cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bleeding complications in patients on celecoxib and warfarin

Summary Purpose: Non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (nNSAIDs) used in combination with warfarin are associated with an approximately 3-fold increased risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) compared with warfarin alone. Celecoxib, a selective inhibitor of cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2), is associated with less gastric mucosal injury and platelet dysregulation than nNSAIDs. We compared rates of bleeding complications in patients taking celecoxib and warfarin with those taking warfarin alone. Subjects and Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis using data from our Protime Clinic and pharmacy databases from January 2001 to April 2004. We identified 123 patients who took celecoxib and warfarin concurrently (overlap group). We compared rates of bleeding complications in this group with 1022 control patients who were taking warfarin alone. Bleeding complications were defined as major if they resulted in hospitalization, blood transfusion or death. Results: During approximately 1063 months of exposure to both celecoxib and warfarin, 10 bleeding complications were identified, only one of which was considered major. No patients had UGIB. In the control group, 116 bleeding complications were identified over approximately 16 520 months of exposure to warfarin alone, with 101 minor and 15 major events, including six episodes of UGIB. The relative risk of all bleeding complications was 1·34 (95% CI: 0·70–2·57) in the overlap vs. control groups, and for major bleeds was 1·04 (95% CI: 0·14–7·85). Conclusions: There is a mild but non-significant increase in bleeding complications in patients taking celecoxib and warfarin compared with those taking warfarin alone.
Nuclear alterations of maize plants grown in soil contaminated with coal fly ash

Maize seedlings were grown in soil mixed with coal fly ash at rates of 35 t/ha, 70 t/ha, and 500 t/ha. Nuclei were isolated from the seedlings and analyzed by flow cytometry. Nuclei from seedlings grown in 70 t/ha and 500 t/ha fly ash had significantly higher fluorescence intensities when stained with propidium iodide and analyzed by flow cytometry than control plants. This increase in fluorescence intensity is correlated with alterations of the plant nucleus. Mean coefficients of variation of the G1 peaks were also increased in the fly ash treatments relative to controls. The high concentration of fly ash disrupted the cell cycle of seedlings, resulting in a higher frequency of G2 nuclei. Additionally, three triploid plants were found in the fly ash treatments. Despite the nuclear alterations, plants grown at 70 t/ha of fly ash appeared healthy. Thus, nuclear damage was evident at levels that do not significantly alter the phenotype. Because fly ash was revealed to induce nuclear changes in maize plants, its environmental safety should be carefully evaluated. Short-term field observation studies are inadequate for predicting the long-term consequences of large scale land application of this coal combustion product. In addition, the maize line used in this study has the potential to be used as a bioassay in monitoring potential contamination of land surrounding fly ash landfills and disposal ponds.
Radiative Heat Transfer in Enhanced Hydrogen Outgassing of Glass

This paper explores the physical mechanisms responsible for experimental observations that led to the definition of photo-induced hydrogen outgassing of glass . Doped borosilicate glass samples were placed inside an evacuated silica tube and heated in a furnace or by an incandescent lamp. It was observed that hydrogen release from the glass sample was faster and stronger when heated by an incandescent lamp than within a furnace. Here, sample and silica tube were modeled as plane-parallel slabs exposed to furnace or to lamp thermal radiation. Combined conduction, radiation, and mass transfer were accounted for by solving the one-dimensional transient mass and energy conservation equations along with the steady-state radiative transfer equation. All properties were found in the literature. The experimental observations can be qualitatively explained based on conventional thermally activated gas diffusion and by carefully accounting for the participation of the silica tube to radiation transfer along with the spectral properties of the silica tube and the glass samples. In brief, the radiation emitted by the incandescent lamp is concentrated between 0.5 and 3.0 μm and reaches directly the sample since the silica tube is nearly transparent for wavelengths up to 3.5 μm. On the contrary, for furnace heating at 400°C, the silica tube absorbs a large fraction of the incident radiation which reduces the heating rate and the H2 release rate. However, between 0.8 and 3.2 μm undoped borosilicate does not absorb significantly. Coincidentally, Fe3O4 doping increases the absorption coefficient and also reacts with H2 to form ferrous ions which increase the absorption coefficient of the sample by two orders of magnitude. Thus, doped and reacted samples heat up much faster when exposed to the heating lamp resulting in the observed faster response time and larger H2 release rate.
Fluorescence detection of single molecules using pulsed near-field optical excitation and time-correlated photon counting

Pulsed excitation, time correlated single photon counting, and time gated detection are used in near-field optical microscopy to enhance fluorescence images and measure the fluorescence lifetimes of single molecules of Rhodamine 6G on silica surfaces. Time gated detection is used to reject prompt scattered background and to improve the image signal to noise ratio. The excited state lifetime of a single Rhodamine 6G molecule is found to depend on the position of the near-field probe. We attribute the lifetime variations to spontaneous emission rate alterations by the fluorescence reflected from and quenching by the aluminum coated probe.
Projects and Possibilities: Researching Futures in Action

