cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Novel Opportunity to Engage Underrepresented Youth in Neuroscience Education and Research (1319)

Objective: We aim to characterize the conception and vision for a new opportunity for underrepresented youth to engage in neuroscience education and research. Background: Female, Black, Latino, American Indian, and low-income populations have a large burden of neurologic disorders; tend to experience disparities in neurology; and remain significantly underrepresented in the neurology and neuroscience workforce. While a variety of youth STEM and neuroscience education and research programs exist, few significantly engage underrepresented youth, missing the opportunity to contribute to building a more diverse neurology and neuroscience workforce that in turn would increase our chances of meaningful scientific discoveries and innovation. Design/Methods: We characterize the conception of an academic-foundation partnership and its vision for a new opportunity for underrepresented youth to engage in neuroscience education and research. Results: The partner organizations, Biogen Foundation and MGH Neurology, have a long track record of offering state-of-the-art hands-on youth science education. An in-depth assessment by a multi-disciplinary partnership team identified gaps in existing programming and a common goal to create a new initiative for underrepresented high school and undergraduate students that aims to: (1) Inspire underrepresented youth to pursue neurology and neuroscience careers by exposing them to a diverse group of neurologists and neuroscientists; (2) Equip underrepresented youth through longitudinal mentored neuroscience education and research opportunities; and (3) Empower underrepresented youth by facilitating the translation of their neuroscience education and research experiences into scientific abstracts, publications, awards, and community service. Conclusions: An in-depth process by an academic-foundation partnership has led to the creation of a novel mentored neuroscience education and research program that aims to inspire, equip, and empower underrepresented youth towards their pursuit of careers in neurology and neuroscience. Disclosure: Dr. Mejia has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for the Neurology journal.Dr. Ayele has nothing to disclose.
A DEA evaluation of U.S. States’ healthcare systems in terms of their birth outcomes

Abstract States vary substantially in terms of infant mortality and preterm birth rates. Despite all the attention and effort at the national level in improving birth outcomes, many states’ healthcare systems are still suffering from high rates of unfavorable birth outcomes. Hence, the important question is what makes a healthcare system more successful when evaluating birth outcomes at the state level. To answer this question, we build a state–level database using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Kaiser Family Foundation, and Area Health Resources File. Then, we implement a mixed-methods approach that includes Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), robust principal component analysis, bootstrapping, and statistical characteristics methods such as truncated regression to systematically compare and contrast the performance of 50 state’s healthcare systems with respect to their birth outcomes (i.e., infant mortality, preterm birth, and low birthweight) and to provide benchmarks. Our findings reveal that socio-economic and demographic factors such as the poverty rate and the number of African-American women per 1000 population significantly explain the major variation in healthcare systems’ performance in terms of their birth outcomes. Therefore, disregarding these environmental factors leads to an overestimation of the system’s efficiency. Furthermore, our work contributes to the body of literature by introducing a unique application in the domain of efficiency performance measurement of states’ healthcare systems in the U.S., using a unique dataset that has not been analyzed before, identifying efficient and inefficient states, providing peers for each inefficient state and indicating how those inefficient states can make improvement in their performance, and providing unique policy insights.
A Data-driven System for City-wide Energy Footprinting and Apportionment

Energy footprinting has the potential to raise awareness of energy consumption and lead to energy-saving behavior. However, current methods are largely restricted to single buildings; these methods require energy and occupancy monitoring sensor deployments, which can be expensive and difficult to deploy at scale. Further, current methods for estimating energy consumption and population at scale cannot provide fine enough temporal or spatial granularity for a reasonable personal energy footprint estimate. In this work, we present a data-driven system for city-wide estimation of personal energy footprints. This system takes advantage of existing sensing infrastructure and data sources in urban cities to provide energy and population estimates at the building level, even in built environments that do not have existing or accessible energy or population data.
OP33 – 2365: Treatment with botulinum toxin of children with cerebral palsy has no added therapeutical value or cost-effectiveness for gross motor function, everyday physical activity levels or quality of life when combined with intensive functional physiotherapy

