cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Histone modification profiling in breast cancer cell lines highlights commonalities and differences among subtypes

Epigenetic regulators are frequently mutated or aberrantly expressed in a variety of cancers, leading to altered transcription states that result in changes in cell identity, behavior, and response to therapy. To define alterations in epigenetic landscapes in breast cancers, we profiled the distributions of 8 key histone modifications by ChIP-Seq, as well as primary (GRO-seq) and steady state (RNA-Seq) transcriptomes, across 13 distinct cell lines that represent 5 molecular subtypes of breast cancer and immortalized human mammary epithelial cells. Using combinatorial patterns of distinct histone modification signals, we defined subtype-specific chromatin signatures to nominate potential biomarkers. This approach identified AFAP1-AS1 as a triple negative breast cancer-specific gene associated with cell proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal-transition. In addition, our chromatin mapping data in basal TNBC cell lines are consistent with gene expression patterns in TCGA that indicate decreased activity of the androgen receptor pathway but increased activity of the vitamin D biosynthesis pathway. Together, these datasets provide a comprehensive resource for histone modification profiles that define epigenetic landscapes and reveal key chromatin signatures in breast cancer cell line subtypes with potential to identify novel and actionable targets for treatment.
A complete characterization of bivariate densities using the conditional percentile function

It is well known that joint bivariate densities cannot always be characterized by the corresponding two conditional densities. Hence, additional requirements have to be imposed. In the form of a conjecture, Arnold et al. (J Multivar Anal 99:1383–1392, 2008) suggested using any one of the two conditional densities and replacing the other one by the corresponding conditional percentile function. In this article we establish, in affirmative, this conjecture and provide several illustrative examples.
Building Capacity and Changing Mental Models: The Impact of a Short-Term Overseas Teaching Experience on White Teacher Candidates from a Rural Midwestern College

This qualitative case study investigated the changes in mental models of a group of White, rural and suburban, teacher candidates in a rural midwestern college and their increased capacity to under...
Antimicrobial Peptides as Potential Therapy for Gastrointestinal Cancers: Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract Human cathelicidins and defensins have both pro- and antitumor effects in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. In vitro, AMPs promote tumor growth at low concentrations and inhibit tumor growth at high concentrations. Cathelicidin and some defensins are constitutively expressed in GI mucosal cells, protecting mucosa against chronic inflammation-mediated tumorigenesis. Indeed, mucosal constitutive cathelicidin is downregulated in colon cancer. However, once tumors are established, tumor-derived AMPs recruit tumor stroma cells, which secrete additional AMPs that stimulate tumor cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Various mechanisms have been considered to underlie the antitumor effects of AMPs. These include membrane disruption, mitochondria damage, regulation of microRNA and gene transcription, alteration of cancer cell metabolism, and changes in the host immune system. The anticancer properties of AMPs are not counteracted by the strategies used by cancer cells to develop drug-resistance. Significant challenges remain, but targeted delivery of AMPs may become an important and strategic therapy for GI cancer.
Auditory Response Properties of the Anuran Thalamus: Nonlinear Facilitation

Auditory evoked responses were first recorded in the anuran diencephalon by Mudry and her colleagues (Mudry, 1978; Mudry, Constantine-Paton, and Capranica, 1977). These investigators showed, in several anuran species, that evoked responses from the dorsal thalamus exhibited a property that they termed “nonlinear facilitation”. That is, thalamic evoked potentials responded preferentially to two-tone stimuli containing acoustic energy that simultaneously excited both of the peripheral auditory papillae. The magnitudes of responses to these two-tone stimuli were larger than that predicted by the linear summation of response magnitudes to each tone presented separately. Such an effect was not observed in the torus semicircularis of the midbrain. In this auditory center, evoked response magnitudes to two-tone stimuli are equal to the summed responses to each tone presented alone.
Urine Cytology, DNA Ploidy and Morphometry

Urothelial cancer is a challenging condition to be detected by urine cytology. The main challenge is to recognize low-grade lesions. By definition, the nuclear differences between low-grade urothelial carcinoma and normal urothelium are subtle and very subjective. Additionally, reactive processes, due to treatment, litiasis of the urinary tract and viral infections are difficult to distinguish from neoplastic processes.
Repair of Paraesophageal Hernia

The management of paraesophageal hernia (PEH) remains a widely debated topic in gastrointestinal surgery. This is primarily due to a lack of consensus regarding indications for repair and standard operative approaches. Understanding the pathophysiology and anatomy of PEH is crucial to early identification of patient symptoms and preventing late complications, albeit rare. Diagnostic studies, such as endoscopy and upper gastrointestinal (UGI) contrast series, allow the surgeon to make a definitive diagnosis and provide useful anatomical information prior to surgery. Regarding surgical management, there are several core tenets of PEH repair agreed upon by all including reduction of the intrathoracic contents to the intra-abdominal location with an adequate esophageal length, excision of the hernia sac, and sufficient closure of the hiatal defect. Recent controversies involving PEH repair include indications for repair, approach to surgery, the use of mesh for hiatal closure, and the need for an antireflux procedure to name a few. Few randomized controlled trials involving PEH repair exist, and even those may provide conflicting data. The goal of this chapter is to provide an overview of the anatomy, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and indications for PEH repair, and to dissect out some of the controversies involving surgical management of PEH.
Parallel DBSCAN Algorithm Using a Data Partitioning Strategy with Spark Implementation

