cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dancers and followers in a honeybee colony differently prioritize individual and colony nutritional needs

The evolution of sociality is often accompanied by nutritional conflicts and the evolution of mechanisms to resolve them. The foraging behaviour of eusocial animals such as the honeybee, Apis mellifera, is generally considered to be largely regulated by the colony nutritional state. Previous work based on the information primacy hypothesis has however found that honeybee foragers explore (sample resources) and exploit (consume resources) in accordance with their individual nutritional state. We therefore hypothesized that individual and colony nutritional states differ in their influence on individuals of different behavioural phenotypes such as dancers and followers, who are akin to producers and scroungers, respectively. This leads to the prediction that these two behavioural groups will differ with respect to their exploration–exploitation trade-off and in terms of how they prioritize individual and colony nutritional states. We tested our predictions by creating a mismatch between individual and colony nutritional states. Our results show that dancers and followers do not differ in their levels of exploration and exploitation, but dancers are more responsive to colony nutritional state than are followers with regard to managing their exploration–exploitation trade-off. We discuss these results in the context of how these two behavioural phenotypes may differ in their sensitivity to the different nutritional pathways regulating worker behaviour in a eusocial colony and the evolution of sociality in general.
Fractal dimension, dispersion, and singularities of fluid motion

It is conjectured that turbulent dispersion in a closed vessel involves surfaces whose fractal dimension exceeds 2. The different singularities and quasi-singularities of the motion are carried by a hierarchy of sets whose dimensions are fractions. The quasi-singularities are viewed as being singularities of the Euler equations, after they have been smoothed by viscosity.
Rehabilitating LSD history in postwar America: Dilworth Wayne Woolley and the serotonin hypothesis of mental illness

Revisiting the history of postwar LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) research illuminates how the work of a chemist at the Rockefeller Institute contributed to the development of a biochemical paradigm for mental functioning. Dilworth Wayne Woolley proposed one of the first theories of the biochemistry of mental illness based on empirical evidence. His research with LSD and serotonin had wide-ranging repercussions for pharmacology and fit neatly into the emerging medicalization of mental illness. Reevaluating Woolley’s ideas and the fruits of psychopharmacology leads to possible new approaches toward mental health and illness when considered alongside lessons learned from past research with psychedelic substances, and exemplifies a broader paradigm shift in cultural studies toward a biopsychosocial model that acknowledges the intersections between biology and culture.
Abstract 463: Dietary Nitrite Plays a Role in Wound Healing in Diabetic Mice

Intro: Diabetic wounds heal poorly leading to major morbidity, mortality, and financial cost. Nitric oxide (NO), produced in wounds by NO synthases (NOSs), is essential for normal wound healing and is reduced in diabetic wounds, contributing to poor healing. It is known that NO can also be regenerated from nitrite through xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR). Thus, we hypothesize that dietary nitrite may be an important source of NO in diabetic wound healing. Methods: Diabetic Db/Db mice were fed normal chow, nitrite depleted chow, or nitrite depleted chow with 1.5g/L nitrite supplemented water starting 1 week prior to wounding. Excisional wounds were created on each mouse and wound areas were measured every other day. Skin and wound samples from a separate group of Db/Db mice were obtained prior to and 5 days after wounding. Tissues were used for Western blots and XOR activity assay. Plasma was used for nitrite measurements. Results: Nitrite depletion lowered plasma nitrite by 50-60% vs mice on chow or on nitrite water. XOR was highly expressed in the skin, less so at the wound edge, and minimally in granulation tissue by Western. This was confirmed by XOR enzyme assay showing 5 fold more activity in the skin compared to the wound tissues. Wound healing was delayed in nitrite depleted mice as compared to the chow fed mice (Figure). Nitrite supplementation showed a trend in improved healing rates vs nitrite depleted mice. Conclusion: Diabetic skin and wound edge expresses XOR. Nitrite does contribute to wound healing in Db/Db mice. Dietary nitrite increased plasma nitrite levels and increased the wound healing rate. This suggests a potential therapeutic role for dietary nitrite in diabetic wound care.
Assessing Economic Damages in Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation: The State of Nebraska

Abstract This article presents a framework for computing damages in Nebraska personal injury and wrongful death cases. The analysis is based on statute, common law, case law, jury instructions and practice. Elements unique to personal injury and wrongful death cases are discussed, as well as elements common to both. The role and requirements for damage experts are examined, as are the work product and likelihood of deposition and testimony.
Diagnosis and emergency treatment of convulsion in children

