cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of mandatory resident work hour limitations on medical students’ interest in surgery

Background The number of US medical students applying for general surgery residency has been declining. Recent studies have shown that the issue of "controllable lifestyle" has become a critical factor in medical students' decision-making process. We postulate that widespread implementation of resident work hour limitations would bolster medical students' interest in pursuing surgical careers. Study design Students from New York University School of Medicine were surveyed about their attitudes toward work hour limitations and its effect on their interest in pursuing a surgical residency. One hundred thirty-two students participated. Results Nearly 95% of respondents believed that work hour limitations were a positive change and, if all other factors were equal, they would choose a training program that used work hour limitations over one that did not. The most common reasons cited in favor of limits were improvements in resident lifestyle (42%) and patient safety (34%). Fifty-three percent of respondents indicated that presence of work hour limitations alone would increase their interest in considering a surgical residency and only 2% of medical students indicated that it would lessen their interest in surgery. Not surprisingly, intellectual interest in a specialty was the most important factor in choosing a residency for 86% of students. Nevertheless, work hour limitations were designated a higher priority than future salary by 55% of medical students. Conclusions The presence of work hour limitations has a positive impact on medical students' interest in surgery. Widespread implementation of work hour limitations may bolster the number of applications for surgical residency.
Simplified feed for modified printed Yagi antenna

A modified printed Yagi antenna with a simplified feed mechanism is proposed. In the new design, the driver dipole is fed by a transmission line formed by two parallel strips printed on opposite sides of the dielectric substrate. This simplified feed structure results in the reduction of the transmission line length, and, consequently, the radiation losses. The analysis of the modified Yagi antenna is performed numerically using Ansoft high frequency structure simulator and is experimentally validated.
Complications of Inoue balloon mitral commissurotomy: Impact of operator experience and evolving technique

Abstract Background There have been no single-center studies that have systematically addressed the acute outcome of Inoue balloon mitral commissurotomy (BMC) performed in a large series of patients. Accordingly, this study sought to examine the impact of operator experience and continuing technical modifications on the success and complication rates of BMC. Methods BMC was performed in 799 patients: 469 patients with pliable mitral valves (group 1) and 330 patients with calcified valves and/or severe subvalvular disease (group 2). Acute complications were examined and compared between groups before and after modifications in BMC techniques. Major modifications included the use of a height-derived balloon sizing method for the selection of an appropriate balloon catheter, a cautionary stepwise dilation technique, and avoidance of traction on the interatrial septum during balloon inflations. Results Technical failures were encountered in 4 (0.5%) patients in our early experience. One patient sustained cardiac perforation and tamponade and was the only case requiring emergency surgery. There were no deaths. Systemic embolic events were observed in 11 (1.4%), all among the first 353 patients before the routine use of pre-BMC transesophageal echocardiography. Severe postprocedure angiographic (≥3+) mitral regurgitation occurred in 4% of patients, 2% in group 1 versus 9% in group 2 ( P = .0001). With increased operator experience and technical modifications, this complication was significantly reduced from 5% (7 of 150 patients) to 0% in the last 316 patients in group 1 ( P = .0001) and from 11% (26 of 228 patients) to 3% (3 of 101 patients) in group 2 ( P = .031). The incidence of significant interatrial shunting (pulmonary-to-systemic flow ratio ≥1.3) was also significantly reduced from 12% to 6% ( P = .0034). Conclusion Incremental operator experience and ongoing technical refinements in BMC techniques have resulted in a 100% technical success rate and a significant diminution in complications in patients with a wide spectrum of stenotic mitral valve morphologic features. (Am Heart J 1999;138:114-21.)
DEPENDENCE OF THE R-MOTTLED ALEURONE PHENOTYPE IN MAIZE ON MODE OF SEXUAL TRANSMISSION

YPICAL R-mottling, the irregular distribution of anthocyanin in the aleurone Tlayer of maize endosperm, occurs upon crossing appropriate R R plants with r r (colorless) only when R R is the pollen parent (EMERSON 1918; KEMPTON 1919). When R R is used in the mating as female, the aleurone is solidly colored. From a conventional point of view the mottled and solidly colored phenotypes suggest the dosage effects associated with the unequal numbers of chromosome sets contributed to the triploid endosperm, two from the female and one from the male parent. This explapation assumes equal pigmenting action of R from the two origins. Furthermore, if parental source were to affect R expression, such an influence ordinarily would be confounded with the effect of dosage. ROMAN’S (1947) discovery that a given chromosome segment translocated to the centromeric portion of an accessory B chromosome in maize is transmitted by the male in duplicate provides an opportunity to vary the dosage of genes in such a segment independently of parental origin. Accordingly, his translocation B-loa, with the point of interchange in chromosome-10 between R and the centromere, permits introduction of two R factors into the endosperm via pollen. Unexpectedly on the R dosage interpretation, R R from the male when combined with rr from the female gave mottled, rather than solidly colored, kernels (ROMAN, cited by SCHWARTZ 1965; KERMICLE 1963). This observation called into question sufficiency of the dosage explanation and prompted further investigation. The evidence presented here shows the basis of the disparity in aleurone phenotype following reciprocal crosses between R R and r r plants is a pronounced difference in level of action at which R is transmitted to the endosperm through male and female gametophytes. MATERIALS AND METHODS The various alleles of R involved affect anthocyanin pigmentation of the aleurone and vegetative parts of the plant as follows: RV-Pigmented aleurone, red seedling and anthers; representative of those alleles which give darkly mottled aleurone in crosses to rgrg as female but solidly colored aleurone when rgrg is male. The particular Rr employed in experiments involving translocation B-loa was that present in the TB-loa stock obtained from the Maize Genetics Stock Center, University of Illinois, Urbana. A second source of Rr, that designated standard Rr in the Wisconsin collection, was 1Paper No. 1357 from the Laboratory of Genetics. Supported by AEC contract AT(ll-1)-1300 and NIH grant GM 15422-01.
Causally Inefficacious Moral Properties