How can we understand the social impact of cognitions of a projected future, taking into account both the institutional determinant.s of hopes and their personal inventiveness? How can we document the repercussions, often contrary to intentions, "back from" such projected futures to the production and transformation of social structures? These are some of the questions to be addressed by a cultural sociology that attempts to look seriously at the effects of a projected future as a dynamic force undergirding social change. In this essay I discuss some of the reasons why the analysis of the future has been so neglected in sociological theory and research, and then sketch a possible framework for reincorporating it that specifies some of the cognitive dimensions of projectivity. In the process, I will show how a focus on future projections can help us make a link between cognition and action in a manner that has so far been neglected in the sociological literature.
Cavity Quantum Electrodynamics with Quantum Dots

Cavity quantum electrodynamics effects in semiconductor quantum dots coupled to photonic crystals nanocavities are presented. In this framework, the single photon nonlinear regime is explored for implementation of strongly correlated quantum-optical systems.
Toward improved operational surge and inundation forecasts and coastal warnings

Coastal regions are vulnerable to storm surge and flooding due to tropical and extratropical storms. It is necessary to build robust resiliency of the coastal communities to these hazards. The main objectives of operational surge and inundation forecast and coastal warning systems are to protect life and to sustain economic prosperity. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States has initiated an integrated effort through pilot demonstration projects, and model-based ocean and coastal forecasting systems, to build improved operational warnings and forecasts capability for storm surge and inundation. This note describes the overall strategy and progress to date, with an emphasis on forecasting extratropical storm surge.
Redundant spoken labels facilitate perception of multiple items.

Because of the strong associations between verbal labels and the visual objects that they denote, hearing a word may quickly guide the deployment of visual attention to the named objects. We report six experiments in which we investigated the effect of hearing redundant (noninformative) object labels on the visual processing of multiple objects from the named category. Even though the word cues did not provide additional information to the participants, hearing a label resulted in faster detection of attention probes appearing near the objects denoted by the label. For example, hearing the word chair resulted in more effective visual processing of all of the chairs in a scene relative to trials in which the participants attended to the chairs without actually hearing the label. This facilitation was mediated by stimulus typicality. Transformations of the stimuli that disrupted their association with the label while preserving the low-level visual features eliminated the facilitative effect of the labels. In the final experiment, we show that hearing a label improves the accuracy of locating multiple items matching the label, even when eye movements are restricted. We posit that verbal labels dynamically modulate visual processing via top-down feedback—an instance of linguistic labels greasing the wheels of perception.
Social Justice in Love Relationships: Recent Developments

In all societies, people are concerned with justice. “What’s fair is fair!” “She deserves better.” “It’s just not right.” “He can’t get away with that!” “It’s illegal.” “It’s unethical!” “It’s immoral” are fairly common laments. In the 11th century, St. Anselm of Canterbury (Anselem of Canterbury: The major works, 1998) argued that the will possesses two competing inclinations: an affection for what is to a person’s own advantage and an affection for justice; the first inclination is stronger, but the second matters, too. Equity theory, too, posits that in personal relationships, two concerns stand out: firstly, how rewarding are people’s societal, family, and work relationships? Secondly, how fair and equitable are those relationships? According to equity theory, people feel most comfortable when they are getting exactly what they deserve from their relationships—no more and certainly no less. In this article, we will begin by describing the classic equity paradigm and the supporting research. We will then recount the great debate that arose in the wake of the assertion that even in close, loving, intimate relationships, fairness matters. We will end by describing what scientists have learned in the past 35 years about the competing claims of altruism, reward, and fairness in love relationships.
Trait anger predicts relative left frontal cortical activation to anger-inducing stimuli

Building on past research that has suggested that relatively greater left frontal cortical activity is associated with approach-related anger and that individuals who are high in trait anger are more likely to evidence angry responses, the present research tested whether individuals high in trait anger would be more likely to evidence relatively greater left frontal cortical activity in response to anger-eliciting pictorial stimuli. In the experiment, participants were exposed to pictures intended to evoke anger, fear/disgust, positive, or neutral affective reactions. Electroencephalographic (EEG) activity was recorded continuously, and alpha power was derived from the EEG to measure cortical activity. Trait anger was measured using the Buss and Perry Aggression Questionnaire [Buss, A.H., Perry, M., 1992. The aggression questionnaire. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63, 452-459]. Results revealed that trait anger was positively related to greater relative left frontal cortical activity to anger-evoking pictures but not to other types of pictures.
Piezo- and Flexoelectric Membrane Materials Underlie Fast Biological Motors in the Ear.

