cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
From Proximal Point Method to Nesterov's Acceleration.

The proximal point method (PPM) is a fundamental method in optimization that is often used as a building block for fast optimization algorithms. In this work, building on a recent work by Defazio (2019), we provide a complete understanding of Nesterov's accelerated gradient method (AGM) by establishing quantitative and analytical connections between PPM and AGM. The main observation in this paper is that AGM is in fact equal to a simple approximation of PPM, which results in an elementary derivation of the mysterious updates of AGM as well as its step sizes. This connection also leads to a conceptually simple analysis of AGM based on the standard analysis of PPM. This view naturally extends to the strongly convex case and also motivates other accelerated methods for practically relevant settings.
Minimal Clinically Important Difference Reporting in Randomized Clinical Trials.

This review evaluates the reporting and definition of minimal clinically important differences in randomized clinical trials.
Lsm12 is an NAADP receptor and a two-pore channel regulatory protein required for calcium mobilization from acidic organelles

SUMMARY Nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) is a potent Ca2+-mobilizing second messenger which uniquely mobilizes Ca2+ from acidic endolysosomal organelles. However, the molecular identity of the NAADP receptor remains unknown. Given the necessity of the endolysosomal two-pore channel (TPC1 or TPC2) in NAADP signaling, we performed affinity purification and quantitative proteomic analysis of the interacting proteins of NAADP and TPCs. We identified an Sm-like protein Lsm12 complexed with NAADP, TPC1, and TPC2. Lsm12 directly binds to NAADP via its Lsm domain, whereas TPC-containing membranes and isolated TPCs lose their affinities to NAADP in the absence of Lsm12. Lsm12 is essential and directly involved in NAADP-evoked TPC2 activation and Ca2+ mobilization. These findings reveal a putative RNA-binding protein to function as an NAADP receptor and a TPC regulatory protein and provides a molecular basis for understanding the mechanisms of NAADP signaling.
Review of Chen, Wan, Harris, Gao & Guo (2020): Teaching basic Chinese grammar: Communicative strategies and activities

This article reviews Teaching basic Chinese grammar: Communicative strategies and activities 978-1-62291-498-2
Leveraging existing water and wastewater infrastructure to develop distributed pumped storage hydropower in California

Abstract To accomplish California's aggressive 100% clean energy by 2045, new sources of flexibility should be integrated into the system to ensure stable and reliable operation of the grid. Economical and scalable energy storage technologies are key to deliver such flexibility services. Pumped storage hydropower (PSH) is an economical and mature energy storage technology; however, apparent barriers, such as lack of new sites, prevent the development of new projects. This study aims to evaluate the technical feasibility of leveraging existing water and wastewater infrastructure to develop distributed pumped storage hydropower. We analyze the possibility of installing secondary tanks at a higher/lower elevation near the existing water storage tanks, to enable exploitation of elevation difference for storage of energy. The base plant and the additional tank must have adequate elevation difference and be close enough, so that they can be reasonably linked. A case study is conducted for the state of California, where over 200 exiting water and wastewater treatment facilities are assessed and 65 sites are identified as potential candidates, which satisfy minimum design requirements. The qualified facilities are then ranked and classified into three categories, in terms of their potential to deliver high value, low cost, energy storage capabilities. The results show that the theoretical potential energy storage capacity of the suitable plants is significant as it reaches over 280 MWh. This study concludes that the water and wastewater treatment facilities in the state of California can be leveraged for the future PSH project developments. Due to the heavy reliance on the existing infrastructure, the new projects are expected to be cost effective.
Proceed with Caution: Matters to Consider for Business Lawyers Transitioning into Health Care

While the subject of health care law makes headlines daily across the nation, there is still a sizeable chasm between health care lawyers and their business counterparts. Sometimes complicated, health care law is by no means exclusive, and opportunities abound for an able practitioner. Notwithstanding, in today’s climate of reform it is essential that those practicing American health care law honor and obey the hierarchy surrounding its discipline as it struggles to stay afloat amid a rising tide of constitutional, partisan and fiscal challenges. In most states, attorneys are mindful that when venturing into areas of law outside their usual practice, rule of professional conduct apply. A District Court in the District of Columbia recently repeated a familiar quote that health care law, and the Medicare statutes in particular, exist ”among the most completely impenetrable texts within human experience.” Complications notwithstanding, there is a pressing need to advance this body of authority, not to mention the nation’s health care system, beyond its fledgling form (commonly referred to as the Affordable Care Act). What began as a mere 2,700 pages of codified reform may eventually be tens of thousands. This will require active participation from attorneys representing practically all areas of law, although when it comes to matters of health care law, it is always best to proceed with caution.
Gene Bookmarking by the Heat-Shock Transcription Factor Programs the Insulin-Like Signaling Pathway

