cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The rise and fall of methanotrophy following a deepwater oil-well blowout

The blowout of the Macondo oil well in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010 injected up to 500,000 tonnes of natural gas, mainly methane, into the deep sea1. Most of the methane released was thought to have been consumed by marine microbes between July and August 20102, 3. Here, we report spatially extensive measurements of methane concentrations and oxidation rates in the nine months following the spill. We show that although gas-rich deepwater plumes were a short-lived feature, water column concentrations of methane remained above background levels throughout the rest of the year. Rates of microbial methane oxidation peaked in the deepwater plumes in May and early June, coincident with a rapid rise in the abundance of known and new methane-oxidizing microbes. At this time, rates of methane oxidation reached up to 5,900 nmol l−1 d−1—the highest rates documented in the global pelagic ocean before the blowout4. Rates of methane oxidation fell to less than 50 nmol l−1 d−1 in late June, and continued to decline throughout the remainder of the year. We suggest the precipitous drop in methane consumption in late June, despite the persistence of methane in the water column, underscores the important role that physiological and environmental factors play in constraining the activity of methane-oxidizing bacteria in the Gulf of Mexico.
Listening to Voices of Practicing Teachers to Examine the Effectiveness of a Teacher Education Program

Abstract To examine successes and failures of teacher preparation programs, we conducted focus group interviews of program graduates who teach in schools in a large urban district that serve children of low socioeconomic status with diverse racial, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds. This generated video and audiotape data to be analyzed. The findings reveal practicing teachers' perceptions of their elementary teacher education experience and how it impacts their current practice. For example, fieldwork contextualized in a real classroom setting significantly influences what teachers carry from preservice programs into their classrooms. In addition, program graduates suggested bolstering classroom management and parent communication components of teacher education programs. Additionally, of those contributing to preservice teacher education programs, the master teacher had greater influence on student teachers' future classroom behaviors than did university supervisors. Finally, program graduates lacked c...
New dosing schedules of dasatinib for CML and adverse event management

Resistance to imatinib in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) or Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL) has emerged as a significant clinical issue. Dasatinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that has 325-fold greater in vitro activity against native BCR-ABL (breakpoint cluster region-Abelson leukemia virus) compared with imatinib and can overcome primary (intrinsic) and secondary (acquired) imatinib resistance. Here, we review the clinical profile of dasatinib in imatinib-resistant and -intolerant patients and share clinical approaches for managing adverse events (AEs) to ensure maximum patient benefit. References were obtained through literature searches on PubMed as well as from the Proceedings of Annual Meetings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of Hematology, and European Hematology Association. Phase II and III studies of dasatinib in patients with imatinib-resistant or -intolerant CML in any phase or Ph+ ALL were selected for discussion. Dasatinib is currently indicated for the treatment of patients with imatinib-resistant or -intolerant CML or Ph+ ALL. AEs associated with dasatinib are typically mild to moderate, and are usually resolved with temporary treatment interruption and/or dose adjustments. A Phase III dose optimization study showed that in patients with chronic phase (CP) CML, 100 mg once-daily dasatinib improves the safety profile, particularly pleural effusion and thrombocytopenia, while maintaining efficacy compared with the previously recommended dose of 70 mg twice-daily. Dasatinib has a manageable safety profile. For patients with CP CML, a new recommended starting dose of 100 mg once daily has recently been approved. The recommended dose for patients with advanced CML or Ph+ ALL remains 70 mg twice daily.
Heterozygosity in gynogenetic diploids and triploids estimated by gene-centromere recombination rates

Abstract We present methods for estimating the effect on heterozygosity of diploid gynogenesis and triploidy induced by suppressing the second meiotic division. The reduction in heterozygosity, as estimated by the fixation index (F), induced by a single generation of diploid gynogenesis is ( 1− y ), where y is the mean frequency of second meiotic division segregation. The fixation index in triploids at a single locus depends upon y and the number and frequencies of alleles present. A simple estimate of the maximum increase in heterozygosity is provided by F = −( y 2 ) ; this estimate assumes that there are only two alleles at each locus. The minimum increase in heterozygosity at a locus with multiple alleles is F = −( y n ) , where n is the number of alleles present.
[10]-Gingerdiols as the major metabolites of [10]-gingerol in zebrafish embryos and in humans and their hematopoietic effects in zebrafish embryos.