The mammalian inner ear is remarkably sensitive to quiet sounds, exhibits over 100dB dynamic range, and has the exquisite ability to discriminate closely spaced tones even in the presence of noise. This performance is achieved, in part, through active mechanical amplification of vibrations by sensory hair cells within the inner ear. All hair cells are endowed with a bundle of motile microvilli, stereocilia, located at the apical end of the cell, and the more specialized outer hair cells (OHC's) are also endowed with somatic electromotility responsible for changes in cell length in response to perturbations in membrane potential. Both hair bundle and somatic motors are known to feed energy into the mechanical vibrations in the inner ear. The biophysical origin and relative significance of the motors remains a subject of intense research. Several biological motors have been identified in hair cells that might underlie the motor(s), including a cousin of the classical ATP driven actin-myosin motor found in skeletal muscle. Hydrolysis of ATP, however, is much too slow to be viable at audio frequencies on a cycle-by-cycle basis. Heuristically, the OHC somatic motor behaves as if the OHC lateral wall membrane were a piezoelectric material and the hair bundle motor behaves as if the plasma membrane were a flexoelectric material. We propose these observations from a continuum materials perspective are literally true. To examine this idea, we formulated mathematical models of the OHC lateral wall “piezoelectric” motor and the more ubiquitous “flexoelectric” hair bundle motor. Plausible biophysical mechanisms underlying piezo- and flexoelectircity were established. Model predictions were compared extensively to the available data. The models were then applied to study the power conversion efficiency of the motors. Results show that the material properties of the complex membranes in hair cells provide them with the ability to convert electrical power available in the inner ear cochlea into useful mechanical amplification of sound induced vibrations at auditory frequencies. We also examined how hair cell amplification might be controlled by the brain through efferent synaptic contacts on hair cells and found a simple mechanism to tune hearing to signals of interest to the listener by electrical control of these motors.
The infrared spectra of surface metal atom vibrations: sniftirs studies in the far infrared region using time resolved FTIR techniques

Abstract : Studies of the vibrations of pure metals have historically been pursued by inelastic neutron scattering (which is sensitive to vibrations of the bulk crystal) and more recently by high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy. HREELS (which is more sensitive to vibrations of the metal surface). Direct infrared absorbance techniques provide advantages over both of these methods, since they may be used in more hostile environments (such as at the interface between metal and chemical solutions). They have rarely been applied with much success, however, because of the very effective shielding of the electromagnetic radiation by the metal conduction electrons. This results in an exponential damping of the radiation field as it enters the metal phase, with typical skin depths (1/e damping distances) of only a few tens of nm. This damping improves the sensitivity of infrared absorption measurements to the surface vibrations as opposed to bulk phonons, but limits the magnitude of the absorbance considerably. In this report we demonstrate that reflection infrared vibrational spectroscopy may be used to observe the vibrational structure of metallic species deposited on a metal surface which is under electrochemical control. Keywords: Spectroelectrochemistry, Time resolved spectroscopy, Metal atom spectroscopy, Infrared radiation.
The impact of PAP 8 on the Common Information Model (CIM)

The Common Information Model (CIM) is a standard developed by the electric power industry that has been officially adopted by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) for power transmission and distribution. The purpose is to allow application software to exchange information about the configuration and status of an electrical network.
Using partial order techniques to improve performance of data flow analysis based verification

Partial order optimization techniques for distributed systems improve the performance of finite state verification approaches by avoiding redundant exploration of some portions of the state space. Previously, such techniques have been applied in the context of model checking approaches. In this paper we propose a partial order optimization of the program model used by FLAVERS, a data flow based finite state verification approach for checking user-specified properties of distributed software. We demonstrate experimentally that this optimization often leads to significant reductions in the run time of the analysis algorithm of FLAVERS. On average, for those cases where this optimization could be applied, we observed a speedup of 21%. For one of the cases, the optimization resulted in an analysis speedup of 91%.
Effects of Rag1 on the Preference and Performance of Soybean Defoliators

The Rag1 gene confers antibiotic resistance to soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), and in 2010, varieties expressing Rag1 were released for commercial use in the United States. We do not know how Rag1 varieties will influence the broader community of defoliating insects that inhabit soybean fields. In 2010 and 2011, the preference and performance of pest insects that defoliate soybeans [Glycines max (L.) Merr] were tested using Rag1 and aphid-susceptible varieties. Three coleopterans and four lepidopterans were used: northern corn rootworm, Diabrotica barberi Smith & Lawrence (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae); southern corn rootworm, Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae); bean leaf beetle, Ceratoma trsifurcata Forster (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae); fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae); corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae); soybean looper, Chrysodeix includens (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae); and velvet-bean caterpillar, Anticarsia gemmatalis Hubner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). The preference of insects was evaluated in choice and no-choice tests using Rag1 and susceptible soybeans. Lepidopterans also were evaluated on Rag1 leaves using four nutritional indices: relative growth rate, approximate digestibility, and efficiency of conversion of ingested material. In the majority of preference tests, no effect of Rag1 was detected, and in cases where preferences were found, there was no consistent pattern of preference for Rag1 vs. susceptible leaf tissue. Helicoverpa zea demonstrated a preference for resistant leaf tissue, but this was dependent on the genetic background of the variety. Evaluations of nutritional indices indicated that three species of Lepidoptera, S. frugiperda, H. zea, and A. gemmatalis, displayed reduced conversion efficiency for Rag1 soybeans, suggesting effects of antibiosis.
The iSBTc/SITC primer on tumor immunology and biological therapy of cancer: a summary of the 2010 program

