cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Growth rates of Venezuelan beach ridges

Abstract Polymodality of sand-size distributions from a beach ridge plain in western Venezuela permits identification of several examples of the “surf break” (inflection indicating breaker action) and of a severely limited tail of fines indicating moderately high wave-energy levels. The rate of development of the beach ridge plain seems to have been decelerating more or less systematically. No materials were found suitable for absolute age-dating, and tectonic instability in the area precludes the reliable use of any eustatic sea-level curve. Sand dunes divide the plain into five sub-units, suggesting that there have been regular pauses in its development. These have not been accompanied by significant changes in vertical position, and therefore probably reflect modifications of either wind regime or sediment supply or perhaps both. The youngest strip is normal to the prevailing effective wind, and has a constant width throughout, thus indicating that the most prominent source of sediments was the shallow off-shore bottom of the Golfo de Venezuela.
Ionization Potential, Oxidation Potential Comparisons for Compounds Containing Amino Nitrogen

Plots of solution oxidation potential (Eo′, V vs sce in acetonitrile) versus vapor phase vertical ionization potential (IPv, eV) are discussed for several types of compounds containing amino nitrogen, including tetraalkylhydrazines, tetraalkyl-2-tetrazenes, bicyclic diamines, and ortho and para-substituted phenylenediamines. All amino compounds fall considerably below the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon line in an Eo′ vs IPv plot, and there is not a linear correlation of Eo′ vs IPv for amino compounds. Reasons for the non-linearity, and the information that can be gained by comparison of the ease of electron removal in the vapor and solution phases are discussed.
Composition and temperature dependence of the deliquescence properties of hygroscopic aerosols

Abstract Thermodynamic considerations are given to the hygroscopicity of inorganic salts comprising most of the ambient aerosols. Equations are derived expressing the deliquescence humidity as a function of composition and temperature for either single-salt or multicomponent aerosols. Experimental results obtained with charged salt particles individually suspended in an electrodynamic cell are compared both with theory and with available literature data on relative humidities over saturated aqueous solutions. The good agreement found between theory and experimental measurements indicates that aerosol deliquescence properties are predictable from the principle of solution thermodynamics. Furthermore, the experimental technique described here is ideally suited for providing data for complex aerosol systems about which no information is yet available.
The Adult Male of Aclerda tillandsiae: Morphology and Systematic Significance

The adult male of A. tillandsiae Howell is described and illustrated. The Aclerdidae clearly belong, to the lecanoid Coccoidea, and their closest allies are found in the Asterolecaniidae, Lecanodiaspididae and Coccidae. A brief comparison is made to the males of these families.
Radioactive pain relief: health care strategies and risk assessment among elderly persons with arthritis at radon health mines.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the use of radioactive radon therapy among persons with arthritis, and to explore their perceptions of risk versus benefit in using this therapy. Design: This was a qualitative study based on loosely-structured and open-ended interviews, which were then analyzed for themes and patterns. Setting: Participants in the study were recruited over a period of 5 years from clients of a radon health mine in southwestern Montana. Results: Sixty-two mine clients were interviewed, consisting of 36 women and 26 men, ranging in age from 60 to 92 years. Participants believed that radon therapy was an acceptable choice of treatment for arthritis. Perceived benefits of such therapy included more effective pain relief, avoidance of medication side-effects, lower cost, and increased quality of life. The possible future risk of lung cancer from radon exposure was seen as minimal when compared to the perceived benefits. Conclusions: Fear about radon and its possible health risk...
Extended partial-wave analysis of π N scattering data

We present results from a comprehensive partial-wave analysis of ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}p$ elastic scattering and charge-exchange data, covering the region from threshold to 2.6 GeV in the lab pion kinetic energy, employing a coupled-channel formalism to simultaneously fit ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\eta}n$ data to 0.8 GeV. Our main result, solution SP06, utilizes a complete set of forward and fixed-$t$ dispersion relation constraints applied to the $\ensuremath{\pi}N$ elastic amplitude. The results of these analyses are compared with previous solutions in terms of their resonance spectra and preferred values for couplings and low-energy parameters.
Removal of an orbital metallic foreign body to facilitate magnetic resonance imaging: technical case report.

