cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Unpredictability of Research Directions and the Synergy between Theory and Experiment in Physical‐Organic Chemistry

Research projects in physical-organic chemistry can go in unpredictable directions. One such project, described herein, began with the discovery of a large, imaginary, calculated vibrational frequency and soon led to the prediction that cyclobutanetetraone (CO)4 had a triplet ground state. Molecular orbital (MO) theory provided the understanding of why (CO)4 was calculated to have a planar triplet ground state and why, in contrast, (SiO)4 was calculated to have a tetrahedral singlet ground state. Qualitative MO theory, as well as calculations, also predicted that (CO)3, (CO)5, and (CO)6 should all be found to have singlet ground states. Testing experimentally these predictions about (CO)n molecules, n=3–6, led to a very fruitful collaboration with Dr. Xuebin Wang, who obtained the negative ion photoelectron (NIPE) spectra of the radical anions of these four molecules and also of (CS)4. Assignments of the signals in these five NIPE spectra required computing the vibrational progressions in them. The necessary acquisition of the ability to simulate the signals in NIPE spectra resulted in the successful analysis of the very complex spectrum of meta-benzoquinone (MBQ) radical anion, which Dr. Wang had already obtained and published. Analysis of this spectrum confirmed the prediction, made more than 20 years previously, that the ordering of the two lowest singlet states in MBQ was reversed from that in meta-benzoquinodimethane (MBQDM). The research described herein illustrates not only the unpredictability of where some research projects will eventually lead, but also the synergy between calculations and experiments in physical-organic chemistry.
Selfishness, Altruism, and our Future Selves

In this article, I defend the thesis that selfishness and altruism can be intrapersonal. In doing so, I argue that the notions of intrapersonal altruism and selfishness usefully pick out behavioural patterns and have predictive value. I also argue that my thesis helps enrich our understanding of the prudential, and can subsume some interesting work in economic and psychological theory.
The Banks Set in Infinite Spaces

I provide a definition of the Banks set, or set of sophisticated voting outcomes, over an infinite policy space and when individual preferences are weak. I also show that the Banks set is a subset of one definition of the uncovered set, but not another. The interpretation of the Banks set in this setting differs from Banks’s original interpretation in the implicit role of the agenda setter. In addition, a characterization of the Banks set is provided for a three-player game of distributive politics. In this special setting, the Banks set and all definitions of the uncovered set have full measure over the space of alternatives.
Optical control of the internal and external angular momentum of a Bose-Einstein condensate

We present experimental results on the coherent transfer of orbital angular momentum (OAM) from optical fields to the center-of-mass motion of a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), using an approach which results in negligible linear momentum change. Two collinear optical beams of differing OAM are used to couple discrete sublevels of the atomic ground state via a stimulated Raman process. We demonstrate several of the possible optical field configurations which place the BEC into various spinor and vortex states. We also show how this approach can be used to create coherent superpositions of these states and use the interference patterns of such superpositions to confirm the presence of quantized vortices.
Membrane tubulin: Fact or fiction?

Tubulin is the ubiquitous protein that makes up the walls of the cytoskeletal elements known as microtubules. These 20 nm diameter cylindrical fibers are the spindle fibers for mitosis, provide the skeletal framework for cellular elongation, constitute the major structural and motile elements of cilia and flagella and probably play a number of other roles in eukaryote cells. In the electron microscope, they are never seen to attach or protrude directly into or on cellular membranes. It was therefore with much skepticism that cell biologists responded to recent claims purporting to show that tubulin is (or can be) a membrane protein. This skepticism comes from a bias based on the generally understood function of cytoskeletal proteins as representing the intracellular ‘bones’ of cells. The traditional thinking was that microtubules may attach to cellular membranes but only via a cross-linking connecting protein. In recent years, however, an increasing number of workers have come to believe that tubulin can exist as a normal membrane protein possibly independent of its role in microtubule function.
Update on Thoracic Aortic Endovascular Grafting Using the Medtronic Talent Device

This article provides a brief update on the current status of the treatment of thoracic aortic pathology using the Medtronic Talent device. Preoperative evaluation and selection criterion along with study design are described for the recently completed Phase II VALOR Trial (Evaluation of the Medtronic AVE Talent Thoracic Stent Graft System for the Treatment of Thoracic Aneurysms). In addition, the results of several recent series for the treatment of degenerative aneurysm and more complex aortic pathology such as transection, rupture and acute and chronic dissection are reviewed.
Routing as a flow control strategy in an integrated circuit/packet switched communications network

