cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Physical Activity Tracker Testing in Youth (P.A.T.T.Y.) Study: Content Analysis and Children's Perceptions.

Background: Activity trackers are widely used by adults and several models are now marketed for children. Objective: The aims of this study were to (1) perform a content analysis of behavioral change techniques (BCTs) used by three commercially available youth-oriented activity trackers and (2) obtain feedback describing children’s perception of these devices and the associated websites. Methods: A content analysis recorded the presence of 36 possible BCTs for the MovBand (MB), Sqord (SQ), and Zamzee (ZZ) activity trackers. In addition, 16 participants (mean age 8.6 years [SD 1.6]; 50% female [8/16]) received all three trackers and were oriented to the devices and websites. Participants were instructed to wear the trackers on 4 consecutive days and spend ≥10 min/day on each website. A cognitive interview and survey were administered when the participant returned the devices. Qualitative data analysis was used to analyze the content of the cognitive interviews. Chi-square analyses were used to determine differences in behavioral monitoring and social interaction features between websites. Results: The MB, SQ, and ZZ devices or websites included 8, 15, and 14 of the possible 36 BCTs, respectively. All of the websites had a behavioral monitoring feature (charts for tracking activity), but the percentage of participants indicating that they “liked” those features varied by website (MB: 8/16, 50%; SQ: 6/16, 38%; ZZ: 11/16, 69%). Two websites (SQ and ZZ) included an “avatar” that the user could create to represent themselves on the website. Participants reported that they “liked” creating and changing their avatar (SQ: 12/16, 75%, ZZ: 15/16, 94%), which was supported by the qualitative analyses of the cognitive interviews. Most participants (75%) indicated that they would want to wear the devices more if their friends were wearing a tracker. No significant differences were observed between SQ and ZZ devices in regards to liking or use of social support interaction features (P=.21 to .37). Conclusions: The websites contained several BCTs consistent with previously identified strategies. Children “liked” the social aspects of the websites more than the activity tracking features. Developers of commercial activity trackers for youth may benefit from considering a theoretical perspective during the website design process. [JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2017;5(4):e55]
Homotopy Methods Based on $l_{0}$ -Norm for Compressed Sensing

This paper proposes two homotopy methods for solving the compressed sensing (CS) problem, which combine the homotopy technique with the iterative hard thresholding (IHT) method. The homotopy methods overcome the difficulty of the IHT method on the choice of the regularization parameter value, by tracing solutions of the regularized problem along a homotopy path. We prove that any accumulation point of the sequences generated by the proposed homotopy methods is a feasible solution of the problem. We also show an upper bound on the sparsity level for each solution of the proposed methods. Moreover, to improve the solution quality, we modify the two methods into the corresponding heuristic algorithms. Computational experiments demonstrate effectiveness of the two heuristic algorithms, in accurately and efficiently generating sparse solutions of the CS problem, whether the observation is noisy or not.
The role of segment probability in perception of speech sounds

This study investigates how listeners utilize segment probability in speech perception. In Warner et al. (2014), participants identified gated fragments of all combinations of two segments in English (e.g., diphones /hə/, /dt/, /ab/, /iɛ/). That data was further analyzed to study the influence of segment probability. Overall probability of the second segment (e.g., the probability of /t/ in English), and conditional probability of the second segment given the first segment (e.g., the probability of /b/ given preceding /a/) were calculated from the CMU pronunciation dictionary. There were significant correlations between accuracy of segment perception and both overall and conditional probability of second segments at early gates of the diphone, when few or no acoustic cues to the second segment were available (for example, perception of /b/ in /ab/ by one-third of the way through the /a/). However, when participants had enough acoustic information, the correlation was smaller or non-significant. The present study shows that English listeners utilize probability in identifying English segments when few acoustic cues are available, whereas Dutch listeners in a matched previous study on perception of Dutch (Warner et al. 2005) utilized probability only for a few unusual cases.
Intracellular Doppler Imaging Clinical Trials in Personalized Cancer Care

Clinical trials of biodynamic digital holography in human esophageal cancer and canine B-cell lymphoma, performed within 24 hours of biopsy acquisition, have an accuracy of 90% identifying patients resistant to their prescribed chemotherapy. Translation of this biomedical optical technology to clinical laboratory services has the potential to transform personalized cancer care.
Tunable Mesoporous Films from Copolymers with Degradable Side Chains as Membrane Precursors