The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer, SITC (formerly the International Society for Biological Therapy of Cancer, iSBTc), aims to improve cancer patient outcomes by advancing the science, development and application of biological therapy and immunotherapy. The society and its educational programs have become premier destinations for interaction and innovation in the cancer biologics community. For over a decade, the society has offered the Primer on Tumor Immunology and Biological Therapy of Cancer™ in conjunction with its Annual Scientific Meeting. This report summarizes the 2010 Primer that took place October 1, 2010 in Washington, D.C. as part of the educational offerings associated with the society's 25th anniversary. The target audience was basic and clinical investigators from academia, industry and regulatory agencies, and included clinicians, post-doctoral fellows, students, and allied health professionals. Attendees were provided a review of basic immunology and educated on the current status and most recent advances in tumor immunology and clinical/translational caner immunology. Ten prominent investigators presented on the following topics: innate immunity and inflammation; an overview of adaptive immunity; dendritic cells; tumor microenvironment; regulatory immune cells; immune monitoring; cytokines in cancer immunotherapy; immune modulating antibodies; cancer vaccines; and adoptive T cell therapy. Presentation slides, a Primer webinar and additional program information are available online on the society's website.
The Verdict Is In: The Impact of Crime on Public Trust in Central American Justice Systems

Over the past two decades, the countries of Central America have confronted soaring crime rates. Justice systems of dubious quality provide thin shields against this crime crisis, despite substantial international and domestic investment in justice reform. Indeed, there is growing concern that crime will undermine justice reform efforts. Scholars and practitioners have pointed out that public frustration with crime, coupled with dissatisfaction with justice institutions, can lead citizens to reject reform efforts. Still, the micro-level relationships between crime and public support of the justice system have been understudied. Using public opinion data from the Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP), this study aims to add to the literature by examining the effects of victimization and fear of crime on public trust in the justice system. The results indicate that crime can erode public support for the justice system, but the mechanics of this relationship vary according to national context.
Algorithms and performance bounds for chemical identification under a Poisson model for Raman spectroscopy

Many methods have previously been devised to estimate the relative amounts of chemicals present in a measured Raman spectrum. However, relatively little work has been done on developing physics-based probabilistic models for the measurement system. Drawing from previous work in astronomical image restoration, we model the acquired data based on the physics of two key components in our Raman instrumentation: the spectrometer and the charge-coupled device (CCD) detector. Under this model, we derive Cramer-Rao lower bounds for the mixing coefficients of the target spectra. This bound is compared against the performance of several classification algorithms. Raman Spectroscopy
The Impact of Toxic Waste Sites on Housing Values

Abstract This paper analyzes the impact of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announcements and policy actions on housing markets. When the EPA announces that a toxic waste site is on the Superfund list, the findings of this paper show that a new market for “safe” housing is created. A premium to be located farther from a waste site appears only after a site has been added to the Superfund list. Empirical analysis of the housing market calculates the marginal prices in this new market, and importantly, show that the marginal price to avoid a toxic waste site disappears after a site has been cleaned.
Searching for Multiple Words in a Markov Sequence

The theory of the discrete-time Markovian arrival process (DMAP) can be applied to some statistical problems encountered when searching for multiple words in a Markov sequence. Such word searches are often emphasized in studies of the human genome. There are several advantages to the DMAP approach we present. Most notably, its derivations are transparent, and they readily unify disparate results about the exact distributions of overlapping and nonoverlapping word counts. We also present several examples and applications of our theory, including a numerical study using a random DNA dataset from the human genome.
Axial hypertonicity in Parkinson's disease: Direct measurements of trunk and hip torque

A cardinal feature of Parkinson's disease (PD) is muscle hypertonicity, i.e. rigidity. Little is known about the axial tone in PD or the relation of hypertonia to functional impairment. We quantified axial rigidity to assess its relation to motor symptoms as measured by UPDRS and determine whether rigidity is affected by levodopa treatment. Axial rigidity was measured in 12 PD and 14 age-matched controls by directly measuring torsional resistance of the longitudinal axis to twisting (+/-10 degrees ). Feet were rotated relative to fixed hips (Hip Tone) or feet and hips were rotated relative to fixed shoulders (Trunk Tone). To assess tonic activity only, low constant velocity rotation (1 degrees /s) and low acceleration ( 0.10). Hip-to-trunk torque ratio was greater in PD than controls (p<0.05) and unchanged by levodopa (p=0.28). UPDRS scores were significantly correlated with hip rigidity for PD OFF-medication (r values=0.73, p<0.05). Torsional resistance to clockwise versus counter-clockwise axial rotation was more asymmetrical in PD than controls (p<0.05), however, there was no correspondence between direction of axial asymmetry and side of disease onset. In conclusion, these findings concerning hypertonicity may underlie functional impairments of posture and locomotion in PD. The absence of a levodopa effect on axial tone suggests that axial and appendicular tones are controlled by separate neural circuits.
RIP : a novel protein containing a death domain that interacts with Fas/APO-1 (CD95) in yeast and causes cell death

