cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Outcomes of Stage III NSCLC with occult primary vs. known primary lesions.

Abstract Objectives Occult primary non-small cell lung cancer (OP-NSCLC) involving mediastinal lymph nodes without an identifiable primary tumor is a rare presentation, with little known about how outcomes compare to typical Stage III NSCLC. We reviewed our experience treating OP-NSCLC with definitive radiotherapy and compared outcomes to a contemporary cohort of stage III NSCLC patients. Materials and methods We reviewed 605 patients with stage III NSCLC staged with PET-CT and treated with definitive radiotherapy between 1998 and 2013. Overall survival, intrathoracic control, and freedom from distant metastasis were computed using Kaplan-Meier method and logrank comparison. Cox hazard ratios were used to perform univariate and multivariate analyses. Results Twenty-one patients were identified with OP-NSCLC (3.5%). Patients with OP-NSCLC, as compared to known primary NSCLC, had significantly better 5-year rates of intrathoracic control (83.5% vs. 24.2%, P Conclusion To our knowledge, this is the largest reported series of OP-NSCLC and the first to compare it to a contemporary cohort of Stage III NSCLC with known primary lesion. Definitive radiation therapy was associated with favorable locoregional control and survival, particularly compared with typical stage III NSCLC. This difference suggests that occult primary NSCLC may be a distinct entity with different biology than typical NSCLC.
Simulation-based design of active filters

Active filters may be used to reduce the harmonics and improve the power factor of electric power delivery systems containing nonlinear loads. These filters utilize power electronic components and use active control of several feedback loops to accomplish this. As each loop must be tuned correctly, the design process can be tedious and difficult. This paper discusses the benefits of using simulation to develop a design methodology for active filters.
Abstract P4-02-09: Clinical and histopathologic characteristics of breast cancer in very young patients

Background: While breast cancer risk increases with age, about 7% of breast cancer cases in the US are diagnosed in women Methods: Our patient population consisted of all cases of invasive breast carcinoma at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in women Results: A total of 301 invasive breast carcinoma cases were identified (age range 18-39). 40 cases of very young (age ≤30) women with breast cancer (13%) were identified. Nearly all very young patients were diagnosed with tumors of ductal histology (39/40, 98%). Just under half of these patients (19/40, 48%) had a T1 ( 5 cm) tumor at the time of surgery. The majority of these carcinomas were grade 3 (25/39, 64%), 14/39 (36%) were grade 2, and none were grade 1 tumors. Over half of the tumors were highly proliferative with a high Ki-67 count of >20% (17/31, 55%). ER was expressed in 34/40 (85%), PR in 25/40 (63%) and HER2 in 9/40 (23%). LVI was present in half of the cases (20/40, 50%), and positive lymph nodes were identified in over a third (15/40, 38%) of the cases. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was used in 9/40 (23%). Three patients (8%) had no residual carcinoma at the time of surgery post chemotherapy. Most of these very young patients chose a mastectomy (28/40, 70%), and 19/40 (48%) also underwent a prophylactic mastectomy on the contralateral side. Conclusions: Our study is one of the largest to date to describe the characteristics of breast carcinomas in very young women (age ≤30). Poor pathologic features such as high tumor grade, high proliferation rate, and presence of LVI were seen in half or more of these very young patients. A high rate of positive lymph nodes was also seen. Mastectomy, often with contralateral prophylactic surgery, was the procedure of choice. Further studies evaluating the molecular characteristics of these tumors and the prevalence of underlying genetic mutations are under way in this unique population of very young breast cancer patients. Citation Format: Finkelman BS, Blanco LZ, Siziopikou KP. Clinical and histopathologic characteristics of breast cancer in very young patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-02-09.
The effects of early autism intervention on parents and family adaptive functioning

This review describes the effects of intervention for young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) on parents. Like all children, children with ASD bring both negative and positive experiences for parents and families—from increased resource needs, to higher levels of parenting-related stress, to positive personal growth for family members. It is increasingly recognized that, although children with ASD are the primary targets of early ASD intervention, ASD intervention also impacts parents. From the time emerging developmental concerns begin to be identified, through the process of obtaining a diagnosis and initiating services, parents play a central role in addressing the needs of young children with ASD, including implementing and supporting early intervention. Parents experience the impact of intervention directly, through interaction with providers within the health care and educational systems. Parents also experience indirect impacts of ASD intervention due to accelerated developmental progress of children who are benefitting from services and when children make slower progress than expected or have challenging behaviors. Parental stress and psychological well-being are legitimate targets of intervention and compelling research objectives, needing no additional justification. However, parents are also the major contributors to family adaptive functioning—the activities families employ to support positive outcomes for children with ASD (e.g., family-orchestrated child experiences, parent-child interaction, child health and safety functions; Guralnick, 1997). A parent’s ability to carry out adaptive functions is, in part, related to their levels of stress and psychological well-being. Thus, there is a transactional process in which parents are both impacted by and have an impact on ASD interventions for their child. Evaluating the effect of ASD intervention on parents is needed to develop new strategies for helping parents and children with ASD reach their full potential. This review will provide an overview of research on the impact of early ASD intervention on parents. Evidence regarding the impact of three types of intervention (i.e., early intensive behavioral intervention, parent-implemented intervention, and programs directly targeting parent stress) on parent well-being and family adaptive functioning will be reviewed. Potential moderators of the impact of ASD intervention on parents and family adaptive functioning will be discussed. We conclude that research on the impact of ASD intervention on parents of young children with ASD is a promising avenue for improving the lives of children with ASD and their families.
Clinical value of event-free survival (EFS) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