Early-life stress exposure alters the risk of chronic late-life disease. To understand how this occurs, we examined how activation of the universal and conserved stress-responsive transcription factor, HSF-1 in C. elegans germ cells alters proteostasis and survival programs of these germ cells following their fertilization and development into adults. Surprisingly, we found that upon germline activation, HSF-1 negatively bookmarks the insulin-receptor daf-2 and other HSF-1 target genes by recruiting the conserved histone 3 lysine 9 (H3K9) methyltransferase MET-2 and increasing repressive H3K9me2 levels at these genomic loci. Increased H3K9me2 persists in adults decreasing their stress responsivity but enhancing stress resilience through the activation of the FOXO ortholog, DAF-16. Thus, paradoxically, HSF-1 recruits the germline machinery normally responsible for erasing germline transcriptional memory, but instead, establishes a heritable epigenetic memory of prior stress exposure. These studies provide a mechanism by which early-life stress exposure heritably alters later-life proteostasis and stress responses.
Cultivating health: diabetes resilience through neo-traditional farming in Mopan Maya communities of Belize

My research explores Maya perspectives on neo-traditional farming as a source of metabolic health and resilience to the global epidemic of type-two diabetes. This article is based on long-term ethnographic research and interviews in Maya Mountains Reservation (MMR) communities in southern Belize, an area with low diabetes prevalence relative to national and global populations. Research participants see lower rates of diabetes in the MMR as the result of neo-traditional peasant and subsistence farming on ancestral lands. Good metabolic health represents the embodiment of food systems that routinize healthy material and social relationships to the landscape. This research suggests that diabetes is endemic to modern food systems and proposes neo-traditional food ways as a societal antidote to nutritional disease. My research demonstrates and responds to a need for further disaggregated data on diabetes prevalence in Indigenous communities, contributes to the social scientific literature on the importance of small-scale agricultural models for community health, and provides a case study of success in diabetes prevention. I engage Maya perspectives with anthropological literature on embodiment and small-scale agriculture to suggest neo-traditional food ways as healthier alternatives to capitalist agricultural development.
DNA repair by eukaryotic nucleotide excision nuclease : removal of thymine dimer and psoralen monoadduct by HeLa cell-free extract and of thymine dimer by Xenopus laevis oocytes

Using a human cell-free extract, we have recently shown that thymine dimers are removed from DNA in oligonucleotides 27-29 nucleotides in length (Huang, J. C., Svoboda, D. L., Reardon, J. T., and Sancar, A. (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 89, 3664-3668). In this study we find that the excision reaction is dependent on ATP, the excised fragments range in length from 27-32 nucleotides, and have 5'-P and 3'-OH termini. We also found that a thymine-psoralen furan side monoadduct is excised from the DNA with a similar incision pattern, indicating that in humans bulky adducts are removed from DNA by the same enzyme system which hydrolyzes mainly the 22-24th and the 5th phosphodiester bonds 5' and 3', respectively, to the lesion. This incision pattern might be common to eukaryotic excision nucleases as thymine dimers were removed from DNA by the same dual incision pattern by Xenopus laevis oocytes.
Application of finite element analysis to panel warping

A three-dimensional finite element program was developed to study the warping of an orthotropic plate. Special features of this program include the capability of modeling moisture-gradient-induced deformation of homogeneous as well as layered sheet materials such as plywood and fiberboard or particleboard. This specially developed finite element analysis is applied here to predict the warping due to an assumed moisture content gradient of a solid wood panel (Douglas fir). How well this analysis simulates the actual behavior of the material can only be determined on the basis of further experimental examination, which, however, was not the subject of this study.
Using mental health consultation to decrease disruptive behaviors in preschoolers : adapting an empirically-supported intervention

Background- This study examined the effectiveness of an adaptation of an empirically-supported intervention delivered using mental health consultation to preschoolers who displayed elevated disruptive behaviors. Method- Ninety-six preschoolers, their teachers, and their primary caregivers participated. Children in the intervention group received individualized mental health consultation focused on providing teachers with behaviorally-based, empirically-supported strategies for decreasing disruptive behaviors within the classroom. Caregivers were invited to participate in parent training (35% attendance). Effectiveness was assessed in contrast to an assessment/attention comparison group where typical treatment was available. Results- This treatment approach was more effective than the comparison condition in decreasing child disruptive behavior, increasing the use of appropriate teacher strategies, and increasing the use of appropriate parenting practices. Conclusion- Adapting empirically-supported treatments for use in mental health consultation may be a way to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice and increase effectiveness of mental health consultation in treating disruptive disorders in young children.
Regulatory Role of Ceramide in Interleukin (IL)-1β-induced E-selectin Expression in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells: CERAMIDE ENHANCES IL-1β ACTION, BUT IS NOT SUFFICIENT FOR E-SELECTIN EXPRESSION