L'A. defend une approche sceptique de l'efficacite causale des proprietes morales, fondee sur l'indistinguabilite physique de certains objets selon leurs contextes historiques. Examinant le processus de survenance et le pouvoir causal des proprietes, l'A. esquisse les fondements empiriques d'un test pour l'efficacite morale des proprietes physiques.
FireFly: a reconfigurable wireless data center fabric using free-space optics

Conventional static datacenter (DC) network designs offer extreme cost vs. performance tradeoffs---simple leaf-spine networks are cost-effective but oversubscribed, while "fat tree"-like solutions offer good worst-case performance but are expensive. Recent results make a promising case for augmenting an oversubscribed network with reconfigurable inter-rack wireless or optical links. Inspired by the promise of reconfigurability, this paper presents FireFly, an inter-rack network solution that pushes DC network design to the extreme on three key fronts: (1) all links are reconfigurable; (2) all links are wireless; and (3) non top-of-rack switches are eliminated altogether. This vision, if realized, can offer significant benefits in terms of increased flexibility, reduced equipment cost, and minimal cabling complexity. In order to achieve this vision, we need to look beyond traditional RF wireless solutions due to their interference footprint which limits range and data rates. Thus, we make the case for using free-space optics (FSO). We demonstrate the viability of this architecture by (a) building a proof-of-concept prototype of a steerable small form factor FSO device using commodity components and (b) developing practical heuristics to address algorithmic and system-level challenges in network design and management.
Analytical Prototypes for Ocean–Atmosphere Interaction at Midlatitudes. Part I: Coupled Feedbacks as a Sea Surface Temperature Dependent Stochastic Process*

Effects of ocean‐atmosphere feedback processes and large-scale atmospheric stochastic forcing on the interdecadal climate variability in the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans are examined in a simple midlatitude ocean‐atmosphere model. In the ocean, the authors consider a linearized perturbation system with quasigeostrophic shallow-water ocean dynamics and a sea surface temperature (SST) equation for a surface mixed layer. The atmosphere is represented as stochastic wind stress and heat flux forcing. This includes a noise component that depends on SST, as well as an additive component that is independent of SST. Coupling is represented by the SST dependent stochastic process, in which SST influences the probability density function of the atmospheric noise both in shifting the mean and affecting the variance. It thus includes a multiplicative noise component. The model results in both oceans indicate that large-scale additive atmospheric stochastic forcing alone (the uncoupled case) can give coherent spatial patterns in the ocean and sometimes even a weak power spectral peak at interdecadal periods. Coupling due to the SST dependent stochastic process can produce a more distinct power-spectral peak relative to the uncoupled ocean. Moreover, the time and spatial scales of the interdecadal mode are insensitive to the standard deviation of the multiplicative noise. Thus a deterministic feedback limit can be used to simplify the coupled model for further investigation of the physical mechanisms of the interdecadal mode. In both uncoupled and coupled cases, the period of the interdecadal oscillation is determined by the zonal length scale of atmospheric wind stress and oceanic Rossby wave dynamics. The atmospheric spatial pattern sets the length scale of large-scale wave motion in the ocean. This wave propagates to the west due to oceanic Rossby wave dynamics and is dissipated at the western boundary. However, in the coupled case, the SST anomalies generated by geostrophic current can feed back to the atmosphere, which in turn brings some information back to the east and reexcites oceanic waves there. Although the magnitude of the feedback of SST on the atmosphere is much smaller than atmospheric internal variability, its effects are significant.
Asymptomatic Volunteers with a Polycystic Ovary Are a Functionally Distinct but Heterogeneous Population