Objective Since 20 years, children with spastic CP are increasingly treated with botulinum toxin typeA (BtA) followed by intensive physiotherapy (iPT). The added value of BtA remains unclear. We therefore compared (cost-)effectiveness of BtA+iPT versus only iPT treatment in a (partly) randomized controlled trial. Methods Sixty-five children aged 4–12 years participated, 41 received BtA+iPT and 24 only iPT. Measurements were performed after a 12-week iPT period (primary endpoint) and 12 weeks thereafter (24week follow-up). Primary outcome measures were: actual everyday physical activity levels measured with ambulatory monitoring devices (Actigraph-AG, 7day monitoring), (health related) quality of life measured with several questionnaires (Health Utility Index, Child Health Questionnaire, DISABKIDS-questionnaires), and gross motor function measured with the GMFM (item set version). Economic evaluation was performed according to Dutch guidelines taking a societal perspective. Results No statistically significant evidence was found for added value of BtA injections in BtA+iPT treatment for the primary outcomes. At primary endpoint, we found trends towards an intervention effect in favor of only iPT for improving gross motor function (GMFM; p=0.095, ES=1.12, 95%CI[-0.20:2.44]) and decreasing the % sedentary behavior during everyday physical activity (AG%sed; p=0.087, ES=–2.59, 95%CI[-5.58:0.39]). At 24week follow-up, we found a trend – also in favor of iPT – towards improving quality of life (DISABKIDS-smileys-proxy-version; p=0.066, ES=5.9, 95%CI[-0.40:12.20]). We found one trend in favor of BtA for improving everyday physical activity counts per minute (AGcpm; p=0.064, ES=91, 95%CI[-6:188]). Average treatment costs (including plaster and AFO) were significantly higher in BtA+iPT than in iPT (8.963 euro versus 6.182 euro, p=0.001). Conclusion We conclude that adding BtA to iPT in combined BtA+iPT treatment does not improve effectiveness (at the group level) and that adding BtA is also not cost-effective when treatment is aimed at improving gross motor function, everyday physical activity levels or quality of life.
Sedimentary Facies in bay of Fundy Intertidal Zone, Nova Scotia, Canada

Publisher Summary This chapter describes four sedimentary facies that occur in the intertidal zone of the Bay of Fundy. 75% of intertidal zone sedimentation occurs in a wave-cut bench environment. Such benches are overlain by a thin sediment veneer which is sorted and modified by a combination of wave action and braided streams. The remaining facies of intertidal zone deposits include a salt marsh facies (silt and clay deposits capped by a thin plant debris zone), an estuarine clay flat facies (silt and clay banks traversed by meandering creeks), and a lee of bedrock islands facies, which can be subdivided into high tidal flat, low tidal flat, and channel facies. Comparison of the intertidal zone of the Bay of Fundy with that of the Dutch Wadden Sea suggests that differences in sediment properties in each are controlled by coastal geomorphology and coastal geology.
Energy Regulation and Legislative Development in the State Duma of Russia: A Spatial Analysis of Roll Call Votes with the Optimal Classification Model, Russia 1994-2003

This paper investigates the role of the State Duma of Russia in energy regulation between 1994 and 2003. We applying Poole?s optimal classification model of roll call votes using an ordered probit model to show impact of partisan, bureaucratic, social and economic determinants on energy law reform in the first decade of Russia?s democratic transition. Our findings suggest that reforms strongly depend on negotiations, compromises and interest equilibrations. The cohesion and accountability of Russian political parties cannot be explained in terms of ideology; the traditional Left-Right axis does not hold in Russian legislative politics. Thus, our results suggest that Russia?s executive federalism and the personal interests of powerful parliamentary actors have the lead in developing competitive market structures in oil, gas and electricity markets. The paradoxical conclusion is that in this turbulent institutional setting State Duma functions as a de facto regulator by contributing to economic transparency and advancing energy law reform under conditions of democratic representation and political competition.
Ethnics, Violence, and Truth: Soccer's American Past

This article discusses research done on the reports of soccer matches in the American media and whether or not those reports are biased according to ethnic stereotypes. It concludes that there may be some truth to the image of the soccer match as a violent event, despite the author's first thoughts on the issue. This article is available in Constructing the Past: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/constructing/vol5/iss1/4 ~.' Doherty, Thomas. Pre-Code Hollywood: Sex. Immorality. and Insurrection in American Cinema. 1930­ 1934. New York: Columbia UP, 1999. Jarvis, Arthur R., Jr. 'The Payne Fund Reports: A Discussion of their Content, Public Reaction, and Affect on the Motion Picture Industry, 1930-1940." Journal ofPopular Culture 25:2 (1991): 127-140. Springhall, John. "Censoring Hollywood: Youth, Moral Panic and Crime/Gangster Movies of the 1930s." Journal ofPopular Culture 32:3 (1998): 135-154. Vaughn, Stephen. "Morality and Entertainment: The Origins of the Motion Picture Production Code." The Journal ofAmerican History 77: I (1990): 39-65. Walsh, Frank. Sin and Censorship: The Catholic Church and the Motion Picture Industry. New Haven: Yale UP, 1996. l I
A Pilot Study of a Randomized Controlled Trial of Yoga as an Intervention for PTSD Symptoms in Women

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition that affects approximately 10% of women in the United States. Although effective psychotherapeutic treatments for PTSD exist, clients with PTSD report additional benefits of complementary and alternative approaches such as yoga. In particular, yoga may downregulate the stress response and positively impact PTSD and comorbid depression and anxiety symptoms. We conducted a pilot study of a randomized controlled trial comparing a 12-session Kripalu-based yoga intervention with an assessment control group. Participants included 38 women with current full or subthreshold PTSD symptoms. During the intervention, yoga participants showed decreases in reexperiencing and hyperarousal symptoms. The assessment control group, however, showed decreases in reexperiencing and anxiety symptoms as well, which may be a result of the positive effect of self-monitoring on PTSD and associated symptoms. Between-groups effect sizes were small to moderate (0.08-0.31). Although more research is needed, yoga may be an effective adjunctive treatment for PTSD. Participants responded positively to the intervention, suggesting that it was tolerable for this sample. Findings underscore the need for future research investigating mechanisms by which yoga may impact mental health symptoms, gender comparisons, and the long-term effects of yoga practice.
Diagnosis and therapy of pancreas divisum by ERCP: a single center experience.