Recent studies indicate that sphingolipids mediate several cellular processes. We assessed roles of sphingolipids in the regulation of E-selectin expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. All exogenously-added sphingolipids (sphingosine, C2-ceramide, sphingosine 1-phosphate, and N,N-dimethylsphingosine) failed to induce E-selectin expression by themselves. C2-ceramide at 5 μM enhanced interleukin-1β (IL-1β)-induced E-selectin expression 2.7-fold, whereas other sphingolipids tested had no effects on this process. Sphingomyelinase, but not phospholipases A2, C, or D, mimicked the enhancing effect of C2-ceramide. Northern blot analyses revealed that C2-ceramide and sphingomyelinase increased interleukin-1β-induced E-selectin gene transcription levels. C2-ceramide and sphingomyelinase induced NF-κB activation by themselves and enhanced activation by IL-1β, which is essential for E-selectin expression. Immunological analyses with anti-NF-κB antibodies showed that subunit composition of NF-κB activated by IL-1β differs from that activated by C2-ceramide, suggesting that signaling pathways utilized by these stimuli may be different. Treatment with C2-ceramide or sphingomyelinase did not alter NF-ELAM1 specific binding activity. IL-1β induced sphingomyelin hydrolysis to ceramide; intracellular ceramide level increased to 182% of control value at 30 min. Taken together, these findings suggest that (i) sphingomyelin hydrolysis to ceramide does not trigger, but rather enhances cytokine-induced E-selectin expression, in part through NF-κB; (ii) sphingomyelin hydrolysis to ceramide does not mediate all the effects of IL-1β, although it may play important roles in IL-1β signal transduction in human umbilical vein endothelial cells.
The Single-Sink Buy-at-Bulk LP Has Constant Integrality Gap

The buy-at-bulk network design problem is to design a minimum cost network to satisfy some flow demands, by installing cables from an available set of cables with different costs per unit length and capacities, where the cable costs obey economies of scale. For the single-sink buy-at-bulk problem, [10] gave the first constant factor approximation. In this paper, we use techniques of [9] to get an improved constant factor approximation. This also shows that the integrality gap of a natural linear programming formulation is a constant, thus answering the open question in [9].
Microbial decomposition of elm and oak leaves in a karst aquifer.

Dry Chinquapin oak (Quercus macrocarpa) and American elm (Ulmus americana) leaves were placed in four microcosms fed by groundwater springs to monitor changes in dry mass, ash-free dry mass, and microbial activity over a 35-day period. Oxygen microelectrodes were used to measure microbial activity and to estimate millimeter-scale heterogeneity in that activity. Oak leaves lost mass more slowly than elm leaves. Generally, there was a decrease in total dry weight over the first 14 days, after which total dry weight began to increase. However, there were consistent decreases in ash-free dry mass over the entire incubation period, suggesting that the material remaining after initial leaf decomposition trapped inorganic particles. Microbial activity was higher on elm leaves than on oak leaves, with peak activity occurring at 6 and 27 days, respectively. The level of oxygen saturation on the bottom surface of an elm leaf ranged between 0 and 75% within a 30-mm2 area. This spatial heterogeneity in O2 saturation disappeared when the water velocity increased from 0 to 6 cm s-1. Our results suggest that as leaves enter the groundwater, they decompose and provide substrate for microorganisms. The rate of decomposition depends on leaf type, small-scale variations in microbial activity, water velocity, and the length of submersion time. During the initial stages of decomposition, anoxic microzones are formed that could potentially be important to the biogeochemistry of the otherwise oxic aquifer.
Potential fields induced by point sources in assemblies of shells weakened with apertures

Well-posed boundary-value problems in multiply-connected regions are targeted for some sets of two-dimensional Laplace equations written in geographical coordinates on joint surfaces of revolution. Those are problems that simulate potential fields induced by point sources in joint perforated thin shell structures consist of fragments of different geometry. A semi-analytical approach is proposed to accurately compute solutions of such problems. The approach is based on the matrix of Green's type formalism. The elements of required matrices of Green's type are obtained analytically and expressed in closed computer-friendly form. This makes it possible to efficiently deal with the targeted class of problems. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Racial differences in coping strategies among individuals with epilepsy.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine whether racial differences exist in the coping styles of individuals with epilepsy. Methods This study utilized a survey of patients with epilepsy, including the Brief-COPE. Results One hundred thirteen Caucasians and 70 African-Americans comprised the study population. On univariate analysis, annual household income (p Conclusion Among individuals with epilepsy, African-Americans appear to utilize more engagement-type coping reactions when compared to Caucasians but also utilize more denial.
The immediate effects of soft tissue mobilization versus therapeutic ultrasound for patients with neck and arm pain with evidence of neural mechanosensitivity: a randomized clinical trial