Convulsion is a common pediatric emergency and the most frequent clinical feature among the diseases of nervous system in children.Convulsion emergencies are potentially life-threatening events.Brief convulsions rarely produce lasting effects on the brain.Prolonged convulsions,especially status epilepticus,can lead to permanent neurologic damage.Airway management and timely termination of the convulsion are the initial priorities.Early recognition and accurate diagnosis are crucial for effective emergency treatment of convulsion. Key words: Convulsion; Diagnosis; Emergency treatment; Children
Discovery and Characterization of (R)-6-Neopentyl-2-(pyridin-2-ylmethoxy)-6,7-dihydropyrimido[2,1-c][1,4]oxazin-4(9H)-one (PF-06462894), an Alkyne-Lacking Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 5 Negative Allosteric Modulator Profiled in both Rat and Nonhuman Primates

We previously observed a cutaneous type IV immune response in nonhuman primates (NHP) with the mGlu5 negative allosteric modulator (NAM) 7. To determine if this adverse event was chemotype- or mechanism-based, we evaluated a distinct series of mGlu5 NAMs. Increasing the sp3 character of high-throughput screening hit 40 afforded a novel morpholinopyrimidone mGlu5 NAM series. Its prototype, (R)-6-neopentyl-2-(pyridin-2-ylmethoxy)-6,7-dihydropyrimido[2,1-c][1,4]oxazin-4(9H)-one (PF-06462894, 8), possessed favorable properties and a predicted low clinical dose (2 mg twice daily). Compound 8 did not show any evidence of immune activation in a mouse drug allergy model. Additionally, plasma samples from toxicology studies confirmed that 8 did not form any reactive metabolites. However, 8 caused the identical microscopic skin lesions in NHPs found with 7, albeit with lower severity. Holistically, this work supports the hypothesis that this unique toxicity may be mechanism-based although additional work is require...
Reduced dimension estimators in matched subspace detection

The standard matched subspace detector is modified by replacing a full-rank oblique pseudoinverse with a reduced-dimension version that trades bias for variance. Minimization of the bias squared plus variance produces an order determination rule relating signal to noise ratio and noise gain. The reduced dimension detector is then applied to several detection tasks in hyperspectral imagery yielding promising results.
Between the Author “Disabled” and the Coleridgean Imagination: STC’s Epistolary Pathographies

In this chapter, it is argued that Coleridge’s letters, including those that contain drafts of his lyric poems, might best be read as what I call ‘epistolary pathographies’, disclosing a rich process of generic and linguistic experimentation provoked by attempts to articulate the ill body. In both its epistolary and published forms, ‘This Lime-Tree Bower My Prison’ figures injury as an experience that enables revelatory creative production. In the poem, Coleridge depicts a dialectical interplay between the pained body and the imagination that, I argue, continues to characterize his acts of textual creation for years to come. Coleridge’s 1797 autobiographical letters to Tom Poole, his self-diagnostic letters, and the letters that contain drafts of ‘Dejection: An Ode’ and ‘The Pains of Sleep’ bear witness to an increasingly antagonistic struggle between his unruly, ill body, on the one hand, and his (potentially) transcendent mind and imagination, on the other.
Endoscopic Endonasal Approach for Posterior Fossa Tumors

The endoscopic endonasal approaches have been steadily growing and allowing the development of new tools and a greater familiarity of surgeons with this technique. This has allowed the use of this technique for new areas beyond the sphenoid and pituitary, such as the ventral posterior fossa. In this chapter we review the tenets of this approach. We have divided the ventral posterior cranial fossa tumors in extradural (chondrosarcomas and chordomas) and intradural (meningiomas). For each one, we analyze the main characteristics that would benefit or hinder an endoscopic endonasal approach, combined or not with lateral approaches, such as the patient sinonasal anatomy, tumor growth pattern, relative position, and involvement of the cranial nerves and arteries. The closer to the midline and with the neurovascular structures laterally displaced and not involved nor invaded are the most promising candidates for this technique. The challenges of the skull base reconstructions for this location due to its vertical position and high-flow cisterns are also discussed here, with the use of pedicled vascularized flaps and multilayered reconstructions as the mainstays.
A Microbial Perspective on the Grand Challenges in Comparative Animal Physiology.

ABSTRACT Interactions with microbial communities can have profound influences on animal physiology, thereby impacting animal performance and fitness. Therefore, it is important to understand the diversity and nature of host-microbe interactions in various animal groups (invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals). In this perspective, I discuss how the field of host-microbe interactions can be used to address topics that have been identified as grand challenges in comparative animal physiology: (i) horizontal integration of physiological processes across organisms, (ii) vertical integration of physiological processes across organizational levels within organisms, and (iii) temporal integration of physiological processes during evolutionary change. Addressing these challenges will require the use of a variety of animal models and the development of systems approaches that can integrate large, multiomic data sets from both microbial communities and animal hosts. Integrating host-microbe interactions into the established field of comparative physiology represents an exciting frontier for both fields.
Emotion dysregulation across the spectrum of pathological eating: Comparisons among women with binge eating, overeating, and loss of control eating.

