6-year-olds had not fully mastered the distinction. Experiment 3 tested participant’s syntactic sensitivity. Participants saw two contrasting pictures and had to match the “one-ADJ-CL-de-N” mass phrase to one and the “one-CLADJ-N” neutral phrase to the other. Adults were near perfect whereas six-year-old children were evenly split between those who were at-chance and those who knew the syntax. Our experimental data with children suggests that the mastery of the distinction appears quite late (6or 7-years of age) relative to English-speaking children.
Discovery of selective N-[3-(1-methyl-piperidine-4-carbonyl)-phenyl]-benzamide-based 5-HT1F receptor agonists: Evolution from bicyclic to monocyclic cores

Preclinical experiments and clinical observations suggest the potential effectiveness of selective 5-HT1F receptor agonists in migraine. Identifying compounds with enhanced selectivity is crucial to assess its therapeutic value. Replacement of the indole nucleus in 2 (LY334370) with a monocyclic phenyl ketone moiety generated potent and more selective 5-HT1F receptor agonists. Focused SAR studies around this central phenyl ring demonstrated that the electrostatic and steric interactions of the substituent with both the amide CONH group and the ketone CO group play pivotal roles in affecting the adopted conformation and thus the 5-HT1F receptor selectivity. Computational studies confirmed the observed results and provide a useful tool in the understanding of the conformational requirements for 5-HT1F receptor agonist activity and selectivity. Through this effort, the 2-F-phenyl and N-2-pyridyl series were also identified as potent and selective 5-HT1F receptor agonists.
The Girl in the Striped Socks

THREE YEARS AGO TODAY, on my birthday, I had the abortion. Always the abortion; never an abortion. It was an eight hour drive, round trip, between Madison and home. The abortion took fifteen minutes. Push ing it, I was back in time for the birthday party my mother had planned. She didn't know about the abortion. In my scrapbook there is a photograph of me, smiling, cutting the cake. I've captioned the photo: "Twenty-two. Laura grows up." Some years before I had met with a group of women to view an abortion film. I was raising my consciousness. I remember the girl in the striped socks, brave, letting her abortion be filmed for all her sisters' peace of mind. She was on the table, her feet in stirrups. She had left her socks on, striped socks. We never saw her face nor heard her voice. She was motionless, si lent. But she was saying something to us all: "Look! It's so easy I can do it with my socks on!" In the film the doctor and the nurse were very efficient, smiling. So white. They talked to the camera: "Now we are dilating the cervix. Now we are inserting the suction tube. Now we are turning on the machine." The tube turned red. The machine hummed awhile longer. Then there was a sound, like when you suck up the end of a milkshake. "You have just seen a successfully completed vacuum aspirator abortion with no complica tions." The lights came on. The women murmured: "It really is very sim ple." "Very clean." "Looks painless practically." I was motionless, silent. This was not a Hollywood movie. It was real life, real death. Right on the screen.
Central Nervous System Infection in the Immunocompromised Host

The risk of an infection of the central nervous system (CNS) in an immunocompromised patient depends on the underlying disease and its treatment, the duration of immunosuppression, and the type of immune abnormality.1,2 The four major types of host-defense abnormalities encountered in the immunosuppressed patient are defects in cell-mediated immunity, humoral immunity, the number and function of neutrophils, and loss of splenic function (i.e., from surgery, disease, or radiotherapy). Knowledge of the underlying host-defense abnormality is often helpful in predicting the infecting microorganism (Table 1).
Performance of Ordered-Subset Reconstruction Algorithms Under Conditions of Extreme Attenuation and Truncation in Myocardial SPECT