This research addresses the analysis of an event-driven FORTRAN Simulation Model that simulates a special kind of Computer-Communication network. The network modeled has a circuit-switched communication subnet whose trunk lines carry both voice and data traffic simultaneously. This effort considers the viability of routing strategies as a mechanism for reducing congestion. The performance of seven alternative routing strategies are measured in terms of user-visible metrics.Based on the experimental results obtained, this research concludes that fixed routing, the technique assumed by most models, is not as effective a tool for reducing congestions as would be a strategy based on link utilization. Minimization of congestion can be realized only if the routing strategy is adjusted as workload varies. Experimental data supporting these conclusions is presented.
Amino-terminal sequences of heavy chains of rabbit anti-hapten antibodies of limited heterogeneity.

Abstract We have studied the amino-terminal amino acid sequences of heavy chains of rabbit antibodies which are of limited heterogeneity. These antibodies are the anti- p -azobenzoate antibody from rabbit No. 2717 and two fractions (BE-1 and BE-3) of anti- p -azobenzoate antibodies from rabbit No. 2663. No free amino-terminal residue was found for any of these three heavy chains and only a single blocked amino-terminal hexapeptide was isolated in good yields from each of these heavy chains. Their sequences are Glp-Ser-Leu-Glu-Glu-Ser- for No. 2717 heavy chain and Glp-Ser-Val-Glu-Glu-Ser- for both BE-1 and BE-3 heavy chains. These heavy chain amino-terminal sequences are compared with the light chain amino-terminal sequences of the same antibody molecules, and with the reported heavy chain amino-terminal sequences of normal rabbit immunoglobulins and rabbit anti-carbohydrate antibody. It appears that the amino-terminal amino acid sequences of rabbit heavy chains are relatively similar from antibody to antibody in contrast to the much greater variation in the amino-terminal sequences of rabbit light chains.
A Class-Specific Optimizing Compiler

Class-specific optimizations are compiler optimizations specified by the class implementor to the compiler. They allow the compiler to take advantage of the semantics of the particular class so as to produce better code. Optimizations of interest include the strength reduction of class:: array address calculations, elimination of large temporaries, and the placement of asynchronous send/recv calls so as to achieve computation/communication overlap. We will outline our progress towards the implementation of a C++ compiler capable of incorporating class-specific optimizations.
Decreased glycogen synthase kinase 3‐beta levels and related physiological changes in Bacillus anthracis lethal toxin‐treated macrophages

Summary The lethal factor (LF) component of Bacillus anthra- cis lethal toxin (LeTx) cleaves mitogen activated pro- tein kinase kinases (MAPKKs) in a variety of different cell types, yet only macrophages are rap- idly killed by this toxin. The reason for this selective killing is unclear, but suggests other factors may also be involved in LeTx intoxication. In the current study, DNA membrane arrays were used to identify broad changes in macrophage physiology after treatment with LeTx. Expression of genes regulated by MAPKK activity did not change significantly, yet a series of genes under glycogen synthase kinase-3- b (GSK-3 b b b ) regulation changed expression following LeTx treatment. Correlating with these transcrip- tional changes GSK-3 b was found to be below detectable levels in toxin-treated cells and an inhibi- tor of GSK-3 b , LiCl, sensitized resistant IC-21 mac- rophages to LeTx. In addition, zebrafish embryos treated with LeTx showed signs of delayed pigmen- tation and cardiac hypertrophy; both processes are subject to regulation by GSK-3 b b b . A putative compen- satory response to loss of GSK-3 b b b was indicated by differential expression of three motor proteins fol- lowing toxin treatment and Kif1C, a motor protein involved in sensitivity to LeTx, increased expression in toxin-sensitive cells yet decreased in resistant cells following toxin treatment. Differential expres- sion of microtubule-associating proteins and a decrease in the level of cellular tubulin were detected in LeTx-treated cells, both of which can result from loss of GSK-3 b activity. These data pro- vide new information on LeTx's overall influence on macrophage physiology and suggest loss of GSK-3 b contributes to cytotoxicity.
DEVELOPMENT OF A DATABASE FOR SENSORY IRRITANTS AND ITS USE IN ESTABLISHING OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE LIMITS

A database was developed for chemicals whose sensory-irritating properties had been investigated using a previously described animal bioassay. In this bioassay, mice were exposed to an airborne che...
Rhythm-control strategies were not better than rate-control strategies in atrial fibrillation.