Emotion regulation difficulties influence the etiology and maintenance of binge eating and eating disorders, but differential associations between emotion dysregulation and objective binge eating (...
Validation of CAS model 9010 automated blood pressure monitor:children/adult and neonatal studies.

BACKGROUND: The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) has guidelines and standards for the performance and accuracy of automated blood pressure monitors.METHODS: We performed two validation studies for the CAS model 9010 oscillometric blood pressure monitor, one in children and adults using a sphygmomanometer-auscultation standard, and one in newborns using an intra-arterial catheter pressure standard. In the former study, 88 participants from 4 to 78 years of age with widely varying blood pressures were enrolled. In the latter, 35 newborn children with umbilical artery catheters in place took part. RESULTS: The accuracy of the readings from the model 9010 met all AAMI standards. CONCLUSION: This monitor can be used from the premature through to the elderly.
The stress intensity factor for a cracked stiffened sheet repaired with an adhesively bonded composite patch

The problem of a cracked, stiffened metallic sheet adhesively bonded by a composite patch is analyzed. The composite patch is assumed to be either an infinite orthotropic sheet or an infinite orthotropic strip normal to the crack. Due to the high stress concentration around the crack and on the interface, an elliptical disbond is assumed to exist around the crack. The crack is asymmetric with respect to the stiffener's locations as well as to the patch's center. The effect of thermal stresses in curing process is also considered. The fracture problem is solved by the displacement compatibility method, using the complex variable approach and the Fourier integral transform method.
Responses to Hattiangadi, Wikforss, and Williamson

I am immensely thankful to Anandi Hattiangadi, Asa Wikforss, and Timothy Williamson for their insightful and carefully argued commentaries on my book Meaning and Normativity (2012). In the book, I ...
Synthesis and oligomerization of carbomethoxymaleic anhydride

Carbomethoxymaleic anhydride has been prepared from the reaction of tricarbomethoxyethylene and phosphoric anhydride. It oligomerized under free radical conditions, the first trisubstituted ethylene to do so under usual laboratory conditions.
A Genuine Institutional Economics

Hayek belongs to a long tradition of social scientists who saw themselves as contributing to the “invisible hand theorizing” of Adam Smith. In this, he was influenced by other Austrian economists, particularly Carl Menger and Ludwig von Mises. Menger was the first economist to develop an evolutionary theory of institutional formation, which he used to make sense of the emergence of money. Mises extended Menger’s argument on money and elaborated the methodological foundations of the study of institutions. In turn, Hayek himself influenced the development of a new, genuine institutional economics during the emergence of the law and economics approach pioneered by Aaron Director, Ronald Coase, and Bruno Leoni in the second half of the twentieth century.
GI Surgical Emergencies: Scope and Burden of Disease

Nearly 3 million patients are hospitalized every year for emergent gastrointestinal (GI) surgical problems and nearly one third of those will require surgery. This article reviews the scope of GI surgical emergencies within the context of emergency general surgery (EGS), costs of care, overview of several common GI surgical problems, and traditional and emerging treatment modalities. This article also argues for ongoing work in the area of risk assessment for EGS, and describes quality metrics as well as outcomes of care for these patients.
Comparison of Automated and Manual Peripheral Oxygen Saturation Control Applied to One Human Subject at a High Target Range

Newborn infants, mainly those born prematurely, often require respiratory support with a varying concentration of the fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO$_{\mathbf {2}}$) to keep the peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO$_{\mathbf {2}}$) within the desired range to prevent adverse health effects due to both high and low SpO$_{\mathbf {2}}$. Manual adjustment, by nurses, is the common practice. However, the efficacy of the manual control is questionable. A novel automatic controller is evaluated clinically with application to one human subject at a high target SpO$_{\mathbf {2}}$. The automatic controller demonstrated the ability to improve oxygen saturation control over the everyday routine manual control by increasing the proportion of time where SpO$_{\mathbf {2}}\textbf{v}$alues were within the desired range.
The economic geography of variable renewable energy and impacts of trade formulations for renewable mandates

Abstract This paper examines electricity market responses to flexibility provisions in prospective renewable energy mandates and the geographical incidence of impacts. Using an integrated model of electric sector investments and operations with detailed spatial and temporal resolutions, the analysis demonstrates how renewable mandate trade formulations for electricity and renewable energy certificates can materially impact power sector outcomes like capacity planning decisions, compliance costs, CO2 emissions, and the regional distribution of renewable development. There are substantial welfare gains, up to $84 billion in present value terms through 2050, from inter-regional electricity and permit trade (and costs of market fragmentation), but the degree and direction of impact depend on region-specific considerations. Allowing permit trade encourages greater deployment of wind and solar in regions with favorable investment environments and resources, but renewable capacity additions are appreciable in all regions since diminishing marginal returns and transmission constraints limit the benefits of overdevelopment in any single region. Model results suggest that regions will likely find it beneficial to generate at least half of their renewable mandate compliance obligations through in-state resources and that most of the economic benefits from inter-regional REC exchange can be captured with a relatively modest amount of trading flexibility. Trade flexibility is shown to have minimal impacts on CO2 emissions leakage nationally.
The Role of Local Hormone Replacement in Overactive Bladder

