cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A natural language processing pipeline to synthesize patient-generated notes toward improving remote care and chronic disease management: a cystic fibrosis case study.

Objectives Patient-generated health data (PGHD) are important for tracking and monitoring out of clinic health events and supporting shared clinical decisions. Unstructured text as PGHD (eg, medical diary notes and transcriptions) may encapsulate rich information through narratives which can be critical to better understand a patient's condition. We propose a natural language processing (NLP) supported data synthesis pipeline for unstructured PGHD, focusing on children with special healthcare needs (CSHCN), and demonstrate it with a case study on cystic fibrosis (CF). Materials and Methods The proposed unstructured data synthesis and information extraction pipeline extract a broad range of health information by combining rule-based approaches with pretrained deep-learning models. Particularly, we build upon the scispaCy biomedical model suite, leveraging its named entity recognition capabilities to identify and link clinically relevant entities to established ontologies such as Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine (SNOMED) and RXNORM. We then use scispaCy's syntax (grammar) parsing tools to retrieve phrases associated with the entities in medication, dose, therapies, symptoms, bowel movements, and nutrition ontological categories. The pipeline is illustrated and tested with simulated CF patient notes. Results The proposed hybrid deep-learning rule-based approach can operate over a variety of natural language note types and allow customization for a given patient or cohort. Viable information was successfully extracted from simulated CF notes. This hybrid pipeline is robust to misspellings and varied word representations and can be tailored to accommodate the needs of a specific patient, cohort, or clinician. Discussion The NLP pipeline can extract predefined or ontology-based entities from free-text PGHD, aiming to facilitate remote care and improve chronic disease management. Our implementation makes use of open source models, allowing for this solution to be easily replicated and integrated in different health systems. Outside of the clinic, the use of the NLP pipeline may increase the amount of clinical data recorded by families of CSHCN and ease the process to identify health events from the notes. Similarly, care coordinators, nurses and clinicians would be able to track adherence with medications, identify symptoms, and effectively intervene to improve clinical care. Furthermore, visualization tools can be applied to digest the structured data produced by the pipeline in support of the decision-making process for a patient, caregiver, or provider. Conclusion Our study demonstrated that an NLP pipeline can be used to create an automated analysis and reporting mechanism for unstructured PGHD. Further studies are suggested with real-world data to assess pipeline performance and further implications.
8. Cryobiology: Past, present and future

Before 1949, the majority of mammalian cells could not be kept in storage at low temperatures and recovered with high functional viability. Artificial cryopreservation was observed and published in 1948 by Polge, Smith, and Parkes through the serendipitous discovery of the cryo-protective properties of glycerol for foul sperm and, subsequently, for red cells. Lovelock (1954) expanded the concept and use of cryoprotective agents (CPAs) by proposing that the protective action of glycerol was shared with a number of other neutral solutes of low molecular weight, including methanol, acetamide and glyceryl monoacetate. This led to the introduction of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and the first report of its protective action against freezing damage to human and bovine red blood cells and to bull spermatozoa. The ready permeability of DMSO to a wide array of cell types ultimately allowed for widespread use of cryopreservation of cells for research, conservation and clinical use. Scientists interested in the natural phenomena and biomedical applications associated with freezing biological systems have continued to investigate the fundamental processes governing the relationship and the biological, chemical and physical underpinnings. However, as this has been applied over the years with the increasing reliance on cryopreserved cells for agricultural production, biobanking for research/diagnostic reasons and cryopreservation of cells for clinical use, some misconceptions surrounding the science have become problematic. In some ways, the initial successes with cryopreservation of various cell models arguably caused some complacency among practitioners and led to a disconnect between fundamental cryobiology research and end users of the technology. This has become most apparent in the widespread use of sub-optimal “one size fits all” cryopreservation approaches and with respect to defining shelf life of cryopreserved cell products. Most scientific advances are built upon incremental refinements in methodology and are consequently iterative. As a result, for the most part, even with all of these advances cryopreservation protocols today look very similar to those first discussed over 50 years ago. The future of cryobiology will need to go beyond applying new technologies to the same biophysical problems. The explosion of various technologies to assess and manipulate cells and tissues at a phenotypic, cytologic, biochemical and molecular level will allow the next wave of disruptive cryopreservation technologies to take root.
A Note on the Cp Statistic

C. Mallows proposed a statistic, Cp , for variable selection in multiple regression. Gorman and Toman (1966) published the statistic, its derivation, and several examples of its use. The purpose of this note is to show that there is a one-to-one correspondence between Cp and the older, well established criterion known as adjusted R 2, e.g. Ezekiel (1930).
Epitaxial Growth of Silicon Carbide by Chemical Vapor Deposition

The properties of silicon carbide materials are first reviewed, with special emphasis on properties related to power device applications. Epitaxial growth methods for SiC are then discussed with emphasis on recent results for epitaxial growth by the hot-wall chemical vapor deposition method. The growth mechanism for maintaining the polytype, namely step-controlled epitaxy, is discussed. Also described is the selective epitaxial growth carried out on SiC at the authorʼs laboratory, including some unpublished work.
A diffusion equation illustrating spectral theory for boundary layer stability