Objective and importance Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the imaging modality of choice for brain tumors and other lesions of the central nervous system. However, this procedure is contraindicated in patients with orbital metallic foreign bodies. In such cases, the usual clinical strategy is to manage the patient without the benefit of MRI scans and, instead, to rely on less sensitive imaging modalities in particular computed tomographic scanning. Clinical presentation Two patients, one with a posterior fossa mass and one with suspected central nervous system lymphoma, were seen at our institution. MRI scanning was recommended, but had been precluded in both patients by the presence of metal fragments in the orbit. Intervention In each case, the orbital foreign body was successfully localized and removed. Postprocedure computed tomographic scanning confirmed complete removal. MRI scanning was then performed without difficulty. The first patient underwent posterior fossa craniotomy and removal of the tumor, which proved to be a medulloblastoma. The second patient was found to have evidence of lymphoma in the cranial base and meninges and was treated with radiotherapy and systemic and intrathecal chemotherapy. MRI scanning provided superior diagnostic information and spared both patients the risks and discomfort of myelography and exposure to ionizing radiation from multiple computerized tomographic scans. Conclusion Two patients with central nervous system tumors underwent removal of a metal fragment in the orbit for the specific purpose of facilitating MRI scans. This is a practical, straightforward concept, which should be considered when MRI scanning is needed for optimal patient management.
Inverse radiative transfer problems in environmental optics

We present sketches of the solution of several inverse problems in environmental optics. The solutions include all significant orders of multiple scattering and have the attribute that, when the retrieved optical properties are substituted into the radiative transfer equation, they accurately reproduce the given apparent optical properties.
An efficient approach to external cluster assessment with an application to Martian topography

Automated tools for knowledge discovery are frequently invoked in databases where objects already group into some known (i.e., external) classification scheme. In the context of unsupervised learning or clustering, such tools delve inside large databases looking for alternative classification schemes that are meaningful and novel. An assessment of the information gained with new clusters can be effected by looking at the degree of separation between each new cluster and its most similar class. Our approach models each cluster and class as a multivariate Gaussian distribution and estimates their degree of separation through an information theoretic measure (i.e., through relative entropy or Kullback---Leibler distance). The inherently large computational cost of this step is alleviated by first projecting all data over the single dimension that best separates both distributions (using Fisher's Linear Discriminant). We test our algorithm on a dataset of Martian surfaces using the traditional division into geological units as external classes and the new, hydrology-inspired, automatically performed division as novel clusters. We find the new partitioning constitutes a formally meaningful classification that deviates substantially from the traditional classification.
Effect of Adrenal Cortical Extract on Experimental Hyperthyroidism in Dogs

SummaryIn dogs potent adrenal cortical extract does not prevent the rise in 02, consumption induced by feeding thyroid.I wish to thank Dr. Carlson for his advice during the course of these experiments.
Transcription Factor Oct1 Is a Somatic and Cancer Stem Cell Determinant

Defining master transcription factors governing somatic and cancer stem cell identity is an important goal. Here we show that the Oct4 paralog Oct1, a transcription factor implicated in stress responses, metabolic control, and poised transcription states, regulates normal and pathologic stem cell function. Oct1HI cells in the colon and small intestine co-express known stem cell markers. In primary malignant tissue, high Oct1 protein but not mRNA levels strongly correlate with the frequency of CD24LOCD44HI cancer-initiating cells. Reducing Oct1 expression via RNAi reduces the proportion of ALDHHI and dye effluxHI cells, and increasing Oct1 increases the proportion of ALDHHI cells. Normal ALDHHI cells harbor elevated Oct1 protein but not mRNA levels. Functionally, we show that Oct1 promotes tumor engraftment frequency and promotes hematopoietic stem cell engraftment potential in competitive and serial transplants. In addition to previously described Oct1 transcriptional targets, we identify four Oct1 targets associated with the stem cell phenotype. Cumulatively, the data indicate that Oct1 regulates normal and cancer stem cell function.
Comparison of In Vitro Activity of Cephalexin, Cephradine, and Cefaclor

Inhibitory activity of cephalexin, cephradine, and cefaclor was compared by the WHO-ICS agar dilution technique. Cefaclor was substantially more active against staphylococci, streptococci, gonococci, meningococci, Haemophilus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Citrobacter diversus, Proteus mirabilis, salmonellae, and shigellae than was cephalexin, which in turn was more active than cephradine. Cefaclor appeared to be less resistant to staphylococcal penicillinase than did the other two agents. None of these cephalosporins was active against Enterobacter, Serratia, indole-positive Proteeae, Pseudomonas, or Bacteroides fragilis.
Involvement of Fas-Fas ligand interactions in graft rejection.

The Fas/Fas ligand (FasL) pathway has been shown to be important in T lymphocyte- mediated cell death and is a key peripheral immunoregulatory mechanism that limits expansion of antigen-activated lymphocytes. The expression of Fas by commonly transplanted organs such as the heart, lung, kidney, and liver suggests that these tissues may be targets of FasL-expressing allospecific cytotoxic T lymphocytes. In this review the current literature examining the Fas/FasL system as a potential cellular effector pathway in tissue injury is discussed. In addition to a deleterious role in destruction of graft tissue, Fas/FasL interactions may have a beneficial role in transplantation. Recent studies suggest that modulation of FasL in target tissue leads to deletion, via apoptosis, of graft infiltrating lymphoid cells. However, an equally compelling series of reports indicate that overexpression of FasL can lead to a heightened immune response. These data are reviewed in the context of strategies to achieve long term a...
Investigation of composition variations near grain boundaries in high-quality sintered samples of YBa2Cu3O7−δ