Ligation of the extracellular domain of the cell surface receptor Fas/APO-1 (CD95) elicits a characteristic programmed death response in susceptible cells. Using a genetic selection based on protein-protein interaction in yeast, we have identified two gene products that associate with the intracellular domain of Fas: Fas itself, and a novel 74 kDa protein we have named RIP, for receptor interacting protein. RIP also interacts weakly with the p55 tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR1) intracellular domain, but not with a mutant version of Fas corresponding to the murine lprcg mutation. RIP contains an N-terminal region with homology to protein kinases and a C-terminal region containing a cytoplasmic motif (death domain) present in the Fas and TNFR1 intracellular domains. Transient overexpression of RIP causes transfected cells to undergo the morphological changes characteristic of apoptosis. Taken together, these properties indicate that RIP is a novel form of apoptosis-inducing protein.
Calpain mediates ischemic injury of the liver through modulation of apoptosis and necrosis

Abstract Background & Aims: Calpain proteases have been implicated in cell death by necrosis and more recently by apoptosis. Experiments were designed to determine the role of calpain proteases in ischemic rat liver injury by measurement of cytosolic calpain activity after different periods of ischemia-reperfusion and by evaluation of the effects of calpain inhibition on tissue injury and animal survival. Methods: Calpain activity was measured in the cytosol using Suc-Leu-Leu-Val-Try-7 amino-4 methyl coumarin, a specific fluorogenic substrate, and Cbz-Leu-Leu-Tyr-CHN 2 , a specific inhibitor. Results: Calpain activity increased significantly with the duration of ischemia-reperfusion and was inhibited more than 80% by the inhibitor. Calpain inhibition resulted in a significant decrease in transaminase release and tissue necrosis and converted nonsurvival ischemic conditions to survival conditions. When the in situ terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase–mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate–digoxigenin nick-end labeling assay for apoptosis was used, 35% ± 6% of nonparenchymal cells and 16% ± 3% of hepatocytes stained positively after 60 minutes of ischemia and 6 hours of reperfusion. In contrast, animals pretreated with the calpain inhibitor showed minimal evidence of apoptosis. This was further substantiated by gel electrophoresis assay for DNA fragmentation and by electron-microscopic evaluation. Conclusions: These data suggest that calpain proteases play a pivotal role in warm ischemia-reperfusion injury of the rat liver through modulation of apoptosis and necrosis. GASTROENTEROLOGY 1999;116:168-178
Multi-modality CT-PET-NIR fluorescence tomography

We report the development of a multi-modality NIR fluorescence tomography system. Existing small animal imaging techniques of micro CT and micro PET are utilized to acquire the animal geometry from which a finite element description of animal body is created. Non-contact frequency domain fluorescence boundary measurements are acquired by positioning a scanning NIR laser source and a gain modulated intensified CCD camera in a rotational mode about the animal bed used in the CT/PET scanner. Optical imager is aligned with the PET gantry to enable seamless imaging. Fluorescence image reconstruction is performed with the help of a novel radiative transport theory based algorithm. We demonstrate 3D image reconstruction of a multi-modality CT/PET/fluorescence target implanted within the torso of a nude mouse.
Surviving cancer: The importance of sexual self-concept

Sexual self-schemas are cognitive generalizations regarding sexual aspects of the self; they represent a core component of one's sexuality. We contend that individual differences in sexual self-view are an important cognitive diathesis for predicting sexual difficulty or dysfunction. We illustrate the role of sexual self-schemas in sexual behavior and responsiveness in healthy female and male samples. Next, we examine the diathetic properties of sexual self-schemas. Finally, we discuss an empirical test of the proposed diathesis-stress interaction, reviewing the role of women's sexual self-views on sexual morbidity following diagnosis and treatment for gynecologic cancer.
A Thirst for God or Consumer Spirituality? Cultivating Disciplined Practices of Being Engaged by God

This essay offers a critique of contemporary popular spirituality, specifically by focusing on Thomas Moore’s best-selling book Care of the Soul. Moore’s perspective is juxtaposed with Bernard of Clairvaux’s Sermons on the Song of Songs, displaying the widely divergent views of God, the self, and the practices of spiritual living. The essay also sketches several reasons which help to explain the popularity of generic spirituality such as Moore’s, and it concludes by responding to some potential objections to the account offered in the essay. Overall, the essay displays the marked contrasts between disciplined practices of Christian spirituality and the simulacra of consumer spirituality.
Introduction to Arena

Arena is an easy-to-use, powerful modeling and simulation software tool that allows the user to construct a simulation model and run experiments on the model. The software generates several reports as a result of a simulation run.
The New Martians