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a common and distressing condition which is known to increase with age and to have a significant effect on quality of life (QoL). Whilst OAB is a symptomatic diagnosis, many patients will require basic investigations prior to initiating the appropriate management. This paper will explore the prevalence and pathophysiology of OAB as well as diagnosis and management of the condition. There is increasing evidence that local oestrogen therapy may be beneficial in the management of postmenopausal women with OAB, either when used alone or as combination therapy with an antimuscarinic drug. This paper will review the postulated mechanisms of action as well as exploring the available evidence base supporting efficacy. There is now a substantial evidence base to support the use of local vaginal oestrogen therapy in postmenopausal women with OAB either in isolation or alternatively as an adjunctive therapy when used with antimuscarinic medication. Available evidence supports an improvement in lower urinary tract symptoms as well as a significant improvement in health-related quality of life (HRQoL).
Comparative analysis of robotic versus laparoscopic revisional bariatric surgery: perioperative outcomes from the MBSAQIP database.

Abstract Background There are limited data evaluating the role of robotics in revisional bariatric surgery (RBS) compared with laparoscopy. Objective The purpose of this study was to compare perioperative outcomes of laparoscopic and robotic RBS. Setting The Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) database. Methods The 2015 to 2017 MBSAQIP database was queried for patients undergoing revisional robotic and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Multivariate logistic regression was used to compare outcomes between robotic and laparoscopic approaches, adjusting for demographic characteristics, co-morbidities, and operative time. Results A total of 17,012 patients underwent revisional SG with 15,935 (93.7%) laparoscopic and 1077 (6.3%) robotic, and 12,442 patients underwent revisional RYGB with 11,212 (90.1%) laparoscopic and 1230 (9.9%) robotic. Overall morbidity was higher in robotic SG compared with laparoscopic SG (6.7% versus 4.5%; adjusted odds ratio 1.51; P Conclusions Robotic RBS has an increased complication profile compared with the laparoscopic approach for SG and decreased for RYGB. Further analysis is needed regarding variability in surgeon technique and operative experience to determine what factors contribute to these differences.
Intraoperative Radiation for Spinal Metastatic Disease

Intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) is the delivery of therapeutic radiation at the time of tumor resection to the area at highest risk of recurrence, which is becoming an increasingly important component in the optimal multidisciplinary management of metastatic and primary spinal disease. IORT can be accomplished using several techniques, including intraoperative electron or low-energy photon beam therapy, or using brachytherapy, which entails the placement of radioactive sources directly within a tumor or surgical cavity. These approaches allow for the delivery of high dose radiation in a focal manner, with relative sparing of nearby critical structures. This is of critical importance for the treatment of metastatic or primary spinal disease since the radiation tolerance of the spinal cord and cauda equina often limit the total amount of radiation that can be offered, especially in the setting of prior radiation. IORT is feasible in a variety of settings, including after surgical decompression and either before or after external beam radiotherapy. IORT may be an appropriate option for patients requiring re-treatment of challenging lesions such as radioresistant histologies or those with significant dural involvement. In this chapter, we will highlight various methods used to deliver intraoperative radiation for spinal malignancies and summarize key brachytherapy series to review its use in clinical scenarios.
Sequential Compression Device Adherence is Low in Hospitalized Antepartum Patients

Objective This study was aimed to describe sequential compression device (SCD) adherence and its associations with SCD education in hospitalized antepartum women. Study Design This study included antepartum, nonlaboring women admitted from 2016 to 2018, 1 year before and after an SCD education intervention. SCD use was assessed through the Kendall SCD 700 series compliance meter, which tracks the time the SCD machine takes within the monitoring interval. Recruitment occurred after 60 to 80 hours of monitoring, at which time a patient survey was completed. SCD use was the percentage of time the machine was on during monitoring. Mann–Whitney U and Chi-square tests were used to compare associations between SCD use, education, and pharmacologic prophylaxis. Results Among 125 recruited women, 123 provided adherence data, 69 before and 54 after the education. Median SCD use was 17.3% before and 20.7% after (p = 0.71). Pharmacologic prophylaxis use was similar between the two periods and was not associated with SCD use. Among 121 surveys, the most common reason as to why SCDs were not worn was prevention of walking (52/121 [43.0%]). Conclusion Using a novel monitoring technique, we found low-SCD use among antepartum inpatients, which was neither affected by education nor concurrent pharmacologic prophylaxis. Improving mobility with SCDs may improve use in this population. Key Points
Solution of nonlinear time-dependent PDEs through componentwise approximation of matrix functions