e18513Background: EFS is not considered a robust end-point for AML trials. We hypothesized that rather than a surrogate for overall survival (OS), improvement in EFS may be valuable due to patients...
Acquired Idiopathic Stiffness After Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background:Stiffness is a common reason for suboptimal clinical outcomes after primary total knee arthroplasty (pTKA). There is a lack of consensus regarding its definition, which is often conflated with its histopathologic subcategory—i.e., arthrofibrosis. There is value in refining the definition
The More Divided Academy: Did the Fall of the Faculty and the Rise of the All-Administrative University Increase Racial Conflict in Higher Education?:

Despite efforts to redress racial grievances, American’s most progressive institutional sector, higher education, suffers racial incidents with disturbing frequency. We hypothesize that one explana...
MBLinhibitors.com, a Website Resource Offering Information and Expertise for the Continued Development of Metallo-β-Lactamase Inhibitors

In an effort to facilitate the discovery of new, improved inhibitors of the metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs), a new, interactive website called MBLinhibitors.com was developed. Despite considerable efforts from the science community, there are no clinical inhibitors of the MBLs, which are now produced by human pathogens. The website, MBLinhibitors.com, contains a searchable database of known MBL inhibitors, and inhibitors can be searched by chemical name, chemical formula, chemical structure, Simplified Molecular-Input Line-Entry System (SMILES) format, and by the MBL on which studies were conducted. The site will also highlight a “MBL Inhibitor of the Month”, and researchers are invited to submit compounds for this feature. Importantly, MBLinhibitors.com was designed to encourage collaboration, and researchers are invited to submit their new compounds, using the “Submit” function on the site, as well as their expertise using the “Collaboration” function. The intention is for this site to be interactive, and the site will be improved in the future as researchers use the site and suggest improvements. It is hoped that MBLinhibitors.com will serve as the one-stop site for any important information on MBL inhibitors and will aid in the discovery of a clinically useful MBL inhibitor.
Depression and Anxiety as Moderators of the Pain-Social Functioning Relationship in Youth with Sickle Cell Disease

Purpose Youth with sickle cell disease (SCD), a genetic disorder of red blood cells, may experience acute pain episodes lasting 2 to 3 days on average. While existing research has demonstrated associations between SCD pain and poor social functioning in youth with SCD, there are no data on whether symptoms of depression and anxiety modify the relationship between pain and functional outcomes in pediatric pain populations. It was hypothesized that more symptoms of depression and anxiety would exacerbate the relationship between high pain and poor social functioning in youth with SCD. Patients and methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of 114 youth with SCD and their guardians assessing the youth's pain, social functioning, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Results Analyses indicated that elevated levels of depressive symptoms were related to poorer self-reported interpersonal skills. More anxiety symptoms were related to better guardian-reported social skills and weakened the relationship between high pain frequency and poor self-reported interpersonal skills. Conclusion Findings build on previous work supporting the need for multidisciplinary approaches to care for youth with SCD who experience pain, and provide rationale for future studies to investigate the direct and possible moderating effects of depression and anxiety symptoms on other functional outcomes in youth with SCD and other pediatric pain populations.
Do the Bugs in Your Gut Eat Your Memories? Relationship between Gut Microbiota and Alzheimer’s Disease

The human microbiota is composed of trillions of microbial cells inhabiting the oral cavity, skin, gastrointestinal (GI) tract, airways, and reproductive organs. The gut microbiota is composed of dynamic communities of microorganisms that communicate bidirectionally with the brain via cytokines, neurotransmitters, hormones, and secondary metabolites, known as the gut microbiota-brain axis. The gut microbiota-brain axis is suspected to be involved in the development of neurological diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. AD is an irreversible, neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS), characterized by amyloid-β plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and neuroinflammation. Microglia and astrocytes, the resident immune cells of the CNS, play an integral role in AD development, as neuroinflammation is a driving factor of disease severity. The gut microbiota-brain axis is a novel target for Alzheimer's disease therapeutics to modulate critical neuroimmune and metabolic pathways. Potential therapeutics include probiotics, prebiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, and dietary intervention. This review summarizes our current understanding of the role of the gut microbiota-brain axis and neuroinflammation in the onset and development of Alzheimer's disease, limitations of current research, and potential for gut microbiota-brain axis targeted therapies.
Murray Sidman's contributions to clinical behavior analysis