UNLABELLED We studied the bias and variance characteristics of the ordered-subset expectation maximization (OSEM) and rescaled block-iterative EM (RBIEM) iterative reconstruction algorithms in myocardial SPECT under extreme, but realistic, conditions. METHOD We used the 2-dimensional mathematic cardiac torso phantom to simulate 2 patient anatomies: a large male with a raised diaphragm and a female with large breast size, approximating extreme cases of attenuation conditions found in the clinic. For each anatomy, realistic 201Tl projection data were simulated for a 180 degrees acquisition arc. Three cases of truncation for a 90 degrees-configured dual detector system were simulated: no truncation, moderate truncation, and extreme truncation. For each case, an ensemble of 250 noise simulations was generated, and each noisy dataset was reconstructed with the OSEM and RBIEM algorithms. The reconstructions modeled only the effects of nonuniform attenuation and used a range of subset configurations. Over the ensemble, we computed means and variances of activity in 8 regions of interest (ROIs) in the heart as a function of iteration. RESULTS Under conditions of no truncation and moderate truncation, the results from OSEM and RBIEM were very close to those from maximum-likelihood EM (MLEM); in all cases, the difference in ROI means was <2.5%. For extreme truncation, the errors increased to as much as 11% with OSEM, but these were no greater than the errors for MLEM under the same conditions. The OSEM algorithm with 2 views per subset was found to result in much higher variance of ROI estimates for the same bias as compared with RBIEM or OSEM with 4 or more views per subset. CONCLUSION The OSEM and RBIEM algorithms are at least as robust to highly attenuating patients and truncation as MLEM algorithm and can be adequate substitutes for MLEM, even in extreme cases. Clinical users should apply the smallest number of subsets that can be accommodated by allowable processing time to reduce image noise and variance in quantitative estimates.
Challenges in the digital information management space

This keynote will address the challenges in the digital information management space with specific focus on analyzing, securing and harnessing the information, what needs to be done to foster the ecosystem and the challenges/gaps that exist and the progress that is crying to be made in the coming decade.
Software firm turnarounds in the 1990s: An analysis of reversing decline in a growing, dynamic industry

Investigations into management actions that reverse organizational decline have produced inconsistent findings. Prior studies have focused on the value of retrenchment actions versus strategic actions to engineer a performance turnaround. These studies, however, have generally not controlled for the cause of firm decline, overlooking a major theoretical contingency. Examining prepackaged software firms in the 1990s, we test the association of strategic and retrenchment actions in facilitating turnarounds in a munificent industry. The results show that measures of strategic actions—new product introductions, strategic alliances, and acquisitions—were positively associated with turnarounds. Conversely, measures of retrenchment actions—layoffs, asset reductions, and product withdrawals—were negatively associated with performance recovery. Our results suggest declining firms in munificent industries cannot retrench their way back to prosperity. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Authorial declaration and extreme actual intentionalism: : Is Dumbledore gay?

Authorial and artistic declarations would seem to be a boon to interpreters who favor actual intentionalism. However, because they believe there are limits on the power of authors and artists to embody their intentions in their works, moderate actual intentionalists hold that some intentions are irrelevant. Looking closely at authorial declaration about the sexuality of Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter novels, I argue in favor of the extreme actual intentionalist position that genuine authorial declarations should not be ignored because authorial intention always determines meaning. The answer to the question in the subtitle is that we do not know with certainty, even though there is a definite right answer. We can argue for the answer we think is most likely, however. And aided by the distinction between meaning and significance, extreme actual intentionalism provides a clear and consistent way of making such arguments while avoiding the problem of being stuck with an interpretation we find aesthetically displeasing.
Esophageal Cancer Staging

Accurate staging of esophageal cancer is very important to achieving optimal treatment outcomes. The AJCC (American Joint Committee on Cancer) first published TNM esophageal cancer staging recommendations in the first edition of their staging manual in 1977. Thereafter, the staging of esophageal cancer was changed many times over the years. This article reviews the current status of staging of esophageal cancer.
Martial arts research: weak evidence.