Gingerols are a series of major constituents in fresh ginger with the most abundant being (6)-, (8)-, and (10)- gingerols (6G, 8G, and 10G). We previously found that ginger extract and its purified components, especially 10G, potentially stimulate both the primitive and definitive waves of hematopoiesis (blood cell formation) in zebrafish embryos. However, it is still unclear if the metabolites of 10G retain the efficacy of the parent compound toward pathological anemia treatment. In the present study, we first investigated the metabolism of 10G in zebrafish embryos and then explored the biotransformation of 10G in humans. Our results show that 10G was extensively metabolized in both zebrafish embryos and humans, in which two major metabolites, (3S,5S)-(10)-gingerdiol and (3R,5S)-(10)-gingerdiol, were identified by analysis of the MS n spectra and comparison to authentic standards that we synthesized. After 24 h of treatment of zebrafish embryos, 10G was mostly converted to its metabolites. Our results clearly indicate that the reductive pathway is a major metabolic route for 10G in both zebrafish embryos and humans. Furthermore, we investigated the hematopoietic effect of 10G and its two metabolites, which show similar hematopoietic effects as 10G in zebrafish embryos.
Individual freedom, law, and social welfare

An analysis of the social welfare movement suggests two simultaneous but divergent philosophies within that movement. One philosophy includes a commitment to the individual client and action to increase the individual's opportunity to select his own goals and methods of achieving such goals. The opposing position assumes that superior wisdom comes from being a member of the professional class and commits the professional to dictating the modes and goals of living of those he presumably serves. It is proposed that the social welfare movement may be at an important decision-making point in its history, and the case is made that a decision for maximizing individual freedom is of the greatest importance.
New Dolichorhinotermes from Ecuador and in Mexican Amber (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Two new species of the Neotropical termite genus Dolichorhinotermes Snyder and Emerson (Rhinotermitidae: Rhinotermitinae) are described and figured. Dolichorhinotermes lanciarius Engel and Krishna, new species, from southeastern Ecuador, is the largest species of the genus and is distinctive in both the major and minor soldier caste. Dolichorhinotermes apopnus Engel and Krishna, new species, preserved in earliest Miocene amber from Chiapas, Mexico, is similar to D. dominicanus Schlemmermeyer and Cancello in Early Miocene (Burdigalian) amber from the Dominican Republic but differs in several significant respects. Distinctions between Rhinotermes and Dolichorhinotermes are briefly discussed.
Examining the architecture of cellular computing through a comparative study with a computer.

The computer and the cell both use information embedded in simple coding, the binary software code and the quadruple genomic code, respectively, to support system operations. A comparative examination of their system architecture as well as their information storage and utilization schemes is performed. On top of the code, both systems display a modular, multi-layered architecture, which, in the case of a computer, arises from human engineering efforts through a combination of hardware implementation and software abstraction. Using the computer as a reference system, a simplistic mapping of the architectural components between the two is easily detected. This comparison also reveals that a cell abolishes the software–hardware barrier through genomic encoding for the constituents of the biochemical network, a cell’s ‘hardware’ equivalent to the computer central processing unit (CPU). The information loading (gene expression) process acts as a major determinant of the encoded constituent’s abundance, which, in turn, often determines the ‘bandwidth’ of a biochemical pathway. Cellular processes are implemented in biochemical pathways in parallel manners. In a computer, on the other hand, the software provides only instructions and data for the CPU. A process represents just sequentially ordered actions by the CPU and only virtual parallelism can be implemented through CPU time-sharing. Whereas process management in a computer may simply mean job scheduling, coordinating pathway bandwidth through the gene expression machinery represents a major process management scheme in a cell. In summary, a cell can be viewed as a super-parallel computer, which computes through controlled hardware composition. While we have, at best, a very fragmented understanding of cellular operation, we have a thorough understanding of the computer throughout the engineering process. The potential utilization of this knowledge to the benefit of systems biology is discussed.
Generic transition management for reconfigurable hybrid control systems

This paper describes a generic pattern for performing transition management in reconfigurable hybrid control systems. This is based on an examination of the hybrid systems literature as well as experience in building hybrid control systems for extreme-performance applications. The generic pattern is built upon the Open Control Platform, which is a middleware-based substrate for integrating and dynamically reconfiguring distributed control applications. The generic pattern encapsulates the reconfiguration decision logic, the re-wiring strategy and the blending function as separate modular entities that can be specified and easily changed by the control system designer. Its use is illustrated in multiple hybrid system examples.
Spatial variations in focused exhumation along a continental-scale strike-slip fault: The Denali fault of the eastern Alaska Range

40 Ar/ 39 Ar, apatite fission-track, and apatite (U-Th)/He thermochronological techniques were used to determine the Neogene exhumation history of the topographically asymmetric eastern Alaska Range. Exhumation cooling ages range from ∼33 Ma to ∼18 Ma for 40 Ar/ 39 Ar biotite, ∼18 Ma to ∼6 Ma for K-feldspar minimum closure ages, and ∼15 Ma to ∼1 Ma for apatite fission-track ages, and apatite (U-Th)/He cooling ages range from ∼4 Ma to ∼1 Ma. There has been at least ∼11 km of exhumation adjacent to the north side of Denali fault during the Neogene inferred from biotite 40 Ar/ 39 Ar thermochronology. Variations in exhumation history along and across the strike of the fault are influenced by both far-field effects and local structural irregularities. We infer deformation and rapid exhumation have been occurring in the eastern Alaska Range since at least ∼22 Ma most likely related to the continued collision of the Yakutat microplate with the North American plate. The Nenana Mountain region is the late Pleistocene to Holocene (∼past 1 Ma) primary locus of tectonically driven exhumation in the eastern Alaska Range, possibly related to variations in fault geometry. During the Pliocene, a marked increase in climatic instability and related global cooling is temporally correlated with an increase in exhumation rates in the eastern Alaska Range north of the Denali fault system.
On Professional Judgment and the National Mathematics Advisory Panel Report: Curricular Content