Murray Sidman was not himself a clinician nor directly involved in clinical research. Nevertheless, his experimental and conceptual work, especially in the area of stimulus equivalence, profoundly influenced the development of clinical behavior analysis. Before his work on stimulus equivalence, clinicians with a behavior analytic world view working with verbally sophisticated humans, were making some progress in understanding clinical phenomena and in developing innovative therapies. However, given the obvious and predominant role of verbal processes in both the development and treatment of clinical problems, that progress was constrained by the existing behavior analytic account of verbal behavior. Most fundamentally, it was hard to understand how, in the apparent absence of direct training, verbal events, even novel verbal events, acquire the functions of the nonverbal events that they stand for or represent. Sidman's work on stimulus equivalence, especially the transfer (transformation) of functions, offered an answer and thereby provided a conceptual framework of symbolic behavior around which clinical behavior analysis could cohere and develop.
Los sistemas de pensiones en América Latina y el Caribe

Este articulo ofrece una mirada a los sistemas de pensiones de America Latina y el Caribe, y los desafios que estos enfrentan en la actualidad. Presenta, ademas, el trabajo realizado por la Red de Pensiones en America Latina y el Caribe del BID, la cual desde hace mas de 4 anos apoya a los paises de la region en su continuo esfuerzo por mejorar sus sistemas de pensiones. Finalmente, el articulo discute la importancia del ahorro previsional voluntario en un contexto de cambio demografico y mayor longevidad.
Dual Caregivers of Relatives with Dementia in Rural Virginia: The Added Stress of COVID-19

Family caregivers often find themselves “sandwiched” between caring for an older relative with dementia (PWD) and another person Serving in a dual caregiving role presents unique challenges and has consequences for caregivers’ physical and mental health Seven daily diary interviews with 46 dual dementia caregivers assessed their daily stressors and informal and formal supports Results showed that dementia caregivers who also cared for another older relative reported poorer physical health and used more community-based services to care for the PwD Conversely, dementia caregivers who also cared for younger relatives reported greater secondary stressors, lower family support, and use of fewer community-based services to care for the PwD Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, two telephone interviews were conducted with 15 dual dementia caregivers Caregivers were asked in-depth questions about how the pandemic had impacted their caregiving responsibilities, mental health, and use of community-based services Guided by stress process and behavior models, a thematic analysis of dual caregivers’ interviews revealed that caregivers had less time for themselves, engaged in self-care activities less often, and felt their social life had suffered Many of the caregivers reported feeling exhausted, stressed, and had more things to do than they could handle Of the eight caregivers that used services before COVID-19, six experienced a change in services including loss of services, different workers, or self-selected cancellation of services Discussion focuses on challenges dual dementia caregivers face and the added stressors they experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic
Prize Collecting Multiagent Orienteering: Price of Anarchy Bounds and Solution Methods

We propose and address a new variation of the team orienteering problem (TOP) in which all members of the team are independent self-interested agents. The prize-collecting nature emanates from the fact that the prize available at a node of the traversal graph can be collected only by a single visiting agent. The problem is motivated by situations in which team members (agents) must accomplish tasks toward a common goal but are unable to communicate, such as a fleet of surveillance drones operating in a communication denied area or with remote pilots operating independently. We explore three policies for minimizing the amount of inefficiency these self-interested agents can bring into the situation. We analyze these policies in a game-theoretic framework and show upper bounds on the Price of Anarchy (PoA) ranging from ≈1.582 to unbounded depending on the policy, network type, and the number of players k. This is done by extending well-known PoA bounds for valid utility systems to a leader-follower setting. The PoA also depends on the behavior of the agents, which could not have goodwill toward other agents. In many cases, we are able to provide examples that establish the tightness of the bounds. Finally, solution methods are provided for each of these policies. Numerical results computed by these solution methods are then presented and compared with the optimal centrally coordinated solutions.
Reasons, basing, and the normative collapse of logical pluralism

Logical pluralism is the view that there is more than one correct logic. A key objection to logical pluralism is that it collapses into monism. The core of the Collapse Objection is that only the pluralist’s strongest logic does any genuine normative work; since a logic must do genuine normative work, this means that the pluralist is really a monist, who is committed to her strongest logic being the one true logic. This paper considers a neglected question in the collapse debate: what is it for a logic to do genuine normative work? As well as having wider upshot for the connection between logic and normativity, grappling with this question provides a new response to the Collapse Objection on behalf of the pluralist. I suggest that we should allow logics to generate pro tanto reasons in a way that bears not just on combinations of attitudes but on how an agent’s attitudes are based on one another. This motivates adopting normative principles that allow the pluralist’s weaker logics to earn their normative keep. Rather than being ad hoc, these principles capture a sense in which good reasoning goes beyond the consistency of an agent’s attitudes. Good reasoning is also concerned with how an agent’s attitudes are based on one another.
Piecewise Growth Modeling Using SAS PROC MIXED