DBSCAN is a well-known clustering algorithm which is based on density and is able to identify arbitrary shaped clusters and eliminate noise data. However, existing parallel implementation strategies based on MPI lack fault tolerance and there is no guarantee that their workload is balanced. Although some of Hadoop-based approaches have been proposed, they do not perform well in terms of scalability since the merge process is not efficient.We propose a scalable parallel DBSCAN algorithm by applying a partitioning strategy. It is implemented in Apache Spark. In order to reduce search time, kdtree is used in our algorithm. To achieve better performance and scalability based on kdtree, we adopt an effective partitioning technique aimed at producing balanced sub-domains which can be computed within Spark executors. Moreover, we came up with a new merging technique: through mapping the relationship between the local points and their bordering neighbors, all the partial clusters which are generated in executors are merged to form the final complete clusters. We have observed and verified (through experiments) that this merging approach is very effective in reducing the time taken for the merge phase and very scalable with increasing the number of processing cores and the generated partial clusters.We implemented the algorithm in Java, evaluated its scalability by using different number of processing cores, and using real and synthetic datasets containing up to several hundred million high-dimensional points. We used three scales of datasets to evaluate our implementation. For small scale, we use 50k, 100k, and 500k data points, obtaining up to a factor of 14.9 speedup when using 16 cores. For medium scale, we use 1.0m, 1.5m, and 1.9m data points, obtaining a factor of 109.2 speedup when using 128 cores. For large scale, we use 61.0m, 91.5m, and 115.9m data points, obtaining a factor of 8344.5 speedup when using 16384 cores.
DIY Do’s and Don’ts: Limitations to Building University-Community Partnerships with Low Resource Communities of Color

Communities are becoming more diverse and urban planning programs must train students to work with a range of constituents. Little is known about the role of university-community partnerships invol...
Game Theory as Social Theory: Finding Spontaneous Order

Game theory holds out the promise of transforming the core of economic theory from a science of rational choice into a science of human interaction. While traditional game theory does open into social interaction, it mostly neglects another central feature of economic intuition: spontaneous ordering of human activity. To provide space for spontaneous ordering, we advance the concept of synecological game theory. In this manner, social theory is conveyed not by a single, illustrative game but by interaction among a set of interrelated and continually evolving games. By doing this, we replace the presumption of fully coincident perceptions with the recognition that actions invariably operate where perceptions are fundamentally non-coincident. In other words, societal operation entails assembly of more knowledge than can be contained within any player’s mind. In this paper, we sketch the central features of importing a synecological orientation into game theory and explore how doing so expands the analytical agenda of game theory.
50 Years of Psychotherapy: Erudition, Evolution, and Evaluation

The field of psychotherapy has evolved tremendously over the last 50 years. In coordination with the publication of volume 50 of the Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, a historical review examines changes in the field. Most published articles have shifted their foundation from theoretical notions based on clinical case material to empirical studies based on treatment-outcome research. Along with these changes, the field has strengthened its scientific foundation, but weakened its clinical application. Overall, a historical review of the past 50 years results in a state of eudaimonia, the feeling of a healthy state of fulfillment and contentment.
Should Excess Topical Decongestant Use Raise a Red Flag? Rhinitis Medicamentosa and Opioid Use Disorder:

Objective:The objective of this study was to determine whether patients with rhinitis medicamentosa (RM) have an increased odds of having an opioid use disorder (OUD) and which characteristics may ...
Deception and the Process Toward Criminal Victimization

The process approach utilized throughout this book views criminal victimization as the final event in a series of purposeful, dynamic, and increasingly dangerous interactions. Deception enables the process to progress by disguising criminal advances, delaying effective responses, and minimizing target resistance. Life stressors can ignite the process by causing a person of concern to become tense, anxious, or angry. Workplace pressures, an unhappy home environment, or financial problems can trigger an act of aggression or fuel the process. Those who engage in targeted acts of violence move along an identifiable pathway of progressively aggressive behaviors. The progression may be rapid or slow and will not follow the same course; it differs from person to person (Fig. 3.1).
Immunostimulatory CpG oligonucleotides enhance the immune response of anti-idiotype vaccine that mimics carcinoembryonic antigen.