In Foundations for Success: The Final Report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel (2008), the Panel’s recommendations on curricular content are based on the professional judgment of the Panel members, not on research on learning and teaching algebra. As such, the Panel’s recommendations must be viewed in light of the political and ideological perspectives from which they were made. The recommendations are also examined from the perspective that inattention to meaning is a root problem of mathematics teaching and learning, yet the report does not consider issues of mathematical meaning or their implications for reform.
Application of carbon isotope analysis to ancient maize agriculture in the Petexbatún region of Guatemala

The ancient Maya subsisted in an environment limited by shallow soils and unpredictable weather patterns until their collapse ∼A.D. 800–900. Ancient subsistence can be a difficult subject, with little physical evidence of agricultural artifacts and structures. This study characterized soil profiles and utilized changes in stable carbon isotope ratios of soil organic matter (SOM) to locate and interpret areas of ancient C4 plant growth and maize (Zea mays) cultivation among the Maya. The investigation indicated some of the challenges the Maya faced, including shallow and sloped soils in some areas. The C4 plant signature was found in seasonal wetland soils on the opposite side of the Laguneta Aguateca from the ruins of Aguateca, but not in the perennial wetlands on the immediate side. No C4 plant signature was detected in the shoulder and backslope soils. Based on these findings, the ancient Maya of Aguateca probably adapted to their environment by farming rich toeslope soils. It is possible that maize was also grown in the seasonal wetlands adjacent to the site. If the steep backslope soils around Aguateca were used in ancient agriculture, the evidence has probably eroded away. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Early-late transcription switch: isolation of a lambda DNA-RNA polymerase complex active in the synthesis of late RNA.

Abstract Certain regions of bacteriophage DNA are transcribed at late but not at early times after infection of a bacterial cell ( Hall et al., 1963 , Hall et al., 1964 ). The mechanism by which these “late” regions become available to prime for RNA synthesis at late time is unknown. Escherichia coli RNA polymerase will transcribe in vitro only the “early” genes of T4 DNA ( Khesin et al ., 1963 ; Geiduscheck et al. , 1966) and of λ DNA ( Maitra et al. , 1966 ; Naono & Gros, 1966 ). Recent evidence suggests that the T4 gene 55 product allows E . coli RNA polymerase to transcribe late regions of T4 DNA in vitro (Snyder & Geiduschek, 1968). It has also been demonstrated that T4 infection alters part of the E . coli RNA polymerase ( Walter et al ., 1968 ). The present report describes the isolation of a λ DNA-RNA polymerase complex from E . coli at a late stage after infection. In vitro the complex synthesizes early and late λ mRNA in the same proportion as do the cells from which the complex was purified.
Knowledge Representation of Software Component Interconnection Information for Large-Scale Software Modifications

Logic can be used to precisely express human thoughts and inferences. In this paper, an approach using first-order logic for knowledge representation of software component interconnection information to facilitate the validity and integrity checking of the interconnection among software components during software development or modification is presented. Directed graphs are first used to model the structure and behavior of a large-scale software system, and a first-order theory of directed graphs (the DG theory) is established. The interconnection behavior among software components in a large-scale software system is a directed graph which is called software component interconnection graph (CIG). The behavior of the CIG is interpreted using the DG theory and translated into logic representation. The translated logic representation is a set of logic clauses and can be considered as a set of axioms. Automated reasoning techniques based on these axioms can be used to perform the validity and integrity checking of software properties in the software development or maintenance phase.
Differential coexpression of genes encoding prothyrotropin-releasing hormone (pro-TRH) and prohormone convertases (PC1 and PC2) in rat brain neurons: implications for differential processing of pro-TRH

Pro-TRH is cleaved at paired basic residues to yield five copies of TRH and cryptic peptides. Recent studies have shown that the prohormone convertases, PC1 and PC2, can process pro-TRH correctly. To determine whether these two enzymes could play a role in pro-TRH processing in vivo, the regional and cellular colocalization of pro-TRH messenger RNA (mRNA) with the mRNAs encoding the prohormone convertases PC1 and PC2 was examined in rat brain, using in situ hybridization histochemistry. Differential regional distribution of pro-TRH mRNA with PC1 and/or PC2 mRNA was found in several brain regions. For example, in the olfactory regions, there was coexpression of pro-TRH mRNA in the glomerular layer with PC2 mRNA, but not PC1 mRNA, whereas in the tenia tecta, coexpression of pro-TRH and PC1 mRNAs was evident, but PC2 mRNA was absent. Pro-TRH mRNA in the paraventricular nucleus was coexpressed with both PC1 and PC2 mRNAs, whereas the basal lateral hypothalamus showed coexistence of pro-TRH mRNA with PC2 mRNA,...
A survey of motion analysis from moving light displays