The year is 2035, and the crew from the first expedition to Mars is returning to Earth. The crewmembers are anxious to get home, and ennui pervades the ship. The mood is broken by a series of mysterious events that jeopardize their safety. Someone or something is threatening the crew. Is it an alien being? A psychotic crewmember? A malfunctioning computer? The truth raises questions about the crewmembers’ fate and that of the human race.
Congenital hyperinsulinism in children with paternal 11p uniparental isodisomy and Beckwith–Wiedemann syndrome

Background Congenital hyperinsulinism (HI) can have monogenic or syndromic causes. Although HI has long been recognised to be common in children with Beckwith–Wiedemann syndrome (BWS), the underlying mechanism is not known. Methods We characterised the clinical features of children with both HI and BWS/11p overgrowth spectrum, evaluated the contribution of KATP channel mutations to the molecular pathogenesis of their HI and assessed molecular pathogenesis associated with features of BWS. Results We identified 28 children with HI and BWS/11p overgrowth from 1997 to 2014. Mosaic paternal uniparental isodisomy for chromosome 11p (pUPD11p) was noted in 26/28 cases. Most were refractory to diazoxide treatment and half required subtotal pancreatectomies. Patients displayed a wide range of clinical features from classical BWS to only mild hemihypertrophy (11p overgrowth spectrum). Four of the cases had a paternally transmitted KATP mutation and had a much more severe HI course than patients with pUPD11p alone. Conclusions We found that patients with pUPD11p-associated HI have a persistent and severe HI phenotype compared with transient hypoglycaemia of BWS/11p overgrowth patients caused by other aetiologies. Testing for pUPD11p should be considered in all patients with persistent congenital HI, especially for those without an identified HI gene mutation.
Is it Time for an American Paye

In approximately 35 countries, most individual income taxpayers need not file an annual tax return. Those countries all employ a version of a pay as you earn system (PAYE). The great advantage of PAYE is that it imposes lower aggregate compliance and administrative burdens than does a self-assessing tax system such as we employ in the United States. The authors estimate that a PAYE system operates with about one-half the combined administrative and compliance costs of a self-assessment system. This paper investigates the U.K. version of PAYE to determine how such a system operates. The purpose of this exercise is to determine what features of our tax system would impede our adopting such a system. The report also examines a proposed version of a PAYE system for the United States (FASST). Based on his examination of the forgoing, the authors identify five basic problem areas for a U.S. PAYE system: (1) nonwage income; (2) a progressive rate structure; (3) nonstandard deductions and credits; (4) the presence of joint returns; and (5) the small business employer. The authors propose various means whereby each of these potential problem areas could be addressed under a U.S. PAYE system.
SUSPENDED SEDIMENT DISCHARGE ON A NON-TIDAL COAST

A field study was conducted on a non-tidal sand beach to measure the relationship between wave energy and the longshore transport of suspended sediment. The range of suspended sediment concentrations was similar to that reported elsewhere. The relation between longshore transport and longshore energy flux derived from this data set is about half that amount predicted by such widely quoted sources as Komar and Inman (1970).
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy With Substance-Using Individuals: A Randomized Controlled Trial Study

Objective:This study examined the effectiveness of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) intervention on substance abuse and trauma-related problems.Methods:A randomized controlled trial design was...
Phase Relationships and Cation Disorder in RE1+xBa2-xCu3O7+δ, RE = Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd

Unlike Y123 which forms only a stoichiometric compound, the light rare earth elements (LRE) form a solid solution LRE1+xBa2-xCu3O7+δ (LRE123ss), with increasing substitution of the LRE3+ for the Ba2+ as the ionic radii of the LRE increases. The sub-solidus phase relationships around the LRE123ss change for La, Pr and Nd, but are similar for Sm and Gd. However, the solubility limit decreases with decreasing ionic radii. In addition, the solubility limits for Sm and Gd are strongly influenced by PO2 during high temperature annealing. The range of solubility is, for any given LRE system, strongly dependent on the oxygen partial pressure(PO2) providing a new means by which to control the microstructure in the RE123 system.
Short syntheses of the tricyclic indole alkaloids cimitrypazepine and fargesine

Abstract A short synthetic sequence leading to the tricyclic alkaloids cimitrypazepine and fargesine is reported. An intramolecular Heck reaction and a palladium catalyzed reductive N-heterocyclization are key steps in the synthesis.
Familiäre Hyperlipoproteinämie vom Typ V

Die Typ V-Hyperlipoproteinamie [1] wird durch die folgende Dyslipoproteinamie im 12–16 Stunden Nuchternplasma charakterisiert: (1) Hyperchylomikronamie; (2) erhebliche Hyper-pra-β-Lipoproteinamie (im Gegensatz zu der leichten, wenn uberhaupt vorhandenen Erhohung der pra-β-LP bei der Typ I-Hyperlipoproteinamie) und erhohte albumingebundene Freie Fettsauren im Serum; (3) Hypo-β-Lipoproteinamie und (4) Hypo-α-Lipoproteinamie.
Case VII: Tumor 2