We have developed and characterized a monoclonal anti-idiotype (Id) antibody, designated 3H1, which mimics a specific epitope of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and can be used as a surrogate for CEA. Anti-Id 3H1 induced anti-CEA immunity in different species of animals as well as humans and showed promise as a potential vaccine candidate in phase I/II clinical trials for colorectal cancer patients. One area of interest to us has been the development of new immune adjuvants that may augment the potency of 3H1 as a tumor vaccine. Immunostimulatory oliogonucleotides containing the unmethylated CpG motif (CpG ODN) are potent inducers of both innate and adaptive immunity and can serve as suitable vaccine adjuvants. In this study, using the CEA-transduced MC-38 murine colon carcinoma model in syngeneic C57BL/6 mice, we assessed whether a select CpG ODN (1826) can function as immune adjuvant in immunization of mice with anti-Id 3H1. Complete Freund's adjuvant (FA) was used as a gold standard in this system. A single immunization of 3H1 mixed with CpG ODN 1826 was sufficient to induce measurable anti-CEA immunity in naive mice. However, 3 immunizations every other week were necessary to obtain and sustain peak immune reactivity over a long period of time. With FA and 3H1, single immunization was ineffective and multiple immunizations (5 to 6) were needed to achieve and sustain peak immunity. Anti-CEA antibody reactivity was comparable in both groups, but cellular immune reactivity as measured by immune splenic lymphocyte T cell proliferation and cytoxicity assay was slightly higher in the CpG ODN group. Mice immunized with 3H1 and either CpG ODN or FA were protected from challenge by lethal doses of MC-38-CEA cells. However, the degree of protection was slightly higher and the duration of survival was somewhat longer in the group of mice treated with 3H1 plus CpG ODN. Thus, CpG ODN 1826 was faster than FA in increasing anti-tumor immunity induced by anti-Id 3H1 immunization in this prophylactic model.
Analysis on the virological surveillance of influenza B virus of 2009-2012 in Xicheng district of Beijing

Objective Analysis on the virological surveillance of influenza B in Xicheng district of Beijing during 2009-2012,to provide evidences for formulating measures of its prevention and control.Methods Thirty to forty throat swab of outpatients with influenza-like illness were randomly collected every week from two sentinel hospitals.The viral RNA was extracted and subtypes of influenza virus were identified by real-time RT-PCR assay.Results From 2009 to 2012,the total positive rate of 2009-2010 was 29.7％,the total positive rate of 2010-2011 was 5.1％,the total positive rate of 2011-2012 rose to 19.4％.There was a epidemic peak of influenza B separately in 2009-2010 and in 2011-2012.The positive rate of elderly population was high.Conclusions After been epidemic and changed for three years,the epidemic intensity of Influenza B was weak in the twice year,but it had the trend to bounce-up in the third year.Management of monitoring should be strengthened,the aged should be regarded as the key crowd,and necessary measure should be taken promptly to protect pubic health. Key words: Influenza B; Virological surveillance; Real-time RT-PCR
Credit for and Control of Research Outputs in Genomic Citizen Science

Citizen science encompasses activities with scientific objectives in which members of the public participate as more than passive research subjects from whom personal data or biospecimens are collected and analyzed by others. Citizen science is increasingly common in the biomedical sciences, including the fields of genetics and human genomics. Genomic citizen science initiatives are diverse and involve citizen scientists in collecting genetic data, solving genetic puzzles, and conducting experiments in community laboratories. At the same time that genomic citizen science is presenting new opportunities for individuals to participate in scientific discovery, it is also challenging norms regarding the manner in which scientific research outputs are managed. In this review, we present a typology of genomic citizen science initiatives, describe ethical and legal foundations for recognizing genomic citizen scientists' claims of credit for and control of research outputs, and detail how such claims are or might be addressed in practice across a variety of initiatives.
Demographics of dogs and cats with oral tumors presenting to teaching hospitals: 1996–2017

Background Oral neoplasia has been reported to account for 6-7% of all canine cancer and 3% of all feline cancers. To the authors' knowledge the last epidemiologic analysis of general oral cancer in dogs and cats was published in 1976. Objectives The goal of this study was to report contemporary demographic information regarding oral tumors in dogs and cats. Methods Information was collected from cats or dogs diagnosed with oral neoplasia from the Veterinary Medical Data Base. Medical records representing cases that presented to one of 26 veterinary teaching hospitals from January 1, 1996 through December 31, 2017 were included. Results A total of 1,810 dogs and 443 cats were identified. A total of 962 cases (53.6%) of canine oral tumors were classified as malignant and 455 cases as benign (25.4%). The majority of feline oral tumors were classified as malignant (257 cases, 58.1%) and only a few benign (11 cases, 2.5%). The incidence of oral tumors was calculated to be 4.9 per 1,000 dogs (0.5%) and 4.9 per 1,000 cats (0.5%). Conclusions This incidence of oral tumors is considerably higher than previously reported in both dogs and cats. These results provide valuable information for generation of hypotheses for future investigations of breed-based and pathology-based oral neoplastic studies.
A Prototype Mobile Virtual Assistant for Semantic-Based Vaccine Information Retrieval

