cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Outcomes from a Postgraduate Biomedical Technology Innovation Training Program: The First 12 Years of Stanford Biodesign

The Stanford Biodesign Program began in 2001 with a mission of helping to train leaders in biomedical technology innovation. A key feature of the program is a full-time postgraduate fellowship where multidisciplinary teams undergo a process of sourcing clinical needs, inventing solutions and planning for implementation of a business strategy. The program places a priority on needs identification, a formal process of selecting, researching and characterizing needs before beginning the process of inventing. Fellows and students from the program have gone on to careers that emphasize technology innovation across industry and academia. Biodesign trainees have started 26 companies within the program that have raised over $200 million and led to the creation of over 500 new jobs. More importantly, although most of these technologies are still at a very early stage, several projects have received regulatory approval and so far more than 150,000 patients have been treated by technologies invented by our trainees. This paper reviews the initial outcomes of the program and discusses lessons learned and future directions in terms of training priorities.
Characterization of the fine specificity and antigen markers associated with the receptor of autoreactive T-cell hybridomas.

Abstract In this study we attempted to define the determinants on Ia molecules recognized by autoreactive hybridomas obtained from (C57BL/6 × BALB/c) F 1 mice. The epitopes recognized by the T cells were characterized (a) using stimulating cells from various congenic and H-2 recombinant inbred strains and (b) by inhibition of activation with anti-Ia antibodies. Our hybridomas were strictly autoreactive and did not exhibit any alloreactivity, as is often observed for such cells. Our results show that more epitopes than previously believed are recognized by autoreactive T cells. One T-cell hybridoma (QW27.1) is unique in that it recognizes a hybrid F 1 Ia determinant. Antigenic markers associated with the receptor of the T-cell hybridomas were studied with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific for L3T4 and a V β “idiotype.” The results indicate that all Lyt 1.2 autoreactive T cells express L3T4 antigen in association with their receptor. One clone (QW64.14) expresses the V β idiotype recognized by F23.1 monoclonal antibody. Moreover, this clone is activated by F23.1, linked to Sepharose 4B beads, which was believed previously to activate only Lyt 2 + , L3T4 T cells. The supernatant of one clone (QW17.5) helps B cells to differentiate into antibody-producing cells without requiring direct contact with the autoreactive clone.
Positive Psychology: What Impact has it had on Sex Research Publication Trends?

Throughout history, Americans have been bitterly divided as to whether passionate love and sexual desire are positive experiences (that give meaning to life), whether they constitute a political, social, and spiritual danger, or whether sex in itself is not inherently bad, but certain sexual behaviors are wrong or dangerous. As previously noted by H. L. Horowitz, R. L. Rapson, and L. Stone, political and religious authorities—preaching the virtues of social control, chastity, and circumspection—have prevailed over reformers advocating “free love,” gender equality, birth control, the elimination of the double standard, sex education, and the like. In this paper we ask: Do we see any bias in the publication of modern-day sexuality research—specifically, do published studies tend to focus primarily on the positive or the negative aspects of sexuality? We attempted to answer this question by conducting a content analysis of articles appearing in four prestigious journals: The Journal of Sex Research, Archives of Sexual Behavior, The New England Journal of Medicine, and Obstetrics and Gynecology, from 1960 to the present. As expected, only a slim minority of articles investigated the delights of love, sex, and intimacy; the vast majority focused on the problems associated with sexual behavior. The positive psychology movement does not appear to have altered this time-tested bias.
Competition between noise and determinism in step flow growth.

The continuum equations of Burton, Cabrera, and Frank are extended to include thermal fluctuations and used to derive a nonlinear stochastic equation describing the meandering of an isolated step on a crystal face grown from a vapor. Meandering is found to result from a unique competition between thermal noise, which dominates close to equilibrium, and deterministic noise (spatiotemporal chaos), which becomes increasingly dominant beyond the morphological instability point. Numerical and analytical results characterizing the step roughness as a function of the supersaturation and the noise strength, [ital k][sub [ital B]T]/[gamma][ital x][sub [ital s]], are presented.
Analysis of 1,115 Patients Tested for MET Amplification and Therapy Response in the MD Anderson Phase I Clinic