Motion-based recognition deals with the recognition of objects or motions directly from the motion information extracted from a sequence of images. There are two main steps in this approach. The first consists of finding an appropriate representation for the objects or motions, from the motion cues of the sequence, and then organize them into useful representations. The second step consists of the matching of some unknown input with a model. This paper provides a review of recent developments in motion-based recognition. >
Current therapy of infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a life-threatening anomaly with a significant mortality rate. Despite widespread prenatal diagnosis, few parameters have been well defined to aid in prediction of outcome of these infants. Antenatal maternal steroid administration and foetal surgery are not proven interventions. Postnatal treatment has changed over the last 10 years, with avoidance of hyperventilation and ventilator-induced lung injury resulting in improved survival. Therapies such as inhaled nitric oxide, exogenous surfactant administration and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) have undergone limited study, but show no clear benefit in this population. With improved outcome, principally due to avoidance of barotrauma, greater opportunity exists for long-term evaluation of survivors. To date, continuing problems with pulmonary function, nutrition and growth, effects of right ventricular hypertension and developmental issues have been identified. Through co-ordinated, multidisciplinary evaluation of CDH survivors, improved long-term outcome for these challenging patients can be attained.
On Compensation and Return: Can The 'Continuing Injustice Argument' for Compensating for Historical Injustices Justify Compensation for Such Injustices or the Return of Property?

This paper offers a critique of recent attempts, by George Sher and others to justify compensation to be paid to descendants of deceased victims of past wrongs. This recent attempt (the ‘continuing injustice argument’) is important as it endeavours to avoid some well-known critiques of previous attempts, such as the non-identity problem. Furthermore, this new attempt is grounded in individual rights, without invoking a more controversial collectivist assumption. The first step in this critique is to differentiate between compensation and restitution. Once this important distinction is clear, an examination of several factors follows: the importance of the passage of time vis-a-vis claims for compensation and/or restitution (and especially the passing away of the original victims and wrongdoers), the responsibility of the would be payers, the responsibility of the descendants of the victims, the welfare level of the descendants of the victims, information-related issues, and several additional factors. The conclusion is that once we take into account the distinction between compensation and restitution, and the additional factors mentioned, the case for compensation and/or restitution under the ‘continuing injustice argument’, is highly limited.
The Unfolded Protein Response and Autophagy: Herpesviruses Rule!

The unfolded protein response (UPR) and autophagy are two cellular environmental responses that affect a cell's life or death. The UPR begins on the sensing of an excess of unfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Autophagy, originally discovered as a response to nutrient depletion, is
Alcohol brand preference and binge drinking among adolescents.

Adolescents commonly misuse alcohol, with 24.2% reporting current binge drinking in surveys of US high school students.1 Early-onset drinking raises risks for drinking-related morbidity2 and alcohol dependence. The alcohol industry spent $1.7 billion in media advertising in 2009 (The Nielsen Co, unpublished data, 2009. Ratings and other data contained herein are the copyrighted property of The Nielsen Co. Unauthorized use of this copyrighted material is expressly prohibited. Violators may be subject to criminal and civil penalties under Federal Law [17 USC 101 et seq.]. All rights reserved.), operating only under voluntary limits regarding youth. Moreover, in 1996, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States ended its ban on television advertising. If such advertising is reaching adolescents, brands with larger ad expenditures may be chosen as favorites, and adolescents might choose a distilled spirit as their favorite brand to drink. We report favorite brand and its association with ad expenditures and binge drinking in a population survey of underage adolescents.
Understanding and exploiting substrate recognition by protein kinases

Protein kinases play a virtually universal role in cellular regulation and are emerging as an important class of new drug targets, yet the cellular functions of most human kinases largely remain obscure. Aspects of substrate recognition common to all kinases in the ATP nucleotide binding site have been exploited in the generation of analog-specific mutants for exploring kinase function and discovering novel protein substrates. Likewise, understanding interactions with the protein substrate, which differ substantially between kinases, can also help to identify substrates and to produce tools for studying kinase pathways, including fluorescent biosensors. Principles of kinase substrate recognition are particularly valuable in guiding bioinformatics and phosphoproteomics approaches that impact our understanding of signaling pathways and networks on a global scale.
DK/Lm: a strain of laboratory mouse with an unusual expression of the lethal yellow (Ay) phenotype.