Objective The aim of this study was to determine the diagnosis and endoscopic management of pancreas divisum with results from long-term experience at our institution. Methods A prospectively collected database of all patients who underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with the diagnosis of pancreas divisum at our institution from January 2001 to April 2010 was retrospectively analyzed. Results A total of 45 patients were identified with pancreas divisum with 62 ERCP procedures. The major indication for ERCP included pancreatitis in 33 patients (73.3%), of whom 18 had idiopathic recurrent acute pancreatitis, 8 had recurrent pancreatic-type pain and 7 had chronic pancreatitis. The median size of the incision of sphincterotomy was 5 mm (range 3–8 mm). In all 37 patients (82.2%) underwent placement of stent into the dorsal pancreatic duct, with a median stent size of 5 Fr by 7 cm (range 3–10 Fr by 3–12 cm). The overall response rate was 75.8%. Conclusions The frequency of finding pancreas divisum during ERCP varies among institutions and is low compared with the autopsy series, given that many patients may remain asymptomatic or might not undergo ERCP even if the symptoms develop. Our study is the first to describe specific procedure-related details during therapeutic endoscopy for pancreas divisum.
Para-aortic lymph node involvement in cervical carcinoma.

Abstract The incidence of para-aortic lymph node involvement was studied in 34 patients with Stage II to IV cervical carcinoma. Histologic confirmation of nodal involvement, prior to the institution of therapy, was found in 8.3 per cent of patients with Stage II, 35 per cent of patients with Stage III, and in 1 of 2 patients explored with Stage IV cervical carcinoma. Additional findings included 2 cases of unsuspected bowel involvement, 2 with liver metastases, and 2 with ovarian carcinoma. Laparotomy prior to radiation therapy appears to be a safe and useful procedure.
The Employee Suggestion System: A New Approach Using Latent Semantic Analysis

Employee suggestion systems are often used as a way to improve participation from members of the organization to help solve problems that cannot be solved through traditional organizational practices. In the government sector, employee involvement programs are the most difficult to implement mainly because management regularly changes with new administration and these changes bring about many short-term management practices and systems. Toyota's approach to employee suggestion programs has been widely benchmarked and studied, yet there is little research to show that these practices can be applied or are successful in the public sector. This work uses a statistical data-mining technique to compare which types of human resource management practices are prevalent in employee suggestion programs at Toyota and a target government organization. This work shows that Toyota emphasizes organization-centered factors to stimulate employee participation in solving small problems that relate to an employee's job. On the contrary, government organizations tend to emphasize employee factors that make conditions right for employees to make larger improvements in their jobs that lead to improvements outside their work areas. Findings suggest that Toyota's approach to employee suggestion programs is not a way to weaken management's obligation to perform problem solving, but instead is another medium to highlight problems that do not require management's intervention. These new insights and others provide an increased understanding of employee suggestion programs in the public sector that are unique to manufacturing. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Cytosolic Sensor cGAS Detects Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA to Induce Type I Interferons and Activate Autophagy

Type I interferons (IFNs) are critical mediators of antiviral defense, but their elicitation by bacterial pathogens can be detrimental to hosts. Many intracellular bacterial pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, induce type I IFNs following phagosomal membrane perturbations. Cytosolic M. tuberculosis DNA has been implicated as a trigger for IFN production, but the mechanisms remain obscure. We report that the cytosolic DNA sensor, cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS), is required for activating IFN production via the STING/TBK1/IRF3 pathway during M. tuberculosis and L. pneumophila infection of macrophages, whereas L. monocytogenes short-circuits this pathway by producing the STING agonist, c-di-AMP. Upon sensing cytosolic DNA, cGAS also activates cell-intrinsic antibacterial defenses, promoting autophagic targeting of M. tuberculosis. Importantly, we show that cGAS binds M. tuberculosis DNA during infection, providing direct evidence that this unique host-pathogen interaction occurs in vivo. These data uncover a mechanism by which IFN is likely elicited during active human infections.
Survival prediction and variable selection with simultaneous shrinkage and grouping priors

The presented work is motivated by the need of reliably estimating and predicting the survival rates for individuals diagnosed with cancer, when gene expression profiles are available for identifying molecular risks factors for cancer. The regression analysis of such data is challenged by three characteristics of data: i time-to-event outcome, ii high-dimensional covariate space, and iii a group structure of genes. One strategy to simultaneously deal with all three of the aforementioned challenges is to build a penalized regression model using special penalty functions such as elastic net, fused lasso, and group lasso. To our knowledge, existing methods are sparse or non-existent, however, when a Bayesian estimation/inference is the goal for the penalized regression models. In this article, we propose a Bayesian semi-parametric framework for the regression analysis of gene expression data with survival outcomes. Our proposed Bayesian methods permit researchers to take advantage of numerous benefits including the ability to incorporate substantive prior information, the straightforward and automated quantification of uncertainty in prediction, and the prescriptive nature of computation. The performance of our proposed models for variable selection and prediction is thoroughly investigated through simulation studies, where we consider four scenarios based on different underlying group structures of covariates and covariate effects. The results generally show the satisfactory variable selection capability and predictability of our methods. Finally, we apply our proposed framework to three different gene expression data sets. We developed an efficient Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm for the implementation of our proposed framework and provided an easy-to-use R package.
Prostaglandin H synthase: perturbation of the tyrosyl radical as a probe of anticyclooxygenase agents.