Purpose: This study aimed to assess MET amplification among different cancers, association with clinical factors and genetic aberrations and targeted therapy response modifications. Experimental Design: From May 2010 to November 2012, samples from patients with advanced tumors referred to the MD Anderson Phase I Clinic were analyzed for MET gene amplification by FISH. Patient demographic, histologic characteristics, molecular characteristics, and outcomes in phase I protocols were compared per MET amplification status. Results: Of 1,115 patients, 29 (2.6%) had MET amplification. The highest prevalence was in adrenal (2 of 13; 15%) and renal (4 of 28; 14%) tumors, followed by gastroesophageal (6%), breast (5%), and ovarian cancers (4%). MET amplification was associated with adenocarcinomas ( P = 0.007), high-grade tumors ( P = 0.003), more sites of metastasis, higher BRAF mutation, and PTEN loss (all P MET amplification, respectively (HR = 1.12; 95% confidence intervals, 0.83–1.85; P = 0.29). Among the 20 patients with MET amplification treated on a phase I protocol, 4 (20%) achieved a partial response with greatest response rate on agents targeting angiogenesis (3 of 6, 50%). No patient treated with a c-MET inhibitor (0 of 7) achieved an objective response. Conclusion: MET amplification was detected in 2.6% of patients with solid tumors and was associated with adenocarcinomas, high-grade histology, and higher metastatic burden. Concomitant alterations in additional pathways ( BRAF mutation and PTEN loss) and variable responses on targeted therapies, including c-MET inhibitors, suggest that further studies are needed to target this population. Clin Cancer Res; 20(24); 6336–45. ©2014 AACR .
Development and validation of a Nano Size and Scale Instrument (NSSI)

The concepts of size and scale are fundamental to nanotechnology education but can be difficult for beginning undergraduate students to grasp. It is important to develop curricular interventions to increase students' conceptual understanding of size and scale, before moving on to more advanced subject matter. The purpose of this paper is to present the initial steps in the development of the Nano Size and Scale Instrument (NSSI), an assessment of students' understanding of size and scale. Ten items were developed for the NSSI. The NSSI was administered to 118 first year engineering students and studied using Classical Test Theory. Results suggest that six of the ten items show appropriate difficulty and discrimination. Five of the items were of moderate difficulty and students' mean scores overall were low (4.97 out of 10), indicating that students in this study found size and scale concepts difficult. Potential modifications to the NSSI are discussed.
Implementation of a color calibration method for liquid crystal displays

In this paper, we describe the implementation of a color calibration method for LCDs where we assume that the angle of vision is normal to the center of the screen. We change the procedure generally used with cathode ray tubes and take into account the high intensity black of an LCD, the variable chromaticities of its primaries and the less than perfect additivity of its colors. This is done by modifying the calibration data and using correction tables. We describe three rendering algorithms which can be used with this implementation. We test them on four IBM LCD models produced in the last four years and conclude that the simplest algorithm is adequate for the latest model.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Probing oscillatory hydration potentials using thermal-mechanical noise in an atomic-force microscope.

Intermolecular forces between surfaces and molecules in aqueous solutions at distances below a few nanometers are critically important to the functioning of many systems, from colloidal to tribological and from geological to biological. These forces are not, however, well understood at present. We have made measurements of multiple, metastable states near the hydrophilic cleavage planes of the ionic crystals calcite (${\mathrm{CaCO}}_{3}$) and barite (${\mathrm{BaSO}}_{4}$) using a low-noise atomic-force microscope. The interaction potential of the cantilever tip is determined using the Boltzmann relation on histograms of the tip position as it hops between the metastable states, and is found to be oscillatory, indicating layering of the solvent at the tip or sample. These oscillations are spaced from 0.15 to 0.30 nm apart and are of order 5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}21}$ J in amplitude, which is comparable to the thermal energy ${\mathit{k}}_{\mathit{BT}}$=4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}21}$ J at room temperature.
PLK1 as an oncology target: current status and future potential

The Polo-like kinases (PLKs) have been investigated as oncology targets for several years; however, only recently have potent inhibitors been described. Here, we report on progress in the clinical validation of the PLKs as antitumor drug targets as well as recent understanding gained regarding their synergistic roles in the context of other molecular defects occurring in tumors. Also relevant to the development of PLK inhibitors as therapeutics are the putative roles of other members of this family as tumor suppressors. The resulting potential drawbacks of non-isoform selective compounds are presented. As an alternative approach to achieving PLK1 specificity, we discuss prospects for developing small molecule inhibitors of the crucial regulatory and subcellular targeting domain containing the Polo-boxes.
On the application of deterministic optimization methods to stochastic control problems

A technique is presented by which one can apply deterministic optimization techniques, for example, the maximum principle of Pontryagin, to stochastic optimal control problems formulated around linear systems with Gaussian noises and general cost criteria. Using this technique, the stochastic nature of the problem is suppressed but for two expectation operations, the optimization being deterministic. The use of the technique in treating problems with quadratic and nonquadratic costs is illustrated.
Recognizing behaviors patterns in a micro robot soccer game

Recognizing behaviors is an important step for learning by imitation. Learning by imitation, in the other hand, is considered as a method to acquire complex behaviors and as a way to provide seeds for further learning. In this paper the problem of recognizing behaviors in a robot soccer game is addressed. A behavior is a sequence of actions, which are situations intentionally produced by a robot. This approach is based on soccer games observation. When observing a soccer game, the observer can only recognize situations. This is because he doesn't know if the robot wanted to do it or not. Each situation can be part of a complex behavior, thus, it is important to find patterns in the set of situations for each robot. In this paper is showed that an accurate inference engine, for recognizing situations, can be made with fuzzy logic, and, behaviors patterns can be recognized with self organization maps. Recognized situations are also useful to build a robot soccer game commentator.
Electrophysiological characterization of sodium channel types in the HCN-1A human cortical cell line.