Abstract Membrane-based separations have shown promise for a host of applications. Yet, the development of polymer materials suitable for the preparation of membranes with tunable pore sizes between 2 and 10 nm remains challenging. In this study, we utilized poly[styrene-co-oligo(lactide) methacrylate] copolymers containing equal mass fractions of styrene and oligo(lactide) methacrylate as membrane precursors. The side chain of the oligo(lactide) methacrylate served as a sacrificial pore template, and by controlling the degree of lactic acid polymerization, n, between n = 21 and n = 40 the size of the pore templating domains could be tuned. After films were treated with a basic NaOH solution to hydrolyze the oligo(lactide) side chains, the porous films had well-defined pore sizes despite evidence of pore collapse. Poly(ethylene oxide) was filtered from methanol based on molecular size. Furthermore, we demonstrated that pore-solute interactions play a significant role in membrane performance and can lead to the selective removal or enrichment of solutes that possess characteristic dimensions several times smaller than the pore size of the membrane. Specifically, using a membrane with a pore diameter of 16 nm, Naphthol Yellow S (358 g mol−1) was rejected ~62% due to electrostatic repulsion and Martius Yellow (234 g mol−1) was enriched 4-fold due to hydrogen bonding between the solute and membrane pore.
In vivo vascular and tumor cell gene silencing with chitosan nanoparticles in ovarian carcinoma

5613 Objective: To develop a novel chitosan nanoparticle based delivery method for in vivo gene silencing in tumor cells as well as the angiogenic vasculature. Methods: SiRNA-chitosan (siRNA-CH) nanoparticles were prepared based on ionic gelation of anionic TPP and siRNA. The loading efficiency, size and zeta potential of the siRNA-CH nanoparticles was measured. The delivery of i.v. siRNA-CH into orthotopic ovarian tumors was examined using Alexa-555 conjugated siRNA. Proof-of-concept studies with murine or human siRNA targeted EZH2 were performed in orthotopic mouse models of ovarian carcinoma (HeyA8 and SKOV3ip1) and gene silencing, therapeutic efficacy and biological effects on angiogenesis (MVD) and apoptosis (TUNEL) were examined. Results: The siRNA-CH nanoparticles are approximately 100 nm in size and have a slight positive charge. We optimized the incorporation efficiency to achieve >70% siRNA incorporation into chitosan. A single i.v. injection resulted in deep penetration of the siRNA into tumor parenchyma, with >80% of fields with siRNA in tumor cells. SiRNA delivery was clearly noted in most of the tumor endothelial cells. SiRNA uptake was also observed in the heart, liver, kidney and lung tissues. Macrophage staining using f4/80 showed that macrophages have less amount of siRNA compared to tumor cells suggested that siRNA was delivered directly into the tumor cells. For proof-of-concept studies, we selected, the polycomb group protein enhancer of Zeste homologue 2 (EZH2), which we have previously demonstrated as being overexpressed in both tumor and tumor-associated endothelial cells. EZH2 siRNA-CH was effective in decreasing EZH2 levels in the tumor (human sequence) and endothelial cells (mouse sequence) for up to 6 days. EZH2 silencing of this gene using either mouse or human specific siRNA significantly reduced tumor growth in both models (24 to 70% reduction, p values
Good practices for including environmental data to inform spawner-recruit dynamics in integrated stock assessments: Small pelagic species case study

Abstract When assessing the status of a fish population for advising management, the spawner-recruit (S-R) relationship, which represents stock productivity, is an important biological process to consider, including the extent to which environmental drivers should be explicitly accounted for in recruitment estimation. Fishery managers are increasingly making requests for analysts to investigate the utility of including environmental data in stock assessment applications. Consequently, research is needed that addresses both specific environmental processes that may influence stock parameters and robust methods for including such data in the assessment. Two methods for incorporating environmental information in an integrated assessment model were evaluated in this study, based on: 1) including an environmental covariate as an additional component of the S-R function; or 2) using the covariate outside the S-R relationship as a survey index of recruitment. The methods were implemented in a broadly employed stock assessment software package (Stock Synthesis) using population/fishery processes generally applicable to an exploited small pelagic fish species (Pacific sardine). Simulation analysis was used to examine how environment-recruitment considerations in the assessment influenced model performance. The quality (bias and precision) of estimates of abundance and derived quantities generated from the models were examined statistically. Findings indicated that both methods for including an environmental index in the model resulted in relatively high quality estimates for a diverse group of output variables, depending on assumptions regarding bias correction and penalties associated with the recruitment deviation estimates. Several estimated quantities were found to be generally unbiased and relatively precise (e.g., stock biomass and average recruitment), regardless of the method implemented in the model; whereas, the choice of the method did impact the quality of results associated with more sensitive quantities (e.g., virgin recruitment and depletion). Recommendations for approaches based on both methods, as well as practical considerations associated with the methods are discussed.
Cooperative Heterobimetallic Catalysts in Coordination Insertion Polymerization

In this tutorial, we describe the applications of well-defined heterobimetallic complexes in coordination insertion polymerization catalysis. The presence of two different metals in a single cataly...
Repeat Perfusion Imaging May Differentiate Airways Obstruction from Pulmonary Embolic Disease: Report of Two Cases