The Review “Interventions shown to aid executive function development in children 4 to 12 years old” by A. Diamond and K. Lee (special section on Investing Early in Education, 19 August, p. [959][1]) cited work that close examination shows to be weak. Some of the studies ([ 1 ][2], [ 2 ][3]) were randomized, but they failed to meet other criteria such as blinding of teachers and parents to pupils' treatment groups. Studies involving martial arts and physical exercise were particularly weak on isolation of variables. One study on martial arts training for children ([ 1 ][2]) compared a treatment group who wore special uniforms, meditated, bowed to their instructor, and were reminded of self-awareness and self-control, to a control group who continued with their ordinary physical education activities; these authors concluded that when some improvement on some scales occurred for the treatment group, the change was caused by the self-awareness and self-control messages, rather than by other ways the two groups differed. Another study ([ 2 ][3]) compared children who did “sport stacking,” a bimanual physical task, with a control group that did not experience any exciting new activity, and concluded that improvement on one of two reading measures was caused by the stacking task. ![Figure][4] CREDIT: STUART MONK/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM A relevant volume dealing with treatments for developmental disabilities ([ 3 ][5]) stressed the weakness of evidence for special education interventions and described some such conditions as “fad magnets.” Unfortunately, early educational interventions seem to be similarly weak in evidence. The stakes are high and the resources scarce in both cases. 1. [↵][6] 1. K. D. Lakes, 2. W. T. Hoyt , Appl. Dev. Psychol. 25, 283 (2004). [OpenUrl][7][CrossRef][8] 2. [↵][9] 1. T. A. Uhrich, 2. R. L. Swalm , Percept. Mot. Skills 104, 1935 (2007). [OpenUrl][10] 3. [↵][11] 1. J. W. Jacobson, 2. R. M. Foxx, 3. J. A. Mulick , Controversial Therapies for Developmental Disabilities (Erlbaum, Mahwah, NJ, 2005). [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.1204529 [2]: #ref-1 [3]: #ref-2 [4]: pending:yes [5]: #ref-3 [6]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1 in text" [7]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DAppl.%2BDev.%2BPsychol.%26rft.volume%253D25%26rft.spage%253D283%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1016%252Fj.appdev.2004.04.002%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [8]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1016/j.appdev.2004.04.002&link_type=DOI [9]: #xref-ref-2-1 "View reference 2 in text" [10]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DPercept.%2BMot.%2BSkills%26rft.volume%253D104%26rft.spage%253D1935%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [11]: #xref-ref-3-1 "View reference 3 in text"
Amphibian limb regeneration and its relation to nerves.

Much circumstantial evidence points to a neurotrophic influence in amphibian limb regeneration. Although fine-structural observations of nerves in regenerating limbs have indicated the possibility that neurosecretory vesicles accumulate distally in these axons, there is no clear-cut demonstration available that these organelles are neurotropic. Evidence is accumulating that the neural influence in newt limb regeneration is transneuronal. There is also evidence that trophic substances other than those found in the nerve itself may be involved in the supporting limb regeneration. The characterization of the neurotrophic substance is considered a central task for students of regeneration in the future.
Chronic phototoxicity and aggressive squamous cell carcinoma of the skin in children and adults during treatment with voriconazole