(2002) N Engl J Med 347, 1825. Wyse DG, Waldo AL, DiMarco JP, et al. . A comparison of rate control and rhythm control in patients with atrial fibrillation. . ; . : . –33 . [OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4] QUESTION: Is a long term rate control strategy as effective as a rhythm control strategy for atrial fibrillation (AF)? Randomised {allocation concealed*}†, blinded {outcome assessors and monitoring committee}†,* controlled trial with a mean follow up of 3.5 years (Atrial Fibrillation Follow up Investigation of Rhythm Management [AFFIRM] study). 213 clinical sites in North America. 4060 patients who were ≥65 years of age (mean age 70 y, 61% men) or had other risk factors for stroke or death; had AF that was likely to be recurrent, likely to cause illness or death, and warranted long term treatment; and had no contraindications to anticoagulants. Follow up was 98%. 2027 patients were allocated to rate control using the following drugs alone or in combination as selected by the treating physician: β blockers, calcium channel blockers (verapamil and diltiazem), or digoxin. Target heart rate was ≤80 beats/min at rest and ≤110 beats/minute during the 6 minute walk test. Continuous … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DNew%2BEngland%2BJournal%2Bof%2BMedicine%26rft.stitle%253DNEJM%26rft.issn%253D0028-4793%26rft.aulast%253DThe%2BAtrial%2BFibrillation%2BFollow-up%2BInvestigation%2Bof%26rft.auinit1%253D%2B%26rft.volume%253D347%26rft.issue%253D23%26rft.spage%253D1825%26rft.epage%253D1833%26rft.atitle%253DA%2BComparison%2Bof%2BRate%2BControl%2Band%2BRhythm%2BControl%2Bin%2BPatients%2Bwith%2BAtrial%2BFibrillation%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1056%252FNEJMoa021328%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F12466506%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1056/NEJMoa021328&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=12466506&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F8%2F5%2F140.atom [4]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000179596900002&link_type=ISI
Inverse modeling of a radial multistep outflow experiment for determining unsaturated hydraulic properties

Modeling flow and solute transport in the unsaturated zone on the basis of the Richards equation requires specifying values for unsaturated hydraulic conductivity and water potential as a function of saturation. The objectives of the paper are to evaluate the design of a transient, radial, multi-step outflow experiment, and to determine unsaturated hydraulic parameters using inverse modeling. We conducted numerical simulations, sensitivity analyses, and synthetic data inversions to assess the suitability of the proposed experiment for concurrently estimating the parameters of interest. We calibrated different conceptual models against transient flow and pressure data from a multi-step, radial desaturation experiment to obtain estimates of absolute permeability, as well as the parameters of the relative permeability and capillary pressure functions. We discuss the differences in the estimated parameter values and illustrate the impact of the underlying model on the estimates. We demonstrate that a small error in absolute permeability, if determined in an independent experiment, leads to biased estimates of unsaturated hydraulic properties. Therefore, we perform a joint inversion of pressure and flow rate data for the simultaneous determination of permeability and retention parameters, and analyze the correlations between these parameters. We conclude that the proposed combination of a radial desaturation experiment and inverse modeling is suitable for simultaneously determining the unsaturated hydraulic properties of a single soil sample, and that the inverse modeling technique provides the opportunity to analyze data from nonstandard experimental designs.
Can Dryline Mixing Create Buoyancy

Abstract Thermodynamic analysis indicates, in contradiction to an earlier hypothesis, that a mixture of warm, dry air and cool, moist air on opposite sides of a dryline will have a slightly lower virtual temperature than the average of its components. Such mixing is unlikely, therefore, to contribute directly to dryline convection or maintenance. The correction is due to consideration of the effect of moisture content on specific heat, the neglect of which could lead to significant errors in numerical simulation models.
Subjective Character and Reflexive Content

I. Zombies and the Knowledge Argument John Perry's splendid book, Knowledge, Possibility, and Consciousness, sets out to dispel the three main objections currently lodged against mindbody materialism. These are the objection from the alleged possibility of zombies, the knowledge argument made famous by Frank Jackson, and the modal objections due principally to Saul A. Kripke and David Chalmers.1 The discussion is penetrating throughout, and it develops many points in illuminating detail. Perry argues that the knowledge and modal arguments both rest on a failure to distinguish two kinds of content, which he calls subject-matter content and reflexive content. The subject-matter content of a thought consists in the truth conditions that must be satisfied by the objects and properties the thought is about. As Perry notes, discussions of content typically assume without comment that this is all there is to content.
Hydrolysis of low concentrations of the acetylthiocholine analogs acetyl(homo)thiocholine and acetyl(nor)thiocholine by acetylcholinesterase may be limited by selective gating at the enzyme peripheral site.