Abstract Electrically evoked sodium currents were recorded under whole-cell patch clamp from undifferentiated HCN-1A cells. Peak sodium currents had a half-maximal activation, Vm0.5, of −22.6 ± 1.0 mV with a voltage dependence, Km, of 7.28 ± 0.39 mV−1. Steady-state inactivation indicated the presence of two types of sodium channel. One type inactivated with Vh0.5 = −93.8 ± 1.2 mV and kh = −6.8 ± 0.4 mV−1. The second type of sodium channel inactivated w Vh0.5 = −44.6 ± 1.5 mV and kh = −7.3 ± 0.4 mV−1. The occurrence of each channel type varied from cell to cell and ranged from 0 to 100% of the total sodium current. No variation in the rate of inactivation was seen when the holding potential was adjusted to eliminate the more negative of the two inactivation components. Application of tetrodotoxin (TTX) or saxitoxin (STX) revealed channel types with two different affinities for each toxin. TTX blocked peak sodium conductance with apparent IC50s of 22 nM and 5.3 μM. STX was more potent, with apparent IC50s of 1.6 nM and 1.2 μM. There was no statistical correlation between toxin sensitivity and steady-state inactivation voltage, suggesting that these properties varied independently among sodium channel types.
Microanalytical and preparative peptide separations with a modified technicon autoanalyzer

Abstract The techniques described in this paper have been used to obtain highly reproducible analytical and preparative peptide separations using small amounts of material (10,11).
Chemical evidence for a functional carboxyl group in carboxypeptidase A

Abstract Modification of carboxypeptidase A with 1-cyclohexyl-3-(2-morpholinoethyl)-carbodiimide metho-p-toluene sulfonate at pH 6.0 simultaneously abolishes both esterase and peptidase activities. Inactivation is due to a specific reaction with a single residue in the active center of the enzyme most probably the carboxyl group of glutamic acid 270, previously implicated in the catalytic mechanism by X-ray crystallography.
Effect of education on school-age children's and parents' asthma management.

ISSUES AND PURPOSE. Asthma affects 7.4% of school-age children, with poor children or members of ethnic minorities disproportionately affected. DESIGN AND METHODS. A quasiexperimental, year-long pilot study tested the effectiveness of an intervention that included school-based small-group education for children with home-based education for parents. Pretest and two posttest measures were collected. RESULTS. Forty-four families completed the study (41% African American, 36% European American, 23% Mexican American), with 46% coming from poor or working-class families. Asthma management in the treatment group was lower than the comparison group at baseline, but improved significantly at 6 months and stabilized at 12 months, a trend that was most pronounced among the poorer children. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. Improvements in asthma management point to the need for ongoing asthma education to address learning needs of the children and families.
The Crusade for Freedom: A Just War Critique of the Bush Doctrine

This paper critically examines the Bush Doctrine in American foreign policy. It describes the crusading spirit of the Bush Doctrine and its connection with American Exceptionalism, with a special focus on the Bush administration's policy statements. It then uses the theoretical framework of the just war tradition to argue against this new sort of crusading idealism and its eschatological aim of transforming the world through military force. The paper argues that the just war tradition is grounded in theological and anthropological assumptions that give us reason to reject all crusading idealisms, even the idealism of American exceptionalism.
Newer HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (statin) therapies.

Although most patients can achieve their National Cholesterol Education Program goal with a reduction of ≤30% in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels available with all statins, some patients need greater LDL-C lowering. Furthermore, new study data suggest that greater clinical event reduction may be obtained with more aggressive LDL-C lowering and/or with treatment of factors beyond LDL-C. New formulations of statins, including extended-release preparations, are achieving greater reductions in LDL-C levels as well as favorable modification of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations while maintaining an excellent safety profile.
Comparing Theoretical Perspectives on Female Sexual Offending Behaviors: Applying a Trauma-Informed Lens

This article provides historical and contemporary perspectives on female sexual offending behavior, divided into three sections. The first section provides background context including incidence, prevalence, and mediating factors in female sex offender (FSO) behavior. The second section overviews the evolution of theories used for understanding the etiology of FSO behaviors including psychodynamic, behaviorist, and trauma-informed perspectives. This discussion includes each theory’s background, key concepts, and application to understanding FSO behavior. The final section focuses on lessons learned from this analysis of theoretical thought on FSO etiology and the state of FSO etiology science today.
Negation, questions, and structure building in a homesign system.