Background Voriconazole is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent associated with photosensitivity and accelerated photoaging. A possible link with aggressive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) has also been reported. Objective We sought to determine the incidence and frequency of cutaneous SCC among patients undergoing long-term treatment with voriconazole who also manifest features of chronic phototoxicity. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of patients who developed one or more squamous cell neoplasms during long-term treatment with voriconazole at 3 academic dermatology centers. Results A total of 51 cutaneous SCC were identified in 8 patients (median age 34.5 years, range 9-54) treated with chronic voriconazole (median duration 46.5 months, range 13-60). Underlying diagnoses included graft-versus-host disease, HIV, and Wegener granulomatosis. Signs of chronic phototoxicity and accelerated photoaging included erythema, actinic keratoses, and lentigo formation. Limitations The retrospective nature of the study cannot determine the true population risk of SCC associated with voriconazole therapy. A prospective cohort study is needed. Conclusion A high index of suspicion for photosensitivity and SCC may be warranted with chronic voriconazole use when used in the setting of concurrent immunosuppression.
Effects of host plant,Gossypium hirsutum L., on sexual attraction of cabbage looper moths,Trichoplusia ni (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Unmated female or male cabbage looper moths,Trichoplusia ni (Hubner), were attracted more often in a flight tunnel to a cage with moths of the opposite sex and a bouquet of cotton foliage. Increased sexual attractiveness of females with plants may be a result of stimulation of pheromone release in response to plant odor, since more males were attracted when odor of cotton foliage was passed over females than when odor of females was passed over cotton foliage before venting into the flight tunnel. Increased sexual attractiveness of males with plants is due in part to host odor enhancement of female attraction to male pheromone, since more females were attracted to synthetic male pheromone (a blend of enantiomers of linalool and isomers of cresol) and a cotton leaf extract than were attracted to male pheromone alone. A short synthesis procedure was developed for (S)-(+)-linalool, the major component of the male sex pheromone, isolated from hair pencils, used in these tests.
Open Operative Balloon Angioplasty of the Internal Carotid Artery: A Technique in Evolution

Open operative balloon angioplasty is a treatment alternative for certain nonatherosclerotic lesions of the internal carotid artery (ICA) including fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD). Standard operative exposure of the carotid bifurcation is performed with atraumatic passage of a guidewire and balloon through a carotid bulb arteriotomy. Under direct fluoroscopic guidance, precise dilatation of the involved area is possible with minimal risk of intimal tear/flap or distal embolization as compared with graduated intraluminal dilatation or percutaneous balloon angioplasty. Vascular control of the common and external carotid arteries lessens the risk of embolization resulting from the constant backflow of blood through the ICA before, during, and after balloon angioplasty, adding to the overall safety and efficacy of the procedure. We report a case of asymptomatic critical carotid artery stenosis associated with FMD successfully treated with open operative balloon angioplasty and review the current literature regarding treatment options for FMD of the ICA.
A design-in methodology to ensure first time success of complex digital signal processors

TMS320C2700 is the first TI DSP with a new architecture combining the features of a traditional DSP and Micro-Controller, targeted for Hard Disk Drives, DVD and Embedded Control applications. The development of this reusable DSP Core and the Emulation Test Chip with an aim of fast turn-around to market posed many design and methodology challenges. These challenges included efficient layout of a datapath and bus-dominant Core, meeting all the performance and reliability requirements, clocking methodology for a reusable Core, and the design of a 1 million gate Emulation Chip with 82 K/spl times/16 on-chip RAM and many peripherals. This paper describes the various design-in approaches used to meet these goals, reducing the iterations in the design cycle, ultimately resulting in a first pass working silicon for the design.
SR46349-B, a 5-HT2A/2C Receptor Antagonist, Potentiates Haloperidol-induced Dopamine Release in Rat Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Nucleus Accumbens