Exponential propagation iterative (EPI) methods provide an efficient approach to the solution of large stiff systems of ODEs, compared to standard integrators. However, the bulk of the computational effort in these methods is due to products of matrix functions and vectors, which can become very costly at high resolution due to an increase in the number of Krylov projection steps needed to maintain accuracy. In this paper, it is proposed to modify EPI methods by using Krylov subspace spectral (KSS) methods, instead of standard Krylov projection methods, to compute products of matrix functions and vectors. Numerical experiments demonstrate that this modification causes the number of Krylov projection steps to become bounded independently of the grid size, thus dramatically improving efficiency and scalability. As a result, for each test problem featured, as the total number of grid points increases, the growth in computation time is just below linear, while other methods achieved this only on selected test problems or not at all.
Crohn's disease or histoplasmosis? A case of severe disseminated histoplasmosis mimicking Crohn's disease and literature review

Disseminated histoplasmosis (DH) often mimics other diseases, leading to misdiagnosis and delays in treatment. We present a patient who developed DH after treatment with immunosuppressants for an initial diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Upon diagnosing her with DH, liposomal amphotericin B was started, and she eventually recovered after a prolonged hospitalization. Intrabdominal histoplasmosis has many similarities with IBD. Treatment with immunosuppressants in undiagnosed histoplasmosis can lead to dissemination with potentially catastrophic results.
STEP 1 for Effective Weight Control - Another First Step?

Given the worldwide increase in obesity, with attendant coexisting conditions and increased risk of death, there is a pressing need to address weight loss and maintenance strategies.1-3 Behavioral ...
Confidence and use of physical examination and point-of-care ultrasonography for detection of abdominal or pleural free fluid. A cross-sectional survey

Physical examination (PE) has always been a corner stone of medical practice. The recent advances in imaging and fading of doctors’ ability in performing it, however, raised doubts on PE usefulness. Point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) is gaining ground in medicine with the detection of free fluids being one of its main applications. To estimate physicians’ confidence and use of PE and POCUS for the detection of abdominal or pleural free fluid, we conducted a cross-sectional survey. In all, 246 internal and emergency medicine physicians answered to the survey (197 in-hospital physicians and 49 general practitioners; response rate 28.5%). Almost all declared to perform PE in case of suspected ascites or pleural effusion (88% and 90%, respectively). The highest rates of confidence were observed in conventional PE signs (91% for diminished breath sounds, 80% for dullness to thorax percussion, and 66% for abdominal flank dullness). For the remaining signs, rates of confidence were less than 53%. Physicians with > 15 years of experience and POCUS-naive doctors reported higher confidence in PE. Most of emergency and almost half of internal medicine physicians (78% and 44%, respectively) attended a structured POCUS course. POCUS use was higher among trained physicians for both ascites (84% vs 50%, p < 0.001) and pleural effusion (80% vs 34%, p < 0.001). Similarly, higher POCUS use was observed in younger physicians. In conclusion, PE is frequently performed and rates of confidence are low for most PE signs, especially among young doctors and POCUS users. This detailed inventory suggests an ongoing shift towards POCUS integration in clinical practice.
Developing a Distributed Trust Model for Distributed Energy Resources

Electric power system operators can manage distribution system reliability by coordinating end customer usage of distributed energy resources. The end customers in this regard are Service Provisioning Customers, who provide their energy resources to a Grid Service Provider, which in turn dispatches large aggregations of distributed energy resources to provide reliable service to the power system.The security of this system relies upon information protection mechanisms, as described in IEEE 2030.5. However, in addition to preventive security measures, a monitoring function is required to ensure trustworthiness. Trust models are a method to detect and respond to both expected and unexpected behavior. Different trust models are required for various types and characteristics of each situation. This paper will describe the topics that must be considered when developing a trust model as it applies to distributed energy resources. The major contribution of this paper is the creation and application of a Distributed Trust Model applied to distributed energy resources.
Modified Auger for Pit Latrine Desludging in Developing Countries

Abstract A modified auger was developed in response to the need for a hygienic and low-cost pit emptying technology. An auger is housed inside a 4” pipe and powered by a hydraulic motor. As the auger turns, sludge is conveyed up and out of the pit into containers for disposal. Development and lab testing of prototypes was followed by field-testing on pit latrines in South Africa. Flow rates up to 40 LPM were achieved in field-testing, which are high enough to empty a typical pit in 1 to 2 hours. Field testing also revealed new challenges and progress has continued in order to solve these problems, including improved manoeuvrability and management of trash often found in latrines. The addition of a dolly frame improved the movement of the auger inside and outside of the pits. Trash removal technologies that could be coupled with the auger are currently in development. Further field-testing of the auger and trash management techniques will be carried out.
Immune mechanisms in inflammatory and degenerative eye disease