A 90-year-old male presents with a mass in the right axilla. The mass has been slowly growing over the past 8 months. He also noticed difficulty with raising the right arm above his head. PMH significant for end-stage renal disease on dialysis. Review of systems is significant for unintentional weight loss.
Minkowski Geometric Algebra and the Stability of Characteristic Polynomials

A polynomial p is said to be Γ-stable if all its roots lie within a given domain Γ in the complex plane. The Γ-stability of an entire family of polynomials, defined by selecting the coefficients of p from specified complex sets, can be verified by (i) testing the Γ-stability of a single member, and (ii) checking that the “total value set” V * for p along the domain boundary ∂Γ does not contain 0 (V * is defined as the set of all values of p for each point on ∂Γ and every possible choice of the coefficients). The methods of Minkowski geometric algebra —the algebra of point sets in the complex plane — offer a natural language for the stability analysis of families of complex polynomials. These methods are introduced, and applied to analyzing the stability of disk polynomials with coefficients selected from circular disks in the complex plane. In this context, V * may be characterized as the union of a one-parameter family of disks, and we show that the Γ-stability of a disk polynomial can be verified by a finite algorithm (a counterpart to the Kharitonov conditions for rectangular coefficient sets) that entails checking that at most two real polynomials remain positive for all t, when the domain boundary ∂Γ is a given polynomial curve γ(t).Furthermore, the “robustness margin” can be determined by computing the real roots of a real polynomial.
Brominated flame retardants in placental tissues: associations with infant sex and thyroid hormone endpoints

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are endocrine disruptors that bioaccumulate in the placenta, but it remains unclear if they disrupt tissue thyroid hormone (TH) metabolism. Our primary goal was to investigate associations between placental BFRs, TH levels, Type 3 deiodinase (DIO3) activity and TH sulfotransferase (SULT) activities. Placenta samples collected from 95 women who delivered term (>37 weeks) infants in Durham, NC, USA (enrolled 2010–2011) were analyzed for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), 2,4,6-tribromophenol (2,4,6-TBP), THs (T4, T3 and rT3), and DIO3 and TH SULT activities. PBDEs and 2,4,6-TBP were detected in all placenta samples. PBDEs were higher in placental tissues from male infants compared to female infants, with 2,4,6-TBP and BDE-209 levels approximately twice as high. Among male infants, placental BDE-99 and BDE-209 were negatively associated with rT3 placental levels. For female infants, placental BDE-99 and 2,4,6-TBP were positively associated with T3 concentrations. DIO3 activity was also significantly higher in placental tissues from male infants compared to females, while 3,3’-T2 SULT activity was significantly higher in placental tissues from females compared to males. Among males, several PBDE congeners were positively correlated with T3 SULT, while BDE-99 was negatively associated with T3 SULT among females. Associations generally remained after adjustment for potential confounding by maternal age and gestational age at delivery. These results suggest BFRs accumulate in the placenta and potentially alter TH function in a sex-specific manner, a possible mechanism to explain the sex-dependent impacts of environmental exposure on children’s growth and development. More research is needed to elucidate the effects of BFRs on placenta function during pregnancy, as well as the biological consequences of exposure and thyroid disruption.
A Randomized Educational Interventional Trial of Spaced Education During a Pediatric Rotation.

Objective Spacing of educational material over time has been shown to improve learning efficiency and long-term knowledge retention. We evaluated the impact of adding a spaced education curriculum to a month-long pediatric rotation. Methods This was a randomized controlled educational intervention trial of residents on a rotation in a pediatric emergency department. Participants were randomized to the standard curriculum or the standard curriculum with integrated spaced education. The intervention used an automated platform to electronically deliver questions to user e-mail or mobile devices and provided instant feedback. Our primary outcome was proportion of correctly answered questions following the rotation. Our secondary outcomes included test performance at 3 months, change in clinical confidence, and satisfaction with the spaced learning. Learner opinion of the platform was assessed by postrotation survey. Results Of 194 eligible trainees, 122 were enrolled and randomized. A total of 107 of the enrolled residents (88%) completed the immediate postrotation assessment, 48 of whom received spaced education. Sixty residents completed the 3-month follow-up. There were no differences between the control and intervention groups in baseline knowledge. The intervention group performed better than the control group on the postrotation assessment (mean difference = 5.4%, 95% confidence interval = 0.1–10.7) when controlled for didactic attendance and clinical exposure. Change in confidence did not differ between groups. Eighty-seven percent of spaced education learners would participate in a similar model in the future. Conclusion Spaced education during a pediatric emergency medicine rotation is an effective adjunct to a standard curriculum. Participants showed improvement on postrotation knowledge performance and enjoyed this educational approach.
Leukemia-Associated Oncometabolite 2-Hydroxyglutarate Regulates Epigenetic Modifications in Response to Oxygen Availability in Cells without IDH1/2 Mutations