Study design: Randomized clinical trial. Objectives: To investigate the immediate effects of soft tissue mobilization (STM) versus therapeutic ultrasound (US) in patients with neck and arm pain who demonstrate neural mechanical sensitivity. Background: While experts have suggested that individuals with neck and arm pain associated with neural tissue mechanical sensitivity may benefit from STM, there has been little research to investigate this hypothesis. Methods: Twenty-three patients with neck and arm pain and a positive upper limb neurodynamic test (ULNT) were randomly assigned to receive STM or therapeutic US during a single session. Outcome measures were collected immediately before and after treatment, and at 2–4 day follow-up. Primary outcomes were the Global Rating of Change (GROC), range of motion (ROM) during the ULNT, and pain rating during the ULNT. Secondary measures included the Neck Disability Index (NDI), Patient-Specific Functional Scale (PSFS), Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), and active range of shoulder abduction motion combined with the wrist neutral or wrist extension. Results: A greater proportion of patients in the STM group reported a significant improvement on the GROC immediately after treatment (P50.003, STM575%, US59%), and at 2–4 day follow-up (P50.027, STM558%, US59%). Patients who received STM demonstrated greater improvements in ROM during ULNT (P50.026), PSFS (P50.007), and shoulder active ROM combined with wrist extension (P50.028). Improvements in Numeric Pain Rating Scale and pain during the ULNT were observed only in the STM group. There was no difference between groups for the NDI or shoulder abduction ROM with wrist neutral. Conclusion: Patients with neck and arm pain demonstrated greater improvements in ULNT ROM, GROC, and PSFS, and pain following STM than after receiving therapeutic US. Level of evidence: Therapy, level 1b.
Molecular Identification and Coexpression of Galanin and GalR‐1 Galanin Receptor in the Human Ocular Ciliary Epithelium: Differential Modulation of Their Expression by the Activation of α2‐ and β2‐Adrenergic Receptors in Cultured Ciliary Epithelial Cells

Here we report the coexpression of the neuropeptide galanin and GalR-1 galanin receptors in the human ciliary epithelium, a bilayer of neuroepithelial cells [nonpigmented (NPE) and pigmented (PE)] with neuroendocrine functions, and in a cell line (ODM-2) derived from the NPE cells. Stimulation of ODM-2 cells with phorbol ester [phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)] or forskolin resulted in an up-regulation (two- to threefold) of galanin mRNA expression. Procaterol, a selective beta2-adrenergic agonist, and the catecholamine isoproterenol exerted a long-term down-regulation on galanin mRNA expression when added alone or in combination with PMA or forskolin. These actions exerted by procaterol or isoproterenol were abolished in the presence of ICI 118,551, a selective beta2-adrenergic antagonist. A radioimmunoassay for galanin peptide indicated that galanin or a galanin-like product is present in the human aqueous humor fluid and is accumulated with time in the culture medium of ODM-2 cells. It is interesting that norepinephrine, which exhibited no effect on galanin mRNA expression, induced a down-regulation in the level of galanin or galanin-like product accumulated in the medium of cultured ODM-2 cells to levels even lower than those induced by beta2-adrenergic agonists. This effect is best explained by the concomitant up-regulation (four- to fivefold) of GalR-1 galanin receptor transcripts induced through the activation of alpha2-adrenergic receptors. These findings support the view that pathways elicited by the activation of alpha2- and beta2-adrenergic receptors influence the expression of galanin and GalR-1 galanin receptors in ciliary epithelial cells.
Metabolism of propionate to 3-hydroxypropionate and acetate in the lima bean Phaseolus limensis

Abstract No detectable levels of vitamin B 14 were present in the leaves and stems of the lima bean, Phaseolus limensis . [2- 14 C]Propionate was metabolized to 3-hydroxypropionate, acetate and other organic acids in a time dependent manner. At no time period was radioactivity present in the fraction that corresponded to methylmalonate. [2,3- 14 C]Acrylic acid was metabolized to 3-hydroxypropionate. These results are consistent with the major metabolic pathway of propionate being its conversion to acetate via acrylate and 3-hydroxypropionate rather than its metabolism to a methylmalonate derivative and then to succinate.
The medical interview satisfaction scale: Development of a scale to measure patient perceptions of physician behavior

Patient satisfaction is a variable of increasing interest to researchers, clinicians, and medical educators. Of several studies reviewed, only a few have shown evidence of careful methodology. Most surveys have focused on general evaluations of doctors and/or health care services or of a particular facility. The present article reports the development of a scale to measure patient satisfaction with an encounter with a physician or other primary care provider. Methods of item generation and pretesting are detailed. The overall reliability of the scale (Cronbach's coefficient alpha) is 0.93. The distribution of satisfaction scores is broader than that reported for other scales and approaches the normal in shape. Clinical and research applications of the scale are suggested.
The Role of Surgeon-Performed Ultrasound in Patients with Possible Cardiac Wounds