It has recently been recognized that pathology of age-associated degenerative eye diseases such as adult macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, have strong immunological underpinnings. Attempts have been made to extrapolate to age-related degenerative disease insights from inflammatory processes associated with non-infectious uveitis, but these have not yet been sufficiently informative. Here we review recent findings on the immune processes underlying uveitis and those that have been shown to contribute to AMD, discussing in this context parallels and differences between overt inflammation and para-inflammation in the eye. We propose that mechanisms associated with ocular immune privilege, in combination with paucity of age-related antigen(s) within the target tissue, dampen what could otherwise be overt inflammation and result in the para-inflammation that characterizes age-associated neurodegenerative disease.
Providing uniform access to heterogeneous information bases

We propose the use of object-oriented database management systems (OODBMSs) as tools for providing coordinated access to distributed, heterogeneous, autonomous information bases. The extensible nature of an OODBMS, i.e., the provision for abstract data types and operations, makes it feasible to write interfaces to a wide variety of existing information sources and that way create the illusion of a single integrated database which can be queried in a uniform manner. We illustrate the approach in terms of the Iris OODBMS.
Detector modeling using combinatorial geometry

It is noted that computational description of complex geometric shapes can be greatly simplified using so-called combinatorial geometry packages. Such programs have wide application, particularly in ray-tracing and transport problems where the system geometry code can become a sizable fraction of the total program. The authors describe the implementation of one such package, the MORSE-CG, and discuss in detail how it is operated within version 4 of the Electron-Gamma Shower (EGS4) code system of W.R. Nelson et al. (1988). Several geometries representative of common radiation detectors are considered. >
Cost-effectiveness analyses of the conversion of patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus from glipizide to glyburide and of the accompanying pharmacy follow-up clinic

Abstract At the Department of Veterans' Affairs Outpatient Clinic in Columbus, Ohio, patients with non—insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus who were receiving glipizide therapy were converted to glyburide therapy over a 6-month period starting in mid-1993. A pharmacy follow-up clinic was instituted to help patients with problems associated with the transition. The conversion was intended to reduce costs by converting from a more expensive to a less expensive drug (in terms of acquisition cost) within the same therapeutic class. An initial analysis of the conversion indicated a savings of $65,000.00 to the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) based on the drug acquisition cost differential alone. The purpose of our study was to retrospectively evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the conversion and the pharmacy follow-up clinic from the perspective of the VA pharmacy department. Relevant costs and effectiveness (percentage of patients who achieved good glycemic control) were examined for three groups: group I—patients who were treated with glipizide; group II—patients who were switched from glipizide to glyburide, accompanied by a pharmacy follow-up clinic; and group III—patients who were switched from glipizide to glyburide, with no follow-up clinic. Overall, group III had the lowest costs, and group II appeared to be the most effective. Cost-effectiveness analysis indicated that, in general, the conversion from glipizide to glyburide was cost-effective. Incremental analysis performed for the follow-up group over the no follow-up group showed that for every 1% of patients who achieved good glycemic control, the VA would spend $1.01 more for the follow-up group. This was considered to be cost-effective for the VA.
Mapp v. Ohio’s Unsung Hero: Suppression Hearings as Morality Play

The exclusionary rule is back under the judicial magnifying glass. Recent opinions, most notably by Justice Scalia, have sparked speculation that the Roberts Court is inclined to overrule Mapp v. Ohio and send Fourth Amendment disputes back to the realm of civil suits and police disciplinary actions. As the Court’s rulings have made clear, any reevaluation of the exclusionary rule’s future will be conducted under the now familiar rubric of whether the rule’s “benefit” of deterring police misbehavior outweighs the “cost” of lost evidence and convictions. This essay argues that if any such reevaluation does occur, the Court must take into account something overlooked in evaluations of the past: the benefits of a suppression hearing itself. The hearing acts much like a morality play for those involved in the nitty gritty of law enforcement – police, judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys – by instructing everyone involved both as to the Fourth Amendment’s rules and why those rules are of a constitutional magnitude mandating honor and respect. And because the exclusionary rule reaches a wide variety of police behavior – unlike civil suits and disciplinary proceedings which reach only the most egregious instances of misbehavior – the suppression hearing becomes an invaluable public forum for providing transparency and promoting police compliance with the Fourth Amendment. In short, the suppression hearing is the exclusionary rule’s unsung hero, and in the end offers the Court a means to find the truest measure of the exclusionary rule’s costs and benefits.
Why, What, and How to Log? Lessons from LISTEN

The ability to log tutorial interactions in comprehensive, longitudinal, finegrained detail offers great potential for educational data mining – but what data is logged, and how, can facilitate or impede the realization of that potential. We propose guidelines gleaned over 15 years of logging, exploring, and analyzing millions of events from Project LISTEN’s Reading Tutor and its predecessors.
Evaluating the state of the art in coreference resolution for electronic medical records.