The stability of a special solution of a nonlinear diffusion equation is examined. It is shown that the spectral resolution of the linearized stability equation is best accomplished by requiring sufficiently strong decay of the eigenfunctions at infinity. The techniques employed illustrate what is involved in determining the spectral resolution for the equations of hydrodynamic stability when the boundary layer has a transverse component at infinity.
Consequences of Glycerol Deprivation on the Synthesis of Membrane Components in a Glycerol Auxotroph of Staphylococcus aureus

In a glycerol auxotroph of Staphylococcus aureus, the deprivation of glycerol affected the formation of certain membrane components. (i) There was synthesis of fatty acids at the predeprivation rate even though the fatty acids synthesized accumulated as free fatty acids rather than as esterified fatty acids; (ii) there was a complete cessation of phospholipid and vitamin K isoprenologue biosynthesis; (iii) there was conservation of the glycerol esters of the complex phospholipids and glucolipids; (iv) there was an immediate decrease in the rate of synthesis of monoglucoslydiglyceride (30%) and diglucosyldiglyceride (60%); (v) there was a 50% decrease in the rate of synthesis of the polar and nonpolar carotenoids; (vi) there was synthesis of protoheme, heme a, and nonspecific membrane protein at the predeprivation rate; and (vii) there was an abrupt cessation in the formation of new, functional glycine transport activity.
Twenty-First-Century Snowfall and Snowpack Changes over the Southern California Mountains

AbstractFuture snowfall and snowpack changes over the mountains of Southern California are projected using a new hybrid dynamical–statistical framework. Output from all general circulation models (GCMs) in phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project archive is downscaled to 2-km resolution over the region. Variables pertaining to snow are analyzed for the middle (2041–60) and end (2081–2100) of the twenty-first century under two representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios: RCP8.5 (business as usual) and RCP2.6 (mitigation). These four sets of projections are compared with a baseline reconstruction of climate from 1981 to 2000. For both future time slices and scenarios, ensemble-mean total winter snowfall loss is widespread. By the mid-twenty-first century under RCP8.5, ensemble-mean winter snowfall is about 70% of baseline, whereas the corresponding value for RCP2.6 is somewhat higher (about 80% of baseline). By the end of the century, however, the two scenarios diverge significantly. Un...
Patent ductus arteriosus in the absence of a continuous murmur.

The diagnosis of patent ductus arteriosus is difficult when the classic continuous murmur is not present. In infancy, in the presence of cardiac decompensation and when the ductus approximates the aorta in size, the continuous murmur is frequently absent. A correct diagnosis may be important, however, for a large patent ductus arteriosus can cause serious difficulty. Early surgical treatment may be lifesaving. In this series a large patent ductus was associated with pulmonary hypertension, great cardiac enlargement and absence of the continuous murmur. The presence of pulmonary hypertension is further reason for early surgical treatment.
Abstract 3159: Differential miRNA expression profiling of rectal and colon cancers using deep sequencing

Background: miRNAs are small regulatory elements involved in regulating gene expression. They have been shown to play a role in tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis in many cancers and their expression is often tissue-specific. Cancers of the large bowel are often grouped together as colorectal cancers; but tumors from different locations require different treatment and have different prognosis and molecular characteristics. We tested the hypothesis that cancers of the colon and rectum have different molecular miRNA profiles that can be used to distinguish between these cancer types. Methods: We collected 40 pretreatment rectal cancer biopsies and 20 pretreatment surgical colon cancer specimens. All samples were formalin fixed and paraffin embedded (FFPE). Tumor cells were microdissected manually under inverted microscopy and total RNA was extracted. A miRNA expression profile for rectal and colon cancer was generated using deep sequencing, and miRNA expression in each cancer type was compared using T-test and multiple testing (Q-bound Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3159. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3159
Situating math word problems: The story matters

In two experiments, we explored how the situation model of a math story problem impacts math problem performance. Participants completed multiplication story problems in which a set of objects was associated with or dissociated from a protagonist, making them more or less accessible in memory during answer retrieval. On the basis of previous findings that the sum of two numbers interferes with retrieval of their product, the number of objects in the math problem was either highly interfering (“9” for 4 3 5) or less interfering (“8” for 4 3 5) for multiplication retrieval in the problem. Participants made more errors in problem solving when highly interfering numerical content was associated with the protagonist and, thus, foregrounded. Moreover, the lower one’s working memory, the bigger this effect. In sum, small changes in the situation model of a math story problem can harm performance. These changes shift the balance of factors that influence math performance away from math knowledge and toward individual differences in general cognitive capacity.
Midazolam Minimally Impairs Thermoregulatory Control