Context/Objective: Our objective was to determine the ovarian function of asymptomatic volunteers with a polycystic ovary (V-PCO). Participants: Non-hirsute eumenorrheic V-PCO (n = 32) and volunteers with ultrasonographically normal ovaries (V-NO) (n = 21) were compared with one another and with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients who met National Institute of Health criteria (n = 90). Design/Setting/Interventions: GnRH agonist (GnRHag), ACTH, and oral glucose tolerance tests were prospectively performed in a General Clinical Research Center. Results: The distribution of 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP) responses to GnRHag of V-PCO formed a distinct population intermediate between that of V-NO, the reference population, and PCOS. Nevertheless, the V-PCO population was heterogeneous. There were 53% (seventeen of 32) that were functionally normal, with 17OHP responses and free testosterone levels like V-NO. A total of 25% (eight of 32) had an elevated free testosterone, thus meeting Rotterdam criteria f...
Shortwave propagation prediction methodologies

The status of ionospheric-propagation prediction models is examined, with particular emphasis on the use of these models by the shortwave-broadcast community. Their stand-alone capability for forecasts is found to be limited by the use of monthly median, statistical averages of archived ionospheric data, as well as by the use of imprecise control parameter inputs, such as the sunspot number. A variety of developing technologies are discussed for improvement of prediction models. Improvement may result from observations of coronal holes and other relevant solar features for long-term and short-term ionospheric predictions. Also discussed are a variety of other ionospheric measurement schemes for short-term ionospheric predictions, such as the use of vertical-incidence, oblique-incidence, and backscatter sensing from space. The application of this class of measurements for adaptive HF broadcasting systems is discussed. Incorporation of ray-tracing into propagation calculations in the prediction model is also considered. >
Labeling lake water with tritium

Abstract A method of packaging tritiated water in a manner that facilitates safe handling in environmental labeling operations, and procedures followed in labeling a large body of water with a small volume of tritiated water are described.
Treatment of a traumatic ulcer on a handicapped individual: a case report

Ulcerations of oral mucosa caused by trauma or irritation are not uncommon. Irritation of tissues by fractured teeth or rough restorations often results in ulcerations. Additionally, oral habits have been reported to produce untoward tissue response.1 Fortunately, most traumatic oral ulcerations respond rapidly and favorably to removal of the source of irritation. In the case of handicapped individuals, removal of the causative factor may be difficult because of the inability to communicate and cooperate. This is particularly true when the oral lesion is caused by habitual behavior. Some habits may have serious sequela. Phelan and others2 reported on a deaf-mute child who had the habit of thumbsucking. Blood loss from an ulceration precipitated by this habit resulted in hospitali-zation and fluid replacement. The case reported in this paper identifies an unusual problem found in a 9-year-old child with excessive lip sucking that perpetuated a large lip ulceration.
Symposium Paper: Pre-Calving Nutrition and Management Programs for Two-Year-Old Beef Cows

Abstract A female replacement program is needed in beef production enterprises to replace cows that have been culled for various reasons. Replacement females may come from either internal or external sources. Regardless of the source, management and nutrition play a large role in the successful development of these replacement females. In either case, females must be grown, mated, calved, and re-mated to enter the cow herd successfully. In most production systems in the US and Canada, replacement females are mated to calve at 2 yr of age. These females have not yet reached their mature BW (MBW) at first calving. Consequently, higher nutritional and management demands are placed on these females following first calving. In addition to nutrient requirements for maintenance, lactation, and reproduction, these females also have nutrient requirements for growth. It is generally accepted, based on numerous research trials and production observations, that pre-calving nutrition [which is fundamentally reflected in body condition score (BCS) at calving] has a major impact of the length of the postpartum anestrous period. Recent and on-going research has identified potential opportunities to positively manipulate physiological processes in young cows through feeding elevated undegradable intake protein (UIP) or gluconeogenic precursors. Studies in animal behavior related to grazing and foraging indicate that opportunities and interactions for improved nutritional status exist by incorporating principles of animal learning and behavior into heifer development programs. Low-cost strategies designed to meet the nutritional demands of young cows and management programs designed to optimize reproductive performance will facilitate successful replacement programs.
Economics For The Elderly: New Business Products And Options

In this paper, we examine three types of money management tools that could be used in estate and financial planning matters. The first two, the life settlement, which enables the sale of life insurance policies in secondary markets, and the reverse mortgage, which is a loan taken out against the home equity accumulated and requires no repayment as long as the homeowner lives in the home, have been used as investment vehicles by insurance companies, banks, hedge funds, and other investment entities. The third tool, the power of appointment, provides counsel on the proper format for preparing the deed to minimize the tax implications related to the transfer of assets from the parent to the heirs.
Fiber-Reinforced Resin Posts (Fiber Posts)

The restoration of endodontically treated teeth has been subject of controversy over many years. It was believed that the exclusive function of a post was to provide retention for the coronal restoration. More recent evidence suggests that fiber-reinforced resin posts (or fiber posts) may actually strengthen the root when luted with an adhesive technique.
A Tale of Two Issues