Abstract Deaf children whose hearing losses are so severe that they cannot acquire spoken language, and whose hearing parents have not exposed them to sign language, use gestures called homesigns to communicate. Homesigns have been shown to contain many of the properties of natural languages. Here we ask whether homesign has structure building devices for negation and questions. We identify two meanings (negation, question) that correspond semantically to propositional functions, that is, to functions that apply to a sentence (whose semantic value is a proposition, ϕ) and yield another proposition that is more complex ( ⌝ ϕ for negation; ?ϕ for question). Combining ϕ with ⌝ or ? thus involves sentence modification. We propose that these negative and question functions are structure building operators, and we support this claim with data from an American homesigner. We show that: (a) each meaning is marked by a particular form in the child’s gesture system (side-to-side headshake for negation, manual flip for question); (b) the two markers occupy systematic, and different, positions at the periphery of the gesture sentences (headshake at the beginning, flip at the end); and (c) the flip is extended from questions to other uses associated with the wh-form (exclamatives, referential expressions of location) and thus functions like a category in natural languages. If what we see in homesign is a language creation process ( Goldin-Meadow, 2003 ), and if negation and question formation involve sentential modification, then our analysis implies that homesign has at least this minimal sentential syntax. Our findings thus contribute to ongoing debates about properties that are fundamental to language and language learning.
Comparison of DNA sequences with protein sequences

The FASTA package of sequence comparison programs has been expanded to include FASTX and FASTY, which compare a DNA sequence to a protein sequence database, translating the DNA sequence in three frames and aligning the translated DNA sequence to each sequence in the protein database, allowing gaps and frameshifts. Also new are TFASTX and TFASTY, which compare a protein sequence to a DNA sequence database, translating each sequence in the DNA database in six frames and scoring alignments with gaps and frameshifts. FASTX and TFASTX allow only frameshifts between codons, while FASTY and TFASTY allow substitutions or frameshifts within a codon. We examined the performance of FASTX and FASTY using different gap-opening, gap-extension, frameshift, and nucleotide substitution penalties. In general, FASTX and FASTY perform equivalently when query sequences contain 0-10% errors. We also evaluated the statistical estimates reported by FASTX and FASTY. These estimates are quite accurate, except when an out-of-frame translation produces a low-complexity protein sequence. We used FASTX to scan the Mycoplasma genitalium, Haemophilus influenzae, and Methanococcus jannaschii genomes for unidentified or misidentified protein-coding genes. We found at least 9 new protein-coding genes in the three genomes and at least 35 genes with potentially incorrect boundaries.
Collateral Damage Related to Rape and Interpersonal Violence in Higher Education.

Collegiate communities are often faced with difficult situations from sexual assault, rape, and other forms of interpersonal violence. These events are not only tragic or traumatic for the individuals involved but also have a ripple effect and create collateral damage within the campus community. Many universities are instituting bystander training to address the harm of interpersonal violence and other harmful behaviors. I'm writing this article as a bystander to the many harmful consequences for many individuals within the campus community brought on by cases of sexual assault, rape, and violence. Language: en
Interactive motion planning using hardware-accelerated computation of generalized Voronoi diagrams

We present techniques for fast motion planning by using discrete approximations of generalized Voronoi diagrams, computed with graphics hardware. Approaches based on this diagram computation are applicable to both static and dynamic environments of fairly high complexity. We compute a discrete Voronoi diagram by rendering a 3D distance mesh for each Voronoi site. The sites can be points, line segments, polygons, polyhedra, curves and surfaces. The computation of the generalized Voronoi diagram provides fast proximity query toolkits for motion planning. The tools provide the distance to the nearest obstacle stored in the Z-buffer, as well as the Voronoi boundaries, Voronoi vertices and weighted Voronoi graphs extracted from the frame buffer using continuation methods. We have implemented these algorithms and demonstrated their performance for path planning in a complex dynamic environment composed of more than 140,000 polygons.
Gang Fights versus Cat Fights: Urban Young Men's Gendered Narratives of Violence

Scholarly accounts of young men's violence have remained remarkably consistent over time: the use of violence emerges in response to focal concerns that strongly emphasize autonomy, respect, and the defense of reputation, and is indicative of the import of hegemonic masculinities on the streets. Yet, despite persistent gender gaps in the use of violence, recent research suggests that young women use violence more often than commonly believed, and their violence is likewise tied to concerns about status and respect. Given scholarly attention to the functions of violence for accomplishing masculinity, this raises the interesting question of whether and how young men maintain the equation of masculinity with violence when faced with the reality of young women's violence. Drawing from the sociology of accounts and research on gender, language, and discourse, we analyze in-depth interviews with 39 urban African-American young men to compare how they construct and make sense of boys' and girls' violence in the ...
Ancient Archaeological Sites Buried and Submerged along Egypt's Nile Delta Coast: Gauges of Holocene Delta Margin Subsidence