The composition at and near grain boundaries in sintered YBa2Cu3O7−δ has been investigated using (a) high-spatial-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy in conjunction with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (STEM/EDAX), and (b) scanning Auger electron spectroscopy (SAM) of fracture surfaces. The preliminary results of these studies are reported here. The superconducting pellet used for this study is of high quality, as evidenced by its relatively low normal state resistivity of 250 μΩ cm at 100 K. Furthermore, the transport critical current of this sample is nearly magnetic field independent (50 A/cm2 at 2–20 T, 4 K and 77 K), indicating that tunnelling through thin normal barriers is not limiting the current flow in this case. The majority of the grain boundaries present in this sample are free of second-phase material. The STEM/EDAX data suggest that these boundaries are somewhat copper-rich and barium- and oxygen-defficient in the immediate vicinity ( < 5 nm) of the interface. A minority of the grain boundaries present ( < 25%) contain a thin ( ⋍ 15 nm) layer of a Cu-rich and yttrium- and barium-deficient oxide material. Short-range composition gradients of small magnitude were found in the grains abutting this type of boundary. Variations in composition were not apparent in the analysis of the SAM data. No significant difference in the concentrations of Y, Ba, Cu, O, or C was detected between the transgranular and intergranular fracture surfaces.
The environments of U.S. R&D laboratories: political and market influences

R&D laboratories in the United States have during the past decade undergone much structural and environmental change. Much of this change has been in response to public policy initiatives and changing markets. One result of the changing environments of R&D laboratories is that traditional sector-based (government, industry, university) classification of laboratories tells us little about their structure and behavior. This study based on survey data derived from 966 U.S. R&D laboratories, develops an ‘environmental input taxonomy,’ based not on sector but on the mix of political and market influence on laboratories. This taxonomy is examined in connection with three central policy issues: amount of cooperative research, red tape and bureaucratization, and laboratory output. Traditonal sector classification accounts well for red tape, but the environmental input taxonomy provides additional insights into laboratories' scientific and technical output and cooperative research.
Interleukin-17 Cytokines Are Critical in Development of Fatal Lupus Glomerulonephritis

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a potentially fatal autoimmune disease. Although interleukin-17 (IL-17) has been linked to human lupus and mouse models of this disease, it has not been addressed whether this cytokine plays a critical role in fatal lupus pathology. Here we have demonstrated that increased production of IL-17 cytokines and their signaling via the adaptor protein CIKS (a.k.a. Traf3ip2, Act1) critically contributed to lethal pathology in an FcgammaR2b-deficient mouse model of lupus. Mice lacking IL-17 and especially those lacking CIKS showed greatly improved survival and were largely protected from development of glomerulonephritis. Importantly in this model, potential effects of IL-17 cytokines on antibody production could be distinguished from critical local contributions in kidneys, including recruitment of neutrophils and monocytes. These findings provide the proof of principle that signaling by IL-17 family cytokines mediated via CIKS presents promising therapeutic targets for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus, especially in cases with kidney involvement.
Role of aluminum in experimental encephalopathy and in Alzheimer disease: A simple view

Abstract After briefly reviewing aluminum effects on neuronal cytoskeleton, the following areas of high priority research are identified: (a) effect of aluminum on synthesis, assembly and post-translational modifications of neuronal cytoskeleton; (b) mechanism of tolerance to aluminum intoxication; (c) intracellular presence of aluminum in dialysis encephalopathy; and (d) specificity of aluminum accumulation in neurons bearing neurofibrillary tangles of Alzheimer type.
Strategies to Optimize the Cardiorespiratory Status of the Critically Ill

The goal of cardiorespiratory monitoring is to evaluate the components of oxygen delivery and consumption. Parameters obtained from the physiologic profile are used to assess and optimize oxygen transport to meet the tissue needs of the critically ill patient. Threats to the process of tissue oxygen balance can lead to inadequate utilization at the cellular level. Therapeutic interventions can be implemented to optimize the cardiorespiratory status of the critically ill patient. Intervention strategies are not directed at simply achieving normal values or even supranormal values but at identifying the relation of oxygen delivery to oxygen consumption to potentially eliminate the development of oxygen debt.
Feedback Dependence among Low Confidence Preadolescent Boys and Girls

Abstract Previous research has suggested that self-confidence of females may be lacking in certain types of physical activity achievement situations. One circumstance in which females are said to lack confidence is when performance feedback is not present because females may be dependent on others to supply feedback in situations involving performance of a physical task. Recent research has questioned whether the lack of feedback is more likely to undermine confidence of females as opposed to males if confidence levels among the gender groups are equal. Specifically, it was the purpose of this study to determine if the self-confidence of females and males was different among groups receiving performance feedback versus no feedback when preperformance self-confidence levels were held constant within gender groups. Results indicated that both males and females in the low preperformance self-confidence groups had lower postperformance self-confidence when feedback was not present. Low preperformance self-con...
The ALS Patient Care Database: Insights into End-of-Life Care in ALS