DK/Lm is a new inbred mouse strain with over 20 generations of brother–sister mating. The genotype of the DK/Lm mouse at the black-brown locus is b / b and heterozygosity at the agouti locus ( A y / a ) is maintained. DK/Lm- A y / a mice become sable in phenotype at the first moult, whereas C57BL/6J- A y / a mice do not. The sable phenotype is defined as that of a mouse whose basic colour is yellow (phaeomelanic) but whose dorsal aspect is more or less darkened by the presence of nonyellow (eumelanic) pigment. At about 6 months of age the DK/Lm mouse gradually reverts to yellow in phenotype. Mice of the two strains are compared. Observations are discussed and related to hypotheses regarding gene action at the a and e loci. The new strain is a useful experimental model for study of the relationship between gene action at the agouti locus and the important pleiotropic effects influenced by this locus.
Global intrinsic symmetries of shapes

Although considerable attention in recent years has been given to the problem of symmetry detection in general shapes, few methods have been developed that aim to detect and quantify the intrinsic symmetry of a shape rather than its extrinsic, or pose-dependent symmetry. In this paper, we present a novel approach for efficiently computing symmetries of a shape which are invariant up to isometry preserving transformations. We show that the intrinsic symmetries of a shape are transformed into the Euclidean symmetries in the signature space defined by the eigen-functions of the Laplace-Beltrami operator. Based on this observation, we devise an algorithm which detects and computes the isometric mappings from the shape onto itself. We show that our approach is both computationally efficient and robust with respect to small non-isometric deformations, even if they include topological changes.
Temporal-Relational Classifiers for Prediction in Evolving Domains

Many relational domains contain temporal information and dynamics that are important to model (e.g., social networks, protein networks). However, past work in relational learning has focused primarily on modeling static "snapshots" of the data and has largely ignored the temporal dimension of these data. In this work, we extend relational techniques to temporally-evolving domains and outline a representational framework that is capable of modeling both temporal and relational dependencies in the data. We develop efficient learning and inference techniques within the framework by considering a restricted set of temporal-relational dependencies and using parameter-tying methods to generalize across relationships and entities. More specifically, we model dynamic relational data with a two-phase process, first summarizing the temporal-relational information with kernel smoothing, and then moderating attribute dependencies with the summarized relational information. We develop a number of novel temporal-relational models using the framework and then show that the current approaches to modeling static relational data are special cases within the framework. We compare the new models to the competing static relational methods on three real-world datasets and show that the temporal-relational models consistently outperform the relational models that ignore temporal information - achieving significant reductions in error ranging from 15% to 70%.
Impact on patient outcome following transfusion of bacterially contaminated platelets: the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center experience.

This study examined the clinical outcome of every patient who received a bacterially contaminated unit of platelets at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, during 2007. Samples of platelets were aerobically cultured and read for 1 day at 35°C. Positive bottles were subcultured in the appropriate media. The effect of independent variables in the clinical outcome of patients infused with bacterially contaminated platelet units was analyzed. A total of 23,199 platelet units were transfused, 71 of which were bacterially contaminated units; 8 were apheresis platelets and 63 were whole blood platelets. Of the 71 units, 70 were contaminated with gram-positive bacteria and 1 with gram-negative bacteria. Only 1 patient developed fever, and coagulase-negative staphylococci were isolated from the transfused unit. Transfusion of fresh units and antibiotic therapy possibly explain the lack of clinical consequences in our patients.
Higher Level Application of ADP: A Next Phase for the Control Field?

Two distinguishing features of humanlike control vis-a-vis current technological control are the ability to make use of experience while selecting a control policy for distinct situations and the ability to do so faster and faster as more experience is gained (in contrast to current technological implementations that slow down as more knowledge is stored). The notions of context and context discernment are important to understanding this human ability. Whereas methods known as adaptive control and learning control focus on modifying the design of a controller as changes in context occur, experience-based (EB) control entails selecting a previously designed controller that is appropriate to the current situation. Developing the EB approach entails a shift of the technologist's focus ldquoup a levelrdquo away from designing individual (optimal) controllers to that of developing online algorithms that efficiently and effectively select designs from a repository of existing controller solutions. A key component of the notions presented here is that of higher level learning algorithm. This is a new application of reinforcement learning and, in particular, approximate dynamic programming, with its focus shifted to the posited higher level, and is employed, with very promising results. The author's hope for this paper is to inspire and guide future work in this promising area.
Neonatal supraventricular tachycardia following prolonged maternal ritodrine administration

get-y for gynecologic malignancy have shown that the deposition of “‘In-labeled platelets in the postoperative field is inconsequential in the imaging of a normal venous blood pool in the pelvis. To our knowledge, the present case demonstrates the first diagnosis of an asymptomatic pelvic vein thrombosis and subsequent pulmonary embolus by a noninvasive diagnostic technique, “‘In-labeled platelet imaging. Although further experience is required to delineate the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of “‘In-labeled platelet imaging, this noninvasive &agnostic technique may allow the early diagnosis of previously occult thrombosis in pelvic veins. Institution of anticoagulant therapy may further reduce the morbidity and mortality of pehic surgery and childbirth.
Uptake and metabolism of biotin by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells

We studied the uptake of biotin into human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) using [3H]biotin and studied the catabolism of biotin in PBMC using [14C]biotin. Over 30 min, [3H]biotin uptake ...
Differential-Algebraic Equations

In this paper we study the numerical solution of the differential/algebraic systems F(t, y, y′) = 0. Many of these systems can be solved conveniently and economically using a range of ODE methods. Others can be solved only by a small subset of ODE methods, and still others present insurmountable difficulty for all current ODE methods. We examine the first two groups of problems and indicate which methods we believe to be best for them. Then we explore the properties of the third group which cause the methods to fail. A reduction technique is described which allows systems to be reduced to ones which can be solved. It also provides a tool for the analytical study of the structure of systems.
Theoretical aspects of GPCR?ligand complex pharmacology

Over the past 50 years in pharmacology, an understanding of seven transmembrane (7TMR) function has been gained from the comparison of experimental data to receptor models. These models have been constructed from building blocks composed of systems consisting of series and parallel mass action binding reactions. Basic functions such as the the isomerization of receptors upon ligand binding, the sequential binding of receptors to membrane coupling proteins, and the selection of multiple receptor conformations have been combined in various ways to build receptor systems such as the ternary complex, extended ternary complex, and cubic ternary complex models for 7TMR function. Separately, the Black/Leff operational model has furnished an extremely valuable method of quantifying drug agonism. In the past few years, incorporation of the basic allosteric nature of 7TMRs has led to additional useful models of functional receptor allosteric mechanisms; these models yield valuable methods for quantifying allosteric effects. Finally, molecular dynamics has provided yet another new set of models describing the probability of formation of multiple receptor states; these radically new models are extremely useful in the prediction of functionally selective drug effects.
Nanoparticle-Hydrogel: A Hybrid Biomaterial System for Localized Drug Delivery

Nanoparticles have offered a unique set of properties for drug delivery including high drug loading capacity, combinatorial delivery, controlled and sustained drug release, prolonged stability and lifetime, and targeted delivery. To further enhance therapeutic index, especially for localized application, nanoparticles have been increasingly combined with hydrogels to form a hybrid biomaterial system for controlled drug delivery. Herein, we review recent progresses in engineering such nanoparticle-hydrogel hybrid system (namely 'NP-gel') with a particular focus on its application for localized drug delivery. Specifically, we highlight four research areas where NP-gel has shown great promises, including (1) passively controlled drug release, (2) stimuli-responsive drug delivery, (3) site-specific drug delivery, and (4) detoxification. Overall, integrating therapeutic nanoparticles with hydrogel technologies creates a unique and robust hybrid biomaterial system that enables effective localized drug delivery.
Improving adherence to the Epic Beacon ambulatory workflow

Computerized physician order entry has been shown to significantly improve chemotherapy safety by reducing the number of prescribing errors. Epic's Beacon Oncology Information System of computerized physician order entry and electronic medication administration was implemented in Henry Ford Health System's ambulatory oncology infusion centers on 9 November 2013. Since that time, compliance to the infusion workflow had not been assessed. The objective of this study was to optimize the current workflow and improve the compliance to this workflow in the ambulatory oncology setting. This study was a retrospective, quasi-experimental study which analyzed the composite workflow compliance rate of patient encounters from 9 to 23 November 2014. Based on this analysis, an intervention was identified and implemented in February 2015 to improve workflow compliance. The primary endpoint was to compare the composite compliance rate to the Beacon workflow before and after a pharmacy-initiated intervention. The interven...
Primäres Hämangiosarkom des Herzens

Primare, maligne Herztumoren stellen eine Seltenheit dar, wobei Angiosarkome als haufigste bosartige Tumoren anzutreffen sind. Wir berichten uber den Fall eines primaren Hamangiosarkoms des rechten Vorhofs bei einem 52 Jahre alten Patienten. Die klinische Verdachtsdiagnose wurde durch Echokardiographie, Computertomographie und Herzkatheteruntersuchung gestellt. Die chirurgische Exstirpation des Tumors erfolgte unter extracorporaler Zirkulation und benotigte eine Wiederherstellung des rechten Vorhofs mit PTFE-Patch. Der Patient uberlebte die Operation, starb aber 6 Monate spater aufgrund der Metastasierung. Eine sehr fruh gestellte Diagnose erlaubt eine erfolgreiche Exstirpation des Tumors, in der Regel ist dies eine palliative Operation, die jedoch die Kurzzeitprognose verbessert.
Fulfilling Nkonsonkonson: Creating a Campus African Art Museum

My paper will present a case study that examines the relationship between campus politics, the availability of local resources, and an interdisciplinary effort to create a stand-alone African art museum to exhibit East Carolina University's outstanding African art collection. The primary purpose of our project is to use the approximately 700-piece collection to teach the university and public communities about African societies. ECU has one of the strongest university-held African art collections for teaching purposes in the southeast, and it is presently woefully underutilized. My paper will discuss the process to date, note our successes and failures, and call upon the audience for advice on how to achieve our goal. The latter is especially important because we want to avoid repeating the mistakes of structure and display made by previous Western attempts to create museums and exhibitions for African art.
Evaluation on Clinical Trial of Medical Devices Based on Medical Statistics