Since the early 90s, healthcare providers have been mandated to provide VIS (Vaccine Information Statement) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to parents and patients before their children or themselves receive any vaccination uptake. Despite the initiative, there exist issues of patients not receiving a comprehensive understanding about the vaccines and some evidence of doubt of the safety of vaccines. In addition, a significant number of patients find vaccine information on the Internet, which may inevitably influence perceptions of vaccines. This paper introduces Vaccine Helmsman, an initial prototype of a mobile client that allows for natural language querying of semantically-driven knowledge-base of vaccine information for patients. With the ubiquitous impact of the web and mobile devices in the hands of many patients, this would allow for contextual and instant access to vaccine information, and therefore enhance vaccine literacy.
Capturing Photons More Efficiently (perspective on “Scintillation Camera with Multichannel Collimators” J Nucl Med. 1964;5:515–531)

Among the scientific accomplishments recorded in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine is Hal Anger’s groundbreaking contribution entitled, “Scintillation Camera with Multichannel Collimators” ([1][1]). In this article, Anger moves beyond the concept of pinhole imaging to an emerging, multiple–
MicroRNA155 Plays a Critical Role in the Pathogenesis of Cutaneous Leishmania major Infection by Promoting a Th2 Response and Attenuating Dendritic Cell Activity

Interferon (IFN)-γ is indispensable in the resolution of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), while the Th2 cytokines IL-4, IL-10, and IL-13 mediate susceptibility. A recent study found that miR155, which promotes CD4+ Th1 response and IFN-γ production, is dispensable in the control of Leishmania donovani infection. Here, the role of miR155 in CL caused by L. major was investigated using miR155-deficient (miR155−/−) mice. Infection was controlled significantly quicker in the miR155−/− mice than in their wild-type (WT) counterparts, indicating that miR155 contributes to the pathogenesis of CL. Faster resolution of infection in miR155−/− mice was associated with increased levels of Th1-associated IL-12 and IFN-γ and reduced production of Th2- associated IL-4, IL-10, and IL-13. Concentrations of IFN-γ+CD8+ T cells and natural killer cells in draining lymph nodes were significantly higher in the L. major−infected miR155−/− mice than in the infected WT mice, as indicated by flow-cytometry. After in vitro IFN-γ stimulation, nitric oxide and IL-12 production were increased, IL-10 production was decreased, and parasite clearance was enhanced in L. major−infected miR155−/− DCs compared to those in WT DCs. Furthermore, IFN-γ production from activated miR155−/− T cells was significantly enhanced in L. major−infected miR155−/− DCs. Together, these findings demonstrate that miR155 promotes susceptibility to CL caused by L. major by promoting Th2 response and inhibiting DC function.
Supervised learning-based ideal observer approximation for joint detection and estimation tasks

The ideal observer (IO) sets an upper performance limit among all observers and has been advocated for use in assessing and optimizing imaging systems. For joint detection-estimation tasks, the estimation ROC (EROC) curve has been proposed for evaluating the performance of observers. However, in practice, it is generally difficult to accurately approximate the IO that maximizes the area under the EROC curve (AEROC) for a general detection-estimation task. In this study, a hybrid method that employs machine learning is proposed to accomplish this. Specifically, a hybrid approach is developed that combines a multi-task convolutional neural network (CNN) and a Markov-Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method in order to approximate the IO for detectionestimation tasks. The multi-task CNN is designed to estimate the likelihood ratio and the parameter vector, while the MCMC method is employed to compute the utility-weighted posterior mean of the parameter vector. The IO test statistic is subsequently formed as the product of the likelihood ratio and the posterior mean of the parameter vector. Computer simulation studies were conducted to validate the proposed method, which include backgroundknown-exactly (BKE) and background-known-statistically (BKS) tasks. The proposed method provides a new approach for approximating the IO and may enable the application of EROC analysis for optimizing imaging systems.
Second-Order Nonlinear Optical Polymer by Directed Lithiation of Polyethersulfone

Directed lithiation of a polyethersulfone and the reactions of the lithiated species have been investigated. This method provides a new route to second-order nonlinear optical polymers.
Multidisciplinary Approach to Robotic Resection of Abdominal Wall Endometriosis and Mesh Repair.

ABSTRACT Study Objective To demonstrate a technique for robot-assisted laparoscopic excision of abdominal wall endometriosis and mesh reinforcement of the subsequent defect. Design Description and demonstration of surgical technique. Setting Abdominal wall endometriosis most commonly takes hold after seeding of a previous cesarean scar 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 . As of 2018, 31.9% of deliveries in the United States were accomplished by cesarean section [6] . With endometriosis at an estimated incidence of 11% in the United States, evaluation for, and minimally invasive management of, abdominal wall endometriosis is becoming an essential skillset for the gynecologic surgeon [7] . Interventions Robot-assisted laparoscopic evaluation of size and location of lesion in relation to anatomic landmarks. Demonstration of techniques to identify borders of endometriotic lesion including clinical and microscopic. Minimally invasive resection of lesion with preservation of vital structures. Placement of abdominal wall mesh for reinforcement of rectus muscle and fascial defect. Peritoneal closure to minimize adhesions and herniation into defect. Brief review of alternative approaches to surgical management. Conclusion Minimally invasive resection of abdominal wall endometriosis with subsequent mesh reinforcement provides a surgical option with less morbidity while still accomplishing successful treatment.
Trends in Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Multimorbidity Prevalence, 1999-2018