OBJECTIVE: To study clinical practices and patient outcomes near the end of life in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). BACKGROUND: Patients, families, and healthcare providers face several dilemmas in selecting and delivering care near the end of life in ALS. Published data on clinical practices and their benefits during end-of-life care for ALS patients consist of anecdotal reports based on small case series or individual case reports. METHODS: Data were obtained from 1014 American and Canadian patients with ALS who died while participating in a large observational registry (the ALS Patient Care Database) during the past four years. Following death, a caregiver or family member provided data for each patient using a standard questionnaire. Data were principally generated through American and Canadian ALS multidisciplinary centers of excellence. RESULTS: Most patients died peacefully (90.7%) and 62.4% died in a hospice-supported environment. Advance directives were in place for 88.9% of patients and wer...
Multiresolution heterogeneous solid modeling and visualization using trivariate simplex splines

This paper presents a new and powerful heterogeneous solid modeling paradigm for representing, modeling, and rendering of multi-dimensional, physical attributes across any volumetric objects. The modeled solid can be of complicated geometry and arbitrary topology. It is formulated using a trivariate simplex spline defined over a tetrahedral decomposition of any 3D domain. Heterogeneous material attributes associated with solid geometry can be modeled and edited by manipulating the control vectors and/or associated knots of trivariate simplex splines easily. The multiresolution capability is achieved by interactively subdividing any regions of interest and allocating more knots and control vectors accordingly. We also develop a feature-sensitive fitting algorithm that can reconstruct a more compact, continuous trivariate simplex spline from structured or unstructured volumetric grids. This multiresolution representation results from the adaptive and progressive tetrahedralization of the 3D domain. In addition, based on the simplex spline theory, we derive several theoretical formula and propose a fast direct rendering algorithm for interactive data analysis and visualization of the simplex spline volumes. Our experiments demonstrate that the proposed paradigm augments the current modeling and visualization techniques with the new and unique advantages.
Design of robotic devices to assist persons with disabilities

The number of persons age 65 and older will increase dramatically in the next 2 decades and by 2030 this group will comprise 20% of the U.S. population. Since the incidence of disability increases with age, there will be an increased need for robotic assistive devices. The design process for robotic assistive devices differs significantly from the design of autonomous robots. This paper reviews the human-center design process for the design of assistive devices including the importance of the user interface and allocation of function between the user and the robot. A number of case studies are presented that illustrate different aspects of this design process.
Noninvasive Measure of Microvascular Nitric Oxide Function in Humans Using Very Low-Frequency Cutaneous Laser Doppler Flow Spectra

Objective: While higher frequency oscillations (0.021–0.6 Hz) in cutaneous blood flow measured by laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) relate to oscillations in blood pressure and sympathetic nerve activity, very low-frequency oscillations (VLF, 0.0095–0.021 Hz) do not. The authors investigated whether VLF LDF power is nitric oxide (NO) specific.Methods: LDF combined with intradermal microdialysis was used in the calves of 22 healthy volunteers aged 19–27 years. LDF power spectral analysis was performed by windowed fast Fourier transform. The authors tested whether the NO synthesis inhibitor nitro-l-arginine (NLA) produced selective decreases in VLF power before and after stimulation with acetylcholine.Results: NLA alone did not alter total power but selectively reduced VLF power by approximately 50%. LDF and spectral power increased markedly across all spectra with acetylcholine. This increase was blunted by NLA, which selectively reduced VLF power by approximately 50%. Conclusions: The data suggest that VLF os...
PRIME: Probabilistic Initial 3D Model Generation for Single-Particle Cryo-Electron Microscopy

Low-dose electron microscopy of cryo-preserved individual biomolecules (single-particle cryo-EM) is a powerful tool for obtaining information about the structure and dynamics of large macromolecular assemblies. Acquiring images with low dose reduces radiation damage, preserves atomic structural details, but results in low signal-to-noise ratio of the individual images. The projection directions of the two-dimensional images are random and unknown. The grand challenge is to achieve the precise three-dimensional (3D) alignment of many (tens of thousands to millions) noisy projection images, which may then be combined to obtain a faithful 3D map. An accurate initial 3D model is critical for obtaining the precise 3D alignment required for high-resolution (<10 A) map reconstruction. We report a method (PRIME) that, in a single step and without prior structural knowledge, can generate an accurate initial 3D map directly from the noisy images.
A Rational Approach for Determining Response Modification Factors for Seismic Design of Buildings Using Current Code Provisions

Abstract A short review of response modification factors currently found in code design provisions for seismic design of buildings is given. A proposal for a new, rational procedure for determining...
A study of micropool lubricated cutting tool in machining of mild steel