Perioperative hypothermia usually results largely from pharmacologic inhibition of normal thermoregulatory control.Midazolam is a commonly used sedative and anesthetic adjuvant whose thermoregulatory effects are unknown. We therefore tested the hypothesis that midazolam administration impairs thermoregulatory control. Eight volunteers were studied on 2 days each, once without drug and once at a target total plasma midazolam concentration of 0.3 micro gram/mL (corresponding to administration of approximate equals 40 mg over approximate equals 4 h). Each day, skin and core temperatures were increased sufficiently to provoke sweating, and then reduced to elicit peripheral vasoconstriction and shivering. We mathematically compensated for changes in skin temperature using the established linear cutaneous contributions to control of each response. From these calculated thresholds (core temperatures triggering responses at a designated skin temperature of 34 degrees C), we determined the thermoregulatory effects of midazolam. The sweating threshold was decreased approximate equals 0.3 degrees C by midazolam administration: 37.3 +/- 0.2 degrees C vs 37.0 +/- 0.3 degrees C (P = 0.0004, paired t-test). Midazolam decreased the core temperature that triggered vasoconstriction somewhat more: 37.1 +/- 0.2 degrees C vs 36.3 +/- 0.5 degrees C (P = 0.0002). Similarly, midazolam decreased the shivering threshold: 35.9 +/- 0.3 degrees C vs 35.3 +/- 0.6 degrees C (P = 0.03). The sweating-to-vasoconstriction (interthreshold) range, therefore, increased from 0.2 +/- 0.1 degrees C to 0.7 +/- 0.3 degrees C (P = 0.002). Although statistically significant, this relatively small increase contrasts markedly with the 3-5 degrees C interthreshold ranges produced by clinical doses of volatile anesthetics, propofol, and opioids. Thus, plasma concentrations of midazolam far exceeding those used routinely produce relatively little impairment of thermoregulatory control. (Anesth Analg 1995;81:393-8)
The cardiovascular actions of centrally administered neuropeptide Y.

Abstract The cardiovascular actions of intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of neuropeptide Y (NPY) were examined in conscious, unrestrained rats. A prolonged decrease in heart rate (HR) and a fall in mean arterial pressure (MAP) were obtained following i.c.v. administration of NPY (1 and 10 μg). Passive immunization with an antiserum directed against NPY confirmed that the slowing of HR following i.c.v. administration of NPY was mediated via a central nervous mechanism and not from leakage of NPY out of the brain. Administration of NPY into different brain parenchymal regions identified a putative site of action in the rostral region of the nucleus of the solitary tract. The mechanism of the decrease in HR caused by centrally administered NPY was investigated by i.c.v. administration of NPY to animals that were pretreated with agents that altered autonomic tone. Administration of NPY to atropine-treated animals produced a reversal of the atropine-induced tachycardia, suggesting that the NPY-induced decrease in HR was not due to augmented vagal tone. However, administration of NPY to animals pretreated with propranolol did not significantly lower HR below that obtained with propranolol alone. These data suggest that i.c.v. administration of NPY may cause a decrease in cardiac sympathetic outflow. The effects of centrally administered NPY on baroreflex function were studied. The changes in HR caused by NPY did not significantly alter baroreflex set-point or gain. These studies provide evidence that NPY acted within a brainstem region to decrease sympathetic nervous outflow, resulting in a decrease in HR and MAP.
Citizenship and Self-Determination for Individuals with Cognitive Disabilities: The Interdependence of Social Studies and Special Education.

Abstract The importance of the social studies curriculum has been potentially underestimated for individuals with cognitive disabilities. Inherent in this curriculum are standards and expectations for skills with citizenship. Collaborative instruction in citizenship requires planning, understanding of diversity, authentic instruction, and an emphasis on self-determination and decision-making skills. This article discusses the interrelatedness of these concepts and methods for effective implementation in the educational setting.
Sphaeromeria, a genus closer to Artemisia than to Tanacetum (Asteraceae: Anthemideae)

A new species,Sphaeromeria ruthiae, from Zion National Park, and three new combinations,S. martirensis,S. compacta, andS. potentilloides var.nitrophila, are presented. Morphological and anatomical evidence is used to support the recognition ofSphaeromeria as distinct fromTanacetum.
Baby's Breath II protocol development and design: A secondhand smoke exposure prevention program targeting infants discharged from a neonatal intensive care unit

Abstract Background Over one-third of all children live with at least one parent who smokes cigarettes, which is associated with compromised child health. The impact of secondhand smoke exposure (SHSe) in medically fragile infants born prematurely is likely to be much higher. The Baby's Breath II study tests whether a hospital-initiated, motivational-enhancement program will result in less SHSe relative to conventional care in high-risk, low birthweight (LBW) infants discharged from a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The design and protocol for the ongoing BBII trial is described. Methods/design Eligible participants are: (1) primary caregivers (typically mothers) of NICU infants who were born at LBW ( Discussion This study is the first to determine the efficacy of a brief intervention for reducing SHSe among high-risk, LBW infants discharged from a NICU, with the potential for saving lives and healthcare costs. Strengths, limitations and challenges to the conduct of this trial are discussed.
Actinomyces viscosus endocarditis requiring aortic valve replacement