Objective The authors evaluate surgeon-performed ultrasound in determining the need for operation in patients with possible cardiac wounds. Background Data Ultrasound quickly is becoming part of the surgeon's diagnostic armamentarium ; however, its role for the patient with penetrating injury is less well-defined. Although accurate for the detection of hemopericardium, the lack of immediate availability of the cardiologist to perform the test may delay the diagnosis, adversely affecting patient outcome. To be an effective diagnostic test in trauma centers, ultrasound must be immediately available in the resuscitation area and performed and interpreted by surgeons. Methods Surgeons performed pericardial ultrasound examinations on patients with penetrating truncal wounds but no immediate indication for operation. The subcostal view detected hemopericardium, and patients with positive examinations underwent immediate operation by the same surgeon. Vital signs, base deficit, time from examination to operation, operative findings, treatment, and outcome were recorded. Results During 13 months, 247 patients had surgeon-performed ultrasound. There were 236 true-negative and 10 true-positive results, and no false-negative or false-positive results ; however, the pericardial region could not be visualized in one patient. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 100% ; mean examination time was 0.8 minute (246 patients). Of the ten true-positive examinations, three were hypotensive. The mean time (8 patients) from ultrasound to operation was 12.1 minutes ; all survived. Operative findings (site of cardiac wounds) were : left ventricle (4), right ventricle (3), right atrium (2), right atrium/superior vena cava (1), and right atrium/inferior vena cava(1). Conclusions Surgeon-performed ultrasound is a rapid and accurate technique for diagnosing hemopericardium. Delay times from admission to operating room are minimized when the surgeon performs the ultrasound examination.
Testing political economy’s ‘as if’ proposition: is the median income voter really decisive?

Recent empirical and normative analysis of local government fiscal performance has made good use of the Downsian median voter model as a behavioral specification for how local fiscal allocations are decided. The central assumption behind all these studies is that the median voter is the family with the median income. This paper statistically tests the validity of this assumption for a sample of 58 Long Island school districts. For at most 1/4 of the districts can we reject the assumption, and even for these districts, the predictive bias of the median-income-voter-as-decisive assumption never exceeds 20%.
Fission cross section and fragment angular distribution for fast neutron-induced fission of U234

Abstract The neutron-induced fission cross section for U 234 has been measured to 4 MeV neutron energy. The angular distribution of the fission fragments has been investigated between bombarding energies of 0.4 and 3.8 MeV. The shape of the cross section curve is explained in terms of the suggestion of Wheeler, that neutron inelastic scattering competes with fission to an extent dependent in part on available levels in U 234 for inelastic scattering. Levels above 790 keV are known to exist, and serve to depress the fission cross section between 850 and 1050 keV neutron energy. The shape of the angular distribution curve is analysed in terms of Bohr's theory of fission through discrete levels of a collective nature thought to exist near saddle point. This analysis points to a K -band structure in the compound nucleus U 235∗ near the saddle point deformation of 1 2+ , 3 2− , 1 2− , with the ground levels of each band separated by the order of a few hundred keV. For neutron bombarding energies of 500, 850 and 1050 keV estimates are made of the extent to which each band contributes to fission.
31P Dipolar NMR Approaches Towards the Development of Structural Principles in Non-Oxidic Glasses.

While the utility of solid state NMR to provide structural information in amorphous systems is well established in silicate and borate glasses, the systematic application of modern NMR techniques to non-oxidic systems has just begun. One of the central issues in these types of glasses is the question of the chemical bond distribution and the existence of short range order. The present study utilizes the selective measurement of homonuclear 31p.31P dipole-dipole couplings via spin echo decay to address this issue in the glass systems P-Se, PSe- Ge and CdGeAs2-xPx. The results indicate that the first two systems are characterized by a high degree of chemical ordering. The chemical bond distribution in CdGeAs2-xPx glasses is found to deviate considerably from that in the stoichiometry-analog crystalline materials.
Incidence and sites of bone lesions detected by 99mTc‐polyphosphate scans in patients with tumors

The value of bone scanning with 99mTc-polyphosphate was assessed in 186 patients with various types of tumors. The sensitivity of this technique was greater than that of metastatic roentgenographic series and the reported results of 85-Sr-bone scans, in the detection of osseous involvement by tumors. Three cases with normal bone scans and abnormal roentgenographic studies illustrated the necessity and complementary value of comparing bone scan findings with radiographic studies. Patients with carcinoma of the breast, lung, or prostate displayed characteristic patterns of bone involvement by their tumors. The importance of clinical information, including bone symptoms, antecedent bone disease, and serum calcium and alkaline phosphatase, was stressed in the detection and interpretation of bone scan abnormalities.
Transition Onset Prediction for High-Speed Flow

An approach that treats nonturbulent e uctuations in a turbulencelike manner and determines onset and extent of transition as part of a e ow calculation isused to study transition athigh Mach numbers. Threesetsof previously obtained experimental data involving straight and e ared cones at zero angle of attack are used to calibrate and validate the model. Two sets, at Mach numbers 3.5 and 6, were carried out in quiet tunnels, and the third set was carried out at a Mach number of 8 in a conventional tunnel. The results suggest that the second mode is not the only mode responsible for transition at high Mach numbers. In general, fair to good agreement with measured recovery factors, adiabatic wall temperatures, and heat-transfer rates is indicated.
Examining Perceived Violence in and Enjoyment of Televised Rivalry Sports Contests