Abstract For calculating subsidence rates along the Nile Delta coastal margin, archaeological site data provide more accurate temporal and elevation control relative to Holocene sea levels than chronostratigraphic analyses of radiocarbon-dated sediment cores. Recently acquired data on the depth and age of 11 buried and/or submerged levels of human activity at seven ancient sites serve to calculate average annual rates of subsidence along the northern Nile Delta margin during the middle to late Holocene. Subsidence rates range from 0.9 to 4.3 mm/yr, varying irregularly from west to east along the northern delta coast, and averaging ∼2.5 mm/yr for 11 data points on the margin as a whole. Subsidence rate is directly related to thickness of sediment section, with highest values in the eastern part of Manzala lagoon and at coastal promontories of the Damietta and Rosetta branches. This, in large part, is a function of underlying sediment compaction plus sediment loading and readjustment of strata at depth. Sho...
Aging and Longevity The IGF-1 Enigma

See related article, pages 418–426 IGF-1 belongs to the insulin family of peptides and acts as a growth factor in many tissues and tumors. Locally acting isoform of IGF-1 targeted to skeletal muscle enhances muscle growth and differentiation, prevents age-related muscle atrophy, and potentiates regeneration after injury.1,2 Similarly, cardiac restricted expression of IGF-1 increases the formation of ventricular myocytes, attenuates myocyte death, and delays the development of an aging myopathy.3,4 In the heart, the IGF-1–IGF-1 receptor system induces division of cardiac stem cells (CSCs), upregulates telomerase activity, hinders replicative senescence, and preserves the pool of functionally competent CSCs.4,5 After muscle injury, IGF-1 promotes the activation, mobilization, and differentiation of satellite cells which, together with the recruitment of bone marrow progenitor cells, contribute to skeletal muscle regeneration in old animals.1,2 Spontaneous repair of damaged muscle typically occurs in young animals and is severely impaired with age. Importantly, heart failure leads to a catabolic state characterized by a progressive loss in skeletal muscle mass and the appearance of cardiac cachexia in the late stages of the disease. This information formed the basis of the study by Schulze et al6 published in the current issue of Circulation Research . The dramatic problem of skeletal muscle wasting with chronic heart failure has become a common clinical reality. Cardiac decompensation is a disease of the elderly, which has reached endemic proportion with the progressive increase in average lifespan of the population in the Western world.7 Unfortunately, muscle atrophy cannot easily be reversed, and the pharmacology is palliative at best. Similarly, strategies aiming at the reconstitution of muscle mass with systemic administration of growth factors or potential implementation of cell therapy are in an infancy stage. The work of Schulze et al has addressed this major pathological condition with …
Polyphenols and cardiovascular disease: effects on endothelial and platelet function

Epidemiologic studies suggest that higher polyphenol intake from fruits and vegetables is associated with decreased risk for cardiovascular disease. The mechanisms explaining this observation remain unclear. This review summarizes data suggesting that flavonoids improve endothelial function and inhibit platelet aggregation in humans. The vascular endothelium is a critical regulator of vascular homeostasis, and endothelial dysfunction contributes to the pathogenesis and clinical expression of coronary artery disease. Platelet aggregation is a central mechanism in the pathogenesis of acute coronary syndromes, including myocardial infarction and unstable angina. For these reasons, the observed effects of flavonoids on endothelial and platelet function might explain, in part, the observed beneficial effects of flavonoids on cardiovascular disease risk.
RAPID SOIL MOISTURE RECHARGE TO DEPTH BY ROOTS IN A STAND OF ARTEMISIA TRIDENTATA

The temporal patterns of soil water potential in a stand of Artemisia tridentata in central Utah, USA, were monitored during the summer, which included small periodic rainfall events, and over the winter, when most of the soil recharge occurs in this environment. The pattern of recharge, when compared to an area cleared of aboveground vegetation, strongly indicated that the downward movement of water to 1.5 m was primarily conducted via roots by the process known as hydraulic redistribution. Rainwater was moved rapidly downward shortly after the rain event and continued over a period of a few days. For rainwater reaching a 0.3–1.5 m depth, the portion redistributed by roots was estimated to range from 100% for small rainfall events (<8 mm) to 74% for a 36-mm event. Simulations with a model of soil water movement that compared situations with and without hydraulic redistribution by roots, indicated that during the fall–spring recharge period, 67% of all water moved downward below 0.1 m was via roots, while...
High-dose continuous venovenous hemofiltration combined with charcoal hemoperfusion for methotrexate removal

Methotrexate (MTX) is used to treat various disorders and can be safely administered at high doses if renal function is adequate, high urine output (UOP) is maintained, urine is alkalinized and leucovorin rescue is given. Despite those measures, toxicity (mucositis, diarrhea, renal dysfunction and myelosuppression) occurs with prolonged high serum drug concentrations [1]. Dialysis-based methods of removal are largely ineffective because MTX is highly protein bound [1]. Use of charcoal hemoperfusion has also been reported but is minimally effective. We report the first case of high-dose continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH) after charcoal hemofiltration for MTX removal in a patient with toxicity following lymphoma treatment.
Skewed-Load Transition Test: Part II, Coverage