We report a case of primary Actinomyces viscosus endocarditis, an unusual manifestation of actinomycosis, in a 43-year-old farmer with an indolent febrile illness. As has occurred in previous cases, diagnosis was delayed in part because blood isolates were misidentified. Months later when she required aortic valve and root replacement, histologic exam of the diseased valve revealed branching filamentous organisms and the original blood isolates were retrospectively confirmed to be Actinomyces viscosus.
Fracture mechanics of two dimensional noncircular flaws—the equivalent area approximation

Abstract The equivalent area method of converting a two dimensional irregularly shaped flaw into a circular one of same fracture mechanics propagation lifetime appears to be promising. It is shown to be a good approximation for the simpler elliptical and square flaw geometries. Whether the equivalent area method also holds for the more complex flaw geometries remains to be verified. The importance of this study to nondestructive lifetime evaluation technology of structural components is discussed.
The impact of state policy on the costs of HIV infection.

There is substantial variation in the generosity of public assistance programs that affect HIV+ patients, and these differences should affect the economic outcomes associated with HIV infection. Th...
Streamwise computation of three-dimensional incompressible potential flows

Abstract A new method for the computation of three-dimensional incompressible potential flows is presented. The dependent variables of this method are the Streamwise velocity along a set of chosen streamlines, and the coordinates of the chosen streamlines in the cross-stream plane. Since the method computes streamline coordinates directly, it can be easily used to generate boundary fitted grids for the computation of three-dimensional viscous flows. Sample computations are presented for (i) flow through a rectangular diffuser with an offset and with a change in the aspect ratio, and (ii) flow through a duct whose cross section changes from a square to a rhombus.
Evaluation of Five Commercial Broiler Crosses. 2. Eviscerated Yield and Component Parts.

Abstract The eviscerated yields and carcass characteristics of five commercial broiler crosses were evaluated. In each of four trials, processed in December, March, June, and September, 33 birds from each cross and each sex were used. Individual live weights were recorded at 56 days of age, prior to feed withdrawal, and immediately before processing (plant weight). The fresh eviscerated carcass weight, neck, abdominal fat, liver, gizzard, and heart weights were evaluated as a percentage of the plant weight. The relative yields of parts, breast, back, wings, legs, and thighs were determined for both sexes of each cross. No significant differences were observed in the loss of weight from the 56 day to the plant weight between crosses in any trial. In all trials, differences in plant weights between crosses were statistically significant (P
An arachidonic acid-specific lipoxygenase from the gorgonian coralPseudoplexaura porosa

A novel lipoxygenase was partially purified from the gorgonian coralPseudoplexaura porosa and was found to be specific for arachidonic acid. This soluble enzyme catalyzed the formation of 15-hydroperoxy-eicosatetraenoic acid (15-HPETE) from arachidonic acid.
Mutations in the neurofibromatosis 1 gene in sporadic malignant melanoma cell lines

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a common autosomal dominant disorder characterized by progressive and variable involvement of tissues predominantly derived from the neural crest and a predisposition toward malignancies. The NF1 gene encodes neurofibromin, a GTPase-activating protein containing a GAP-related domain (NF1-GRD) that is capable of down-regulating ras by stimulating its intrinsic GTPase activity. We report a homozygous deletion of most of NF1 in one of eight malignant melanoma cell lines leading to loss of detectable mRNA and protein, as well as the apparent absence of protein and mRNA in another melanoma. This data suggests that NF1 can function as a tumour suppressor gene in the development or progression of malignant melanoma.
Effect of Triadin on Retrograde and Orthograde Signaling between RyR1 and DHPR in Cultured Myotubes

Using pan triadin-null mice we previously showed that triadins ablation did not disrupt EC-coupling in muscle cells. However, calcium imaging studies in cultured myotubes did reveal that triadin-null myotubes had slightly smaller depolarization-induced Ca2+ transients than Wt cells. Here, using whole-cell voltage clamp, we analyze the effect of triadin ablation in skeletal EC-coupling by characterizing the retrograde and orthograde signaling between RyR1 and DHPR of triadin-null myotubes. Calcium currents elicited by 200ms depolarization steps in Wt and triadin-null cells showed slow kinetics of activation and peak current at approximately +30 mV. Although, the overall voltage dependence was preserved between Wt and triadin-null cells a leftward shift in the I/V curve was observed in triadin-null cells (V1/2, 22.3±0.8 mV in Wt vs 16.6±1.1 mV in triadin-null cells, p<0.05). In addition, kinetic analysis of the DHPR Ca2+ current shows that the activation time constant of the slow component (τslow) was slightly decreased from 37±2.4 ms in Wt to 26±2.6 ms (p<0.05) in triadin-null cells.The voltage-evoked Ca2+ transient, on the other hand, showed a small but significant reduction of the peak fluorescence amplitude of triadin-null cells (ΔF /Fmax, 0.72±0.2 in Wt vs 0.61±0.1 in triadin-null) with no differences in voltage dependence (Vm, −7.2±1.1 mV in Wt vs −10.1±1.9 mV in null cells). Our results suggest that the absence of triadin expression preserves the orthograde and retrograde signaling between DHPR and RyR1 nearly intact and that the effect of triadin ablation on ΔF/Fmax would be secondary to the dysregulation of calcium homeostasis observed in triadin-null cells. These data give further support to the idea that skeletal triadins do not play a direct role in skeletal EC-coupling.Supported by NIH Grants 5K01AR054818-02 (to CFP) and 1P01AR044750 (to PDA).
Anxiolytic activity of NPY receptor agonists in the conflict test