The scholarly attention paid to the ways in which television viewers perceive sports action as violent, how perceptions may differ across games, and how perceptions might impact enjoyment is limited. The current project extends the literature by investigating perceived violence and enjoyment across different intercollegiate (American) football contests between two heated rivals. A total of 568 individuals viewed one of four televised contests featuring the same hometown team: two against heated rivals, two against nonrivals. Results reveal that viewers clearly perceived rivalry games to be more violent than nonrivalry games. Moreover, games won by the hometeam were seen as more violent than those lost. Also, those perceiving high levels of violence reported greater enjoyment than those who perceived low levels of violence in all games. Finally, hierarchical regression analyses revealed that perceived violence contributes differently to the enjoyment of games won than to games lost. Possible explanations f...
The Cystic Fibrosis mutation "arms race": when less is more.

Theimplementationofpopulation-basedcysticfibrosiscar-rier screening in late 2001 represented the first application, atan all-inclusive, whole-population level, of molecular genetictesting. It also represented the product of 12 years of research,pilot studies, deliberation, and consensus building by the Na-tional Institutes of Health, the American College of MedicalGenetics (ACMG), and the American College of Obstetriciansand Gynecologists (ACOG). That long developmental time-span owed to the complexity of the gene, the large number( 1500) and heterogeneity of its mutations and variants, andethical concerns about clinical variability of the disease andpotential adverse psychosocial impacts.
The strain tensor in a general pseudomorphic epitaxial film

Abstract The use of strain analysis, in particular, the measurement and calculation of strain ratios in the study of ultrathin pseudomorphic epitaxial films is discussed. The general solution is given of the problem in crystal-elasticity theory of finding the three unknown out-of-plane strain components from the three known in-plane strain components of a pseudomorphic ultrathin film growing on a substrate with a unit mesh different in both size and shape from the film's unit mesh. It is shown that the experimental determination, e.g. by quantitative analysis of low-energy electron diffraction intensities, of the strains in the epitaxial ultrathin film of a cubic material grown on a general surface yields values of the ratios of two shear moduli to the bulk modulus of the film material.
Extravasation of albumin in tissues of normal and septic baboons and sheep.

Abstract Extravasation of albumin was measured in the tissues of normal and septic baboons and sheep. A group of normal animals (4 baboons, 4 sheep) was anesthetized for 6 hr and then given radioactively labeled albumin and red blood cells intravenously. The labeled albumin and red blood cells were allowed to equilibrate for exactly 15 min, at which time the animals were deliberately killed. Volumes of distribution of labeled albumin and red blood cells were then determined in the lungs, heart, liver, spleen, brain, and skeletal muscle of the baboons and in the lungs, heart, liver, and spleen of the sheep. Another group of animals (6 baboons, 14 sheep) were made septic by infusing live Escherichia coli organisms. The animals were resuscitated and volumes of distribution of albumin and red blood cells determined as in the normal animals. The volume of distribution of albumin was greater than the volume of distribution of red blood cells in all tissues in both species, both in control animals and in septic animals, with the exception of the spleen and skeletal muscle of the baboons and the spleen of the sheep. That is, albumin extravasated readily in most of the tissues of the animals, even within only 15 min of equilibration. There was moderate but significant extravasation in the lungs, heart, and brain. There was marked extravasation in the liver. Extravasation tended to be more pronounced in the septic animals. With this extensive degree of albumin extravasation, administration of albumin to patients, especially septic patients, is unlikely to prevent edema except in the spleen and skeletal muscle.
The modification of collagen scaffolds for application in regenerative medicine

The use of collagen-based biomaterials in regenerative medicine has rapidly increased over the past decade. Over this period, a variety of collagen modification techniques have been developed for the purpose of retaining therapeutics. Most techniques rely on chemical treatments, but a biomimetic strategy to non-covalently modify collagen scaffolds with collagen mimetic peptides (CMPs) offers compelling advantages. The goal of this project is to create a stable, tunable collagen-based delivery system using a simple peptide-based strategy that retains collagen bioactivity. This study will be one of the first to thoroughly examine the controllability of nanoparticle release through variation of CMP sequence and CMP density on nanoparticles, and to modify collagen with nanoparticles utilizing a non-GPO-based, potentially mass-producible CMP. Currently, one GPO- and one GPP-based peptide have been synthesized, and their ability to be retained on a collagen scaffold under physiological conditions for over a week has been demonstrated. The incorporation of CMPs onto nanoparticles has also been found to enable retention on collagen scaffolds for similar periods of time, and our recent findings suggest that CMP sequence and density directly affect the release rate. In the future, we will continue to focus on varying both CMP sequence and density to attain release profiles consistent with wound repair kinetics.
Reaction kinetics of the CN radical with primary alcohols