The first objective memo assigned in law school usually involves a fairly straightforward set of facts that correspond with a fairly straightforward set of facts of rules and cases. Students are then set about the task of interpreting the existing law and applying it to the given facts. This kind of assignment introduces important basic concepts like synthesizing a legal rule from existing authority and making rule-based and analogical arguments to achieve a result. In later assignments, students may be asked to analyze what the law should be. The author breaks down the difference between applying existing law to facts and deciding what the rule should be.
A HIGHER ORDER THEORY FOR SYMMETRICAL GRAVITY WAVES

A higher order theory is presented for symmetrical, non-linear gravity waves As a consequence of the generality employed, the theory includes the full range of possible wave lengths, water depths and wave heights that may be encountered, and brings them into one unified formulation Thus, the theory encompasses both linear and non-linear waves, including Airy waves, Stokes waves, cnoidal waves and the solitary wave Based on the work of Nekrasov, a complex potential in the form of an infinite series is developed to describe the flow field The potential satisfies the bottom (horizontal) condition as well as the kinematic surface condition exactly Furthermore, the dynamic surface condition is satisfied by numerical calculation of the series coefficients which appear in the complex potential The calculation of these coefficients is accomplished by solving a set of non-linear algebraic equations, with the aid of a Newton-Raphson iteration procedure and matrix inversion Coefficients of the complex potential have been obtained for a fifth order analysis and preliminary results are presented in tabular form A brief discussion of the characteristics of the waves, including wave speed, wave shape and the height of the highest possible wave follows.
Book Review: Justifying Intellectual Property by Robert P. Merges (Harvard 2011)

Robert Merges’ scholarship has a continuing and significant influence on intellectual property law. His recent work, Justifying Intellectual Property, is a rich and thoughtful work that raises important questions. Merges considers the selected legal philosophers, John Locke, Immanuel Kant, and John Rawls, with depth and clarity. Difficult concepts are handled with thoroughness and subtlety. A number of the propositions are undoubtedly provocative. By placing the primary emphasis on the creator, the book seeks to move the focus of the IP system to one that, at an operational level, inures to the benefit of a professional creative class. This work emphasizes that intellectual property is a property right that allows creators to control who may use the work, and — if used — to specify the terms.In doing so, Merges neatly solves certain problems associated with the current IP system. Nevertheless, it is a rare case that one can attempt to move a system’s foundations without creating disruption. By advocating strong property rights in IP, Justifying Intellectual Property asserts a number of challenging propositions about a system that some currently regard as too powerful.
Novelty response and 50 kHz ultrasonic vocalizations: Differential prediction of locomotor and affective response to amphetamine in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Rationale Novelty and sensation seeking (NSS) predisposes humans and rats to experiment with psychostimulants. In animal models, different tests of NSS predict different phases of drug dependence. Ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) are evoked by psychomotor stimulants and measure the affective/motivation response to stimuli, yet the role NSS has on USVs in response to amphetamine is not determined.
Advertising Prescription Drugs to the Public: Headache or Relief?

This paper explores the issue of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drugs. The viewpoints of the four major groups involved-pharmaceutical manufacturers, physicians, regulators and consumers-are discussed, the legal questions such advertising raises are examined and the costs and benefits of it are reviewed. Finally, some recommendations are developed to assist the two groups most actively involved: manufacturers and regulators.
Rational Behavior in Politics: Evidence from a Three Person Game *

A fundamental controversy in political theory from ancient times until the present concerns the rationality of political actors, what it is, if it exists at all, and whether or not humans display it in politics. Many political scientists are impatient with this controversy because it remains open after so much (apparently futile) discussion. But they ought not be. The problem of rationality is necessarily imbedded in even the simplest kinds of political research, where, if overlooked, it can occasion misinterpretation and even outright error. Suppose, for example, in an investigation of legislators one uses the notion of party loyalty as an independent variable to explain behavior. This notion seems simple and straightforward enough and not, therefore, likely to involve one in philosophical controversy. But in fact party loyalty can be interpreted in a variety of ways and the choice among them necessarily involves a choice on one side of the controversy over rationality. Loyalty can be thought of, for example, as a truly independent variable, as a product of political socialization, as an expression of affect, and hence as an essentially irrational motive. On the other hand, it may be thought of as itself dependent on bargains rationally satisfying the preferences of legislators. Such bargains may be either short term or long term so that a legislator's manifest party loyalty may result from a series of advantageous bargains with party leaders on particular bills or from an implied bargain with them on career advantage.
The Use of Sociology in an Industrial Medical Program

chiefly in their possible extension beyond the data utilized here. If education is taken as an index of standard job qualifications in general, the following hypothesis emerges: Within a disadvantaged minority group, the relevance of standard occupational qualifications to socioeconomic status is reduced. If the relation between educational and socioeconomic status is taken as an index of the type of relationship among other statuses, the following hypothesis emerges: Members of a disadvantaged minority group tend to be characterized by a lesser average degree of integration among their various statuses than are members of the majority group.
Absence of intact nef sequences in a long-term survivor with nonprogressive HIV-1 infection