Two cases are presented in which patients with obstructive lung disease were considered to have a pulmonary embolism (PE). Emergency lung perfusion scans supported the diagnosis of PE in both cases. However, rapid resolution of the symptoms and perfusion defects by repeat ventilation-perfusion scanning at 24 hr suggested that PE was unlikely. In selected cases of wheezing patients, repeat perfusion scans may obviate the need for pulmonary angiography. The authors report two cases in which repeat perfusion scans almost normalized by 24 hr. Review of the literature indicates that the rate of resolution of perfusion defects would have been much slower had pulmonary embolism occurred.
C. elegans MAGU-2/Mpp5 homolog regulates epidermal phagocytosis and synapse density

Synapses are dynamic connections that underlie essential functions of the nervous system. The addition, removal, and maintenance of synapses govern the flow of information in neural circuits throughout the lifetime of an animal. While extensive studies have elucidated many intrinsic mechanisms that neurons employ to modulate their connections, increasing evidence supports the roles of non-neuronal cells, such as glia, in synapse maintenance and circuit function. We previously showed that C. elegans epidermis regulates synapses through ZIG-10, a cell-adhesion protein of the immunoglobulin domain superfamily. Here we identified a member of the Pals1/MPP5 family, MAGU-2, that functions in the epidermis to modulate phagocytosis and the number of synapses by regulating ZIG-10 localization. Furthermore, we used light and electron microscopy to show that this epidermal mechanism removes neuronal membranes from the neuromuscular junction, dependent on the conserved phagocytic receptor CED-1. Together, our study shows that C. elegans epidermis constrains synaptic connectivity, in a manner similar to astrocytes and microglia in mammals, allowing optimized output of neural circuits.
Pathologic response translates to improved patient survival after locoregional treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma: the importance of minimally invasive microwave ablation

Hepatectomy or transplantation can serve as curative treatment for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Unfortunately, as progression remains a reality, locoregional therapies (LRT) for curative or bridging intent have become common. Efficacy on viability, outcomes, and accuracy of imaging should be defined to guide treatment. Patients with HCC who underwent minimally invasive (MIS) microwave ablation (MWA), transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), or both (MIS-MWA-TACE) prior to hepatectomy or transplantation were identified. Tumor response and preoperative computed tomography (CT) accuracy were assessed and compared to pathology. Clinical and oncologic outcomes were compared between MIS-MWA, TACE, and MIS-MWA-TACE. Ninety-one patients, with tumors from all stages of the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging, were identified who underwent LRT prior to resection or transplant. Fourteen patients underwent MIS-MWA, 46 underwent TACE, and 31 underwent both neoadjuvantly. TACE population was older; otherwise, there were no differences in demographics. Fifty-seven percent of MIS-MWA patients had no viable tumor on pathology whereas only 13% of TACE patients and 29% of MIS-MWA-TACE patients had complete destruction (p = 0.004). The amount of remaining viable tumor in the explant was also significantly different between groups (MIS-MWA: 17.2%, TACE: 48.7%, MIS-MWA-TACE: 18.6%; p ≤ 0.0001). Compared with TACE, the MIS-MWA and MIS-MWA-TACE groups had significantly improved overall survival (MIS-MWA: 99.94 months, TACE: 75.35 months, MIS-MWA-TACE: 140 months; p = 0.017). This survival remained significant with stratification by tumor size. CT accuracy was found to be 50% sensitive and 86% specific for MIS-MWA. For TACE, CT had an 82% sensitivity and 33% specificity and for MIS-MWA-TACE, there was a 42% sensitivity and 78% specificity. The impact of locoregional treatments on tumor viability is distinct and superior with MIS-MWA alone and MIS-MWA-TACE offering significant advantage over TACE alone. The extent of this effect may be implicated in the improved overall survival.
Subcortical Brain Segmentation in MR image based on Residual Fully Convolutional Networks

Brain magnetic imaging(MRI) has become an effective tool for disease diagnosis, disease tracking and so on. Deep brain structures such as hippocampus plays an important role in the quantitative assessment of human brain. Therefore, it is crucial to segment these deep brain structures in a short time. In recent years, deep learning has achieved great process in image processing, especially the U-net, which is the Champion Model of 2015 ISBI Cell Tracking Challenge. In this paper, a novel structure was proposed which based on U-net as well as substitute the normal convolution block with the residual block to achieve a robust segmentation. In addition, SEblock is introduced to emphasize the correlation between channels which helps to focus on the features that are more important. The experimental results on the IBSR dataset show that the method proposed in this paper achieves average Dice value 0.83 on the deep brain structures segmentation, which verified the effectiveness of the method.
Vasopressor-Refractory Shock From Clozapine Overdose Treated With Synthetic Angiotensin II Infusion.