From the perspective of medical statistics this article analyzes the general requirements of clinical trial of medical devices based on the characteristics of disposable dialyzer,describes the basic principle and the key point of clinical trial of medical devices;puts forward to several practical problems hoping to achieve the scientificity of clinical frial by medical statistics and promote the development of study and evaluation on clinical trial of medical devices.
Bioactivity of Y2O3 and CeO2 doped SiO2-SrO-Na2O glass-ceramics

The bioactivity of yttrium and cerium are investigated when substituted for Sodium (Na) in a 0.52SiO2-0.24SrO-0.24-xNa2O-xMO glass-ceramics (where x = 0.08 and MO = Y2O3 or CeO2). Bioactivity is monitored through pH and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry where pH of simulated body fluid ranged from 7.5 to 7.6 and increased between 8.2 and 10.0 after 14-day incubation with the glass-ceramic disks. Calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) levels in simulated body fluid after incubation with yttrium and cerium containing disks show a continual decline over the 14-day period. In contrast, Con disks (not containing yttrium or cerium) caused the elimination of Ca in solution after 1 day and throughout the incubation period, and initially showed a decline in P levels followed by an increase at 14 days. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy confirmed the presence of Ca and P on the surface of the simulated body fluid-incubated disks and showed precipitates on Con and HCe (8 mol% cerium) samples. Cell viability of MC3T3 osteoblasts was not significantly affected at a 9% extract concentration. Optical microscopy after 24 h cell incubation with disks showed that Con samples do not support osteoblast or Schwann cell growth, while all yttrium and cerium containing disks have direct contact with osteoblasts spread across the wells. Schwann cells attached in all wells, but only showed spreading with the HY-S (8 mol% yttrium, heated to sintering temperature) and YCe (4 mol% yttrium and cerium) disks. Scanning electron microscopy of the compatible disks shows osteoblast and sNF96.2 Schwann cells attachment and spreading directly on the disk surfaces.
Feasibility of Using Multiple-Locus Variable-Number Tandem-Repeat Analysis for Epidemiology Study of Vibrio parahaemolyticus Infections.

Abstract Vibrio parahaemolyticus causes foodborne gastroenteritis, which is often associated with the consumption of raw or undercooked shellfish. Molecular typing can provide critical information for detecting outbreaks and for source attribution. In this study, we describe the development and evaluation of an optimized multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat (VNTR) analysis (MLVA) for the characterization of V. parahaemolyticus isolates. The discriminatory power of MLVA was compared to that of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) by typing 73 sporadic isolates. Epidemiologic concordance was evaluated by typing 23 isolates from five epidemiologically well-characterized outbreaks. The optimized MLVA was applied in early warning, epidemiological surveillance, and source tracking for V. parahaemolyticus infections. There was no significant difference in the discriminatory power of PFGE and MLVA with six or eight VNTR loci for the sporadic isolates. All isolates within an outbreak were indistinguisha...
Form and function of the human and chimpanzee forefoot: implications for early hominin bipedalism

During bipedal walking, modern humans dorsiflex their forefoot at the metatarsophalangeal joints (MTPJs) prior to push off, which tightens the plantar soft tissues to convert the foot into a stiff propulsive lever. Particular features of metatarsal head morphology such as “dorsal doming” are thought to facilitate this stiffening mechanism. In contrast, chimpanzees are believed to possess MTPJ morphology that precludes high dorsiflexion excursions during terrestrial locomotion. The morphological affinity of the metatarsal heads has been used to reconstruct locomotor behavior in fossil hominins, but few studies have provided detailed empirical data to validate the assumed link between morphology and function at the MTPJs. Using three-dimensional kinematic and morphometric analyses, we show that humans push off with greater peak dorsiflexion angles at all MTPJs than do chimpanzees during bipedal and quadrupedal walking, with the greatest disparity occurring at MTPJ 1. Among MTPJs 2–5, both species exhibit decreasing peak angles from medial to lateral. This kinematic pattern is mirrored in the morphometric analyses of metatarsal head shape. Analyses of Australopithecus afarensis metatarsals reveal morphology intermediate between humans and chimpanzees, suggesting that this species used different bipedal push-off kinematics than modern humans, perhaps resulting in a less efficient form of bipedalism.
The Microstructure of Cellulose Nanocrystal Aerogels as Revealed by Transmission Electron Microscope Tomography.