Abstract Hydrolysis of acetylcholine by acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is extremely rapid, with a second-order hydrolysis rate constant kE (often denoted kcat/KM) that approaches 108 M−1 s−1. AChE contains a deep active site gorge with two sites of ligand binding, an acylation site (or A-site) containing the catalytic triad at the base of the gorge and a peripheral site (or P-site) near the gorge entrance. The P-site is known to contribute to catalytic efficiency with acetylthiocholine (AcSCh) by transiently trapping the substrate in a low affinity complex on its way to the A-site, where a short-lived acyl enzyme intermediate is produced. Here we ask whether the P-site does more than simply trap the substrate but in fact selectively gates entry to the A-site to provide specificity for AcSCh (and acetylcholine) relative to the close structural analogs acetyl(homo)thiocholine (Ac-hSCh, which adds one additional methylene group to thiocholine) and acetyl(nor)thiocholine (Ac-nSCh, which deletes one methylene group from thiocholine). We synthesized Ac-hSCh and Ac-nSCh and overcame technical difficulties associated with instability of the northiocholine hydrolysis product. We then compared the catalytic parameters of these substrates with AChE to those of AcSCh. Values of kE for Ac-hSCh and Ac-nSCh were about 2% of that for AcSCh. The kE for AcSCh is close to the theoretical diffusion-controlled limit for the substrate association rate constant, but kE values for Ac-hSCh or Ac-nSCh are too low to be limited by diffusion control. However, analyses of kinetic solvent isotope effects and inhibition patterns for P-site inhibitors indicate that these two analogs also do not equilibrate with the A-site prior to the initial acylation step of catalysis. We propose that kE for these substrates is partially rate-limited by a gating step that involves the movement of bound substrate from the P-site to the A-site.
Forecasting the Risk of Brown Tree Snake Dispersal from Guam: a Mixed Transport‐Establishment Model

: The brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) is a devastating invader that has ecologically and economically affected Guam and is poised to disperse further. Interdiction efforts are being conducted on Guam and some of the potential receiving sites, but no tools exist for evaluating the potential for snake incursion; thus, the amount of effort that should be invested in protecting particular sites is unknown. We devised a model that predicts the relative risk of establishment of the brown tree snake (BTS) at a given site. To calculate overall risk, we incorporated in the model information on the likelihood of an organism entering the transportation system, avoiding detection, surviving to arrive at another location, and establishing at the receiving end. On the basis of documented rates of snake arrival at receiving sites, the model produced realistic predictions of invasion risk. Model outputs can thus be used to prioritize interdiction efforts to focus on especially vulnerable receiving locations. We provide examples of the utility of the model in evaluating the impacts of changes in transportation parameters. Finally, the model can be used to evaluate the impacts that BTS establishment at an additional site and that creation of a new source of snakes would have. The use of qualitative inputs allows the model to be adapted by substituting data on other invasive species or transportation systems. Resumen: La serpiente Boiga irregularis es un invasor devastador que ha afectado ecologica y economicamente a Guam y esta en situacion de una mayor dispersion. En Guam y algunos de los sitios potenciales de recepcion se llevan a cabo esfuerzos de interdiccion, pero no existen herramientas para evaluar el potencial de incursion de serpientes; por lo tanto, se desconoce la cantidad de esfuerzo que deberia invertirse en la proteccion de los sitios. Disenamos un modelo que predice el riesgo relativo de establecimiento de la serpiente en un sitio determinado. Para calcular el riesgo total, incorporamos informacion sobre la probabilidad de que un organismo entre al sistema de transportacion, evite la deteccion, sobreviva para arribar a otra localidad y se establezca. Con base en las tasas documentadas de arribo de serpientes en sitios receptores, el modelo produjo predicciones realistas del riesgo de invasion. Por lo tanto, los resultados del modelo pueden ser utilizados para priorizar los esfuerzos de interdiccion para centrarlos en localidades receptoras especialmente vulnerables. Proporcionamos ejemplos de la utilidad del modelo para la evaluacion de los impactos de cambios en parametros de transportacion. Finalmente, el modelo se puede utilizar para evaluar los impactos potenciales del establecimiento de Boiga irregularis en un sitio adicional y de la creacion de una nueve fuente de serpientes. El uso de datos cualitativos permite que el modelo se adapte con la sustitucion de datos de otras especies invasoras o sistemas de transportacion.
Aerospace vehicle detection (AVD): design trade-offs