Background The fifth i2b2/VA Workshop on Natural Language Processing Challenges for Clinical Records conducted a systematic review on resolution of noun phrase coreference in medical records. Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside (i2b2) and the Veterans Affair (VA) Consortium for Healthcare Informatics Research (CHIR) partnered to organize the coreference challenge. They provided the research community with two corpora of medical records for the development and evaluation of the coreference resolution systems. These corpora contained various record types (ie, discharge summaries, pathology reports) from multiple institutions. Methods The coreference challenge provided the community with two annotated ground truth corpora and evaluated systems on coreference resolution in two ways: first, it evaluated systems for their ability to identify mentions of concepts and to link together those mentions. Second, it evaluated the ability of the systems to link together ground truth mentions that refer to the same entity. Twenty teams representing 29 organizations and nine countries participated in the coreference challenge. Results The teams' system submissions showed that machine-learning and rule-based approaches worked best when augmented with external knowledge sources and coreference clues extracted from document structure. The systems performed better in coreference resolution when provided with ground truth mentions. Overall, the systems struggled in solving coreference resolution for cases that required domain knowledge.
Synergistic Impact of d-δ-Tocotrienol and Geranylgeraniol in Human DU145 Prostate Carcinoma Cells

The mevalonate pathway produces essential intermediates for the post-translational prenylation and dolichylation of growth-associated proteins including Ras, nuclear lamins and growth factor recept...
Challenges to Machine Learning: Relations Between Reality and Appearance

Machine learning research, e.g. as described in [4], has as its goal the discovery of relations among observations, i.e. appearances. This is inadequate for science, because there is a reality behind appearance, e.g. material objects are built up from atoms. Atoms are just as real as dogs, only harder to observe, and the atomic theory arose long before there was any idea of how big atoms were. This article discusses how atoms were discovered, as an example of discovering the reality behind appearance. We also present an example of the three-dimensional reality behind a two-dimensional appearance, and how that reality is inferred by people and might be inferred by computer programs. Unfortunately, it is necessary to discuss the philosophy of appearance and reality, because the mistaken philosophy of taking the world (or particular phenomena) as a structure of sense data has been harmful in artificial intelligence and machine learning research, just as behaviorism and logical positivism harmed psychology.
Hydroxyurea Enhances Post-Fusion Hyphal Extension During Sexual Development in C. neoformans var. grubii

Mating and sexual development in C. neoformans var. grubii strains of the H99 background is often less robust than that laboratory generated isogenic C. neoformans var. neoformans strains in the JEC21 background. In Candida albicans and Saccharomyces serevisiae, slowing of DNA synthesis and engagement of the replication stress response, such as that caused by treatment with hydroxyurea (HU), induces filamentation and pseudohyphal growth, respectively. In this study, we investigated the effect of HU treatment on C. neoformans var. grubii morphogenesis. Treatment with HU did not induce filamentation of yeast cells either in liquid culture or on solid YPD or V8 agar. In the presence of the opposite mating partner, we observed early emergence of hyphae in the presence of HU. Semi-quantitative analysis of fusion using marked strains demonstrated that no significant enhancement of fusion in the presence of HU. Transfer of fusion colonies from crosses performed in the absence of HU to V8 + HU revealed enhanced hyphal growth in the presence of HU. Analysis of expression of the target of HU, ribonucleotide reductase, revealed that a phylogenetically divergent catalytic subunit is replication stress responsive in C. neoformans. These results suggest that induction of replication stress promotes post-fusion hyphal growth of C. neoformans var. grubii strains in the H99 background.
Whole-head washing, prior to cutting, provides sanitization advantages for fresh-cut Iceberg lettuce (Latuca sativa L.).

Abstract The efficacy of two leafy produce wash methods, the traditional cutting-before-washing process and a new washing-before-cutting method, on reduction of Escherichia coli O157:H7 inoculated on Iceberg lettuce was compared. The washing tests were conducted in a pilot-scale washer using combinations of water, chlorine, peroxyacetic acid, and ultrasound. The washing-before-cutting process recorded an E. coli O157:H7 count reduction 0.79–0.80 log 10 CFU/g higher than that achieved with the cutting-before-washing process in treatments involving only a sanitizer. When ultrasound was applied to the washing-before-cutting process, a further improvement of 0.37–0.68 log 10 CFU/g in microbial count reduction was obtained, reaching total reductions of 2.43 and 2.24 log 10 CFU/g for chlorine and peroxyacetic acid washes, respectively.
Microtubules in mammalian erythroblasts. Are marginal bands present

The purpose of this study was to determine if marginal bands, such as those present in mature nucleated red blood cells of other non-mammalian vertebrates and in primitive mammalian erythrocytes are present in definitive mammalian erythroblasts. In a small number of erythroblasts examined from mouse spleen, a bundle of 5–8 microtubules could be seen. These microtubules appeared similar to those previously identified by others as marginal band microtubules in liver and marrow erythroblasts. However, it was difficult to distinguish these bundles from remnants of mitotic spindle microtubules, or bundles of microtubules which extend to the midbody, a structure which is seen quite frequently in sections of erythroid cells. Triton extraction, a process which renders cytoskeletal elements such as microtubules more visible, also failed to confirm the presence of conventional marginal bands in these cells. It is suggested that use of the term “marginal band” be restricted to those cases in which it can be unequivocally demonstrated that a bundle of microtubules encircles the perimeter of the cell.
Targeting cessation: understanding barriers and motivations to quitting among urban adult daily tobacco smokers.