A skewed-load transition test is a delay test where the second vector of the delay test pair is a one bit shift over the first vector in the pair. This situation occurs when testing the combinational logic residing between scan chains. This paper concentrates on the issue of coverage in skewed-load transition test. A topological lower bound of the transition test coverage is derived. This bound is shown to work well for the entire family if ISCAS combinational circuits. It is also shown that input ordering plays a key role in the attainable transition fault coverage. The paper describes a heuristic for input ordering that will achieve a nearly optimal transition fault coverage.
Evaluation on the analogy between the dynamic magnetosphere and a forced and/or self-organized critical system

The dissipation power and size of auroral blobs are investigated in detail to examine the possible analogy between the dynamic magnetosphere and a forced and/or self-organized critical system. The distributions of these auroral parameters are sorted in terms of different levels of activity, namely substorms, pseudo-breakups, and quiet conditions. A power law (scale-free) component is seen in all these distributions. In addition, a peak distribution is found for substorm intervals and a hump for pseudo-breakup intervals. The peak distribution is present prominently during magnetic storms, i.e. when the magnetosphere is strongly driven by the solar wind. It is interpreted that the scale-free component is associated with the activity of the diffuse aurora, corresponding to disturbances at all permissible scales within the plasma sheet. Ionospheric feedback appears to be essential for the presence of two components in the distribution for auroral dissipation power. These results are consistent with the concept that the magnetosphere is in a forced and/or self-organized critical state, although they do not constitute conclusive evidence for the analogy.
Effect of alterations in cuticular wax biosynthesis on the physicochemical properties and topography of maize leaf surfaces

The leaf surface properties of 11 cuticular wax mutants of maize were characterized, and this information was used to identify the quantitative relations among distinct leaf surface traits. Compared with the wild-type maize, these mutants were reduced 3‐24% in their leaf surface hydrophobicity, 20‐88% in the mass of cuticular waxes on their leaves, and 52‐94% in the percentage of planar leaf surface area covered with epicuticular crystalline waxes. They also differed in the presence and abundance of the epicuticular crystalline waxes in each of seven structural classes. With the exception of one mutant, the mass of cuticular waxes produced by these mutants was positively correlated with the number of epicuticular crystalline waxes per unit area on their leaves. Furthermore, an increase of 0·4 mg of cuticular wax per gram of leaf (dry weight) was associated with a 1% increase in leaf surface area covered by epicuticular crystalline waxes, and this 1% increase was associated with a 2 ° increase in the contact angle of a water droplet on the leaf surface. Linear differences in the leaf surface hydrophobicity were associated with exponential differences in the mass of the cuticular waxes produced. Quantitative knowledge of these leaf surface properties is highly relevant to the interactions of leaves with environmental factors such as microbes, insects, agricultural chemicals, and pollutants.
Effect of light power density on development of elastic modulus of a model light-activated composite during polymerization.

Purpose: Elastic modulus development during polymerization of a composite is a measure of the polymerization maturity and the restoration's ability to transfer stress to enamel and dentin. The characteristics of elastic modulus development in real time during cure are largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of light power density and total energy density on the early development of elastic modulus for a light-activated composite. Methods: Cylindrical specimens of a model hybrid composite were tested in flexure in a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA). Specimens were light-activated (Variable Intensity Polymerizer, Bisco, Itasca, Illinois) for 60 seconds. Elastic modulus was measured continuously for 5 minutes from the start of light activation. Development of elastic modulus was assessed for six different light power densities and two reduced power density levels given at longer exposure duration to provide similar energy density values. One-way analysis of variance with Tukey's post hoc comparison test was used to evaluate significant differences of elastic modulus at p= .05. Results: The rates of elastic modulus development and final moduli were dependent on the light power density applied. Composite specimens cured by equivalent energy densities using short times and high power density or long times and low power density produced equivalent elastic moduli. Elastic moduli for emitted power densities between 400 and 600 mW/cm2 (160–260 mW/cm2 measured at the specimen surface) were not significantly different (p > .05). Conclusions: Light power densities greater than 160 mW/cm2 measured at the specimen surface resulted in elastic moduli that were not significantly different. Equivalent energy densities produced comparable elastic moduli.
The energy spectrum of X-rays from rocket-triggered lightning

Although the production of X-rays from natural and rocket-triggered lightning leaders have been studied in detail over the last 10 years, the energy spectrum of the X-rays has never been well measured because the X-rays are emitted in very short but intense bursts that result in pulse pileup in the detectors. The energy spectrum is important because it provides information about the source mechanism for producing the energetic runaway electrons and about the electric fields that they traverse. We have recently developed and operated the first spectrometer for the energetic radiation from lightning. The instrument is part of the Atmospheric Radiation Imagery and Spectroscopy (ARIS) project and will be referred to as ARIS-S (ARIS Spectrometer). It consists of seven 3′′ NaI(Tl)/photomultiplier tube scintillation detectors with different thicknesses of attenuators, ranging from no attenuator to more than 1′′ of lead placed over the detector (all the detectors are in a 1/8′′ thick aluminum box). Using X-ray pulses preceding 48 return strokes in 8 rocket-triggered lightnings, we found that the spectrum of X-rays from leaders is too soft to be consistent with Relativistic Runaway Electron Avalanche. It has a power law dependence on the energies of the photons, and the power index, λ, is between 2.5 and 3.5. We present the details of the design of the instrument and the results of the analysis of the lightning data acquired during the summer of 2012.
Industry Influence on Dividend Policy in a Firm-Specific Model