The microstructure of highly porous cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) aerogels is investigated via transmission electron microscope (TEM) tomography. The aerogels were fabricated by first supercritically drying a carboxylated CNC organogel and then coating via atomic layer deposition with a thin conformal layer of Al2O3 to protect the CNCs against prolonged electron beam exposure. A series of images was then acquired, reconstructed, and segmented in order to generate a three-dimensional (3D) model of the aerogel. The model agrees well with theory and macroscopic measurements, indicating that a thin conformal inorganic coating enables TEM tomography as an analysis tool for microstructure characterization of CNC aerogels. The 3D model also reveals that the aerogels consist of randomly orientated CNCs that attach to one another primarily in three ways: end to end contact, “T″ contact, and “X″ contact.
Mechanical Circulatory Support of the Fontan Patient

Because of the inadequacies inherent to a circulation supported by a single ventricle, many Fontan patients will experience failure of their circulation. To date, there is no medical regimen that reliably and consistently restores circulatory function in these patients. Because of the shortage of donor organs and the fact that many of these patients present with features that either preclude or render heart transplantation a high risk, there is an intense need to better understand how mechanical circulatory support (MCS) may benefit these patients. In this report, we share our experience of successful MCS and transplantation of three patients. Our experience and that of others is very encouraging, but also preliminary. In general, a systemic ventricular assist device, with or without a Fontan fenestration, is a reasonable consideration for a patient presenting with predominantly systolic dysfunction. A pulmonary/systemic venous assist device may be sufficient for the patient with preserved systolic function and failure of the systemic venous/lymphatic system; however, this remains speculative. The more comprehensive approach of a total artificial heart or bilateral support is attractive in theory, but beset by the need for a more complex operation. In all scenarios, early referral, before organ failure, is paramount to successful MCS.
A pre-cystectomy decision model to predict pathologic upstaging and oncologic outcomes in clinical stage T2 bladder cancer.

4578 Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is the standard for advanced bladder cancer (BC), although its benefit in lower risk clinically organ-confined muscle-invasive (cT2N0M0) BC is uncertain. T...
Estimating top-of-atmosphere thermal infrared radiance using MERRA-2 atmospheric data

Thermal infrared satellite images have been widely used in environmental studies. However, satellites have limited temporal resolution, e.g., 16 day Landsat or 1 to 2 day Terra MODIS. This paper investigates the use of the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2) reanalysis data product, produced by NASA’s Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) to predict global topof-atmosphere (TOA) thermal infrared radiance. The high temporal resolution of the MERRA-2 data product presents opportunities for novel research and applications. Various methods were applied to estimate TOA radiance from MERRA-2 variables namely (1) a parameterized physics based method, (2) Linear regression models and (3) non-linear Support Vector Regression. Model prediction accuracy was evaluated using temporally and spatially coincident Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) thermal infrared data as reference data. This research found that Support Vector Regression with a radial basis function kernel produced the lowest error rates. Sources of errors are discussed and defined. Further research is currently being conducted to train deep learning models to predict TOA thermal radiance
Abstract W P386: Matrix Metalloproteinase Levels May Mediate Ischemic Stroke Incidence and Recovery in Stroke Patients with Metabolic Syndrome

Intro: The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is highly prevalent in the US characterized by a combination of risk factors that can lead to cardiovascular disease (CVD). While the association between CVD, inflammation, and stroke risk has been characterized, the immune mechanisms underlying increased risk of stroke in MetS is unclear. While stroke risk is higher among MetS, MetS individuals tend to have better stroke recovery than controls. The immune response may mediate these paradoxical observations in stroke. In particular, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) enzymes play a role in stroke incidence and recovery. Similar to MetS, MMPs have a dual role in stroke, as they are harmful immediately after stroke, but play a vital role in brain repair and recovery following stroke. We hypothesize that elevated levels of MMPs in MetS may account for the paradoxical increased stroke risk, yet better recovery seen in stroke patients with MetS. Methods: MMP protein concentrations were obtained from fasting venous samples and quantified using a Multi-Analyte Profiling Kit (Millipore) on the Luminex®. Each subject was assigned a metabolic risk score (MRS) based on sex, age, SBP, treatment for hypertension, smoking and diabetes status, HDL, and total cholesterol. B-mode ultrasound images of the right common carotid artery were obtained to measure intima-medial thickness (cIMT). Spearman correlations were used to measure the relationship between MRS, cIMT, and MMP levels. Results: In n=68 subjects (60% female) with a mean age of 48+14 yrs, MRS of 25+12, and cIMT of 0.57+0.12 mm. MRS was significantly correlated with cIMT (r=0.39, p Conclusion: Plasma concentrations of MMP1, 7, and 9 were significantly correlated with cIMT, indicating that increased severity of MetS is associated with increased inflammation. Elevated MMP protein levels may account for the increased stroke risk, yet better recovery seen in stroke patients with MetS.
Aggressive therapy was ineffective for unstable angina and non-Q-wave MI

Source Citation The TIMI IIIB Investigators. Effects of tissue plasminogen activator and a comparison of early invasive and conservative strategies in unstable angina and non-Q-wave myocardial infa...