Although disease develops within 10 years in most persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), some remain symptom-free for prolonged periods.1,2 Most long-term asymptomatic survivors of HIV-1 infection still have evidence of disease progression in the form of declining CD4+ lymphocyte concentrations. However, some rare persons not only are asymptomatic but also maintain stable levels of CD4+ lymphocytes in the normal or near-normal range. Although the definition of nonprogression may vary, approximately 5 percent of seropositive persons have shown no HIV-related disease or declines in CD4+ cell counts despite 10 or more years of documented HIV-1 infection. . . .
Status of organic toxicants pollution in air of workshop in Kunshan City

Objective: To understand the current status of organic toxicants pollution in the air of workplace and prevent occupational poisoning.Methods:Based on national standard,we detected n-hexane,benzene,toluene,dimethylbenzene,ethyl acetate,butyl acetate and butanone in 400 factories.Results:Detectable rates of n-hexane,benzene,toluene,dimethylbenzene,ethyl acetate,butyl acetate and butanone were 65.82%,5.60%,53.69%,37.23%,49.36%,27.14%,44.53%,over limit rate 3.39%,0.60%,2.79%,1.70%,3.22%,1.07%,1.62%,the results have statistical significance except benzene and butanone.ConclusionThe current status of organic toxicants contamination is not satisfactory,so they should use low poison,improve on technology and ventilation be improved and the department concerned should strengthen superision these corporations.
Experimental Research on Safety Protection for Live-wire Operation on ±660 kV DC Power Transmission Line

According to the demand on live-wire operation for Ningdong-Shandong ±660 kV DC transmission project,simulative calculation for human-body under live-wire operation is carried out.Therefore,the safety protection requirement and the main parameters of screening clothing are suggested.The research results could provide technical support for future live-sire operation on ±660 kV DC transmission line.
Classification of Stroke

Stroke is a heterogeneous disease. Both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes occur by a variety of mechanisms. This means that each stroke patient will require a carefully considered workup, depending on your thoughts on etiology. An appreciation of the diversity of cerebrovascular disease, its distinct mechanisms, and the natural history provide the necessary tools to make relevant treatment decisions.
Relating cold tolerance to winterkill for spotted seatrout at its northern latitudinal limits

Abstract In the absence of winter thermal refugia, acute cold stress can lead to episodic mass mortality (winterkill) in fishes. Populations existing near the northern extent of a species' latitudinal range, such as spotted seatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus (Cuvier, 1830), in North Carolina, USA, are particularly vulnerable to winterkill. Information on cold tolerance for spotted seatrout is incomplete, which limits understanding of a likely important source of natural mortality for this species. In this study, two laboratory experiments for controlled exposure of spotted seatrout to dynamic decreases in water temperature were conducted in order to determine cold tolerance as affected by either rapid or prolonged exposure to low-temperature extremes across upper- (10) and lower-estuarine (30) salinities. Under rapid exposure, spotted seatrout were unable to maintain equilibrium at temperatures ≤ 4°C, with a small but measured mitigating effect of high salinity on the onset of observed physiological stress. No fish survived prolonged exposure (2 d) to 3 °C but spotted seatrout were tolerant of exposures to 5 °C for approximately 5 d, after which survival precipitously declined. Survival after 10-d exposure to 7 °C was high but not absolute. Salinity had no measured effect on mortality rates in the prolonged exposure trials. These empirical estimates of low-temperature thresholds, along with previously determined field estimates of instantaneous winter natural mortality rate (M), were used to develop models for predicting M. Historic daily water temperatures were used to estimate winter M of spotted seatrout from 1994 to 2015. Predictions of M suggest winterkill (≥ 50% population loss) in eight of the last 22 years; these years correspond to anecdotal and fishery-independent observations of winterkill events in North Carolina. The results of this study provide strong evidence for thermally-limited overwinter survival of spotted seatrout at its northern latitudinal limits, where winterkill events can have population-level impacts.
Nerve Management and Crime Accomplishment

Objective:To examine the theoretical import of nerve management for offender decision-making and crime accomplishment.Methods:Data were culled from in-depth, semistructured interviews with 35 activ...
Minting the Obverse: Library and Information Studies as a One-Sided Coin

A synthesis of the work of Michael Buckland reveals the critique that, for too long, LIS has been a one-sided coin. Growing out of professional education, LIS has traditionally nurtured only its applied, practical and empirical side. Challenging this imbalance, emerging research in LIS points to the development of the basic, liberal arts and conceptual side of the discipline. Indeed, the advent of JCLIS reflects this trend. An interest in basic LIS is welcome for a number of reasons: By clarifying key concepts, it will lead to improved practice; by contributing more widely to human knowledge it will fulfill the obligations of being an academic research department; and by exploring information issues which are becoming relevant to all members of society, it will realize a greater purpose. This paper surveys the extent to which the basic side of LIS has emerged, examining the content of the top LIS journals and the curricula of the top LIS institutions. The findings point to an inchoate reverse, but one with numerous challenges that remain beyond the horizon. This paper serves as an invitation to researchers and educators to consider how they can further contribute to minting the basic side of the coin of LIS.
When Is A Political Contribution Influence Buying