Prostaglandin H synthase exhibits two distinct catalytic activities. A cyclooxygenase activity that incorporates two molecules of molecular oxygen into arachidonic acid to form prostaglandin (PG) G2, and a rather nonspecific heme-dependent peroxidase that reduces hydoperoxides (e.g. PGG2) to the corresponding alcohols (e.g. PGH2) at the expense of an electron donor. The conversion of arachidonate to PGG2 in the cyclooxygenase reaction is believed to proceed via a free radical reaction mechanism that is initiated by the abstraction of a hydrogen atom from C13 of the fatty acid to form a fatty acyl free radical (Hamberg and Samuelsson, 1967). Rearrangement of the fatty acyl backbone and attack on molecular oxygen follow in a concerted fashion to give PGG2. The role of the synthase in this conversion is presumably to furnish the oxidant necessary for abstraction of the C13 hydrogen atom, and to bind the fatty acid in an arrangement that determines the stereochemical outcome. The identity of the enzyme oxidant responsible is a key question in the study of the cyclooxygenase catalytic mechanism.
La industria vitivinícola colonial de Moquegua, Perú

La economia colonial de Moquegua estuvo dominada desde el siglo XVI por medio de la agroindustria del vino y del pisco. Un reconocimiento arqueologico en el valle identifico 130 sitios de bodegas e instalaciones para el prensar, fermentar y almacenar el vino, destilandolo en aguardiente, y la fabricacion de vasijas de barro utilizadas para el almacenamiento (tinajas) y el transporte (botijas). Mas de 7 millones de litros de vino podrian haber sido producidos en el valle para la epoca del "auge de brandy" del siglo XVIII. Los principales mercados para los productos vitivinicolas de Moquegua fueron las ricas regiones mineras del Alto Peru (actual Bolivia).
Dermatoses secondary to Asian cultural practices

Although Asian cultural practices, such as acupuncture and threading, are widely used, there is limited medical literature describing their cutaneous effects and complications. This review briefly describes therapeutic cultural practices (traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion, coining, Ayurveda, and aromatherapy) and cosmetic cultural practices (hair oils, henna, bindis, saris, and threading), with particular attention to dermatoses secondary to these practices. Traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda may cause heavy metal toxicity, severe cutaneous adverse reactions, and contact dermatitis. Cupping, moxibustion, and coining lead to dermatoses that may be mistaken for abuse by people unfamiliar with the practices. Hair oils may cause contact dermatitis and folliculitis. Paraphenylenediamine in black henna and bindi dyes and adhesives can cause severe allergic contact dermatitis. The drawstring in saris causes frictional irritation, which can lead to tinea corporis, koebnerization, and even squamous cell carcinoma. Threading may cause folliculitis, impetigo, and verrucae. The increasing prevalence of Asian cultural practices, which are performed inside and outside of Asia in this era of globalization, demands that dermatologists be familiar with the secondary dermatoses that may develop.
Never the twain shall meet

Art and science may be long, but life is short, and so I must confine my remarks to only a few points of Sica's paper. He pulls no punches in his critique of "actually existing" American sociology, and I suspect that many sociologists may feel fron tally assaulted. Consider the style of the paper. It is written as an essay or critique rather than a meticulously footnoted journal article. It is rife with metaphors and lacks "dispassion." It opens up many more questions than it answers; in other words, it does not seem to be predictive in the usual sense. It has a definite voice to it, as opposed to the typical depersonalized articles in the esteemed sociolog ical journals it criticizes. It does not try to be nice. The crux of Sica's argument is that the project of scientific sociology has failed ("the links between science . . . and sociology have broken apart"), and that we need to consider "nonscientific theory" as an alternative. He concludes by saying that we have scientism today, which ignores questions of "central human reality." In the scientistic views of science, which would include positivism as well as Weber's "specialism," questions of "central human reality" are simply not con sidered scientific. Such a view is shared, oddly enough, by Hans-Georg Gadamer, for whom science (including social science) is purely a technical activity, and for whom a nonscientific doctrine of interpretation or hermeneutic is therefore nec essary to get at the inner "central human reality." If one accepts these general outlooks on science, then Sica's call for nonscientific theory is consistent. But then Sica, like Gadamer, would be accepting the view that science is as scientism
What size of ice crystals causes the halos