Recent advances in technology, in particular monolithic detector arrays, make it possible to detect and track aircraft from space. A number of options and trade-offs are discussed and a baseline concept of step-stare infrared sensors is described which performs both search and track over wide areas. Phenomenological modeling and technology advances needed for further sensor optimization are discussed.
One-gate-wide CMOS Inverter on laser-recrystallized polysilicon

A CMOS inverter having a single gate for both n and p channel devices has been fabricated using bulk silicon for the p channel device and a laser-recrystallized silicon film for the n channel device. The fabrication details and dc electrical performance of this device are described.
Involvement of 5-HT3 receptors in pudendal inhibition of bladder overactivity in cats.

In the present study, the role of 5-HT3 receptors in pudendal neuromodulation of bladder activity and its interaction with opioid receptors were investigated in anesthetized cats. The bladder was d...
Simplified Optimum Sizing and Cost Analysis for Compact heat Exchanger in VHTR

Abstract In this study, the optimum size of the compact heat exchanger has been developed based on its weight and pumping power for the reference design of 600 MWt very high temperature gas-cooled reactor (VHTR) system. Alloy 617 was selected as a construction material. The optimum size and a number of configurations for the reference design of the VHTR with an intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) were investigated and our initial calculations indicated that it has an unrealistically too large aspect ratio of the length and height due to its small-sized channels, which might cause manifolding problems and a large number of parallel modules with high thermal stress. The flow area and channel diameter were then adjusted to achieve a smaller aspect ratio in this paper. Achievement of this aspect ratio resulted in higher cost, but the cost increase was less than would have occurred by simply reducing the flow area by itself. The appropriate channel diameter is estimated to be less than 5.00 mm for the reference system. The effect of channel waviness enhanced the compactness and heat transfer performance, but unfavorably increased the aspect ratio. Therefore, the waviness should be carefully determined based on performance and economics. In this study, the waviness of the IHX is recommended to be selected between 1.0 and 2.5. Calculations show that reducing the duty dramatically decreases the aspect ratio, indicating that the compact heat exchanger is easy to be optimally designed for low duty, but many modules are required for high duty operation proportional to the operating power. Finally, the effect of working fluids was investigated, and it reveals that using carbon dioxide instead of helium in the secondary side reduces the size and cost by about 20% due to the lower pumping power in spite of its lower heat transfer capability by a factor of 4.
Evaluating patient motivation in physical disabilities practice settings.

OBJECTIVES Motivation is an important factor in and predictor of a person's recovery from illness, yet no information exists about how occupational therapists actually evaluate patient motivation in clinical practice. This article describes a pilot study of how occupational therapists in physical disabilities settings evaluate patient motivation. METHOD A sample of 150 fieldwork coordinators in physical disabilities treatment centers were surveyed about whether they evaluate patient motivation and about the methods they used to evaluate patient motivation. RESULTS Most respondents reported that they evaluate motivation informally and throughout treatment. Respondents evaluate motivation mostly via general discussion, observation of patient conduct and actions, and information from others. Less than one third discussed interests and goals with patients to evaluate motivation. Despite questionable methods of evaluation of motivation, a majority of respondents reported that their evaluation influences their treatment approaches and improves treatment outcomes. CONCLUSION Instruction about the definition and evaluation of motivation may increase the frequency of motivation evaluation in occupational therapy.
Troubled sleep: Night waking, breastfeeding and parent-offspring conflict.