This paper presents an experimental study of the performance of micropool lubricated cutting tool in machining mild steel. Microholes are made using femtosecond laser on the rake face of uncoated tungsten carbide (WC) cutting inserts. Finite element analysis is conducted to assess the effect of microholes on the mechanical integrity of the cutting inserts. Liquid (oil) and solid (tungsten disulfide) lubricants are used to fill the microholes to form micropools. A comparative study is conducted between micropool lubricated (surface-textured) cutting tools and dry/flood-cooled conventional (untextured) cutting tools. Three cutting force components are measured and compared. Tool–chip contact length and chip morphology are examined using optical microscope. It is found that the mean cutting forces (Ff, Ft, and Fc) are reduced by 10–30% with micropool lubrication. The chip–tool contact length is reduced by about 30%. Coiling chips are produced with micropool lubricated cutting tool while long and straight chips are formed with the conventional cutting tool. Liquid and solid lubricants are found to be equally effective in reducing the contact length and coefficient of friction at the chip–tool interface. There is no adverse effect on the performance of the insert with microholes on the rake face.
On coverage and capacity for disaster area wireless networks using mobile relays

Public safety organizations increasingly rely on wireless technology to provide effective communications during emergency and disaster response operations. This paper presents a comprehensive study on dynamic placement of relay nodes (RNs) in a disaster area wireless network. It is based on our prior work of mobility model that characterizes the spatial movement of the first responders as mobile nodes (MNs) during their operations. We first investigate the COverage-oriented Relay Placement (CORP) problem that is to maximize the total number of MNs connected with the relays. Considering the network throughput, we then study the CApacity-oriented Relay Placement (CARP) problem that is to maximize the aggregated data rate of all MNs. For both coverage and capacity studies, we provide each the optimal and the greedy algorithms with computational complexity analysis. Furthermore, simulation results are presented to compare the performance between the greedy and the optimal solutions for the CORP and CARP problems, respectively. It is shown that the greedy algorithms can achieve near optimal performance but at significantly lower computational complexity.
Hydrogen as a New Alloying Element in Metals

Hydrogen-metal interaction phenomena belong to the most exciting challenges of today’s physical metallurgy and physics of solids due to the uncommon behavior of hydrogen in condensed media and to the need for understanding hydrogen’s strong negative impact on properties of some high-strength steels and alloys. The paper cites and summarizes research data on fundamental thermodynamic characteristics of hydrogen in some metals that absorb it endothermally at elevated temperatures. This paper summarizes and analyzes available data that demonstrate positive effects of hydrogen on structure and properties of metals and alloys and are of principal scientific and applied interest. Methodological support features for metal-hydrogen system studies are addressed.
Field emission electroluminescence on diamond and carbon nanotube films

Field emission electroluminescence (FEEL), observed during field emission from polycrystalline diamond films for the first time, is initiated at field emission currents above 1 μA. The electroluminescence spectra exhibit the main luminescence peak at 482 nm. Typically, the luminescence intensity increases with the emission current. Although the FEEL observed in diamond and carbon nanotube films is poorly understood, it seems to be related to certain types of defects in the films.
ENRICHMENT OF SURFACE FRESHWATER MICROLAYERS WITH ALGAE1

SUMMARY Using a variety of techniques for sampling micro-layers in freshwater environments, the frequent occurrence of significant and striking differences in algal community structure and densities relative to subsurface water is demonstrated.
Reduced nociceptive effects of intravenous serotonin (5-HT) in the spontaneously hypertensive rat.

This study compared the cutaneous (baseline tail-flick (TF) latencies) and visceral nociceptive responses (5-HT-induced inhibition of the TF reflex and pseudaffective responses) in lightly pentobarbital-anesthetized 16 week old Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). SHR were significantly less sensitive to the nociceptive effect of i.v. 5–HT compared to WKY rats. That is, SHR had a greater quantal ED50 for inhibition of the TF reflex than WKY rats (50.0 and 15.1 μg/kg, respectively). SHR also showed the presence of distinct pseudaffective responses (flattening of the ears, closure of the eyes to slits and contraction of the facial musculature) at much greater doses than in WKY rats, thereby paralleling the same changes in sensitivity observed the 5-HT-induced inhibition of the TF reflex. 5-HT-induced similar cardiovascular responses in WKY and SHR except that the SHR showed a significantly greater pressor response compared to WKY rats. These results demonstrate that the SHR show a m...
Optimal cones intersection technique

Abstract This paper presents an extension to the classical cones intersection technique, which was, and is, exhaustively used to estimate the spin axis direction of spin stabilized spacecraft. The resulting optimal cones intersection technique is derived from a demonstrated co-planarity condition and does not present ambiguities or singularities. The proposed method allows an optimal estimation of any on-board direction in a closed-form by fully complying with Wahba's optimality criterion of spacecraft attitude. Numerical tests show that the optimal cones intersection technique is faster than ESOQ-2, the presently fastest optimal attitude estimator, for two vector observation case.
A d(10) Ni-(H(2)) adduct as an intermediate in H-H oxidative addition across a Ni-B bond.