A plan is offered to determine when political contributions by an engineer is influence buying, and to develop a set of guidelines to be used in analyzing situations wherein this issue could be a problem. A survey of periodic publications was conducted. The most productive sources were Civil Engineering and Engineering News Record . This search revealed that there are indeed many instances of unethical political contributions in the United States. The publicity given these cases has created such concern that it may lead to a restructuring of the method by which contracts for engineering services are now granted. The need established by the existing circumstances warrants the renewed interest of the profession and the judicial system in their attempt to clean up the award process.
RNA Binding Protein CUGBP1 Inhibits Liver Cancer in a Phosphorylation-Dependent Manner.

Abstract Despite intensive investigations, mechanisms of liver cancer are not known. Here, we identified an important step of liver cancer, which is the neutralization of tumor suppressor activities of an RNA binding protein, CUGBP1. The translational activity of CUGBP1 is activated by dephosphorylation at Ser302. We generated CUGBP1-S302A knock-in mice and found that the reduction of translational activity of CUGBP1 causes development of a fatty liver phenotype in young S302A mice. Examination of liver cancer in diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-treated CUGBP1-S302A mice showed these mice develop much more severe liver cancer that is associated with elimination of the mutant CUGBP1. Searching for mechanisms of this elimination, we found that the oncoprotein gankyrin (Gank) preferentially binds to and triggers degradation of dephosphorylated CUGBP1 (de-ph-S302-CUGBP1) or S302A mutant CUGBP1. To test the role of Gank in degradation of CUGBP1, we generated mice with liver-specific deletion of Gank. In these mice, the tumor suppressor isoform of CUGBP1 is protected from Gank-mediated degradation. Consistent with reduction of CUGBP1 in animal models, CUGBP1 is reduced in patients with pediatric liver cancer. Thus, this work presents evidence that de-ph-S302-CUGBP1 is a tumor suppressor protein and that the Gank-UPS-mediated reduction of CUGBP1 is a key event in the development of liver cancer.
Conspiracy as Plot Type in Herodian’s Roman History

Despite positioning himself as a contemporary eyewitness and heir to Thucydides, Herodian has generally been judged to be a poor historian prone to the use of compression, formulaic scenes, and even free invention. This paper examines Herodian’s application of a specific plot type to conspiracies against the emperor by praetorian prefects. The use of this plot type reveals something of Herodian’s understanding of history and historical methodology, while also serving an important narrative function in his text.
A local duplication of the Melanocortin receptor 1 locus in Astyanax

In this study, we report evidence of a novel duplication of Melanocortin receptor 1 (Mc1r) in the cavefish genome. This locus was discovered following the observation of excessive allelic diversity in a ∼820 bp fragment of Mc1r amplified via degenerate PCR from a natural population of Astyanax aeneus fish from Guerrero, Mexico. The cavefish genome reveals the presence of two closely related Mc1r open reading frames separated by a 1.46 kb intergenic region. One open reading frame corresponds to the previously reported Mc1r receptor, and the other open reading frame (duplicate copy) is 975 bp in length, encoding a receptor of 325 amino acids. Sequence similarity analyses position both copies in the syntenic region of the single Mc1r locus in 16 representative craniate genomes spanning bony fish (including Astyanax) to mammals, suggesting we discovered tandem duplicates of this important gene. The two Mc1r copies share ∼89% sequence similarity and, within Astyanax, are more similar to one another compared to other melanocortin family members. Future studies will inform the precise functional significance of the duplicated Mc1r locus and if this novel copy number variant may have adaptive significance for the Astyanax lineage.
Rethinking Visual Analytics for Streaming Data Applications

Visual analytics is entering a period of renewed growth due to a shift in focus from static to streaming data applications. In this article, the authors illustrate several challenges arising from this pivot and suggest potential avenues for future exploration.
ZIPT: Zero-Integration Performance Testing of Mobile App Designs

To evaluate the performance of mobile app designs, designers and researchers employ techniques such as A/B, usability, and analytics-driven testing. While these are all useful strategies for evaluating known designs, comparing many divergent solutions to identify the most performant remains a costly and difficult problem. This paper introduces a design performance testing approach that leverages existing app implementations and crowd workers to enable comparative testing at scale. This approach is manifest in ZIPT, a zero-integration performance testing platform that allows designers to collect detailed design and interaction data over any Android app -- including apps they do not own and did not build. Designers can deploy scripted tests via ZIPT to collect aggregate user performance metrics (e.g., completion rate, time on task) and qualitative feedback over third-party apps. Through case studies, we demonstrate that designers can use ZIPT's aggregate data and visualizations to understand the relative performance of interaction patterns found in the wild, and identify usability issues in existing Android apps.
Effects of simulated firefighting and asymmetric load carriage on firefighter obstacle crossing performance.