The combination of M100907, a putative antipsychotic drug (APD) and serotonin (5-HT)2A antagonist, and the typical APD haloperidol, can enhance dopamine (DA) release in rat medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), an effect which has been postulated to be of value to improve cognition and negative symptoms. The present study demonstrated that another putative APD and 5-HT2A/2C antagonist, SR46349-B (10 mg/kg, but not 1–3 mg/kg) alone, but not M100907 (0.1 and 3 mg/kg) alone, increased mPFC DA release, whereas neither drug alone affected nucleus accumbens (NAC) DA release. Neither SR46349-B nor M100907 alone affected nucleus accumbens (NAC) DA release. Neither SR46349-B nor M100907 alone affected nucleus accumbens (NAC) DA release. SR46349-B (3 mg/kg) potentiated haloperidol-induced DA release in both regions, whereas M100907 (0.1 mg/kg) potentiated haloperidol (0.1 mg/kg)-induced mPFC DA release and inhibited it in the NAC. WAY100635 (0.2 mg/kg), a 5-HT1A antagonist, abolished the effects of haloperidol plus M100907 as well as SR46349-B on DA release in the mPFC, but did not do so in the NAC. Thus, 5-HT2A and 5-HT2A/2C antagonism together with haloperidol-induced D2 antagonism may potentiate mPFC DA release via 5-HT1A agonism, whereas the combined effects of these agents on NAC DA release is not dependent upon 5-HT1A receptor stimulation. Interestingly, similar to the effect of SR46349-B, high dose M100907 (3 mg/kg), which might have antagonist activity at 5-HT2C receptors, potentiated 1 mg/kg haloperidol-induced DA release in the mPFC and NAC. These results suggest that 5-HT2A/2C antagonism may be more advantageous than selective 5-HT2A antagonism as an adjunct to D2 antagonists to improve cognition and negative symptoms in schizophrenia.
Thrombotic, infectious, and procedural complications of the jugular bulb catheter in the intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE: An assessment of the thrombotic, infectious, and technical complications of continuous jugular bulb catheter monitoring in the intensive care unit (ICU) was made. METHODS: Over a 1-year period, 44 patients suffering from traumatic brain injury, subarachnoid hemorrhage, or stroke received jugular bulb catheter monitoring in the ICU. They were followed for catheter insertion complications and the development of bacteremia. In 20 patients chosen randomly, an ultrasonographic evaluation was performed after removal of the catheter for an assessment of internal jugular vein thrombosis. RESULTS: Of the 44 patients, 1 became bacteremic; the source was identified as a thoracostomy site. Among the complications related to the 44 catheter insertions, there were 2 instances of carotid artery puncture (4.5%), 1 misplaced catheter (thoracic placement), and 1 clinically insignificant hematoma. Of the 20 patients investigated with ultrasonography, 8 (40%) had nonobstructive, subclinical internal jugular vein thrombi after jugular bulb catheter monitoring (95% confidence interval, 19-61%). The median monitoring duration was 3 days (range, 1-6 d). No clinical factor was identified to be associated with thrombus formation. CONCLUSION: We conclude the following: 1) the risk of bacteremia related to the jugular bulb catheter was negligible; 2) complications related to catheter insertion were rare and clinically insignificant; and 3) the incidence of subclinical internal jugular vein thrombosis after jugular bulb catheter monitoring is considerable. Although it is worthy to note this complication, no patient with a thrombus became symptomatic in the present series. The risk-benefit assessment of this monitoring technique must include consideration of subclinical thrombosis.
Alveolar cell carcinoma; review of the literature, clinico-pathological considerations, and report of two cases.

SUMMARY 1.Alveolar cell carcinoma has been discussed with reference to etiology, histogenesis and histopathology. 2.Two illustrative case reports with emphasis on differential diagnosis have been presented. 3.Presence of the columnar epithelial lining of the alveolar framework with papillary projections, loss of polarity of the hyperchromatic and pheomorphic nuclei of these cells, lack of invasion of alveolar septa and normal bronchioli favor the theory of an intrinsic low malignant alveolar tumor.
Preparation of some new pentafluorosulfur fluoroethanes; the vibrational spectrum of 1-hydro-1-pentafluorosulfur-F-ethane and its deuterium isotopomer

Abstract The preparation of 1-hydro-pentafluorosulfur-F-ethylsilver is described. AgCH(SF5)CF3 reacts with HCl and DCl to form HCH(SF5)CF3 and DCH(SF5)CF3·1-Pentafluoro-sulfur-F-ethylsilver reacts with Cl2 and DCl to form ClCF(SF5)CF3 and DCF(SF5)CF3. AgCH(SF5)CF3, DCH(SF5)CF3, ClCF(SF5)CF3 and DCF(SF5)CF3 have not been reported previously. The vibrational spectra of HCF(SF5)CF3 and its deuterated analog were investigated, and a tentative assignment was made.