Background Clozapine is an atypical antipsychotic with potent alpha-adrenergic blocking properties when administered at high dosages, resulting in vasodilatory shock in overdose settings. Case summary A 39-year-old man presented with profound catecholamine- and vasopressin-refractory vasodilatory shock following massive clozapine ingestion. Angiotensin II was initiated when the patient was requiring 2.2 µg/kg/min norepinephrine equivalents of vasopressor support, resulting in a prompt increase in the perfusion pressure. All vasopressors were liberated within 18 hours of angiotensin II initiation, and the patient was discharged with no deficits. Conclusions Synthetic angiotensin II may represent a therapeutic option for refractory hypotension resulting from high dosages of clozapine or other potent alpha-adrenergic blocking medications.
Math Matters in Communication: Manipulation and Misrepresentation in Data Displays

Whether you walk in industry or academia (or both), the ability to interrogate data and the way it is displayed visually matters. We discuss how misleading graphics and data displays are constructed, focusing on five means of manipulating data: 1) scale, 2) sample size, 3) confounding variables, 4) data outliers, and 5) the visual selected for the story. We focus on these areas as some of the most common sources of concern in misleading or inaccurate data displays, yet the mathematics underlying these concepts is often absent from or covered only superficially in professional communication instruction. We further offer examples to both mathematics and communication instructors for helping students recognize misleading graphics and how to avoid them, encouraging interdisciplinary bridges to meet the multidisciplinary requirements of creating ethical data displays.
Context in continuity: The enduring legacy of neighborhood disadvantage across generations

Abstract Neighborhoods may contribute to the maintenance of inequality in well-being across generations. We use restricted geo-coded National Longitudinal Survey of Youth data (NLSY 1979 and NLSY Child and Young Adult) to estimate the association between multigenerational exposure to childhood neighborhood disadvantage and subsequent adult exposure. Invoking cousin fixed effects models that adjust for unobserved legacies of disadvantage that cascade across three generations, we find that families where both parents and their children are exposed to childhood neighborhood disadvantage are likely to pass on the legacy of neighborhood disadvantage to successive generations, net of observed and unobserved confounders. Second, we find a direct intergenerational neighborhood association, net of observed and unobserved confounders. Third, we find that unobserved confounders nested in the grandparent generation explain away the intragenerational neighborhood association. These findings reorient neighborhood theory to more seriously attend to the interdependence of neighborhood-level and individual-level antecedents of inequality across generations.
Refractory Ventricular Tachycardia Originating From an Intracardiac Metastasis Treated With Catheter Ablation

A 45-year-old man with stage IV melanoma presented with incessant nonsustained wide complex tachycardia. He was found to have a right ventricular intracardiac metastasis that created a nidus for ventricular tachycardia refractory to multiple therapeutic interventions. The patient underwent catheter ablation for this rare indication, with successful arrhythmia control by direct ablation over the tumor surface. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).
Applications of Machine Learning for the Classification of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Sublineages Using Amino Acid Scores of ORF5 Gene

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome is an infectious disease of pigs caused by PRRS virus (PRRSV). A modified live-attenuated vaccine has been widely used to control the spread of PRRSV and the classification of field strains is a key for a successful control and prevention. Restriction fragment length polymorphism targeting the Open reading frame 5 (ORF5) genes is widely used to classify PRRSV strains but showed unstable accuracy. Phylogenetic analysis is a powerful tool for PRRSV classification with consistent accuracy but it demands large computational power as the number of sequences gets increased. Our study aimed to apply four machine learning (ML) algorithms, random forest, k-nearest neighbor, support vector machine and multilayer perceptron, to classify field PRRSV strains into four clades using amino acid scores based on ORF5 gene sequence. Our study used amino acid sequences of ORF5 gene in 1931 field PRRSV strains collected in the US from 2012 to 2020. Phylogenetic analysis was used to labels field PRRSV strains into one of four clades: Lineage 5 or three clades in Linage 1. We measured accuracy and time consumption of classification using four ML approaches by different size of gene sequences. We found that all four ML algorithms classify a large number of field strains in a very short time ( 0.99 Area under curve of the Receiver of operating characteristics curve). Furthermore, the random forest approach detects a total of 4 key amino acid positions for the classification of field PRRSV strains into four clades. Our finding will provide an insightful idea to develop a rapid and accurate classification model using genetic information, which also enables us to handle large genome datasets in real time or semi-real time for data-driven decision-making and more timely surveillance.
Toward Artificial Fingertips Based on GaN Optical Tactile Sensors

A tactile sensor using gallium nitride nanopillar light-emitting diodes is proposed and demonstrated. The sensor can detect the direction, magnitude, and location of an external shear force with sensitivities comparable to the human fingertip.
I Did It, But…: Exploring DUI Offender Deviance Rationalization in the Digital Age

The dangers associated with alcohol-impaired driving are well documented, most recently stabilizing at still problematic levels around 2010. Recent estimates indicate over 1 million annual DUI arre...
Bifurcation theory of plasticity, damage and failure