Industry classification is known to be related to the dividend payouts of firms. This occurs because industry variables proxy for underlying factors (such as investment opportunities) that affect firms' payout policies and vary systematically across industries. Hence, a well-specified dividend payout model at the firm level should pre-empt any role for industry effects. This paper shows that industry effects can be reduced nearly to zero by employing a set of firm-specific variables to explain dividend payouts across firms.
OP21.07: Fetal and neonatal diastolic cardiac strain rate: normal reference ranges and reproducibility in a prospective, longitudinal cohort of pregnancies

Background: Normative fetal diastolic strain rate values have not been comprehensively reported. The aims of this study were to report normative data for diastolic strain rate parameters across gestation and upon delivery, determine the effect of advancing gestational age on these measures, and compare interobserver variability at multiple gestational age time points. Methods: Sixty gravid women were enrolled before 20 weeks’ gestation. The following measures were obtained by two blinded observers at five time points across gestation and at 4 to 8 weeks’ postnatal age: global left ventricular circumferential strain rate peak E and A waves, global left and right ventricular longitudinal strain rate peak E and A waves, and mitral and tricuspid valve E/A ratios. Reproducibility was assessed using intraclass correlation and Bland-Altman analysis. Least square means analysis was used to evaluate for changes across gestational age. Results: Left ventricular longitudinal and circumferential diastolic strain rate values decreased across gestation, while right ventricular longitudinal values remained stable. With delivery, left ventricular values remained fairly stable, while right ventricular values increased. Intraclass correlations for diastolic strain rate values were 0.68 to 0.94 at $24 weeks’ gestation and 0.25 to 0.82 for values at 20 to 21 weeks’ gestation. Intraclass correlations ranged from 0.49 to 0.90 for mitral valve and tricuspid valve E/A ratios across gestation. Conclusions: Fetal measures of diastolic strain rate have acceptable reproducibility after 24 weeks’ gestation. The described changes across gestation likely reflect intrinsic myocardial adaptation to loading conditions. These reference ranges can be used to assess effects of various disease states on fetal myocardial deformation. (J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2016;29:663-9.)
Using Ultrasound to Enhance Medical Students' Femoral Vascular Physical Examination Skills.

Objectives To determine whether the addition of ultrasound to traditional physical examination instruction improves junior medical students' abilities to locate the femoral pulse. Methods Initially, 150 second-year medical students were taught the femoral pulse examination using traditional bedside teaching on standardized patients and online didactic videos. Students were then randomized into 2 groups: group 1 received ultrasound training first and then completed the standardized examination; and group 2 performed the standardized examination first and then received ultrasound training. On the standardized patients, the femoral artery was marked with invisible ink before the sessions using ultrasound. Compared to these markers, students were then evaluated on the accuracy of femoral artery pulse palpation and the estimated location of the femoral vein. All students completed a self-assessment survey after the ultrasound sessions. Results Ultrasound training improved the students' ability to palpate the femoral pulse (P= .02). However, ultrasound did not facilitate correct estimation of the femoral vein's anatomic location (P = .09). Confidence levels in localizing the femoral artery and vein were equal between groups at baseline, and both increased after the ultrasound sessions. Conclusions The addition of ultrasound teaching to traditional physical examination instruction enhanced medical student competency and confidence with the femoral vascular examination. However, understanding of anatomy may require emphasis on precourse didactic material, but further study is required.
The Most Unforgettable, Victorious Moment in My Life: Freeing Chol Soo Lee

The pieces in this Amerasia Journal Forum provides first-person retrospectives on the multiethnic, multi-generational, and transnational Free Chol Soo Lee movement from many of the principals involved in it. Grace Kim was one of the people who established the first Chol Soo Lee Defense Committee.
Abstract 202: Elevated Plasma Levels of Interleukin 6 Are Associated with Risk of Sudden Death in the Community Even When Measured During the Acute Cardiac Arrest Event