Typical longitudinal growth models assume constant functional growth over time. However, there are often conditions where trajectories may not be constant over time. For example, trajectories of ps...
The Meaning of Race in the DNA Era: Science, History and the Law

The meaning of “race” has changed dramatically over time. Early theories of race assigned social, intellectual, moral and physical values to perceived physical differences among groups of people. The perception that race should be defined in terms of genetic and biologic difference fueled the “race science” of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth centuries, during which time geneticists, physiognomists, eugenicists, anthropologists and others purported to find scientific justification for denying equal treatment to non-white persons. Nazi Germany applied these understandings of race in a manner which shocked the world, and following World War II the concept of race increasingly came to be understood as a socio-political construction with no biological meaning. Modern theories thus understand race as a social grouping of persons necessary to preserve unbalanced relationships of power. The unfortunate historical role that science has played in the creation and maintenance of racial categories is, however, being reprised in the context of the modern genetic study of race. Race is increasingly viewed as being reducible through genetic testing to a biological essence. Private DNA testing companies promise to discover one’s true racial background, biomedical companies have begun to develop and market “racial” drugs, and the courts in the United States routinely admit estimates of race based on DNA analysis. Race, however, remains a purely social construct devoid of any biological or genetic meaning. This Article thus argues that the prevailing socio-political understanding of race is being threatened by an ascendance of modern “race science” which serves to legitimate culturally-learned folk notions of racial difference.
Metabolomics activity screening of T cell-induced colitis reveals anti-inflammatory metabolites.

Untargeted metabolomics of disease-associated intestinal microbiota can detect quantitative changes in metabolite profiles and complement other methodologies to reveal the full effect of intestinal...
Historical Mechanisms and Journalistic Change

The occasion for these conversations on theorizing journalistic change is a panel co-sponsored by the History Division and the Cultural and Critical Studies Division of AEJMC. These are two divisio...
Experiments in Swept-Wing Transition

A renewed interest in problems of stability and transition in swept-wing flows has developed as a result of an emphasis on the design of energy-efficient airfoils. Swept-wing boundary layers are three-dimensional (3-D) in nature and are, of course, subject to three-dimensional instabilities. As recent symposia and conferences have indicated, there is far more current interest in Laminar Flow Control (LFC) problems than ever before. Therefore, the present paper concentrates on work in three-dimensional boundary layers and updates the status of new work in this area. A current review of the 3-D stability work is given in Reed and Saric [509] and recent examples of LFC work is given in [510–512].
Integrating ethics and science in the International HapMap Project

Genomics resources that use samples from identified populations raise scientific, social and ethical issues that are, in many ways, inextricably linked. Scientific decisions about which populations to sample to produce the HapMap, an international genetic variation resource, have raised questions about the relationships between the social identities used to recruit participants and the biological findings of studies that will use the HapMap. The sometimes problematic implications of those complex relationships have led to questions about how to conduct genetic variation research that uses identified populations in an ethical way, including how to involve members of a population in evaluating the risks and benefits posed for everyone who shares that identity. The ways in which these issues are linked is increasingly drawing the scientific and ethical spheres of genomics research closer together.
The University at Buffalo Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Science

An interdisciplinary group of faculty at the State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) has developed the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree program in Rehabilitation Science. Faculty from Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Exercise Science, Communicative Disorders, Nursing, and Rehabilitation Medicine designed a curriculum that addresses the critical need for faculty and researchers in the area of disability and rehabilitation research. The model for the Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Science was developed by a task force of the National Institute on Health’s National Center on Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR). The Ph.D. program in Rehabilitation Science addresses the functional limitations, disabilities and societal limitations of persons that result from pathophysiology. The faculty who developed this Ph.D. have a long and strong history of collaboration. Faculty have secured considerable external support for their work, and have in place labs and community resources to support research and doctoral students. The program is strengthened by the inclusion of “visiting faculty” whose roles include teaching courses in condensed format at UB and serving as dissertation committee members. Visiting faculty have full rank appointments at other research universities, have active collaborative research projects with faculty at UB, and while at their home campus employ the latest communications technology in working with this Ph.D. program’s faculty and students. The Ph.D. includes four core courses related to the NCMRR model and four courses focused on research methods, statistics and research ethics. The program also requires a graduate seminar and dissertation guidance. Students choose from 5 new elective courses developed for the Ph.D. program as well as electives offered within the participating programs and other programs at UB. We project admitting up to 8 full time equivalent students each year. Thirty-nine faculty participate in the program. There is a Program Coordinator rotated among faculty every 3 years. A steering committee of faculty from each participating program provides oversight and coordination.
A woman with primary biliary cirrhosis and hyponatremia