Abstract I developed a comprehensive theory of plasticity, damage and failure, which is independent of the micromechanical mechanism of plasticity. It includes all major components of the mechanical behavior of ductile materials, e.g. strain/work-hardening and Bauschinger effect, and covers all regimes of viscoplastic tensile/compressive loading/unloading. The theory is based on the concepts of free energy and damage parameter and has the attributes of both rate-dependent and rate-independent plasticity, kinematic and isotropic hardening. The ultimate failure of a specimen is defined as a point of critical value of the damage parameter. The theory provides justification for Drucker’s ad hoc condition of instability. The theory describes diverse phenomena of Luders stress, creep, internal friction, and fatigue on the same self-consistent basis. In quasi-static low-cycle fatigue, I derive a Paris-type equation between the rate of degradation and cyclic plastic work and reveal a Coffin-Manson power-law relationship between the number of cycles to failure and plastic-strain amplitude. In dynamic fatigue, I find two regimes—low-cycle and high-cycle—whose loading amplitudes are separated by the yield point. The two regimes have significantly different dependencies on the frequency and viscosity. In this publication, I present the theory and computer simulations of a homogeneous viscoplastic body subjected to various conditions of isothermal strain-controlled uniaxial loading. In the follow-up publications, I will expand the theory on the cases of inhomogeneous three-dimensional bodies subjected to multiaxial loading at variable temperatures and compare the results to the experiments. Complete version of the theory can be used for the full-cycle cradle-to-grave design of new materials in service.
Steady-State Surface Temperatures in Dissociated High-Speed Gas Flows

FIG. 3. Total laminar skin-friction coefficients for a 20-caliber tangent ogive ( L / D = 4.444) and a 20-caliber tangent ogivecylinder (L /D = 12). compared with experimental data in Fig. 1. Although the inaccuracies of these experimental data do not permit an accurate confirmation of the theoretical wave drag, the relative trend is established. The local shear stresses obtained from the theoretical estimates are presented in Fig. 2. The total or average skin-friction coefficient, based on wetted surface area, as obtained from a graphical integration of Fig. 2, is presented as a function of Mach Number for the ogival nose and the ogive cylinder in Fig. 3 and compared with theoretical flat-plate values. The ogive cylinder case is compared to the experimental data.
Virtual Edgework Negotiating Risk in Role-Playing Gaming

This article examines how table-top role-playing fantasy gamers engage in edgework. Edgework, as defined by Stephen Lyng, occurs when people voluntarily tread boundaries to gain emotional rewards. ...
Size Effects in the Pricing of Corporate Bonds

Large orders for corporate bonds get preferential treatment unlike large orders for stocks on the NYSE. A structural explanation, namely, that the corporate bond market is dealer-dominated, has been offered for the favorable pricing. In this paper, we offer an additional explanation, namely, that the improved pricing for large orders is due to the net impact such orders have on a market maker's costs. Using a data sample that is substantially free of timing mismatch, we support our assertion by sorting the sample into ‘brokered’ trades, which are trades where the dealer merely crosses buy and sell orders and ‘inventoried’ trades, where the dealer trades out of his inventory. We find that large orders raise information costs, but lower inventory costs for ‘inventoried’ trades. The net result is a smaller price advantage than received by large orders on ‘brokered’ trades which are not subject to these costs.
Bridging the Gap between Law School and Law Practice

This paper and attendant presentation materials first present research findings from the New Legal Writers Survey, an IRB-approved empirical study of legal employers' expectations of law students and new lawyers. The anonymous survey sought employer opinions in three major areas: (1) hiring lawyers’ expectations regarding writing samples that accompany job applications; (2) supervisors’ expectations about the legal document types (i.e., genres) that new lawyers write; and (3) the habits of attorneys who supervise new lawyers. This paper focuses on (1) the types of documents that employers expected law students and recent graduates to be able to write proficiently with minimal supervision, and (2) the skills that supervisors believed were essential for law students and recent graduates to possess when they walk through the door to practice law. After presenting findings, we suggest teaching and supervision strategies to help improve the practice-readiness of new law students.
Entrepreneurial police and drug enforcement policy

The hypothesis that drug enforcement is relatively high in local jurisdictions where state laws dictate that police retain seized assets is tested in the context of a reduced-form equation of the supply and demand for drug enforcement. The results are robust across model specifications, some of which directly control for the level of drug use: legislation permitting police to keep seized assets raises drug arrests as a portion of total arrests by about 20 percent and drug arrest rates by about 18 percent. Police bureaucrats apparently desire discretionary budget increases, and they have considerable discretion in determining resource allocation.
Patterns of symptom burden during radiotherapy or concurrent chemoradiotherapy for head and neck cancer: a prospective analysis using the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Symptom Inventory-Head and Neck Module.