It is shown that, contrary to classical theory, the circular halos need not be caused by randomly oriented crystals. Furthermore, if Brownian motion is the disorienting mechanism then the circular halos cannot be caused by the randomly oriented crystals, which are too small to produce a reasonably sharp diffraction pattern. However, the circular halos can be caused by crystals that are in the region where there is a transition between randomness and high orientation. These crystals have diameters between about 12 and 40 μm. Larger crystals produce the parhelia and tangent arcs. It is shown that the 46° halo is rare because it can be produced only by solid columns, and then for only a restricted range of sun heights.
Impenetrability of the Mouse Placenta to Maternal Leukaemia Cells

THE concept of the placenta as a barrier separating the foetus from the immunological defence mechanisms of the mother1–3 is in question. There is ample evidence that in humans foetal red cells are present in maternal blood during pregnancy4, and if red cells pass from foetus to mother, it is difficult to see why immunologically competent cells do not pass from mother to foetus. Tuffrey, Bishun and Barnes5,6, using the T6 chromosome marker, concluded that large numbers of maternal cells populate the organs of mice, while Billington et al.7, also using the T6 marker, reached the opposite conclusion. Seller8, using a somewhat different experimental approach, also found no evidence for the passage of maternal cells into the foetus.
Distant soft tissue metastases: a series of 30 new patients and 91 cases from the literature.

Background: Thirty patients with soft-tissue metastases were reviewed retrospectively and compared with 91 cases previously reported. Soft tissue metastases were most commonly presented to the musculoskeletal oncologist as a painful mass in patients with no history of cancer. In this setting, lung carcinoma was the most frequent primary source. The purpose of this article is to report the largest single series of distant soft-tissue metastases and to compare the findings with those of the literature. Methods: Thirty consecutive patients were referred to musculoskeletal oncologists. Their cases were reviewed retrospectively for comparison with 91 cases from the clinical literature. Results: The most common clinical presentation of the soft-tissue mass was as the presenting symptom of previously undiagnosed cancer or concurrent with the primary source of cancer. A minority of cases were discovered in the setting of widespread metastases. Twenty-one new patients had carcinomas, 6 sarcomas, and 1 each multiple myeloma, lymphoma, and melanoma. Lung carcinoma was the most common primary source. The most common presenting symptom was that of a painful mass. Skeletal muscle of the thigh was the most common site. Radiological features were not specific. Soft tissue sarcoma was a common clinical misdiagnosis. Twenty-one new patients were dead of disease at a mean 5.4 months (range 1–19 months) after diagnosis of the metastasis: this percentage was similar to that reported in the literature. Conclusions: In this musculoskeletal oncology referral-based clinical series, soft tissue metastases most commonly occur in patients with a painful soft tissue mass and no history of cancer. Lung is the most frequent primary source. Treatment should be individualized according to the underlying disease and its prognosis.
Possible role for cysteine biosynthesis in conversion from mycelial to yeast form of Histoplasma capsulatum

Histoplasma capsulatum is a pathogenic dimorphic fungus which causes histoplasmosis in animals and man. The free-living saprobic form found in soil is mycelial, but, on infection, or in the laboratory, when the temperature is raised from 23 to 37 °C, it converts reversibly to a unicellular, parasitic yeast-like form. Little is known about the biochemistry of this process. There have been reports of quantitative and qualitative differences in the chemical composition of the two forms1,2, and of changes in RNA metabolism during the conversion3. Also, whereas extracts from the yeast phase cells contain multiple species of RNA polymerase, those from mycelia have only traces of activity, but contain an inhibitor of RNA polymerase4. The yeast and mycelial cells differ in sensitivity to amphotericin B (a polyene) and actinomycin D5, but there is no significant enzymatic difference between the two phases with respect to the glycolytic pathway and the tricarboxylic acid cycle6. The initiation of conversion requires a temperature change and also low oxidation–reduction potential (O/R) of the growth medium7, but the maintenance of the yeast phase requires sulphur-containing organic compounds, especially cysteine8,9. The possibility of a nutritional requirement for –SH groups has been suggested10 but not explored. We now report that the yeast cells lack the enzyme sulphite reductase so that they cannot reduce inorganic sulphite to sulphide, and thus cannot synthesise cysteine. In contrast, mycelial cells, with active reductase, can grow without cysteine supplement.
Multiscale Model to Study the Effect of Interfaces in Carbon Nanotube-Based Composites

In order to fully harness the outstanding mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes (CNT) as fiber reinforcements, it is essential to understand the nature of load transfer in the fiber matrix interfacial region of CNT-based composites. With controlled experimentation on nanoscale interfaces far off, molecular dynamics (MD) is evolving as the primary method to model these systems and processes. While MD is capable of simulating atomistic behavior in a deterministic manner, the extremely small length and time scales modeled by MD necessitate multiscale approaches. To study the atomic scale interface effects on composite behavior, we herein develop a hierarchical multiscale methodology linking molecular dynamics and the finite element method through atomically informed cohesive zone model parameters to represent interfaces. Motivated by the successful application of pullout tests in conventional composites, we simulate fiber pullout tests of carbon nanotubes in a given matrix using MD. The results of the pullout simulations are then used to evaluate cohesive zone model parameters. These cohesive zone models (CZM) are then used in a finite element setting to study the macroscopic mechanical response of the composites. Thus, the method suggested explicitly accounts for the behavior of nanoscale interfaces existing between the matrix and CNT. The developed methodology is used to study the effect of interface strength on stiffness of the CNT-based composite.
Body weight, waist-to-hip ratio, breasts, and hips: Role in judgments of female attractiveness and desirability for relationships