Objective: Disparities in multimorbidity indicate health inequalities. This study sought to determine if gaps in multimorbidity by race and ethnicity are decreasing over time. Design: Serial cross-sectional study. Setting: National Health Interview Survey from years 1999 to 2018. Participants: 596,355 adults aged 18 years or older. Exposures: Participants self-reported race, ethnicity, age, and income level. Main outcome measures: Temporal trends in multimorbidity prevalence based on the self-reported presence of ≥2 of 9 chronic conditions. Results: The study included 596,355 adults (4.7% Asian, 11.8% Black, 13.8% Latino/Hispanic, and 69.7% White). In 1999, the estimated prevalence of multimorbidity was 5.9% among Asian, 17.4% among Black, 10.7% among Latino/Hispanic, and 13.5% among White individuals. Prevalence increased for all racial/ethnic groups during the study period (P<0.005 for each), with no significant change in the differences between them. In 2018, when compared with White people, multimorbidity was more prevalent among Black individuals (+2.5 percent points [95% CI: +0.5 to +4.6]) and less prevalent among Asian and Latino individuals (-6.6 points [-8.8 to -4.4] and -2.1 points [-4.0 to -0.2], respectively). The estimated prevalence of reporting at least 1, 2, 3, or 4 conditions all increased with age across all groups, with Black individuals having the greatest prevalence in each age category. Among those aged ≥30 years, Black people had multimorbidity rates equivalent to those of Latino/Hispanic and White people aged 5 years older, and Asian people aged 10 years older. Notably, the prevalence of multimorbidity diverged between Black people and White people among those aged 30 years, reached its maximum difference of 10.1 percentage points (95% CI: 8.2 to 12.1) among those aged 60, and converged to reach similar rates among those aged ≥80. Conclusions: From 1999 to 2018, a period of increasing multimorbidity for all the groups studied, there has not been any significant progress in eliminating disparities between Black and White people. The disparity began among young adults. Public health interventions that prevent the onset of chronic conditions in early life may be needed to eliminate these disparities.
Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking? Exploring Response Process Validity Evidence for a Workplace-based Assessment for Operative Feedback.

OBJECTIVE Workplace-based assessments (WBAs) are used in multiple surgical specialties to facilitate feedback to residents as a form of formative assessment. The validity evidence to support this purpose is limited and has yet to include investigations of how users interpret the assessment and make rating decisions (response processes). This study aimed to explore the validity evidence based on response processes for a WBA in surgery. DESIGN Semi-structured interviews explored the reasonings and strategies used when answering questions in a surgical WBA, the System for Improving and Measuring Procedural Learning (SIMPL). Interview questions probed the interpretation of the three assessment questions and their respective answer categories (level of autonomy, operative performance, case complexity). Researchers analyzed transcripts using directed qualitative content analysis to generate themes. SETTING Single tertiary academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS Eight residents and 13 faculty within the Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery participating in a 6-month pilot of SIMPL. RESULTS We identified four overarching themes that that characterized faculty and resident response processes while completing SIMPL: (1) Faculty and resident users had similar content-level interpretations of the questions and corresponding answer choices; (2) Users employed a variety of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional processes to make rating decisions; (3) Contextual factors influenced ratings; and (4) Tensions during interpretation contributed to rating uncertainty. CONCLUSIONS Response processes are a key source of evidence to support the validity for the formative use of WBAs. Evaluating response process evidence should go beyond basic content-level analysis as contextual factors and tensions that arise during interpretation also play a large role in rating decisions. Additional work and a continued critical lens are needed to ensure that WBAs can truly meet the needs for formative assessment.
Individual-Oriented Approaches to Modeling Ecological Populations and Communities

At the level of ecological populations and communities, modelers have usually followed the state variable approach, in which a separate state variable equation is written for each species population. This approach has been extended to account for age and size structure within populations by dividing a population into classes, each repesented by a density. Similarly, to account for the spatial patchiness of populations, populations have been modeled as sets of subpopulations connected by migration, with a separate variable to describe each subpopulation. Still, the basic nature of even these more complex models involves variables representing highly aggregated components of populations.
The Legacy of Anthony M. Kennedy

The defining moments in Justice Kennedy’s tenure on the Court came in Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey, Lawrence v. Texas, and United States v. Windsor, where the Court did to the Constitution — in the name of liberty — what it also did — in the name of democracy — to Florida’s citizens in Bush v. Gore. In all three cases, Justice Kennedy’s reliance on a broad conception of liberty, rather than equal protection principles, shifted the balance too heavily in favor of judicial, rather democratic, creation of unenumerated fundamental rights. Justice Kennedy will rightly be celebrated for safeguarding reproductive freedom and championing sexual autonomy for same-sex couples, but underneath the black robe and behind the curtain is a troubling history of manipulating the Constitution’s text and disregarding the constraints on judicial power. In the final analysis, Justice Kennedy will be remembered in part for being a progressive jurist and the Court’s swing voter. Kennedy’s lasting legacy will be one of enhancing judicial power, and of relying on a concept of liberty that was anything but libertarian.
Fluorescence of Petroleum Products III.Three-Dimensional Fluorescence Plots of Petrolatum-Based Products