This investigation examined receptor subtype specificity and possible modulation by GABAa receptor ligands of NPY-induced behavioral responses to stressful stimuli. First, a series of NPY receptor agonists were examined for their potential effects on punished responding in a conflict test modified for incremental shock. NPY, peptide YY (PYY) and NPY Y1 receptor agonists [Leu31,Pro34]-NPY and [Gly6, Glu26,Lys29,Pro34]-NPY produced increases in punished responding in the conflict test. No significant effects on unpunished responding were noted. The pattern of responding was similar to that observed with the benzodiazepine agonist chlordiazepoxide. Neither pancreatic peptide (PP) nor the Y2 agonists NPY13–36 or [Glu2,32,Ala6,Dpr27,Lys28]-NPY significantly altered punished or unpunished responding. Of significance, the atypical Y1 agonist [Cys7,21,Pro34]-NPY produced negligible effects on punished responding, consistent with the presence of a subclass of Y1 receptors. Second, the anxiolytic effects of NPY were subjected to treatments that block actions at the GABAa receptor complex. The increase in punished responding produced by NPY was not altered by administration of the benzodiazepine antagonist flumazenil and only partially blocked by the picrotoxinin receptor ligand isopropylbicyclophosphate (10 and 15 μg/kg). These findings further support the hypothesis that the pharmacologic substrates for the anxiolytic-like actions of NPY may be mediated by the Y1 receptor subtype and suggest that these actions are independent of either the benzodiazepine or picrotoxinin binding sites of the GABA/benzodiazepine receptor complex.
A Combined Model and Its Verification for Femtosecond-Pulse Materials Interactions

This paper reports the overall picture of our ongoing efforts to establish the scientific understanding of ultrafast, non-equilibrium laser-material interactions from nanometer to milimeter and from femtosecond to microsecond through comprehensive, integrated multiscale physico-chemical modeling and experimental verification. A novel plasma model with quantum treatments is developed to account for significantly varying optical properties. The model is used to successfully predict two uncommon phenomena that is experimentally observed: 1) a flat-bottom crater shape created by a Gaussian beam and 2) repeatable nanoscale structures achieved by pulse train technology. The well known two-temperature model is improved by considering the quantum effects of different heat carriers and then is used to accurately predict the damage thresholds for metals. Preliminary results for these ongoing modeling efforts are reported in this article.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Dynamics of vapour bubbles in nucleate boiling

We consider the behaviour of a vapour bubble formed at a nucleation site on a heated horizontal wall. There is no forced convection of an ambient liquid, and the bubble is presumably separated from the wall by a thin liquid microlayer. The energy conservation law results in a variational equation for the mechanical energy of the whole system consisting of the bubble and liquid. It leads to a set of two strongly nonlinear equations which govern bubble expansion and motion of its centre of mass. A supplementary equation to find out the vapour temperature follows from consideration of heat transfer to the bubble, both from the bulk of surrounding liquid and through the microlayer. The average thickness of the microlayer is shown to increase monotonously with time as the bubble meniscus spreads along the wall. Bubble expansion is driven by the pressure head between vapour inside and liquid far away from the bubble, with due allowance for surface tension and gravity effects. It is resisted by inertia of liquid being placed into motion as the bubble grows. The inertia originates also a force that presses the bubble to the wall. This force is counteracted by the buoyancy and an effective surface tension force that tends to transform the bubble into a sphere. The analysis brings about quite a new formulation of the familiar problem of bubble growth and detachment under conditions of nucleate pool boiling.
Interaction between Heme Oxygenase-1 and -2 Proteins *

The three isoforms of heme oxygenase (HO), the rate-limiting enzyme in heme degradation, are the products of different genes that show marked differences in regulation and expression. Why is there redundancy in the heme degradation pathway, and why are there differences in tissue expression of HO isoenzymes are unanswered questions? An interaction between HO-1 and HO-2 is suspected by the co-localization of these enzymes in the lung and regions of the brain. Using multiple models and assays, we demonstrated an interaction between HO-1 and HO-2 at amino acids 0-45 of HO-2 and amino acids 58-80 of HO-1. The latter corresponds to a highly conserved, hydrophilic, and exposed region of the protein. Furthermore, the observed activity of the HO-1.HO-2 complex was lower than that expected from the sum of HO-1- and HO-2-derived activities, suggesting that this interaction serves to limit HO enzymatic activity. We speculate that this HO-1.HO-2 protein interaction may promote non-enzymatic functions of HO.
Effects of caffeine on the intracellular distribution of calcium in frog sartorius muscle