A 43-year-old woman with a medical history significant for hypertension, depression, and primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC)3 was admitted to the hospital after outpatient laboratory tests showed hyponatremia. Her complaints on admission included blurry vision, nausea, and significant pruritus. Her review of systems was otherwise negative. She declared no family history of hypercholesterolemia or premature heart disease. She was taking multiple medications including azathioprine, prednisone, amlodipine, losartan, prochlorperazine, sertraline, trazodone, fenofibrate, ranitidine, hydroxyzine, ursodiol, and cholestyramine. Physical exam was remarkable for scleral icterus and mild jaundice; no xanthomas were noted. Laboratory studies were performed (Table 1). Once more, the patient was found to have hyponatremia, along with hypokalemia and hypochloremia. Her creatinine was slightly above normal limits but stable compared with past values. A liver profile test panel showed mild increases in transaminases, increased alkaline phosphatase activity, hypoalbuminemia, significant hyperbilirubinemia, and evidence of cholestasis with increased bile acids in the blood. View this table: Table 1. Patient laboratory results. The patient was started on intravenous fluids (0.9% sodium chloride). Subsequently, a lipid panel was ordered (Table 1). Her most recent total cholesterol (TC) value, measured 1.5 years prior, was 322 mg/dL (8.3 mmol/L). Current testing revealed a markedly increased plasma TC concentration of 2156 mg/dL (55.8 mmol/L). This was the highest TC value ever measured by our laboratory. Furthermore, the sample appearance was clear and not grossly viscous or lipemic. An investigation took place to determine if this was an erroneous result. ### QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER 1. What are possible causes of discrepant total cholesterol values? 2. What steps can be taken to determine if this was an erroneous result? 3. What are the implications for the patient if the results of her lipid panel are accurate? 4. What are the mechanisms by which lipemia can interfere with laboratory testing? ### LABORATORY INVESTIGATION We first searched for possible interfering substances that could falsely increase a TC …
Listening to Plutarch’s Alcibiades in Plato’s Alcibiades Major

In “Listening to Plutarch’s Alcibiades in Plato’s Alcibiades Major,” I engage the ‘how to listen’ tradition by employing conceptual categories taken from Plutarch’s short treatise On Listening and applying them to Alcibiades Major. With a little detective work, I discovered that there are dispositional reasons why Alcibiades failed to listen appropriately to the moderating forces of the Socratic conversation. Alcibiades’ failure to listen sets the stage for his notorious public enterprises. The dispositions that seriously hampered Alcibiades’ ability to listen and benefit from the Socratic conversation are envy, excessive admiration, and non-rhythmic listening. I explore each of these dispositions from Socrates’ initial encounter with the ambitious youth to Alcibiades’ reaction to the Spartan and Persian speech to the conclusion of the dialogue in which we see a broken, submissive Alcibiades eager to listen and eager for a genuine education.
Video feature selection using fast-converging sort-merge tree

High time complexity is a bottle-neck in video segmentation, classification, analysis, and retrieval. In This work we use a heuristic method called fast-converging sort-merge tree (FSMT) to construct automatically a hierarchy of small subsets of features that are progressively more useful for video data exploration. The method combines the virtues of a wrapper model approach for high accuracy, with those of a filter method approach for deriving the appropriate features quickly. FSMT speeds up a more fundamental method, the basic sort-merge tree (BSMT) approach, while retaining its performance. We demonstrate FSMT's high accuracy: it has a 0.001 error rate in a frame classification task on 75 minutes of instructional video, and a 0.98 precision and 0.89 recall in a segment retrieval task on 30 minutes of sports video. Additionally, FSMT is more than 80% faster than its predecessor, BSMT.
Pain perception in decapitated rat brain

The question of humaneness of decapitation per se has been considered. The time required for the oxygen tension in decapitated rat brain to decline to a level at which the brain becomes unconscious was estimated to be 2.7 sec. Assuming that decapitation is a powerful arousal stimulus and that the resulting EEG activation (low voltage, fast activity) indicates a conscious awareness of pain and distress the maximum time the pain and distress could be perceived would be 2.7 sec. Hence, decapitation of rats per se may be considered humane.
Megachurch website design: Faith-based expressions of organizational identity and purpose