Background We performed a prospective longitudinal study to profile patient-reported symptoms during radiation therapy (RT) or concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) for head and neck cancer. The goals were to understand the onset and trajectory of specific symptoms and their severity, identify clusters, and to facilitate symptom interventions and clinical trial design.
Abstract 17732: Identification of Stromal Interaction Molecule 1 Complexes in Cardiac Hypertrophy

Abnormalities in intracellular calcium signaling initiate and promote sustained pathological cardiac hypertrophy. Stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) is an essential calcium sensor that activates calcium influx in response to calcium depletion in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in many cells. Previously, we found that STIM1 is activated and functional in hypertrophic cardiomyocytes where it controls store-dependent and -independent calcium influxes that further promote the development of cardiac hypertrophy. To understand the regulatory mechanisms of STIM1 during hypertrophic remodeling, we performed interactome analyses on a rat model of compensated cardiac hypertrophy resulting from pressure overload by thoracic aortic banding. STIM1 complexes were immunoprecipitated from cardiomyocytes isolated from either control or aortic-banded hearts. Electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry analysis identified a total of 93 proteins that were reliably enriched in the STIM1 immunoprecipitates in multiple independent experiments. Silver staining of the isolated complexes revealed distinct patterns of associated proteins in the disease states. STIM1 complexes were enriched in hypertrophic hearts with a total of 78 identified proteins as compared to 53 proteins in control hearts. Only 38 proteins were associated with STIM1 in both control and diseased conditions. Next, we performed a functional classification of our interactome data. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis showed distinct functional GO categories including ion channels, cellular signaling molecules, apoptosis, ER function and mitochondrial function. We finally mapped the identified proteins using the STRING interaction database that further revealed functional relationships between the STIM1 complex proteins and significant changes during hypertrophic remodeling. These findings identify multiple specific functional complexes for STIM1 that are recruited during cardiac hypertrophy. These data support a model where STIM1 is a dynamic signal transducer that can interact with a diversity of proteins depending on the pathophysiological conditions.
Platonic Virtue: An Alternative Approach

I begin by describing certain central features of a prominent Anglophone approach to Platonic virtue over the last few decades. I then present an alternative way of thinking about virtue in Plato that shifts central concern away from moral psychology and questions about virtue's relationship to happiness. The approach I defend focuses on virtue, both as a supreme aim of a person's actions and as something whose nature needs to be determined.
A PVT-compensated capacitive sensor with sub-1fF sensitivity

Capacitive sensors can be used by biologists, chemists, and medical professionals to detect the presence of specific molecules, or foreign bodies. Using an electrode array with specific surface preparation, and monitoring the capacitive change relative to a control array, one can determine if the molecules of interest are present in the medium. Due to the small size and potentially low concentration of the target objects, the capacitive sensor must have a very high degree of sensitivity. This paper describes the design of a capacitive sensor in a 180 nm CMOS process capable of detecting a change in capacitance as low as 500 aF.
Oxidation of ultrathin GaSe

Oxidation of exfoliated gallium selenide (GaSe) is investigated through Raman, photoluminescence, Auger, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies. Photoluminescence and Raman intensity reductions associated with spectral features of GaSe are shown to coincide with the emergence of signatures emanating from the by-products of the oxidation reaction, namely, Ga2Se3 and amorphous Se. Photoinduced oxidation is initiated over a portion of a flake highlighting the potential for laser based patterning of two-dimensional heterostructures via selective oxidation.
Altering UAV flight path by threatening collision

The ongoing transformation of air traffic control towards a decentralized decision-making system will allow all aircraft, UAS in particular, to automatically detect and resolve collisions. The decision process will use, among others sources, ADS-B information, shared by neighboring traffic. In such distributed systems, trustworthiness among aircraft become of primary importance. In this work we show that autonomous aircraft employing deterministic sense and avoid strategies can be forced into predetermined trajectories when their precise position and velocity are available to a potentially malicious craft. In other words, malicious pursuer players (real or hoaxed) taking advantage of shared data and predictable collision avoidance properties can dictate evader agent trajectory, which might not realize the threat at all. As shown by numerical simulations and ground robot experiments, combination of arcs and straight paths can be achieved and be used to arbitrarily control the evader.
Incorporating mathematics into the first year CS program: a new approach to CS2

Computer scientists, both in academia and in industry, agree that computer science students should study mathematics. What is not so clear is what particular topics in mathematics they should study. Most CS curricula include one or more courses in discrete math, often taken during the junior or senior year by undergraduates and often taught by instructors in the mathematics department. Here we present the idea of incorporating some discrete math into the first year curriculum for computer science students. We do not advocate a separate course for discrete math for first year students, but rather we suggest the introduction of discrete math topics directly into CS2, showing immediate applications to computer science through exercises and programming assignments.
Application Of Helium Isotopes to a NMR Gyro

The helium isotopes 3He and 4He have properties which make them attractive in a NMR gyro application. Very long polarization relaxation times (up to 24 hours) have been observed with 3He. 4He has been used successfully for a number of years in high sensitivity magnetometers. Analysis and experimental effort have been directed toward the implementation of a NMR gyro using 3He as the rotation sensitive element and 4He to eliminate sensitivity to magnetic fields. In recent experiments, semiconductor diode lasers have been demonstrated to have good characteristics for optical pumping of helium and the simultaneous magnetic resonance of 3He and 4He in a single cell has been observed.© (1978) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Use of a needle biopsy in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Abstract Needle biopsy is a useful office procedure for ambulatory patients who have refused hospitalization and open biopsy for diagnosis of submandibular masses in various triangles of the neck.
Mutations in the factor IX gene (F9) during the past 150 years have relative rates similar to ancient mutations.