Bifunctional E-H activation offers a promising approach for the design of two-electron-reduction catalysts with late first-row metals, such as Ni. To this end, we have been pursuing H_2 activation reactions at late-metal boratranes and herein describe a diphosphine–borane-supported Ni—(H_2) complex, [(^(Ph)DPB^(iPr))Ni(H_2)], which has been characterized in solution. ^1H NMR spectroscopy confirms the presence of an intact H_2 ligand. A range of data, including electronic-structure calculations, suggests a d^(10) configuration for [(^(Ph)DPB^(iPr))Ni(H_2)] as most appropriate. Such a configuration is highly unusual among transition-metal H_2 adducts. The nonclassical H_2 adduct is an intermediate in the complete activation of H_2 across the Ni-B interaction. Reaction-coordinate analysis suggests synergistic activation of the H_2 ligand by both the Ni and B centers of the nickel boratrane subunit, thus highlighting an important role of the borane ligand both in stabilizing the d^(10) Ni—(H_2) interaction and in the H—H cleavage step.
Use of a mobile tower-based robot--The initial Xi robot experience in surgical oncology.

Background and Objectives The da Vinci Xi platform provides expanded movement of the arms relative to the base, theoretically allowing increased versatility in complex multi-field or multi-quadrant surgery. We describe the initial Xi experience in oncologic surgery at a tertiary cancer center. Methods One hundred thirty unique robot-assisted procedures were performed using the Xi between 2014 and 2015, 112 of which were oncology surgeries. For procedures involving multiple quadrants, the robot was re-targeted. Complications were assessed according to Martin criteria and the Clavien–Dindo classification up to 90 days after operation. Results Thirteen different operations were performed in five oncology subspecialties (urology, gynecology, thoracic, hepatobiliary, and gastrointestinal surgery). Median operative times ranged from 183 min for nephroureterectomy to 543 min for esophagogastrectomy. Median estimated blood loss did not exceed 200 ml for any of the categorized procedures . No patients were transfused intraoperatively and no positioning injuries occurred. Conversions to open operation occurred in three cases (2.7%), though not related to complications or technical considerations. Overall complication rate was 26% with major complication rate of 4%. Readmissions were necessary in 11 (10%) patients. Conclusions The da Vinci Xi can be safely assimilated into a surgical oncology program. The Xi offers versatility to various oncologic procedures with satisfactory complication and readmission rates. J. Surg. Oncol. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A primer on the unique challenges of female soldiers' reproductive issues in a war-ready culture.

ABSTRACTIn 1951, a U.S. Presidential Executive Order outlined regulations governing the involuntary separation of women from military service in the event of pregnancy, parenting, or giving live birth while on commissioned service. Subsequent public law and court decisions have changed the rules on female soldier pregnancy and parenting. Initially capped at 2%, maximum allowable percentage of the military, female soldiers now comprise over 14% of the U.S. active duty military, numbering over 200,000. The issues of sexuality, family planning, pregnancy, breast feeding, and family care are unique in this population and affect soldier readiness and deployment planning. Many of these challenges are amenable to physician intervention and guidance to ameliorate the barriers to service. Both clinicians and policy makers should be attentive to advancing a system that affords equal opportunity and optimizes health for all service members.
Getting the Lead Out: The Appraisal of Silver-Lead Mining Records at the University of Idaho

The application of Schellenbergian appraisal doctrine to nongovernmental records has been challenged on the basis that the dual classification of evidential and informational values is relevant only under the institutional mandate of the National Archives. This paper describes the appraisal portion of a project for the processing of 1,600 cubic feet of records of mining corporations in the University of Idaho Library and asserts that informational values depend for their validity upon the evidential values in the same records, that both kinds of value are logically related to the principle of provenance, and that these relationships are implicit in the works of T. R. Schellenberg and other traditional writers on the appraisal of public and corporate records. These values derive not from any particular institutional mandate but from the organic character of the records. It is futile to attempt appraisal of the informational value of records without considering their evidential value.
Ethical Academic Leadership: Lessons from Ancient Times

This paper demonstrates that much can be learned about ethical academic leadership from the great teachers living in ancient times, especially Confucius and Hillel. Those who desire to follow in their footsteps should be humble, gentle, extremely patient with people, and love humanity. They should not be motivated by fame, but possess a strong desire to spread wisdom and morality throughout the world. Moreover, they should recognize that education is for everyone, not just the elite. Finally, the negative version of the Golden Rule, i.e., “What is hateful to you do not do to others,” should be the philosophy that guides their life.
Repurposing the antihistamine terfenadine for antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus.