Abstract Mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 or 2 (IDH1/2) result in production of the ‘oncometabolite’ D-2-hydroxyglutarate (D-2HG). D-2HG blocks differentiation of leukemia cells by functioning as a competitive inhibitor of alpha-ketoglutarate (alpha-KG) dependent enzymes, including Jumonji family histone lysine demethylases and TET family DNA methylcytosine dioxygenases, which function as important regulators of chromatin structure and gene expression. 2HG is a chiral molecule that can exist in either the D- or L- enantiomer. Although leukemia-associated IDH1/2 mutations exclusively produce D-2HG, biochemical studies have demonstrated that L-2HG functions as a more potent inhibitor of alpha-KG-dependent enzymes. However, biologic sources and/or activities of L-2HG remain unknown. Possible physiologic roles for both 2-hydroxyglutarate enantiomers are suggested by the existence of evolutionarily conserved ‘waste disposal’ enzymes, known as D2HGDH and L2HGDH, whose sole function is to eliminate D-2HG or L-2HG, respectively. Indeed, children born with genetic deficiency of either enzyme develop severe developmental disorders known as D- and L-2HG acidurias, characterized by systemic elevation of 2HG. We sought to investigate physiologic sources and functions of D-2HG and L-2HG by manipulating D2HGDH and L2HGDH in cells without IDH1/2 mutations. Using this approach, we found that under conditions of oxygen limitation, cells potently and selectively produce L-2HG via enzymatic reduction of alpha-KG. Hypoxia-induced L-2HG production is not mediated by IDH1 or IDH2, but instead appears to occur via promiscuous substrate usage by lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), and to a lesser extent, malate dehydrogenase 2 (MDH2). Hypoxic induction of L-2HG increases repressive histone modifications, including H3K9me3 and H3K27me3, chromatin marks associated with an undifferentiated cellular state. Thus, L-2HG appears to function as a metabolic signaling intermediate, translating information about oxygen availability into epigenetic modifications that might prevent a cell from undergoing differentiation when it lacks the capacity for oxidative metabolism. As hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) reside in hypoxic niches, oxygen-regulated L-2HG might influence self-renewal of HSCs and represent a physiologic system exploited by IDH1/2 mutant-derived D-2HG in leukemia. Download : Download high-res image (153KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure 1 . Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) receptor and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in primary breast cancer (BC); correlations with clinical characteristics and patient outcomes.

1090 Background: The interaction of the PD-1 receptor on tumor infiltrating lymphocytes and PD-L1 on tumor cells dampens antitumor immunity. Two phase I trials suggested efficacy of anti-PD-1/PD-L1...
Regions, Periods, Activities: Uncovering Urban Dynamics via Cross-Modal Representation Learning

With the ever-increasing urbanization process, systematically modeling people's activities in the urban space is being recognized as a crucial socioeconomic task. This task was nearly impossible years ago due to the lack of reliable data sources, yet the emergence of geo-tagged social media (GTSM) data sheds new light on it. Recently, there have been fruitful studies on discovering geographical topics from GTSM data. However, their high computational costs and strong distributional assumptions about the latent topics hinder them from fully unleashing the power of GTSM. To bridge the gap, we present CrossMap, a novel cross-modal representation learning method that uncovers urban dynamics with massive GTSM data. CrossMap first employs an accelerated mode seeking procedure to detect spatiotemporal hotspots underlying people's activities. Those detected hotspots not only address spatiotemporal variations, but also largely alleviate the sparsity of the GTSM data. With the detected hotspots, CrossMap then jointly embeds all spatial, temporal, and textual units into the same space using two different strategies: one is reconstruction-based and the other is graph-based. Both strategies capture the correlations among the units by encoding their co-occurrence and neighborhood relationships, and learn low-dimensional representations to preserve such correlations. Our experiments demonstrate that CrossMap not only significantly outperforms state-of-the-art methods for activity recovery and classification, but also achieves much better efficiency.
Simultaneous Detection and Serotyping of Salmonellae by Immunomagnetic Separation and Label-Free Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

Current detection and characterization techniques for Salmonellae are time consuming, and rapid methods could benefit investigation and control of foodborne outbreaks. In this study, the potential of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) in label-free detection and serotyping of Salmonella was evaluated. After immunomagnetic separation (IMS) and overnight culture, SERS spectra were collected from multiple replicates and experiments and analyzed by chemometrics. The detection/characterization accuracies were evaluated in real unknown mixture samples, which were confirmed by plating on selective agar plates and anti-sera agglutination tests. Prediction accuracies were found between 93 and 100%, 87 and 100%, and 67 and 100% for detecting Salmonella from other species, characterization of Salmonella serotypes, and simultaneous detection and characterization, respectively. When validated in mixture samples consisting of six bacteria, accuracies were 65–100% with increased misclassification. Overall, the approach may provide an inexpensive alternative within similar or slightly longer periods of time, but further improvement in spectral reproducibility and accuracy is needed.
Internationalizing Entrepreneurs: Bridging Real Options Reasoning and Affordable Loss Logics

Drawing upon the theories of real options and affordable loss, this study examines why and how internationalizing entrepreneurs willingly and rationally contend with extreme uncertainty in the purs...