Pollutants and dietary mutagens have been associated with somatic mutation and cancer, but the extent of their influence on germline mutation is not clear. Since deleterious germline mutations can be transmitted for thousands of years, any influence on germline mutation from the vast increase in man-made chemicals of the past 150 years would be an important public health issue. Observed disease causing mutations in the X-linked factor IX gene (F9) of hemophilia B patients originated predominantly in the past 150 years, since the half-life of these mutations in human populations had been about two generations before effective treatment became available about a generation ago. Recent changes in germline mutational processes may be detected by comparison of the observed hemophilia B causing mutation pattern in F9 with the pattern of neutral polymorphisms which occurred over a much longer period of time. By scanning a total of 1.5 megabases of deep intronic regions of F9 in the genomic DNA from 84 individuals, 42 neutral polymorphisms were found in 23 haplotypes that differed by at least 11 mutations from the ancestral primate haplotype. By sequencing F9 in seven non-human primates, 39 of these polymorphisms were characterized as ancient mutations relative to a unanimous ancestral primate allele. This ancient mutation pattern was compared to the recent pattern of hemophilia B causing mutations. Remarkably, no significant difference was found (P=0.5), suggesting that the vast increase in man-made chemicals during the past 150 years has not had a major impact on the pattern of human germline mutation. This result is consistent with the hypothesis that endogenous processes dominate germline mutation.
Allogeneic chimerism induces donor-specific tolerance to simultaneous islet allografts in nonobese diabetic mice.

Background. Nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice develop a systemic autoimmune disease that resembles type I diabetes in human beings. Previous studies in NOD mice have shown that transplantation of bone marrow from normal donors to lethally conditioned recipients prevented the development of diabetes (B10.BR → NOD, BALB/c → NOD). The focus of the present study was to examine whether donor-specific transplantation tolerance for islet allografts could be achieved if islet transplantations were performed coincident with the time of bone marrow infusion in diabetic NOD mice. Moreover, the transplanted islets were evaluated for evidence of recurrent autoimmunity. Methods. Female NOD mice were followed until autoimmune diabetes occurred (urine glucose, +++ to ++++ ; blood glucose level, 300 mg/dl or greater). Diabetic NOD mice were irradiated with 950 cGy total body irradiation and received 30 x 10 6 untreated B10.BR bone marrow cells (B10.BR → NOD). A simultaneous islet allograft was placed under the renal capsule within 24 hours after infusion of the bone marrow cells. Mice were monitored by means of blood glucose levels, and histologic analyses were performed on the transplanted islet. Results. Islet allografts genetically matched to the bone marrow donor were significantly prolonged (n = 5 ; mean survival time, 206 days or more) and showed no evidence for chronic rejection or recurrent insulitis, whereas major histocompatibility complex-disparate third-party allografts were rejected (n = 3 ; mean survival time, 37 days) and exhibited lymphocytic infiltration compatible with rejection on histologic evaluation. Conclusions. These data suggest that permanent donor-specific tolerance to islet allografts placed simultaneously with bone marrow transplantation can be achieved in diabetic NOD mice. Moreover, recurrent autoimmune destruction of the pancreatic tissue is prevented by the bone marrow chimerism.
Some Inequalities involving ( r !) 1/ r

In a recent investigation of a conjecture on an upper bound for permanents of (0, 1)-matrices (2) we obtained some inequalities involving the function (r!)1/r which are of interest in themselves. Probably the most interesting of them, and certainly the hardest to prove, is the inequalitywhere o(r = (r!)1/r. In the present paper we prove (1) and other inequalities involving the function o(r.
Improving public relations web sites through usability research

Abstract Public relations communicators can use a variety of techniques to pretest the effectiveness of messages, including readability testing, focus groups, peer and jury reviews, experiments and field testing/test marketing. Another yet-untapped technique is usability research, a set of procedures used for more than 50 years in product and software development. Although usability is a technique that can be applied to any type of public relations message, usability research has particular relevance for enhancing the effectiveness of web sites and other new interactive techniques. This article examines the nature and value of usability research, and the elements of an effective web site based on usability principles. Applications to other types of public relations communications are also discussed.
Intraoperative evaluation of a pulsatile oropharyngeal mass during adenotonsillectomy

Iatrogenic injury to the internal carotid artery (ICA) is a rare complication of pharyngeal surgery that most commonly occurs in children with an anomalous course to the internal carotid artery. Most aberrant arteries are asymptomatic. They can remain undiscovered preoperatively or be found incidentally on radiographic studies completed for an unrelated reason. Evaluation of definitive internal carotid artery injuries is well documented in the trauma literature. We present a case of a suspected intraoperative injury to the internal carotid artery during routine pharyngeal surgery. Ultimately no injury was found, however, aberrant internal carotid arteries were coincidentally discovered.
A regularized approach for solving magnetic differential equations and a revised iterative equilibrium algorithm