Abstract Slips, trips, and falls (STF) of firefighters may occur while traversing stationary obstacles. STF risk may be amplified by fatigue from firefighting and carrying an asymmetric load. Vertical and horizontal clearances of the lead (VCL, HCL) and trailing (VCT, HCT) foot and contact with a 30 cm obstacle were examined in 24 firefighters. We examined the impact on obstacle crossing performance due to three exercise protocols (treadmill walking or simulated firefighting in an environmental chamber, and simulated firefighting in a live-fire burn building) and carrying a hose load on the right shoulder. Post-activity fatigue resulted in significant decreases in HCL and VCT. Adding a hose load did not affect choice of lead/trailing foot, but did significantly decreased HCL and increased VCL. The hose load amplified acute fatigue effects by causing a sharper decrease in both VCL and VCT. Clearances were significantly impacted by interaction effects of exercise protocol type and acute fatigue. HCL decreased and VCL remained consistent following both simulated firefighting tasks, but HCL remained unchanged and VCL increased following the treadmill protocol. Contact errors increased with fatigue and load, and more errors occurred following simulated firefighting task protocols compared to treadmill walking. Our findings suggest that both acute fatigue and carrying an additional load can cause decrements in firefighter movement, which may place a firefighter at greater STF risk. Simulated firefighting testing protocols may have greater impact on movement performance than treadmill walking. Knowledge of these results may assist in the development of a reliable, laboratory based, and standardizable simulated firefighting exercise protocol.
Computational Materials Science of Bionanomaterials: Structure, Mechanical Properties and Applications of Elastin and Collagen Proteins

Elastin and collagen are two major protein components found in the extracellular matrix (ECM) in various tissues of the body. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the ECM, providing necessary structural support to tissues. Elastin, by contrast, provides elasticity and recoil, very important in tissues such as the lungs, blood vessels, and skin. Both proteins are essential to healthy function, and mutations and deficiencies in either one may lead to disease. In this chapter, we consider the hierarchical assembly and structure of elastin and collagen and review the mechanical properties of both proteins across different length scales. We then consider key computational studies that have provided insight into specific functions or dysfunctions of elastin and collagen. In our focus on elastin, we provide an overview of computational studies that have explored the source of elastin’s elasticity and identified its peculiar property of assuming increased structure upon heating, a property termed the inverse temperature transition, significant for potential application of elastin in novel biomaterials. In our focus on collagen, we discuss the rare genetic disorder, osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease, where mechanical and structural effects have been identified through experimental and computational studies at multiple scales.
Introspective reasoning in a case-based planner

Many current AI systems assume that the reasoning mechanisms used to manipulate their knowledge may be fixed ahead of time by the designer. This assumption may break down in complex domains. The focus of this research is developing a model of introspective reasoning and learning to enable a system to improve its own reasoning as well as its domain knowledge. Our model is based on the proposal of (Birnbaum et al. 1991) to use a model of the ideal behavior of a case-based system to judge system performance and to refine its reasoning mechanisms; it also draws on the research of (Ram & Cox 1994) on introspective failure-driven learning. This work examines introspection guided by expectation failures about reasoning performance. We are developing a vocabulary of failures for the case-based system, an introspective reasoner which uses a hierarchical model of system behavior, and a method of reusing CBR for parts of the case-based planner itself. The system we are developing combines a modelbased introspective reasoner with a case-based planning system. The planner generates high-level plans for navigating city streets, and is similar in structure to the planner CHEF (Hammond 1989). However, we implement components of the planner using the casebased reasoning mechanisms of the planner as a whole. Our primary interest in this approach is the advantage it offers for developing the model for introspective reasoning. We can reuse expectations that apply to the planner as a whole for its case-based parts. During the planning process, the introspective reasoner compares the planner’s reasoning to its assertions about ideal behavior. When a failure is detected, for instance if the system judges that the retrieved case is not the “best” case in memory, the introspective reasoner considers related assertions to pinpoint the source of the failure and to suggest a solution. In this case our system creates a new index to distinguish the true best case from the bad retrieved case. Determining what information to include in the model and how to structure it are central issues. Birnbaum’s model is a set of high-level assertions applicable to many case-based planners (Birnbaum et al. 199 1).
Interurban Variations in the Mutagenic Activity of the Ambient Aerosol and their Relations to Fuel use Patterns