Abstract Morphological features such as overall body fat, body fat distribution, as measured by waist-to-hip ratio, breast size, and hip width have been proposed to influence female attractiveness and desirability. To determine how the variations of these morphological features interact and affect the judgment of female age, attractiveness, and desirability for romantic relationships, two studies were conducted. In Study 1, college-age men rated female figures differing in body weight, waist-to-hip ratio, and breast size for age, attractiveness, health, and desirability for short-and long-term relationships. Female figures with slender bodies, low waist-to-hip ratios, and large brasts were rated as most attractive, feminine looking, healthy, and desirable for casual and long-term romantic relationships. In Study 2, female figures with similar body weight and waist-to-hip ratios but differing hip widths and breast sizes were rated for the same attributes as in Study 1. Female figures with large breasts and narrow hips were rated as most youthful, attractive, and desirable for casual and long-term romantic relationships. It seems that larger body size, a high waist-to-hip ratio, and larger hips make the female figure appear older, unattractive, and less desirable for engaging in romantic relationships. Discussion focuses on the functional significance of interactions among various morphological features in determining female attractiveness.
Improved survival after acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock with circulatory support and transplantation: comparing aggressive intervention with conservative treatment.

Background The prognosis for patients with myocardial infarction has steadily improved, but remains poor for those developing cardiogenic shock. Utilization of re-vascularization, mechanical circulatory support and transplantation in these patients may improve survival. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical outcome of 138 consecutive patients at the Cleveland Clinic from 1992 to 1998 who met the criteria for cardiogenic shock after acute myocardial infarction. All patients received intensive medical therapy and intra-aortic balloon pump support. Forty-three patients received intensive medical therapy (conservative group) and 95 patients were treated aggressively (aggressive group). The aggressive group comprised patients who were treated with percutaneous intervention/coronary artery bypass grafting ( n = 77, re-vascularization group), and patients who received circulatory support/cardiac transplantation ( n = 18). Results The baseline demographics and angiographic and hemodynamic features were comparable for the two groups. The in-hospital mortality rate was significantly reduced in the aggressive group compared with the conservative group (54% vs 81%, p = 0.002). The in-hospital mortality rate of the circulatory support/transplant group was markedly reduced compared with the conservative group (33% vs 81%, p p = 0.03). The aggressive group had a markedly improved 5-year survival compared with the conservative group (30% vs 6.2%, p = 0.003). Conclusions These data suggest that an aggressive strategy, particularly left ventricular assist device support as a bridge to heart transplantation, may improve survival in post-myocardial infarction patients with cardiogenic shock.
Retinal projections in the electric catfish (Malapterurus electricus)

The poorly developed visual system of the electric catfish was studied with silver-degeneration methods. Retinal projections were entirely contralateral to the hypothalamic optic nucleus, the lateral geniculate nucleus, the dorsomedial optic nucleus, the pretectal nuclei including the cortical nucleus, and the optic tectum. The small size and lack of differentiation of the visual system in the electric catfish suggest a relatively small role for this sensory system in this species.
BDNF expression in lymphoblastoid cell lines carrying BDNF SNPs associated with bipolar disorder.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) that have been associated with bipolar illness are associated with physiological dysfunction. METHODS Lymphoblastoid cell lines (n=30) obtained from bipolar I individuals carrying zero, one, or two copies of a BDNF SNP associated with bipolar illness (rs12273363) were utilized. RESULTS Proapoptotic stressors of serum deprivation alone, or serum deprivation combined with the sodium ionophore, monensin, did not alter intracellular proBDNF. Monensin treatment increased mature-BDNF (mBDNF) protein levels (P<0.05). There were no differences related to the presence of SNP or copy number. CONCLUSION rs12273363 does not appear to have functional consequences that would involve its role in bipolar illness.
OR Forum---Modeling the Impacts of Electricity Tariffs on Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle Charging, Costs, and Emissions

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) have been touted as a transportation technology with lower fuel costs and emissions impacts than other vehicle types. Most analyses of PHEVs assume that the power system operator can either directly or indirectly control PHEV charging to coordinate it with power system operations. This paper examines the incentives of individual drivers making charging decisions with different electricity tariffs, and it compares the cost and emissions impacts of these charging patterns to the ideal case of charging controlled by the system operator. Our results show that real-time pricing performs worst among all of the tariffs we consider, because linear prices are inherently limited in signaling efficient use of resources in a system with nonconvexities. We also show that controlling overnight PHEV charging is significantly more important than limiting midday vehicle charging.
Inhibition of striatal dopamine transporter activity by 17β-estradiol