Abstract The kinetics of the reactions of CN radicals with several small primary alcohol molecules were studied by transient infrared laser absorption spectroscopy. Direct time-resolved detection of CN was used to determine total rate constants. In addition, HCN and DCN products were detected in order to estimate the branching ratios of the CN + CH3OH reaction. We find that abstraction of an alkyl hydrogen atom dominates the CN + CH3OH reaction, but a small, ∼8% yield of hydroxyl hydrogen abstraction is also observed.
Bayesian Confirmation and Auxiliary Hypotheses Revisited: A Reply to Strevens

Michael Strevens ([2001]) has proposed an interesting and novel Bayesian analysis of the Quine-Duhem (Q-D) problem (i.e., the problem of auxiliary hypotheses). Strevens's analysis involves the use of a simplifying idealization concerning the original Q-D problem. We will show that this idealization is far stronger than it might appear. Indeed, we argue that Strevens's idealization oversimplifies the Q-D problem, and we propose a diagnosis of the source(s) of the oversimplification.
A compiler-assisted approach to SPMD execution

The two prevailing styles of scientific parallel programming are discussed. In the SPMD (single program, multiple data) style, all processors execute the same program, with sequential code executed redundantly and parallel code executed cooperatively. In the fork-join style, a sequential thread of control spawns multiple threads to execute a portion of the code concurrently. The authors describe an automatic method for approaching the efficiency of SPMD-style execution for programs written in the more-structured fork-join style. Analysis at compile-time and proper support at run-time yield execution efficiency that approaches the SPMD model. Moreover, a greater degree of portability is achieved by regulating the burden of deciding what should be in an SPMD parallel region to the compiler, which is probably more familiar with architectural detail than most programmers. >
Using optimal control theory to identify network structures that foster synchrony

Abstract Network structures are known to influence a population’s propensity to synchronize. Previous attempts to identify synchrony promoting structures have focused on homogeneous populations. We use optimal control theory to construct networks that allow heterogeneous populations to maintain high levels of synchrony, explore the relationship between population heterogeneity and the structure of the optimal networks, and identify salient optimal network features that may enhance synchrony. In particular, we identify a new parameter, the average strength of neighbors, that may foster synchrony and observe that repulsion, in addition to attraction, can foster synchrony.
The versatile distal access catheter: the Cleveland Clinic experience.

BACKGROUND: Vascular access is fundamental to any endovascular intervention. Concentric Medical has developed the Outreach Distal Access Catheter (DAC), which affords stable access at the target vessel modulating the forces at play within the thrombectomy device complex. The DAC is a device with novel access characteristics useful in a host of other types of clinical scenarios. OBJECTIVE: To review our experience with the DAC family of devices, the theory, and method of use. METHODS: A retrospective review of all cases in which the DAC was used during the period 2008 to 2010 was conducted and the cases classified by indication. Catheter-related complications were recorded. The use of the DAC in a variety of settings including intracranial stenting, aneurysm coil embolization, and arteriovenous malformation embolization is described. RESULTS: The DAC was used in 103 procedures performed in 93 patients between August 2008 and February 2010. Indications included acute stroke, treatment of intracranial atherosclerosis, vasospasm therapy, arteriovenous malformation embolization, and aneurysm embolization. In those procedures, 113 catheters were used. No complications directly attributable to DAC use were identified. CONCLUSION: The DAC is useful for gaining access to the cerebral vasculature, especially in patients with significant tortuosity or when re-access of distal vasculature is required multiple times.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications of Poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(ether-sulfide) Dendrimers

The design and synthesis of novel copolymers consisting of a linear block of methoxypoly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG) and a dendrimeric poly(ether-sulfide) block with potential applications in drug and gene delivery are described. The copolymers bear hydroxyl or alkene functional groups at the periphery and were prepared via a divergent approach using mPEG, allyl chloride, and 3-mercapto-1,2-propanediol as starting materials. Copolymer (G3.5) with alkene chain ends was functionalized with cysteamine and its number average size in aqueous medium was determined by dynamic light scattering. The compounds prepared in this work were characterized by NMR spectroscopy and MALDI-TOF. The ability of the copolymers to solvate pyrene and form micelles was investigated by UV and fluorescence spectroscopies. The ability of G3.5-amino copolymer to condense nucleic acids was studied by gel shift. Circular dichroism was used to investigate the effect of the polymer on nucleic acid conformation. Polymer cytotoxicity was determ...
Rationalizing police patrol beats using Voronoi Tessellations

Computational criminology is an emerging interdisciplinary field that applies computer science and mathematical methods to the study of criminological problems. In order to understand the nature of crime one has to comprehend not only its spatio-temporal dimensions, but also the victim-offender relationship, role of guardians and history of similar incidents. In this position paper we explore a problem in rationalizing police patrolling beats using Voronoi Tessellations which provide a powerful technique to explore variety of criminological perspectives and understand the geography of crime and its control mechanism. The paper presents a method to rationally design an equitable workload amongst the police patrol beats in order to better handle the challenge of crime.
Robust automatic segmentation of corneal layer boundaries in SDOCT images using graph theory and dynamic programming