One type of organization taking web design seriously is the church-in particular, the Protestant “megachurch,” defined as a church with over 2,000 members. Large churches operate as information-based organizations that are increasingly using “technical” information to communicate to both local and global audiences. These large churches are using their websites not just for information, but also for persuasion, outreach, member efficiency, and broadcast purposes. This paper will examine the websites of five randomly-chosen U.S.-based megachurches and report seven common practices in attempting to use trends in website design and management to reach multiple audiences with a faith-based message. This paper will also report the mistakes that many megachurches make in information design and audience identification and analysis. After an examination of current megachurch website design trends, the paper will conclude with recommendations for best practices in web design and management for churches that desire a strong and robust web presence.
Drosophila Dscam Is an Axon Guidance Receptor Exhibiting Extraordinary Molecular Diversity

A Drosophila homolog of human Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule (DSCAM), an immunoglobulin superfamily member, was isolated by its affinity to Dock, an SH3/SH2 adaptor protein required for axon guidance. Dscam binds directly to both Dock's SH2 and SH3 domains. Genetic studies revealed that Dscam, Dock and Pak, a serine/threonine kinase, act together to direct pathfinding of Bolwig's nerve, containing a subclass of sensory axons, to an intermediate target in the embryo. Dscam also is required for the formation of axon pathways in the embryonic central nervous system. cDNA and genomic analyses reveal the existence of multiple forms of Dscam with a conserved architecture containing variable Ig and transmembrane domains. Alternative splicing can potentially generate more than 38,000 Dscam isoforms. This molecular diversity may contribute to the specificity of neuronal connectivity.
RFX2 is essential in the ciliated organ of asymmetry and an RFX2 transgene identifies a population of ciliated cells sufficient for fluid flow.

Motile cilia create asymmetric fluid flow in the evolutionarily conserved ciliated organ of asymmetry (COA) and play a fundamental role in establishing the left–right (LR) axis in vertebrate embryos. The transcriptional control of the large group of genes that encode proteins that contribute to ciliary structure and function remains poorly understood. In this study we find that the winged helix transcription factor Rfx2 is expressed in motile cilia in mouse and zebrafish embryos. Morpholino knockdown of Rfx2 function in the whole embryo or specifically in cells of the zebrafish COA (Kupffer's Vesicle, KV) leads to reduced KV cilia length and perturbations in LR asymmetry. LR patterning defects include randomization of the early asymmetric Nodal signaling pathway genes southpaw, lefty1 and lefty2 and subsequent reversals in the organ primordia of the heart and gut. Rfx2 is also required for ciliogenesis in zebrafish pronephric duct. We further show that by restoring Left–Right dynein (LRD) expression and motility specifically in a subset of ciliated cells of the mouse COA (posterior notochord, PNC), we can restore fluid flow, asymmetric expression of Pitx2 and partially rescue situs defects.
Texts and textures of Irish America

It is approximately fifty years since the Irish American experience began to attract significant attention from academics and social commentators. In the 1960s and early 1970s, William Shannon, Tho...
Role of Defects in the Nucleation and Growth of Au Nanoclusters on SiO2 Thin Films

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), in conjunction with the nucleation and growth of Au clusters, has been used to identify and quantify various types of defects on ordered, SiO2 thin films grown on Mo(112). On a low-defect surface, Au clusters nucleate and grow at line defects with metal deposition at room temperature, whereas deposition at 850 K leads to cluster decoration primarily at step edges. On a highly defective surface, clusters nucleate and grow at point defects (oxygen vacancies and/or oxygen vacancy complexes) on the terraces, with some clusters grown on oxygen vacancy complexes remaining even after an 850 K anneal. The average cluster density for low Au coverages deposited at room temperature is identical to that obtained for the same Au coverage deposited at 850 K, consistent with complete titration of point defects by the nucleating clusters.
Integrated planning, scheduling, and dynamic optimization for continuous processes

Integration of planning, scheduling, and dynamic optimization significantly improves the overall performance of a production process, compared to the traditional sequential method that solves each sub-problem one by one. The integrated model can be formulated as a mixed-integer dynamic optimization (MIDO) problem which can be then transformed into a mixed-integer nonlinear program (MINLP). However, widely-used simultaneous methods, which solve the integrated problem by a general-purpose MINLP solver, encounter computational complexity. They are difficult to apply to large-scale problems. To address this difficulty, we propose a novel efficient method to solve the integrated problem for a multi-product reactor. The method decomposes the dynamic optimization problems from the planning and scheduling problem by discretizing transition times and transition costs. Then the integrated problem is transformed into a mixed-integer linear program, which is much easier to solve than the large-scale MINLP. In the case studies, the proposed method can reduce the computational time by more than three orders of magnitudes in comparison with the simultaneous method.
A Simple Construction Procedure for Eesolvable Incomplete Block Designs for any Number of Treatments