The influence of caffeine on the intracellular distribution of calcium in the frog sartorius muscle was studied by differential centrifugation in an attempt to identify the locus of action of this alkaloid. The problem was approached in two ways. In the first, the locus of action was sought by relating the kinetic functions of 45Ca washout curves of muscles to changes in the distribution of 45Ca in the isolated fractions from the same muscles. It was not possible to make any correlation of the 45Ca-washout curves to the activity in the fractions; the relative distribution of this nuclide remained essentially unchanged at 1-, 2-, and 3-hour intervals along the curve. The washout curves appear to be the net effect of a complex interaction of the calcium in pools containing both readily exchangeable calcium and calcium which has a slow exchange or turnover rate. The second approach centered upon the examination of the effect of caffeine on the intracellular distribution of 45Ca and of calcium among the cellular fractions. Caffeine treatment resulted in a distinct increase in the calcium content of the mitochondrial fraction and a decrease in the calcium of the microsomal fraction. Electron micrographic studies revealed significant morphological changes in the whole muscle and in the isolated mitochondrial fraction after the muscle had been exposed to caffeine in a concentration producing irreversible contracture or rigor (10 mM). The increase in calcium content of the mitochondrial fraction after caffeine treatment may be due to an actual accumulation of calcium by the mitochondria or may be the consequence of the appearance of granular vesicles in the fraction.
Social facilitation during the initial stage of motor learning: a re-examination of Martens' audience study.

This study partially replicated Martens’ (1969a) social-facilitation study of motor behavior. His very robust performance findings provided impressive confirmation for Zajonc’s hypothesis, and his arousal findings have since been used as evidence for a nonlearned-drive basis for social facilitation. The present study also extended Martens’ investigation by examining the separate and combined effects of an audience and videotape camera. The effects due to the presence of the audience and camera were not additive; instead, the audience detrimentally affected subjects’ performance consistency and the camera resulted in more trials with errors greater than 30 msec after the performance criteria had been attained. Martens’ most robust findings for constant error were not replicated, nor were some of his physiological arousal findings. His pattern of constant error results over all trials is atypical of known learning strategies that subjects use to reduce error over successive trials. Overall, audience effects...
Complex sound analysis in the lesser bulldog bat: evidence for a mechanism for processing frequency elements of frequency modulated signals over restricted time intervals

A stereotypical approach phase vocalization response of the lesser bulldog bat, Noctilio albiventris, to artificial echoes simulating a virtual approaching object was used to assess the ability of the bat to analyze and extract distance information from the artificial echoes. The performance of the bat was not significantly different when presented with naturally structured CF/FM echoes containing FM elements that sweep continuously from about 75-55 kHz in 4 ms or with CF/FM echoes containing FM components constructed from a series of 98 pure tone frequency steps, each with a duration of 0.04 ms. The performance of the bat remained unchanged when the duration of the tone steps was increased up to 0.08 ms but declined sharply to a level that was significantly below that seen with a naturally structured echo when the steps were 0.09 ms or longer. The performance of the bat depended on the duration of the individual tone steps, which could not exceed a specific upper limit of about 0.08 ms. The study suggests that the bats have adaptations for processing individual narrow band segments of FM signals over specific time intervals.
Numerical computation of natural convection in an isosceles triangular cavity with a partially active base and filled with a Cu–water nanofluid

This paper discusses the results of a study related to natural convection cooling of a heat source located on the bottom wall of an inclined isosceles triangular enclosure filled with a Cu water-nanofluid. The right and left walls of the enclosure are both maintained cold at constant equal temperatures, while the remaining parts of the bottom wall are insulated. The study has been carried out for a Rayleigh number in the range 104 ≤ Ra ≤ 106, for a heat source length in the range 0.2 ≤ e ≤0.8, for a solid volume fraction in the range 0 ≤ ϕ≤0.06 and for an inclination angle in the range 0° ≤ δ≤45°. Results are presented in the form of streamline contours, isotherms, maximum temperature at the heat source surface and average Nusselt number. It is noticed that the addition of Cu nanoparticles enhances the heat transfer rate and therefore cooling effectiveness for all values of Rayleigh number, especially at low values of Ra. The effect of the inclination angle becomes more noticeable as one increases the value of Ra. For high Rayleigh numbers, a critical value for the inclination angle of δ = 15° is found for which the heat source maximum temperature is highest.
CEREBRAL DOMINANCE FOR THE PERCEPTION OF ARPEGGIATED TRIADS