A method for approximately solving magnetic differential equations is described. The approach is to include a small diffusion term to the equation, which regularizes the linear operator to be inverted. The extra term allows a “source-correction” term to be defined, which is generally required in order to satisfy the solvability conditions. The approach is described in the context of computing the pressure and parallel currents in the iterative approach for computing magnetohydrodynamic equilibria.
Prolonged increase in ciliary beat frequency after short-term purinergic stimulation in human airway epithelial cells

Stimulation of ovine airway epithelial cells with 10 μm ATP for 1 min at 25 °C transiently increased both cytoplasmic calcium (fura-2 epifluorescence microscopy) and ciliary beat frequency (CBF; differential interference contrast microscopy) with a similar time course. Identical purinergic stimulation of human airway epithelial cells at 25 or 35 °C, however, lead to an increase in CBF that outlasted the calcium transient at least 20 min. While a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor had no effect, pre-treatment of human cells with inhibitors of cAMP-dependent kinase (PKA), 10 μm myristoylated PKA-inhibitory peptide and 1 μm KT-5720, as well as an inhibitor of adenylyl cyclase, 1 mm SQ22536, blocked the prolonged, but not calcium-coupled CBF increase. Addition of PKA inhibitors after purinergic stimulation only partially reduced CBF from its elevated plateau. Prolonged CBF increases did not depend on adenosine production as 10 μm UTP had an effect similar to ATP and 8-sulphophenyl-theophylline did not block them. After increasing human CBF in a PKA-dependent manner to a stable plateau with forskolin (10 μm), ATP caused only a transient, calcium-coupled CBF increase. Calcium transients were necessary for both short-term and prolonged CBF changes as ATP failed to produce CBF increases after emptying calcium stores with 1 μm thapsigargin. These data suggest that in human, but not ovine airway epithelial cells, ATP-induced calcium transients activate a signalling cascade including adenylyl cyclase and PKA. The resulting prolonged CBF stimulation does not rely only on PKA activity, suggesting that the decay of CBF is influenced by ciliary phosphatase activity.
Choledochoceles: are they choledochal cysts?

Objective:The aim of this analysis was to report a multidisciplinary series comparing choledochoceles to Todani Types I, II, IV, and V choledochal cysts.Summary Background Data:Choledochoceles have been classified as Todani Type III choledochal cysts. However, most surgical series of choledochal cys
Drought Analysis under Climate Change Using Copula

AbstractThe joint behavior of drought characteristics under climate change is evaluated using the copula method, which has recently attained popularity in the analysis of complex hydrologic systems with correlated variables. Trivariate copulas are applied, in this study, to analyze the major drought variables, including duration, severity, and intensity, in Oregon’s Upper Klamath River Basin. Among the variables, results show that duration severity exhibits the strongest correlation, whereas duration intensity exhibits the least correlation. The impact of climate change on future droughts is evaluated using five general circulation models (GCMs) under one emission scenario. Despite more intense extreme events that are expected to occur in most parts of the globe in the future, the results of this study show that the Upper Klamath River Basin in the Pacific Northwest will experience less intense droughts affected by climate change. Compared with historical events, an overall decrease in drought duration an...
Pre-Hospital Intubation Factors and Pneumonia in Trauma Patients

Abstract Background: We reported similar rates of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) previously in trauma patients intubated either in a pre-hospital (PH) venue or the emergency department. A subset of PH intubations with continuous quality assessment was re-examined to identify the intubation factors associated with VAP. Methods: The subgroup was derived from an existing data set of consecutive adult trauma patients intubated prior to Level I trauma center admission July 2007–July 2008. Intubation details recorded included bag-valve mask ventilation (BVM) and the presence of material in the airway. The diagnosis of VAP was made preferentially by quantitative bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cultures (≥104 colony-forming units indicating infection). Baseline data, injury characteristics, and circumstances of intubation of patients with and without VAP were compared by univariable analysis. Results: Detailed data were available for 197 patients; 32 (16.2%) developed VAP, on average 6.0±0.7 days after admiss...
From piecemeal to configurational representation of faces

Unlike older children and adults, children of less than about 10 years of age remember photographs of faces presented upside down almost as well as those shown upright and are easily fooled by simple disguises. The development at age 10 of the ability to encode orientation-specific configurational aspects of a face may reflect completion of certain maturational changes in the right cerebral hemisphere.
Conversion of 4-androstene-3,17-dione to testosterone by Pisum sativum

Abstract 4-Androstene-3,17-dione-[4-14C] was applied to the leaves of growing pea plants, Pisum sativum. Within a week, 28% of the administered steroid was specifically reduced to testosterone. Part of the testosterone was present in esterified form, and 5α-androstane-3β,17β-diol was also identified as a metabolite, but neither epitestosterone nor estrogens were detected.