A simple, straightforward procedure, which requires no special tables or generators, is presented for constructing resolvable incomplete block designs for v=pk, v=p2k, …, treatments, for k≥p, in incomplete blocks of size k. Also, it is shown, how to obtain incomplete block designs for any v in blocks of size k and k+1. The procedure allows construction of balanced incomplete block designs for p = k a prime number. For p = n not a prime number, incomplete block designs can be obtained by the procedure, but are not balanced. However, for ps being the smallest prime factor of n, ps + 1 for v = n2, ps2+ ps + 1 for v = n3, …, arrangements can be obtained for which the occurrence of any treatment pair in the blocks is either zero or one. This is called a zero-one concurrence design. Procedures are described for obtaining additional zero-one concurrence arrangements. It is shown that the efficiency of these designs is maximum. Both intra-block and inter-block analyses are described.
A reconfigurable control system using EMG

This paper proposes a reconfigurable control system based on the biopotential signal generated by the muscles to control small activities. The system aims to develop a platform geared towards helping physically disabled people. The biopotential signal is captured by surface electrodes and is conditioned and amplified using biomedical instrumentation amplifiers (electromyogram - EMG). The controller responsible for interpreting biopotential signals is implemented on a reconfigurable device (FPGA). It is an ongoing project and currently, we already have experimental results demonstrating the main features of the desired system.
Atomic displacements of Mo(100) surface phases measured by ion scattering

High-energy ion scattering has been used to study the clean Mo(100) reconstruction and the modifications caused by hydrogen adsorption. The results indicate that at room temperature the clean surface is disordered and that the atomic displacements are comparable to those at low temperature. The experiments also show that the surface-atom displacements at any fixed coverage in the hydrogen phases are approximately independent of temperature between 10 and 300 K.
The impact of enterprise application integration on stock prices

Purpose – Enterprise application integration (EAI) technologies are critical to functionally integrate diverse corporate computer systems, and as such may be expected to have a positive effect on business value. The purpose of this paper is to examine the market reaction to announcements of EAI investments as a surrogate for investor perceived business value of such technology.Design/methodology/approach – An event study approach is used with 81 announcements of EAI investments between 1998 and 2005, taken from Lexis‐Nexis database.Findings – The results suggest that investors do not always receive EAI investments positively, especially if the announcements are from financially distressed companies and if market conditions are unfavorable.Research limitations/implications – Limitations include the possibility of confounding events, possible bias in the identified announcements, and our focus on EAI technology only. Future research may try to better account for confounding events, identify a more comprehen...
Coacervation of α-elastin results in fiber formation

α-Elastin in the coacervated state has been studied by electron microscopy utilizing the technique of negative staining. This purified and solubilized protein was found to undergo reconstitution to filamentous structures at the elevated temperature required for coacervation. This observation suggests that hydrophobic interactions are responsible for the phase transition (i.e. coacervation) of α-elastin with increase in temperature, and for the formation of fibrous structures with dimensions similar to those observed for the elastin fiber in the native state.
Cytotoxic and morphological effects of phenylpropanolamine, caffeine, nicotine, and some of their metabolites studied In vitro

The neutral red cytotoxicity assay was used in vitro to evaluate the potencies of phenylpropanolamine (PPA), nicotine, caffeine, some of their metabolites, and related chemicals. The human cell types used as targets included fibroblast (HFF), melanoma (SK-Mel/27), and hepatoma (HepG2) cell lines and early passage endothelial (ENDO) cells and keratinocytes (NHEK). For all of these cells, nicotine was more cytotoxic than cotinine, its major metabolite; in turn, cotinine was more cytotoxic than chemically related compounds such as nicotinic acid and nicotinamide. Nicotine, but neither cotinine, nicotinic acid, nor nicotinamide, induced cytoplasmic vacuolization in all the cell types tested. Except for the ENDO cells, caffeine and its metabolite, theophylline, showed approximately equivalent cytotoxic potencies. However, for the ENDO cells, caffeine was more cytotoxic than theophylline. Furthermore, the ENDO cells were 2–3 times more sensitive to caffeine and theophylline than were the other cell types. The HFF, SK-Mel/27, and HepG2 cells were more sensitive than the ENDO and NHEK cells to PPA. Phenylpropanolamine induced cytoplasmic vacuolization only in the ENDO cells. Combinations of caffeine + PPA interacted synergistically in their cytotoxicity towards the HepG2 cells; a similar synergistic interaction was not noted with the ENDO cells.
Preparation and stability of 131I-tetracycline.