Cerebral dominance for the perception of arpeggiated triads that differed in tonality, pattern, and the combination of tonality and pattern was investigated presenting stimuli monaurally in a matching-to-sample paradigm. Responses of musically inexperienced adults, adult musicians, musically inexperienced children, and musically trained children were compared to assess how music training and age affect lateral dominance. The data suggested that there are developmental changes. Nonmusical adults presented a significant right ear superiority for the perception of the triad pattern task, implying that an analytic process had been applied to perceive the stimuli. Both nonmusical adults and nonmusical children presented a significant left ear superiority for the perception of triads differing in tonality and pattern. This indicates that a gestalt process had been applied for the perception of these stimuli. Musically trained adults and musically trained children perceived all three tasks without significant ear differences, showing that both hemispheres had become equally able to perceive the tasks due to music training.
Modeling forest canopy heights: The effects of canopy shape

Abstract Three-dimensional models that represent the top-of-canopy forest height structure were developed to simulate airborne laser profiling responses along forested transects. The simulator which produced these 3-D models constructed individual tree crowns according to a tree's total height, height to first branch, crown diameter, and crown shape (cone, parabola, ellipse, sphere, or a random assortment of these shapes), and then inserted these crowns into a fixed-area plot using mapped stand (x,y) coordinates. This two-dimensional array of forest canopy heights was randomly transected to simulate measurements made by an airborne ranging laser. These simulated laser measurements were regressed with ground reference measures to develop predictive linear relationships. The assumed crown shape had a significant impact on 1) simulated laser measurements of height and 2) estimates of basal area, woody volume, and above-ground dry biomass derived via simulation. As canopy shape progressed from a conic form to a more spheric structure, average canopy height, canopy profile area, and canopy volume increased, canopy height variation decreased, and coefficients of variability were stable or decreased. In Costa Rican tropical forests, simulated laser measurements of average height, canopy profile area, and canopy volume increased 8–10% when a parabolic rather than a conic shape was assumed. An elliptic canopy was 16–18% taller, on average, than a conic canopy, and a spheric canopy was 23–25% taller. The effect of these height increases and height variability changes can profoundly affect basal area, volume, and biomass estimates, but the degree to which these estimates are affected is study-area-dependent. Since canopy shape may significantly affect such estimates, canopy shapes should be noted when field data are collected for purposes of height simulation. If canopy shapes are not noted and are unknown, an assumption of an elliptical shape is suggested in order to mitigate potentially large errors which may be incurred using a generic assumption of a cone or sphere.
Helical computed tomography in differentiating appendicitis and acute gynecologic conditions.

Abstract Objective: To determine the accuracy and effect of helical computed tomography (CT) in women clinically suspected of having either appendicitis or an acute gynecologic condition. Methods: One hundred consecutive nonpregnant women suspected of having appendicitis or an acute gynecologic condition prospectively had helical CT. Interpretations were correlated with surgical and pathologic findings (41 cases) and clinical follow-up for at least 2 months (59 cases). The accuracy for confirming or excluding both appendicitis and acute gynecologic conditions was determined. The effect on patient care was determined by comparing pre-CT plans with actual treatment. Results: Thirty-two women had appendicitis, 15 had acute gynecologic conditions, 27 had other specific diagnoses, and 26 had nonspecific abdominal pain. For diagnosing appendicitis or acute gynecologic conditions, CT had 100% and 87% sensitivity, 97% and 100% specificity, 94% and 100% positive predictive value, 100% and 98% negative predictive value, and 98% and 98% accuracy, respectively. After CT was done, 36 planned hospital admissions, 25 planned hospital observations, and six planned appendectomies were deferred; six women had alternative surgical procedures on the basis of CT results. One patient had an unnecessary appendectomy on the basis of CT findings. Conclusion: Helical CT is an excellent imaging option for differentiating appendicitis from most acute gynecologic conditions.
Minimizing the hydrodynamic size of quantum dots with multifunctional multidentate polymer ligands

We report a new strategy to minimize the hydrodynamic size of quantum dots (QDs) and to overcome their colloidal stability and photobleaching problems based on the use of multifunctional and multidentate polymer ligands. A novel finding is that a balanced composition of thiol (-SH) and amine (-NH2) coordinating groups grafted to a linear polymer chain leads to highly compact nanocrystals with exceptional colloidal stability, a strong resistance to photobleaching, and high fluorescence quantum yields. In contrast to the standing brushlike conformation of PEGylated dihydrolipoic acid molecules, mutlidentate polymer ligands can wrap around the QDs in a closed “loops-and-trains” conformation. This structure is highly stable thermodynamically and is responsible for the excellent colloidal and optical properties. We have optimized this process for the preparation of ultrastable CdTe nanocrystals and have found the strategy to be broadly applicable to a wide range of nanocrystalline materials and heterostructure...
Achieving Quality of Service with Adaptation-based Programming for medium access protocols