It has long been recognized that airborne pollutants may affect human health (National Research Council, 1978). The elevated incidence of respiratory disease (e.g., lung cancer) in urban areas has led to the investigation of airborne extractable organic matter (EOM) as a contributing factor (Task Group Report, 1978). Organic extracts of urban particulate matter have been shown to cause skin cancer when painted on mice (Heuper et al., 1962; Wynder and Hoffmann, 1965), and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), produced by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, have been identified in particulate organic matter extracts (Sawicki, 1967). In addition, short-term genetic bioassays have detected mutagenic compounds in EOM collected in a number of cities (Chrisp and Fisher, 1980; Hughes et al., 1980).
Highly Sensitive and Selective Gas Detection by 3D Metal Oxide Nanoarchitectures

Gas sensors, as modern electronic components, have obtained enormous development since the 1970s [1]. As an interface between electronic systems and our environment, gas sensors collect information from the atmosphere, i.e., they detect whether a particular chemical vapor is present and of what concentration. This is useful for a variety of applications. Recently, gas sensors have played important roles in various applications, such as environmental monitoring, automobile, industrial safety, manufacture quality control, and public security [2, 3]. For example, oxygen sensors in automobiles can ensure complete and efficient gasoline combustion in the engine, specially designed gas sensors can monitor the quality of perfume, and explosive detectors can be used in train stations and airports. In the last decade, major improvements in the capabilities of mobile devices and wireless networks have generated more and more demand of portable or mobile device-integrated sensor systems. One example is the massively distributed gas sensor that can locate the safety threat when they are integrated with geographical positioning systems [4] that are available in many modern mobile phones. These novel applications impose more requirements such as low power consumption, miniaturized size, high sensitivity, and selectivity of gas-sensing systems.
Hamiltonian Random Variables

We will consider, first, some types of ordinary second- and first-order differential equations, which are known to play an extremely important part in various branches of physics. The results obtained will then be applied to the examination of the corresponding types of random variables.
Detection of seminal fluid constituents after alleged sexual assault.

Spermatozoa and prostatic acid phosphatase, identified in vaginal fluid after an alleged sexual assault, constitute important physical evidence useful in courts of law during rape trials. It has been recommended that the physician examining a victim of alleged sexual assault should promptly attempt identification of spermatozoa in a native preparation of vaginal fluid. Additionally, he should collect certain specimens that later can be evaluated in detail in a forensic pathology laboratory. The presence or absence of spermatozoa, prostatic acid phosphatase, and various blood group substances can be ascertained with a variety of laboratory methods. This study was undertaken to investigate the following items: (1) the correlation of spermatozoa detected in native preparations of vaginal fluid and of results obtained by various forensic laboratory methods; (2) the incidence of detection of seminal fluid constituents at certain time intervals following an alleged rape; and (3) the possibility that acid phosphatase detection provides additional evidence when spermatozoa cannot be identified in native or fixed preparations of vaginal fluid.
Activated protein C inhibits lipopolysaccharide-mediated acetylation and secretion of high-mobility group box 1 in endothelial cells.

Essentials APC elicits cytoprotective responses in endothelial cells via EPCR-dependent cleavage of PAR1. APC inhibits LPS-mediated translocation and extracellular secretion of HMGB1 in endothelial cells. Signaling activity of APC inhibits LPS-mediated acetylation of HMGB1 by epigenetic mechanisms. APC inhibits LPS-mediated HMGB1 expression in CD31-positive endothelial cells in cremaster muscle. SUMMARY: Background Activated protein C (APC) inhibits high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) signaling and its lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated release by endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR)-dependent activation of protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) in endothelial cells. Post-translational acetylation is known to modulate the subcellular localization of HMGB1, and its hyperacetylated form is translocated to the cytoplasm of innate immune cells before being secreted into the extracellular space. Objective To determine whether APC inhibits LPS-mediated HMGB1 secretion from endothelial cells by modulating its acetylation status. Methods The subcellular localization of HMGB1 in LPS-treated endothelial cells was monitored in the absence and presence of APC by western blot analysis of fractionated cell lysates and confocal immunofluorescence microscopy. Results Both western blot and immunofluorescence data indicated that APC effectively inhibits LPS-mediated translocation of HMGB1 from the nucleus to the cytoplasm by EPCR-dependent and PAR1-dependent mechanisms. When EPCR was ligated by the Gla-domain of protein C/APC, thrombin also inhibited LPS-mediated HMGB1 translocation. Further studies revealed that APC inhibits the translocation of HMGB1 from the nucleus to the cytoplasm by inhibiting LPS-mediated hyperacetylation of HMGB1 by (de)acetylating enzymes. Furthermore, the translocated HMGB1 was found to be associated with lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 in LPS-treated endothelial cells. The in vivo relevance of these findings was investigated in the mouse cremaster muscle, and this demonstrated that both wild-type APC and a signaling-selective mutant of APC inhibit LPS-mediated HMGB1 expression and translocation in CD31-positive endothelial cells. Conclusion These results suggest that APC inhibits LPS-mediated cytoplasmic translocation and secretion of HMGB1 in endothelial cells by epigenetic mechanisms.