Abstract A method for the iodination of tetracycline is presented which yields >85% labeling efficiency. The product is stable for a minimum of 72 hr and appears to retain tetracycline-like properties when studied in vivo . The critical factors in the synthesis are reaction temperature, acidity, and drying temperature. The data suggest that 131 I-TET can be studied as a tumor scanning agent without fear of product artifact.
Envelope: interactive software for modeling and fitting complex isotope distributions

An important aspect of proteomic mass spectrometry involves quantifying and interpreting the isotope distributions arising from mixtures of macromolecules with different isotope labeling patterns. These patterns can be quite complex, in particular with in vivo metabolic labeling experiments producing fractional atomic labeling or fractional residue labeling of peptides or other macromolecules. In general, it can be difficult to distinguish the contributions of species with different labeling patterns to an experimental spectrum and difficult to calculate a theoretical isotope distribution to fit such data. There is a need for interactive and user-friendly software that can calculate and fit the entire isotope distribution of a complex mixture while comparing these calculations with experimental data and extracting the contributions from the differently labeled species. Envelope has been developed to be user-friendly while still being as flexible and powerful as possible. Envelope can simultaneously calculate the isotope distributions for any number of different labeling patterns for a given peptide or oligonucleotide, while automatically summing these into a single overall isotope distribution. Envelope can handle fractional or complete atom or residue-based labeling, and the contribution from each different user-defined labeling pattern is clearly illustrated in the interactive display and is individually adjustable. At present, Envelope supports labeling with 2H, 13C, and 15N, and supports adjustments for baseline correction, an instrument accuracy offset in the m/z domain, and peak width. Furthermore, Envelope can display experimental data superimposed on calculated isotope distributions, and calculate a least-squares goodness of fit between the two. All of this information is displayed on the screen in a single graphical user interface. Envelope supports high-quality output of experimental and calculated distributions in PNG or PDF format. Beyond simply comparing calculated distributions to experimental data, Envelope is useful for planning or designing metabolic labeling experiments, by visualizing hypothetical isotope distributions in order to evaluate the feasibility of a labeling strategy. Envelope is also useful as a teaching tool, with its real-time display capabilities providing a straightforward way to illustrate the key variable factors that contribute to an observed isotope distribution. Envelope is a powerful tool for the interactive calculation and visualization of complex isotope distributions for comparison to experimental data. It is available under the GNU General Public License from http://williamson.scripps.edu/envelope/ .
Physico-chemical properties of skim milk retentates from microfiltration.

Abstract Physico-chemical properties of retentates obtained from selective concentration of skim milk up to 8 times its original weight using a microfiltration system were studied. The effects of process variables, namely concentration (8.6 to 27wt.%), temperature (20 to 50°C) and pH (6.0, 6.3, and 6.5) on density ( ρ ), apparent viscosity ( μ a ), consistency coefficient (K), flow behavior index (n), and activation energy (E a ) of the retentates were examined. Depending on pH, retentates showed significant increase in apparent viscosity, deviated from classical Newtonian behavior and exhibited shear-thinning between 11 to 17% solids concentration. No yield stress was detected in the range of concentration studied. The power law parameters (n and K) followed a similar trend. An Arrhenius-type equation described well the effect of temperature on apparent viscosity. Although activation energy increased 120 to 130% for a threefold increase in solids concentration, it was not significantly different from that of other types of concentrated milk at approximately the same concentration. Increasing solids were responsible for change in flow properties with concentration, while the effect of pH was attributed to differential protein (primarily casein) retention and the change in solvation properties and voluminosity of casein micelles. Models relating concentration, temperature, and pH to retentate apparent viscosity and consistency coefficient were identified. Skim milk microfiltration with in-process pH adjustment produces retentates depleted in whey proteins and calcium with significantly altered properties.
Avaya’s journey to global HR shared service: Moving from localized HR services to a global shared service model

In 2002, Avaya realized the need to move to a global, rather than local, approach to providing its HR services. Here, Michael Donnelly explains how, in partnership with Convergys, it implemented a network of global shared service centres to cut costs, improve speed and accuracy, and turn previously unusable data into actionable business intelligence.
High strain rate deformation behaviors of kinetic energy penetrator materials during ballistic impact

Abstract The behaviors of a variety of high-density materials are compared in ballistic penetration experiments. The deformation and failure modes of these materials, under this high pressure and high strain rate loading environment, are studied via metallographic examinations. Stable plastic flow, leading to the development of a large “mushroomed” head on the penetrator, was observed for certain high-density materials, including pure tungsten, tungsten heavy alloys, and a uranium-6% niobium alloy. For two other families of uranium alloys, localizations quickly develop in the plastic flow and result in a rapid discard of the deformed material from the head of the penetrator. The earlier discard of the material reduces the build-up of the mushroomed head on the penetrator, allowing these materials to penetrate more efficiently. The stability of the plastic flow of the penetrator alloy, therefore, is shown to be a key determinant of the penetration capabilities of a projectile.
Progress toward establishing embryonic stem or induced pluripotent stem cell-based clinical translation

Purpose of reviewEmbryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells are pluripotent and therefore capable of differentiating into different cell types and tissues. However, their clinical potential, so far, has not been sufficiently probed. The major obstacle is the lack of protocols that allow