Designing network protocols that work well under a variety of network conditions typically involves a large amount of manual tuning and guesswork, particularly when choosing dynamic update strategies for numeric parameters. The situation is made more complex by adding the Quality of Service (QoS) requirements to a network protocol. A fundamentally different approach for designing protocols is via Reinforcement Learning (RL) algorithms which allow protocols to be automatically optimized through network simulation. However, getting RL to work well in practice requires considerable expertise and carries a significant implementation overhead. To help overcome this challenge, recent work has developed the programming paradigm of Adaptation-Based Programming (ABP), which allows programmers who are not RL-experts to write self-optimizing “adaptive programs”. In this work, we study the potential of applying ABP to the problem of designing network protocols via simulation. We demonstrate the flexibility of our design method via a number of case studies, each of which investigates the performance of an adaptive program written for the backoff mechanism of the MAC layer in the 802.11 standard. Our results show that the learned protocols typically outperform 802.11 on a number of evaluation metrics and network conditions.
A Web-based Kanban system for job dispatching, tracking, and performance monitoring

A Kanban system facilitates lean principles in a simple and effective way. While reportedly successful in many manufacturing firms, the conventional Kanban systems using physical cards suffer from human errors, limited tracking capability, and so on. To make the information flow leaner, software providers add new features to their existing programs for manufacturing systems to computerize Kanban activities. As Web-based technologies advance rapidly, developing an entirely Web-based Kanban system appears to be feasible and promising. This paper presents the advantages, limitations, and challenges of Web-based Kanban systems. An experimental program has been developed based on PHP+MySQL, a popular Web programming platform. The server-executed program features cross-platform compatibility, real-time tracking and performance monitoring, and greatly enhanced information contents compared to physical Kanbans. Human errors are minimized by the automated transactions; nevertheless, the interfacing and data maintenance require further research efforts.
Flowfield near a Mulitiport Injector Array in a Supersonic Flow

Experiments were performed to study the effects of toe-in angle on the exterior ports of a three-hole, lowdownstream-angleinjector array in a supersonic e ow. The three jetswere arranged e ush with the test section e oor so that the interference between the three plumes and the main e ow would instill vortical motions. Three different cone gurations were tested involving three, 30 deg downstream angled, round injection holes in a row with sonic air and helium injection into a Mach 3.0 air cross stream. The two exterior holes of the row injector were set at toe-in angles of 0, 15, and 30 deg. The primary qualitative observations were nanoshadowgraphs and surface oil e ow visualization. A novel vertical plate e ow visualization concept was also tested. Aerothermodynamic probe measurementswereperformedata downstream location with heated airinjection to assessthetotalpressurelosses and mixing potential of the e ow. Results showed improved mixing and core penetration with an increase of jet momentum and toe-in angle. The observed oblique shock angle also increased with jet to freestream momentum ratio and toe-in angle, but the integrated total pressure losses associated with the injector shock structure were minimized with the 15 degree toe-in array injector.
A Category Mistake in Piketty

Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century briefly discusses regional inequality on the level of the world market, while devoting great attention to inequality within national economies. Piketty insightfully criticizes the standard treatment of these themes in mainstream economics. His own account, however, uncritically repeats a category mistake Marx diagnosed in the political economy of his day, the attempt to comprehend historically specific social tendencies in terms of transhistorical principles.
Teaching collaborative skills with a group leader computer tutor

This paper discusses how a group leader computer tutor may aid students in learning collaborative skills in a co-operative learning environment. However, students need to learn collaborative skills and practice using them. The group leader computer tutor discussed in this paper is designed on the principles of co-operative learning, intelligent tutoring systems and computer-supported collaborative work within an intelligent collaborative learning system (ICLS). The group leader aims to facilitate group work on the task level and to teach students how to use collaborative skills in the discussion level as students work on networked computers in the Jigsaw method of co-operative learning. The ICLS and its group leader were used by two classes at a liberal arts university. Qualitative research shows that the students' co-operative attitudes changed and academic achievement improved from pre- to post-treatment. Students, especially, used the communication skill of openness in comment type discussions. The students enjoyed working collaboratively through the ICLS and their teachers thought that the experience was valuable for them.
Methodological Review: User-centered semantic harmonization: A case study

Semantic interoperability is one of the great challenges in biomedical informatics. Methods such as ontology alignment or use of metadata neither scale nor fundamentally alleviate semantic heterogeneity among information sources. In the context of the Cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid program, the Biomedical Research Integrated Domain Group (BRIDG) has been making an ambitious effort to harmonize existing information models for clinical research from a variety of sources and modeling agreed-upon semantics shared by the technical harmonization committee and the developers of these models. This paper provides some observations on this user-centered semantic harmonization effort and its inherent technical and social challenges. The authors also compare BRIDG with related efforts to achieve semantic interoperability in healthcare, including UMLS, InterMed, the Semantic Web, and the Ontology for Biomedical Investigations initiative. The BRIDG project demonstrates the feasibility of user-centered collaborative domain modeling as an approach to semantic harmonization, but also highlights a number of technology gaps in support of collaborative semantic harmonization that remain to be filled.