Introduction: Elevated plasma levels of interleukin 6 (IL6) reflect plaque vulnerability and have been associated with sudden death in a cohort study but samples were drawn many years prior to the event. We sought to confirm this relationship by evaluating IL6 at the time of the sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in a group of men and women in the community. Hypothesis: Elevated IL6 is a determinant of SCA in the community. Methods: In an ongoing, prospective, community-based study of SCA in Northwest US, we compared levels of plasma IL6 in 143 adult cases of adjudicated SCA and 149 gender- and age-matched controls with coronary artery disease (73 vs 73% male, age 64.0±11.9 vs. 64.2±11.6 y). Cases with cancer, non-cardiac causes of arrest, or terminal illnesses were excluded. Plasma was obtained from blood drawn at the time of arrest (cases) and at a routine visit (controls), and analyzed using Quantikine Immunoassay (CV Results: IL6 was significantly higher in SCA cases vs controls (median 13.2 [IQR 5.4-25.8] vs 5.3 [1.5-4.6] pg/ml, P 0.05). Median CRP levels were below clinical levels of significance and similar between cases and controls (2.5 [1.0-5.4] vs 1.9 [1.0-6.2] ug/ml, P=0.56). In a logistic regression model IL6 was independently associated with increased risk of SCA (OR/increased quartile of IL6: 2.4, 95% CI 1.7 - 3.5, P Conclusions: Elevated levels of IL6 in plasma are associated with SCA in this community-based study. Further evaluations are needed to elucidate the background of this finding and the potential role of this biomarker in risk stratification of SCA.
Support of the talus: a biomechanical investigation of the contributions of the talonavicular and talocalcaneal joints, and the superomedial calcaneonavicular ligament.

The goal of this study was to determine the magnitude of force transmission to the talus by its inferior articulations to provide insight into mechanisms involving acquired deformities of the hindfoot. Cadaver feet were mounted in a loading apparatus that applied axial force through the tibia and fibula as well as tensile loading of the tendons of extrinsic musculature. This also permitted positioning of the tibia in the sagittal plane. Eighteen specimens were tested in three selected positions of the gait cycle. In one series, pressure-sensitive film was inserted into the posterior and anteromedial facets of the talocalcaneal joint as well as into the talonavicular joint. In a second series, film was inserted between the talar head and the superomedial calcaneonavicular ligament. In stance position, the specimens were also tested without posterior tibial tendon (PTT) tension. Contact areas and force transmitted across the articulations were greatest in near toe-off position, in the posterior facet of the...
Development of soft-sphere contact models for thermal heat conduction in granular flows

Conductive heat transfer to flowing particles occurs when two particles (or a particle and wall) come into contact. The direct conduction between the two bodies depends on the collision dynamics, namely the size of the contact area and the duration of contact. For soft-sphere discrete-particle simulations, it is computationally expensive to resolve the true collision time because doing so would require a restrictively small numerical time step. To improve the computational speed, it is common to increase the “softness” of the material to artificially increase the collision time, but doing so affects the heat transfer. In this work, two physically-based correction terms are derived to compensate for the increased contact area and time stemming from artificial particle softening. By including both correction terms, the impact that artificial softening has on the conductive heat transfer is removed, thus enabling simulations at greatly reduced computational times without sacrificing physical accuracy. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 62: 4526–4535, 2016
Urethrectomy with preservation of potency.

AbstractRecent understanding of the anatomy of the pelvic plexus and cavernous nerves to the penis has resulted in modified surgical techniques of radical prostatectomy and radical cystoprostatectomy that allow for preservation of potency in the majority of men undergoing these procedures. To date, however, a technique of urethrectomy that preserves potency has not been reported. We describe a modified approach to urethrectomy based on recent anatomical and surgical observations that has allowed for preservation of potency in 2 patients.
Neonatal transfusion models to determine the impact of using fresh red blood cells on inventory and exposure

Background Data on age of blood and its impact on donor exposure and inventory in the paediatric setting are lacking. The standard of practice of reserving a specific red blood cell (RBC) unit for neonates who may require repeat transfusions is unique to the paediatric setting. Requiring transfusion of fresher RBC units may increase the exposure of neonates to multiple units and negatively affect the supply of fresh RBC. We constructed a transfusion model based on a 6 months of retrospective neonatal transfusion data at our institution. Materials and methods All neonates (≤4 months old) at Texas Children's Hospital who received a RBC transfusion from June to November 2011 were included and RBC transfusion data were compiled. The age of blood at the time of each RBC transfusion was recorded. These data were reviewed to calculate exposure and inventory impact if each transfusion had been restricted to RBC either ≤7 or ≤14 days old at transfusion. Results A total of 216 neonates received 938 RBC transfusions. Of these, 393 (42%) were fresh RBC (≤14 days old), even without a required age guideline. Requiring fresh (≤14 days) RBC for all transfusions in this period would have resulted in 70 additional fresh units and one or more additional exposures in 44 patients. Requiring fresher (≤7 days old) RBC would have resulted in an additional 147 units and. one or more additional exposures in 54 patients. Discussion The more conservative model of fresh (≤7 days old) RBC would greatly increase fresh RBC inventory requirements, and 25% of transfused neonates would require additional RBC exposure. Based on retrospective data and the two transfusion models, it can be concluded that requiring RBC ≤14 days old for neonatal transfusion would best balance the use of fresher RBC with the smallest increase in patient exposure (20%) and minimum impact on the RBC inventory.
Approach to the Patient with Alcoholic Liver Disease

An overview of alcoholic liver disease and the process of diagnosing and treating it. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.