Abstract Striatal synaptosomes from ovariectomized rats were prepared to examine the effect of 17β-estradiol on [3H]dopamine uptake. Estradiol inhibited [3H]dopamine uptake in a dose-dependent manner, with an IC50 of 7.2 μM. Use of identical concentrations of progesterone had no effect on [3H]dopamine uptake. The effects of estradiol were exerted by decreasing the affinity of the transporter for dopamine, as revealed by a dose-dependent increase in the Km. The Km values for 0 (control), 10, and 100 μM estradiol were 108±11, 258±44 and 415±40 nM, respectively, with each of the three concentrations tested being significantly different among each other. No statistically significant differences were obtained for the Vmax, with values for the three increasing doses being 9.2±0.8, 8.3±0.5 and 7.3±0.8 pmol/min per mg protein. These results demonstrate that estradiol, but not progesterone, inhibits striatal dopamine uptake by decreasing the affinity of the transporter for dopamine. Such a mechanism may serve as one of the bases for the modulatory effects of estradiol upon the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system.
Ultrafast Infrared Spectroscopy of Vibrational States Prepared by Photoinduced Electron Transfer in (CN)5FeCNRu(NH3)5

The picosecond time-resolved infrared spectra of (CN)5FeCNRu(NH3)5- were collected following optical excitation and reverse electron transfer. The measured reverse electron transfer rates are greater than 3 × 1012 s-1. In both formamide and deuterated water solutions, vibrational excitation in CN stretch modes is found after reverse electron transfer. The transient spectra at both earlier (1−35 ps) and later (10 ns) times give evidence of environment−solute coupling that can be accounted for by solvent heating and ion pair dynamics. A simulation of the spectral dynamics in formamide solution is presented using a kinetic model for vibrational excitation and relaxation. The simulation includes minor excitation in vibrational modes consistent with resonance Raman derived Franck−Condon factors, but it is also found that a nontotally symmetric mode is equally important as an acceptor.
Managing Risk at Intel

Developing high technology products is risky business especially if a company wants to achieve or maintain competitive leadership. Technology risk alone is a constant, and risk-taking can provide a means to gaining competitive advantage. However, risk-taking does not mean taking chances. It involves understanding the risk/reward ratio, then managing the risks that are involved in each product development effort. Failure to do so can lead to substantial loss for the enterprise, including the possibility that the product will fail to achieve the business results intended (such as increased revenue, increased market share, or technological superiority). This paper, a collection of powerpoint slides, demonstrates why risk management is a vital element of Intel's new product development process, explains how risk is managed throughout the development cycle, and provides a case study showing how effective risk management was used to terminate a new product development program when it became evident that the business objectives would not be fully achieved.
Disease management implications of age-related changes in susceptibility of potato foliage toPhytophthora infestans

Epidemics of potato late blight progressed more slowly in plots of intermediate-aged plants than in plots of older plants. The suppression of epidemics achieved by intermediate-aged plants relative to old ones was equivalent to the suppression achieved by weekly applications of chlorothalonil of as much as 0.30 kg a.i./ha. The age effect on epidemic development was most noticeable for late-season cultivars and least noticeable for early-season cultivars.
Neuroepigenetic approaches to schizophrenia

neuroimaging. Hum. Genet. 127 (4), 441–452. Nicodemus, K.K., Law, A.J., Radulescu, E., Luna, A., Kolachana, B., Vakkalanka, R., Rujescu, D., Giegling, I., Straub, R.E., McGee, K., Gold, B., Dean, M., Muglia, P., Callicott, J.H., Tan, H.Y., Weinberger, D.R., 2010b. Biological validation of increased schizophrenia risk with NRG1, ERBB4, and AKT1 epistasis via functional neuroimaging in healthy controls. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 67 (10), 991–1001. PGC Schizophrenia Working Group, 2014. Biologic insights from 108 schizophrenia associated genetic loci. Nature 511, 421–427. Shao, H., Burrage, L.C., Sinasac, D.S., Hill, A.E., Ernest, S.R., O'Brien, W., Courtland, H.W., Jepsen, K.J., Kirby, A., Kulbokas, E.J., Daly, M.J., Broman, K.W., Lander, E.S., Nadeau, J.H., 2008. Genetic architecture of complex traits: large phenotypic effects and pervasive epistasis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 105 (50), 19910–19914. Yamamoto, A., Zwarts, L., Callaerts, P., Norga, K., Mackay, T.F., Anholt, R.R., 2008. Neurogenetic networks for startle-induced locomotion in Drosophila melanogaster. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 105 (34), 12393–12398. Yoon, K.J., Nguyen, H.N., Ursini, G., Zhang, F., Kim, N.S., Wen, Z., Makri, G., Nauen, D., Shin, J.H., Park, Y., Chung, R., Pekle, E., Zhang, C., Towe, M., Hussaini, S.M., Lee, Y., Rujescu, D., St Clair, D., Kleinman, J.E., Hyde, T.M., Krauss, G., Christian, K.M., Rapoport, J.L., Weinberger, D.R., Song, H., Ming, G.L., 2014. Modeling a genetic risk for schizophrenia in iPSCs and mice reveals neural stem cell deficits associated with adherens junctions and polarity. Cell Stem Cell 15 (1), 79–91.
Improved compact thermal model for studying 3-D interconnect structures with low-k dielectrics