Staphylococcus aureus is a rapidly growing health threat in the U.S., with resistance to several commonly prescribed treatments. A high-throughput screen identified the antihistamine terfenadine to possess, previously unreported, antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and other Gram-positive bacteria. In an effort to repurpose this drug, structure–activity relationship studies yielded 84 terfenadine-based analogues with several modifications providing increased activity versus S. aureus and other bacterial pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Mechanism of action studies revealed these compounds to exert their antibacterial effects, at least in part, through inhibition of the bacterial type II topoisomerases. This scaffold suffers from hERG liabilities which were not remedied through this round of optimization; however, given the overall improvement in activity of the set, terfenadine-based analogues provide a novel structural class of antimicrobial compounds with potential for further charac...
Potential Eradication of Myeloma Stem Cells by Combining ATRA with WNT and HH Signaling Pathways Inhibitors.

Abstract 2839 Poster Board II-815 Multiple myeloma (MM) remains largely incurable. The existence of the putative myeloma stem cell population may account for drug-resistance and relapse. Previous investigation showed that the CD138-negative (CD138-) MM cell fraction contains the putative MM stem cells. However, little is known about the molecular characteristics of MM stem cells, which makes it difficult to specifically target such cells. In this study, by comparing gene expression profiles (GEP) of CD138+ and CD138- cells isolated from 10 MM cell lines, we discovered that RARα is the top one over-expressed gene in CD138- MM stem cells. RARα has two major isoforms, RARα1 and RARalpha2. Real-time PCR detected significantly higher expression of RARalpha2 but not of RARalpha1 in CD138- MM cells compared with CD138+ cells. We recently reported that increased RARalpha2 expression at diagnosis resulted in a significantly shorter overall-survival ( P = 0.003 ); importantly, ATRA selectively killed RARalpha2-positive myeloma cells, but not RARalpha2-negative cells. These results suggested that ATRA could be used to eradicate specifically RARalpha2-over-expressing MM stem cells. Indeed, we found that ATRA selectively killed CD138- MM stem cells (P -6 M) further increased WNT and HH signaling pathways in CD138- myeloma cells, based on increased protein levels of β-catenin and cleaved Shh/Ihh in ATRA-treated cells. Stimulation of these signaling pathways by LiCl (5 mM) and/or SHH(20 μg/mL) partially abrogated ATRA-induced cytotoxities on CD138- MM cells, demonstrating that stimulation of WNT and HH signaling induced partial ATRA-resistance in CD138- cells. A combinational treatment of ATRA (1 μM), a COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib (shown to inhibit WNT signaling, 50 μM) and a HH signaling inhibitor cyclopamine (10 μM) induced synergistic effects on cell death and growth inhibition of CD138- and RARalpha2-over-expressing MM cells in-vitro . In the 5T33 murine myeloma model, the combination of ATRA (20mg/Kg), celecoxib (10mg/Kg) and cyclopamine (20mg/Kg) induced synergistic inhibition of tumor growth in-vivo . Thus, our study provides novel approaches to specifically target MM stem cells. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Explaining Variations in the Effects of Supportive Messages A Dual-Process Framework

Although some recipients benefit from exposure to sophisticated and sensitive support messages, the effects of these messages are moderated (sometimes substantially) by characteristics of the recipient, the helper, and the situation. Thus, enhancing the success of helpers who provide support requires a comprehensive explanation of why support messages are effective in some circumstances but less effective in others. To understand why supportive messages work, we must understand how these messages are worked on (i.e., processed) by their recipients. This chapter uses a recently developed dual-process theory of supportive message outcomes to explain how and why multiple variables moderate the effects of supportive messages. We provide a comprehensive review of published research findings concerning the demographic, personality, cognitive, and situational moderators of supportive messages and show that these moderators can be interpreted as (1) factors influencing the message recipient’s ability and/or motiv...
Biodegradable polymers for drug delivery systems

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses that the development of numerous biodegradable polymers for drug delivery applications has been significant but the difficulties remain for researchers who hope to produce efficacious drug release profiles, all while avoiding pharmacological or toxicological effects from the base polymer. Numerous synthetic alternatives for polymer biomaterials have resulted retaining bioactivity in vivo; yet, now with advanced recombinant technology, pharmaceutical scientists are also exploring genetically engineered polymers. A defining therapeutic feature of a biodegradable polymer used in modern drug delivery is facile degradation into oligomers or monomers with concomitant kinetically controlled-drug-release profiles. Biodegradable drug carriers are responsible for delivering drugs and then typically degrading through hydrolysis or common proteases for physiological clearance. The chapter will not be an inclusive list of all biodegradable polymers; however, the intent is to highlight the major species of both synthetic and recombinant systems with detailed design, synthesis, degradation, and current status in the literature. Biodegradable polymers have truly revolutionized controlled drug delivery design and biomaterial applications for implants and tissue engineering. With the help of biodegradable stents, clinicians can site-specifically control drug release to treat coronary artery disease through delivery of traditional small molecules and now gene therapy.
ALDA : Cognitive Assistant for Legal Document Analytics