A high degree of association between known and unknown specimens of petrolatum-based lubricants, which occur as evidence in criminal sexual assault cases, can be demonstrated by using three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy (3-D fluorescence). Fifteen petrolatum-based products, five mock cases, and two cases provided by the Michigan State Police Crime Laboratory are analyzed and compared using this technique. Controls are run to eliminate interfering substances and to insure proper technique. Three-dimensional plots of excitation, emission, and synchronous excitation fluorescence spectra are collected. A computerized comparison of the resultant plots is conducted to determine if any differences occur between the plots. The results of these analyses suggest that this technique has great potential as an analytical tool, allowing the analyst to determine whether or not two petrolatum-based products could have a common source.
BENCH-SCALE DEMONSTRATION OF HOT-GAS DESULFURIZATION TECHNOLOGY

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Federal Energy Technology Center (FETC), is sponsoring research in advanced methods for controlling contaminants in hot coal gasifier gas (coal-derived fuel-gas) streams of integrated gasification combined-cycle (IGCC) power systems. The hot gas cleanup work seeks to eliminate the need for expensive heat recovery equipment, reduce efficiency losses due to quenching, and minimize wastewater treatment costs.
Constructivism and the Design of Learning Environments: Context and Authentic Activities for Learning

Apprenticeship is one of the earliest forms of learning by doing, where a student learns a task, such as weaving, masonry, or even thinking under the tutelage of an expert. Skill and knowledge development in apprenticeship can cross several disciplines, but is always set in the context of the authentic activity of solving the larger task at hand. A skill like masonry, therefore, may require knowledge of some aspects of geology, geometry, basic mathematics, structural engineering, etc. Similarly, the development of logical thought by Plato’s students was always set in the context of the larger philosophical debate and in developing rhetorical skills. Thus the larger task, the construction task, provides an organizing and unifying role and a purpose for learning.
Work-related concussion surveillance

BACKGROUND: The goal of this study was to use multiple state-based data sources (emergency department [ED] visits, hospital discharge [HD] data, and workers' compensation [WC] data) to estimate the 2011 work-related concussion injury rate in Kentucky. METHODS: Deterministic data linkages between the 2011 WC data and ED/HD data were performed. Annual crude rates of work-related concussions per 100,000 employed civilians age 16 years or older were reported. RESULTS: Using the three data sources, the 2011 work-related concussion crude rate was 31.8/100,000, higher for men (38.8/100,000) than for women (24.1/100,000). The use of WC data alone resulted in an estimated rate of only 11.7/100,000. ED data utilization alone resulted in a rate of 21.7/100,000. CONCLUSION: This study's primary recommendation is to use WC, ED, and HD data on a routine basis as part of multiple data source surveillance for work-related concussion injuries. Am. J. Ind. Med. 00:XX-XX, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Language: en
Bounds on signal delay in RC mesh networks

The author addresses the problem of estimating the inverse of the node-conductance matrix R of a resistive network as in MOS LSI. The main result is the definition of two bounding matrices. Since the derivation of these matrices depends solely on Tellegen's theorem, the result is therefore applicable to all resistive networks that obey Kirchoff's laws, whether the networks are linear or nonlinear, time-invariant or time-varying, reciprocal or nonreciprocal. It is observed that the upper bound matrix tends to be closer to R if the resistive network is tree-like. Likewise, the lower bound matrix tends to be closer to R if the resistive network consists mainly of parallel connections of identical resistors. From the bounding matrices, bounds on the delays can be obtained. >
Genetic Algorithm for hardware Trojan detection with ring oscillator network (RON)

Securing integrated circuits against malicious modifications (i.e., hardware Trojans) is of utmost importance, as hardware Trojans may leak information and reduce reliability of electronic systems in critical applications. In this paper, we use ring oscillators (ROs) to gather measurements of ICs that may contain hardware Trojans. To distinguish between Trojan-inserted ICs and Trojan-free ICs, we investigate several classification approaches. Furthermore, we propose a novel feature selection approach based on the Genetic Algorithm (GA) and evaluate its performance compared to several popular alternatives. The proposed method is an improvement over principal component analysis (PCA) in terms of accuracy and equal error rate by 30% and 97% respectively.
Opening the climate envelope: biophysical models of butterfly performance reveal demographic trade-offs