Compact thermal modeling is gaining significance as interconnect feature sizes continue to shrink, requiring increased computation times for full-field multi-scale simulations. Improved and expanded uses of an existing compact thermal modeling approach found in Gurrum et al. [A compact approach to on-chip interconnect heat conduction modeling using the finite element method, ASME J. Electron. Packaging (2007), accepted], Gurrum et al. [A novel compact method for thermal modeling of on-chip interconnects based on the finite element method, ASME, EEP 3, Electron. Photon. Packing Electr. Syst. Photon. Des. Nanotechnol. (2003) 441-445] are presented here. The first improvement rectifies a singularity that occurs in the previous compact model. This change allows for greater flexibility in mesh application, and a greater number of structures that can be analyzed. This work focuses on the application of the compact thermal model to two interconnect structures. The first geometry [S. Im, N. Srivastava, K. Banerjee, K. Goodson, Scaling analysis of multilevel interconnect temperatures for high performance ICS, IEEE Trans. Electron. Dev. 52 (12) (2005) 2710-2719] is a typical interconnect structure based on the ITRS 65nm technology node. A new transient compact model was applied to another geometry [J. Zhang, M. Bloomfield, J. Lu, R. Gutmann, T. Cale, Thermal stresses in 3D IC inter-wafer interconnects, Microelectron. Eng. 82 (3-4) (2005) 534-547], which is a more advanced technology with a through-the-die via structure. The second improvement of the compact model is extending the steady state finite element based model into a transient version. Full-field simulations have very large storage and memory requirements for transient analysis of complex structures. The advantage of this compact model is that in addition to increased efficiency, the methodology and implementation is similar to a traditional finite element analysis (FEA).
Life history: a qualitative method of research

The life-history method of qualitative research is an alternative to empirical methods for identifying and documenting health patterns of individuals and groups. It allows the nurse researcher to explore a person's microhistorical (individual) experiences within a macrohistorical (history of the time) framework. Life-history information challenges the nurse to understand an individual's current attitudes and behaviours and how they may have been influenced by initial decisions made at another time and in another place. This paper describes a new direction in nursing research and identifies specific steps for using the life-history approach.
The effect of porosity on hydraulic rock cutting

Abstract This note amends the author's recent theory of hydraulic rock cutting. The rock is assumed to feed steadily under a water jet, which leaves a slot of uniform depth. The depth decreases as the feed rate exceeds an intrinsic speed c. The intrinsic speed embodies the interaction of cavitation, fracture, and permeability, and here it is shown that porosity must be included as well. Thus c= kτ O ηfμ r g where η is the viscosity of the cutting fluid, k is the permeability of the rock, f is its porosity, τ0 its shear strength, μr its coefficient of internal friction, and g is a typical grain diameter. The intrinsic speed computed from measured properties of Wilkeson sandstone agrees well with the value assumed for a best fit to rock cutting data in the original paper.
Replacement of L-ornithine with L-lysine for urea cycle enzymes

1. 1. Radioactive homocitrulline has been identified in the urine of a rat following injection of [U-14C]lysine. 2. 2. Ornithine transcarbamylase was found to have a Km for L-lysine which was 10 times greater than that found for L-ornithine. 3. 3. Arginase was able to catalyze the breakdown of L-homoarginine, having a Km 200 times greater than L-arginine. 4. 4. Homogenates of rat liver or kidney failed to produce [U-14C]lysine during incubation with L-homo[U-14C-lysine]citrulline, indicating that L-lysine cannot replace L-ornithine in the urea cycle of mammals.
Technique for cranioplasty prosthesis fabrication

A technique has been described for fabrication of a cranioplasty prosthesis. The primary advantage of this technique is the duplication of the altered working cast. The technique also permits excellent reproduction of cranial contours and a positive seat of the prosthesis on the outer table of the skull. The disadvantage is the time involved in the duplicating procedure.
A STATISTICAL FRAMEWORK FOR HAPLOTYPE BLOCK INFERENCE

The existence of haplotype blocks transmitted from parents to offspring has been suggested recently. This has created an interest in the inference of the block structure and length. The motivation is that haplotype blocks that are characterized well will make it relatively easier to quickly map all the genes carrying human diseases. To study the inference of haplotype block systematically, we propose a statistical framework. In this framework, the optimal haplotype block partitioning is formulated as the problem of statistical model selection; missing data can be handled in a standard statistical way; population strata can be implemented; block structure inference/hypothesis testing can be performed; prior knowledge, if present, can be incorporated to perform a Bayesian inference. The algorithm is linear in the number of loci, instead of NP-hard for many such algorithms. We illustrate the applications of our method to both simulated and real data sets.