In recent times, there has been an exponential growth in digitization of legal documents such as case records, contracts, terms of services, regulations, privacy documents and compliance guidelines. Courts have been digitizing their archived cases and also making it available for e-discovery. On the other hand, businesses are now maintaining large data sets of legal contracts that they have signed with their employees, customers and contractors. Large public sector organizations are often bound by complex legal legislation and statutes. Hence, there is a need of a cognitive assistant to analyze and reason over these legal rules and help people make decisions. Today the process of monitoring an ever increasing dataset of legal contracts and ensuring regulations and compliance is still very manual and labour intensive. This can prove to be a bottleneck in the smooth functioning of an enterprise. Automating these digital workflows is quite hard because the information is available as text documents but it is not represented in a machine understandable way. With the advancements in cognitive assistance technologies, it is now possible to analyze these digitized legal documents efficiently. In this paper, we discuss ALDA, a legal cognitive assistant to analyze digital legal documents. We also present some of the preliminary results we have obtained by analyzing legal documents using techniques such as semantic web, text mining and graph analysis.
Closer look at the surface of ice.

When hydrogen bonds are broken at an interface, water molecules are forced to adopt configurations that are not as energetically favorable as those deep within the bulk of the material. At the interface between ice and its vapor, this can result in the top layers of ice becoming disordered. Such disorder makes it possible for water at the surface to flow, much like a liquid, accounting for why ice is slippery. This liquid-like layer exists over a wide range of naturally occurring conditions—from the depths of glaciers to the clouds of the upper atmosphere—and is responsible for many geological processes—from the shapes of snowflakes to the sliding of ice sheets (1). Although experimental and theoretical work has confirmed the existence of a liquid-like layer atop ice surfaces, its molecular origins and physical properties are still actively debated. In PNAS, using high-resolution optical interferometry, Murata et al. (2) propose that the liquid layer atop ice can adopt two different wetting states with a first-order phase transition between them.
A Novel Cell-Free Assay Identifies the Curcumin Analog EF24 as a Potent Inhibitor of the Fanconi Anemia Pathway

Abstract Objective: The Fanconi anemia (FA) pathway is a DNA damage response network involved in the cellular resistance against DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs). A recent study showed that the FA pathway is synthetic lethal with several other DNA repair genes (Kennedy, 2007) such as ATM, NBS1, RAD54B and TP53BP1. Defects in those genes have been linked to a wide range of inherited and sporadic hematological malignancies including B-CLL, ALL, AML, CML, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma and multiple myeloma. FA pathway inhibitors may therefore selectively kill malignant cells bearing these defects. Curcumin, a natural product, was the first identified FA pathway inhibitor with activity in the micromolar range in cells (Chirnomas, 2006). However, the poor bioavailability of curcumin hinders its clinical efficacy. Identification of a curcumin analog with better activity, bioavailability and low toxicity could overcome this obstacle. We recently developed a cell-free assay for FA pathway function using Xenopus egg extracts to test the activity of curcumin analogs. As a pilot study we evaluated how well the assay identified inhibitors of the FA pathway in human cells. Methods: Fourteen curcumin analogs previously assayed in the NCI anticancer cell line screen (Adams, 2004) were tested for their activity on the FA pathway. Xenopus egg extracts were used to measure the relative inhibitory activity of the analogs on FANCD2 monoubiquitylation (FANCD2-L) and phosphorylation of other DNA damage response proteins. The underlying mechanism of inhibition was explored by testing the integrity of the core complex, the recruitment of the core complex to DNA and chromatin, and analyzing DNA replication and proteasome activity. Activity of several analogs was confirmed in HeLa cells by evaluation of the inhibition of hydroxyurea (HU)-induced FANCD2-L and FANCD2 foci. Results: EF24 (Adams, 2005) and three structurally similar analogs were 10 times more active than curcumin for FANCD2-L inhibition in Xenopus extracts. These analogs inhibited Mre11 phosphorylation at similar concentrations but had no effect on RPA32 and H2AX phosphorylation. In contrast to curcumin, EF24 did not display significant proteasome inhibition activity and did not affect integrity of the core complex or its recruitment to DNA and chromatin, ruling out these mechanisms to explain inhibition of the FA pathway. In HU-treated HeLa cells, EF24 strongly inhibited FANCD2-L and FANCD2 foci with an IC50 of 350 nM, confirming the results observed in Xenopus extracts. Conclusions: EF24 is a more potent FA pathway inhibitor than curcumin both in Xenopus extracts and in human cells, and as such may be effective as a single agent in targeted therapies against hematological malignancies deficient in ATM, NBS1, RAD54B or TP53BP1. In addition, this study demonstrates that Xenopus extracts are a powerful tool to identify and evaluate small molecules that modulate the FA and other DNA damage response pathways.