While much progress has been made toward identifying the spectrum of organisms’ responses to climate change, which include distributional, phenological, demographic, behavioural and genetic changes (reviewed in Parmesan 2006), our ability to accurately forecast the magnitude and direction of these changes requires a more mechanistic understanding of the interactions among the abiotic and biotic drivers that determine organismal fitness and performance. More specifically, future work should combine observational, experimental and modelling approaches to: I, quantify the net fitness effects of multiple abiotic variables; II, determine which species’ traits and ⁄ or geographic locations correspond to increased sensitivity; and III, examine the effects of biotic interactions in mediating the responses of organisms and shaping future ecological communities under climate change. For many organisms, particularly insects and other ectotherms, changes in temperature have pronounced effects on life-history traits and fitness (Parmesan, Root & Willig 2000; Bale et al. 2002). In one of the first studies to quantify the net effects of changes in both temperature means and extremes, Buckley & Kingsolver (2012) examine the demographic impacts of climate change on two Colias species (sulphur butterflies) in alpine habitats, one of the biomes most vulnerable to biodiversity losses under rapid climate change (Parry & IPCC 2007). In this issue of Functional Ecology ,B uckley & Kingsolver (2012) incorporate climatic data and demography into a biophysical model to determine whether fitness and activity responses to recent changes in temperature means and extremes correspond to current C. meadii and C. eriphyle lower and upper elevational limits in the Rocky Mountains. Overall, the projections of their biophysical models reveal opposing effects of temperature changes on flight and fecundity and do correspond with the current elevational limits of these two butterfly species, demonstrating that changes in both mean and extreme temperatures set species’ distributional boundaries and therefore need to be considered when forecasting species’ responses to climate change.
Collaboratives, cooperation, and private forest ownership patterns: Implications for voluntary protection of biological diversity

The conservation of biological diversity, particularly on landscapes dominated by non-industrial private forests, usually demands explicit recognition of cross-boundary cooperation. This study investigates the spatial challenges faced by stakeholder-driven collaborative processes in achieving participation by landowners individually or collectively. Semi-structured qualitative interviews with 37 landowners, collaborative participants and public employees led to the development of three scenarios from efforts along coastal Oregon to restore endangered Coho salmon. The scenarios illustrate success and failure in achieving conservation activities across multiple ownerships, and the importance of ownership patterns and their purposeful consideration to those outcomes. The findings indicate that the structure of the collaborative, and in particular, issues of representation, affect the accessibility to physical locations in the landscape. In developing or modifying similar collaborative efforts, ensuring access to important landscape features (i.e. critical habitat) must be a primary concern, if direct, voluntary landowner action is needed.
Capillary and interstitial forces during fluid absorption in the cat small intestine.

Abstract A systematic steady-state analysis of the forces and membrane coefficients governing transcapillary and lymphatic fluid fluxes was performed in the cat ileum under absorptive and nonabsorptive conditions. Net transmucosal fluid flux, lymph flow, capillary pressure, blood flow, capillary filtration coefficient, and lymph and plasma oncotic pressures were measured before and during perfusion of the ileal lumen with a glucose (20 mM)-Tyrode's solution. Interstitial fluid pressure was calculated for the two conditions from measured parameters. Stimulation of mucosal fluid absorption resulted in an increase in lymph flow (which tripled), capillary filtration coefficient (which doubled), capillary pressure (which increased by 9%), interstitial fluid pressure (which doubled), and blood flow (which increased by 16%), whereas interstitial (lymph) oncotic pressure fell (by 20%). These changes converted filtering capillaries to absorbing capillaries, thereby allowing 82% of the absorbed fluid to be removed from the mucosal interstitium via the capillaries, while the lymphatics removed the remaining 18%. The results of this study indicate that hydrostatic and oncotic forces within the interstitium are primarily responsible for preventing interstitial fluid accumulation during periods of net fluid absorption in the small bowel.
Primary care workload in the management of chronic pain. A retrospective cohort study using a GP database to identify resource implications for UK primary care

The management of chronically painful conditions is relatively labour intensive, as there is no single treatment regime that can be reliably forecast to control symptoms across a broad range of pat...
Phosphorylation of Bcl-xL after spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injury (SCI)-induced functional impairment results from secondary apoptosis regulated in part by SCI-induced decreases in the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-x L . We assessed the role that Bcl-x L subcellular rerouting and posttranslational phosphorylation play in Bcl-x L decreases in a contusion model of rat SCI. Immunohistochemical analysis showed the presence of Bcl-x L in neurons and oligodendrocytes, but not in astrocytes and microglia, whereas phosphorylated Bcl-x L (P-ser 62 -Bcl-X L ) was present only in neurons. Western blot analyses showed Bcl-x L present in mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, nuclei, and cytosolic extracts, whereas P-ser 62 -Bcl-x L was restricted to organelles. During the first 24 hr after SCI, Bcl-x L levels decreased in all fractions but with a different time course, suggesting an independent regulation of Bcl-x L shuttling from the cytosol to each compartment after SCI. SCI did not affect P-ser 62 -Bcl-x L levels in organelles. However, P-ser 62 -Bcl-x L , which was not detected in the cytosolic fraction of uninjured spinal cord, appeared in the cytosol as early as 15 min postcontusion, suggesting a role for phosphorylation in SCI-induced Bcl-x L -decreases. Using an in vitro model, we observed a correlation between levels of cytosolic phosphorylated Bcl-x L and neuronal apoptosis, supporting the hypothesis that Bcl-x L phosphorylation is proapoptotic. Activated microglia/macrophages robustly expressed Bcl-x L 7 days after SCI, and a subpopulation showing nuclear condensation also expressed P-ser 62 -Bcl-x L . Therefore, phosphorylation of Bcl-x L may have opposite effects in injured spinal cords: 1) it may decrease levels of the antiapoptotic Bcl-x L in neurons contributing to neuronal death, and 2) it may promote apoptosis in activated microglia/macrophages, thus curtailing the inflammatory cascades associated with SCI.
Nonparametric estimation of a bivariate survivorship function with doubly censored data