Segmentation of anatomical structures in corneal images is crucial for the diagnosis and study of anterior segment diseases. However, manual segmentation is a time-consuming and subjective process. This paper presents an automatic approach for segmenting corneal layer boundaries in Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography images using graph theory and dynamic programming. Our approach is robust to the low-SNR and different artifact types that can appear in clinical corneal images. We show that our method segments three corneal layer boundaries in normal adult eyes more accurately compared to an expert grader than a second grader—even in the presence of significant imaging outliers.
Quantum dots for tumor-targeted drug delivery and cell imaging

Early detection of cancer and targeted drug delivery, specifically in and around tumors and at concentrations that would decrease the growth rate and/or viability of the tumors, continues to be the primary challenge in the treatment of cancer. In many cases, the malignancy of tumors is detected only at advanced stages when chemotherapeutic drugs become increasingly toxic to healthy cells. To reduce this problem, targeted drug delivery and early detection of cancer cells continue to be investigated extensively. A tumor-targeting drug delivery system generally consists of a tumor-recognition moiety and a drug-loaded vesicle. Detection systems often involve invasive methods, such as tissue biopsy and sophisticated diagnostics tools, such as magnetic resonance imaging. However, there is no known single system currently that is capable of targeting drug delivery and imaging the delivery process simultaneously. An excellent vehicle to accomplish this objective is to develop a single system that is capable of targeting drug delivery and imaging the delivery process simultaneously to monitor the time course of subcellular location. Integration of biomaterials and semiconductor nanocrystal quantum dots (QDs) fields has good potential for addressing the current problems faced in cancer therapy by using biodegradable chitosan (N-acetyglucosamine) for tumor-targeted drug delivery and QDs for noninvasive imaging. The drug-loaded chitosan-encapsulated ZnO:Mn2+ QDs represent a potential platform to deliver tumor-targeted drugs and document the delivery process simultaneously [Hein S, Pers. Comm.]. Doping enables us to tune into desired fluorescence emission. The doping of ZnO with low concentration of manganese is expected to increase the band-gap energy of ZnO with a
Estimating horizontal stresses for mudrocks under one-dimensional compression

Abstract We examine horizontal stresses in mudrocks for the case of one-dimensional mechanical compression through laboratory measurements of the horizontal to vertical effective stress ratio, i.e. K 0 . Previous empirical relationships which predict horizontal stresses as a function of depth or overburden stress are site specific and cannot easily be generalized. The K 0 values of various resedimented mudrocks from a diverse range of geologic origins have been investigated for effective stresses ranging from 0.1 to 100 MPa. The value of K 0 during normal compression (K 0NC ) varies systematically as a function of both stress level and mudrock composition. K 0NC generally increases with stress level and values as high as 0.90 have been measured at effective stresses approaching 100 MPa. This finding implies that high horizontal stresses can develop at depth solely due to normal mechanical compression and that tectonic stresses, creep, or geologic unloading are not necessary. Correlations have been developed which allow K 0NC to be estimated from a mudrock's liquid limit, an easily and inexpensively measured property which reflects both the quantity and type of clay minerals present in a mudrock. High liquid limit, smectite-rich mudrocks display a more rapid increase in K 0NC with increasing stress compared to more silty, low liquid limit mudrocks. K 0 measurements made on laboratory resedimented specimens compare well with measurements made on intact core samples as well as in situ tests. Tests carried out to examine K 0 for overconsolidated materials show that K 0 during unloading can be well approximated by a power-law function originally proposed by Schmidt (1966). An original equation is proposed to describe K 0 during reloading. Our experimental results reveal sediment behavior at high stress levels that has not been previously observed and provide useful information on how horizontal stresses evolve within basins.
O21. Developmental mechanisms in stem cells and cancer

Our work has focused on understand the signaling pathways that regulate the choice between stem cell renewal and commitment, and define how the same signals are subverted in cancer. We have specifically studied developmental signals such as Wnt, Notch and Hedgehog which are critical regulators of normal development in a variety of systems, and a major target of mutation in human cancer. Our research using knockout and transgenic approaches suggests that these signals are activated in hematopoietic stem cells, and that they functionally contribute to stem cell self-renewal in vivo. In addition our data also shows that inhibition of these signals can block leukemia development and propagation in mouse models of the disease as well as in human leukemia cells.
Frictional granular mechanics: A variational approach

The mechanical properties of a cohesionless granular material are evaluated from grain-scale simulations. Intergranular interactions, including friction and sliding, are modeled by a set of contact rules based on the theories of Hertz, Mindlin, and Deresiewicz. A computer generated, three-dimensional, irregular pack of spherical grains is loaded by incremental displacement of its boundaries. Deformation is described by a sequence of static equilibrium configurations of the pack. A variational approach is employed to find the equilibrium configurations by minimizing the total work against the intergranular loads. Effective elastic moduli are evaluated from the intergranular forces and the deformation of the pack. Good agreement between the computed and measured moduli, achieved with no adjustment of material parameters, establishes the physical soundness of the proposed model.