Introduction Many people continue to smoke tobacco products despite known negative health consequences, including increased risk of chronic disease and death. Disparities exist in rates of smoking and chronic disease, underscoring the importance of understanding the barriers and motivations to smoking cessation among vulnerable populations, such as socioeconomically disadvantaged people of color.
The effect of social capital on group loan repayment: evidence from field experiments*

An important question to microfinance is the relevance of existing social capital in target communities to the performance of group lending. This research presents evidence from field experiments in South Africa and Armenia, in which subjects participate in trust and microfinance games. We present evidence that personal trust between group members and social homogeneity are more important to group loan repayment than general societal trust or acquaintanceship between members. We also find some evidence of reciprocity: those who have been helped by other group members in the past are more likely to contribute in the future. During the past decade, exploring the role that social capital plays in economic behaviour has emerged as one of the most fascinating and fertile areas of economic research. Although precise definitions of social capital are notoriously difficult to pin down, one of the early pioneers of the concept, Coleman (1988), defines social capital as social structure that facilitates certain actions of actors within the structure. In his definition, Coleman specifically highlights the roles of mutual obligation, expectations and trustworthiness, social norms, social sanctions, and the transmission of information. Important studies in both developed and developing countries have analysed the impact of social capital in economic relationships. Putnam’s celebrated work, Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy (1993) and Bowling Alone: America’s Declining Social Capital (1995), brought attention to the role that social capital plays in the development of the modern state. Udry’s ground-breaking (1994) work in Nigeria illustrated how the social capital existing in traditional societies may allow for more efficient credit contracts than in developed economies with weaker social
A flow-injection (FI) mediated biosensor for on-line monitoring of lactate in mammalian cell culture

A flow-injection (FI) biosensor system has been developed for on-line monitoring of lactate formation during mammalian cell cultivation. The culture sample was peristaltically withdrawn from the bioreactor and, after cell separation by a steam sterilizable ceramic microfilter, the cell-free filtrate was fed to the FI system. Lactate oxidase was covalently immobilized onto a preactivated nylon membrane and attached to the sensing area of a platinum working electrode. The enzyme reaction was coupled with a water-soluble mediator 1,1′-dimethylferricinium (DMFe+)-cyclodextrin inclusion complex to recycle the reduced lactate oxidase to its original active state. 1.1′-Dimethylferrocene (DMFe) was then reoxidized to DMFe+ at the surface of the platinum electrode poised at +0.15 V vs. silver/silver chloride. The FI biosensor was linear up to 3 mM lactate with a detection limit of 0.05 mM, and possessed ±1.5% reproducibility over 154 repeated analyses during a 77 h continuous operation. Due to a significant accumulation of lactate during fed-batch cultivation of 293S mammalian cells, a dialysis membrane with 1000 molecular weight cut-off was placed over the lactate oxidase membrane to extend the linear detection range up to 40 mM. Excellent reproducibility (±1.3%) was observed for 96 repeated hourly analyses with culture medium containing 15 mM lactate. When applied to (5–10)-day fed-batch cultivation of 293S mammalian cells, the results obtained from the biosensor system compared well with HPLC and spectrophotometric assay data.
Learning through explaining observed inconsistencies

Perpetual learning is an essential capability for long-lived cognitive agents (natural or artificial) to survive in dynamic and changing environments. Previous work on inconsistency-induced learning, i2Learning, has proposed a general framework for perpetual learning agents where learning amounts to finding ways to circumvent inconsistencies. This paper continues the ongoing research of i2Learning by defining observed inconsistencies and describing a learning algorithm that reconciles observed inconsistencies through finding some viable explanation. We compare our work with related work on life-long learning, learning through resolving anomalies, and truth finding problem.
Discovery and optimization of piperidyl benzamide derivatives as a novel class of 11beta-HSD1 inhibitors.

Abstract Discovery and optimization of a piperidyl benzamide series of 11β-HSD1 inhibitors is described. This series was derived from a cyclohexyl benzamide lead structures to address PXR selectivity, high non-specific protein binding, poor solubility, limited in vivo exposure, and in vitro cytotoxicity issues observed with the cyclohexyl benzamide structures. These efforts led to the discovery of piperidyl benzamide 15 which features improved properties over the cyclohexyl benzamide derivatives.