Abstract The problem of nonparametric estimation of a bivariate survivorship function with doubly censored data is considered. A self-consistent estimator is developed by first “reducing” the problem to that of estimation in a singly and right censored situation. This estimator is shown to satisfy a likelihood equation, and its uniqueness is investigated. The results obtained naturally parallel those obtained by Campbell (1981) in the singly censored case.
Heat-dissipating control of electronic devices using a combination of an adaptive input estimation method and linear quadratic Gaussian problem

This research proposes a combined method of the adaptive input estimation method (AIEM) and the linear quadratic Gaussian problem (LQG). This method is adopted and used to improve the heat-dissipating technique of electronic devices. The AIEM can estimate the real-time heat flux produced by the electronic device effectively. On the other hand, the LQG controller offers the optimal heat-dissipating control to the heat flux and intends to reach an optimal state of the heat-dissipating system equipped on the electronic device. By combining the LQG controller and AIEM, the performance and reliability of the electronic devices can be highly enhanced in future developments.
CNS Drug Design Based on Principles of Blood‐Brain Barrier Transport

Lipid-soluble small molecules with a molecular mass under a 400-600-Da threshold are transported readily through the blood-brain barrier in vivo owing to lipid-mediated transport. However, other small molecules lacking these particular molecular properties, antisense drugs, and peptide-based pharmaceuticals generally undergo negligible transport through the blood-brain barrier in pharmacologically significant amounts. Therefore, if present day CNS drug discovery programs are to avoid termination caused by negligible blood-brain barrier transport, it is important to merge CNS drug discovery and CNS drug delivery as early as possible in the overall CNS drug development process. Strategies for special formulation that enable drug transport through the blood-brain barrier arise from knowledge of the molecular and cellular biology of blood-brain barrier transport processes.
Leukemia and Ionizing Radiation

Quantitative estimates of the genetic effects of ionizing radiation on human beings have been carried out by a number of investigators (1–3). Estimates of this kind involve extrapolating from induced mutation rates in such organisms as Drosophila and mice. Quantitative estimates of the somatic, or “direct,” effects of radiation must also be attempted if the biological hazards of ionizing radiation are to be fully assessed. In the case of direct effects, it is particularly difficult to extrapolate from results with lower organisms, and it becomes important to have data on man himself.
The chip formation process of an annealed leaded bearing bronze

Abstract The role of lead inclusions and the effect of depth of cut and tool rake angle on the chip formation process of an annealed bearing bronze (CAD 932) were investigated under dry, orthogonal machining conditions. It was found that when machining with large depths of cut and high tool rake angles, a crack developed just ahead of the tool cutting edge. This result was interpreted in terms of the direction of the thrust force and the presence of lead inclusions in the work material. It was also found that during the machining operation, lead particles were squeezed out of the material in the primary and secondary deformation zones and deposited on the tool rake face and on the chip underside surface. The shear stresses in the primary and secondary deformation zones were found to be independent of the depth of cut and tool rake angle.
Strengths and limitations of SAFT for calculating polar copolymer-solvent phase behavior

Statistical associating fluid theory (SAFT) is used to calculate the cloud-point behavior of poly(ethylene-co-methyl acrylate) (EMA) copolymers (0-41 mol % methyl acrylate) in ethane, propane, butane, ethylene, propylene, 1-butene, chlorodifluoromethane, and dimethyl ether at temperatures to 250°C and pressures to 2,600 bar. Poor agreement is obtained between calculated and experimental data if the pure component EMA parameters used in SAFT are calculated using mixing rules that average polyethylene (PE) and poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA) parameters. Therefore, two of the three pure component parameters for all of the EMA copolymers are fixed to the values reported for PE and the third parameter, u°/k, for the copolymer containing 31 mol % methyl acrylate (EMA 31 ) is determined by fitting the EMA 31 -butane cloud-point curve. The value for (u°/k) PMA is then obtained using a mixing rule and the values of u°/k for all of the EMA copolymers are calculated. A good fit of all of the copolymer-solvent cloud-point curves is obtained using a temperature-independent mixture parameter, k ij . With this method of calculation it is possible to correlate cloud-point data with the SAFT equation of state if a small amount of experimental data are available.