Disrupted sleep is probably the most common complaint of parents with a new baby. Night waking increases in the second half of the first year of infant life and is more pronounced for breastfed infants. Sleep-related phenotypes of infants with Prader-Willi and Angelman syndromes suggest that imprinted genes of paternal origin promote greater wakefulness whereas imprinted genes of maternal origin favor more consolidated sleep. All these observations are consistent with a hypothesis that waking at night to suckle is an adaptation of infants to extend their mothers’ lactational amenorrhea, thus delaying the birth of a younger sib and enhancing infant survival.
Multimodal archiving, real-time annotation and information visualization in a biofeedback system for stroke patient rehabilitation

In this paper we present our work on a system to support real-time multimodal archiving, collaborative annotation and offline information visualization for a biofeedback stroke-rehabilitation application. Our archiving / annotation / visualization system can play a critical role in the long-term biofeedback stroke therapy by supporting cooperative data analysis and media feedback as well as by providing the therapist with insight into computing-supported therapy. There are three contributions of this paper: (a) the design of a robust archiving system that archives in real time parametric model data (motion capture, motion analysis and audio / visual synthesis parameters) as well as audio / video from the biofeedback environment. (b) a web-based annotation tool designed with low cognitive load (c) a hierarchical information visualization tool that enables the therapist and other team members to examine quantitative motion analysis of subject performance with the context of media feedback, thus enabling collaborative insights. Our user studies indicate that the system performs well.
The JmjC domain histone demethylase Ndy1 regulates redox homeostasis and protects cells from oxidative stress.

The histone H3 demethylase Ndy1/KDM2B protects cells from replicative senescence. Changes in the metabolism of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are important for establishing senescence, suggesting that Ndy1 may play a role in redox regulation. Here we show that Ndy1 protects from H2O2-induced apoptosis and G2/M arrest and inhibits ROS-mediated signaling and DNA damage, while knockdown of Ndy1 has the opposite effects. Consistent with these observations, whereas Ndy1 overexpression promotes H2O2 detoxification, Ndy1 knockdown inhibits it. Ndy1 promotes the expression of genes encoding the antioxidant enzymes aminoadipic semialdehyde synthase (Aass), NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase-1 (Nqo1), peroxiredoxin-4 (Prdx4), and serine peptidase inhibitor b1b (Serpinb1b) and represses the expression of interleukin-19. At least two of these genes (Nqo1 and Prdx4) are regulated directly by Ndy1, which binds to specific sites within their promoters and demethylates promoter-associated histone H3 dimethylated at K36 and histone H3 trimethylated at K4. Simultaneous knockdown of Aass, Nqo1, Prdx4, and Serpinb1b in Ndy1-expressing cells to levels equivalent to those detected in control cells was sufficient to suppress the Ndy1 redox phenotype.
Meta-Analysis of Physical Activity Level (PAL) Data for U.S. Youth 1

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency uses energy expenditure metrics in some of its health risk assessments and is interested in evaluating physical activity level (PAL) data contained in its h...
Effects of summer drought on fish and macroinvertebrate assemblage properties in upland Ouachita Mountain streams, USA

ABSTRACT We sampled fishes and aquatic insects monthly (Jun.–Sept. 2002) from intermittent tributaries of the Alum Fork of the Saline River (Arkansas, U.S.A.) to quantify the response of fish and aquatic insect assemblage properties to seasonal desiccation and habitat fragmentation. We collected a total of 4219 individuals, representing 18 species of fishes and 27 families of aquatic insects. Changes in the composition of fish assemblages were significantly related to temporal variability in pool volume and location in the watershed. Smaller, upstream pools varied in volume more than downstream pools. Fish assemblages were significantly more similar through summer in downstream, larger pool habitats. Changes in the composition of aquatic insect families were related to variation in water quality conditions. Highly eutrophied sites were typically dominated by midge larvae (Chironomidae), resulting in highly similar assemblages over time. Our results support findings at larger space and time scales and call...
Occult nonhematopoietic malignancies present at autopsy in solid organ transplant patients who died within 100 days.

Background. Patients are at an increased risk for developing malignancies after transplantation. Lymphomas, skin malignancies, Kaposi's sarcomas, and cervical/vulvar neoplasms are the most common, but visceral malignancies are also well documented, with a reported frequency ranging from 1% to 6%. These visceral tumors represent a mix of neoplasms that were clinically occult at the time of transplantation and those that arise de novo after transplantation. Little information, however, is available on the frequency of clinically occult malignancies at the time of transplantation and their contribution to the number of posttransplant malignancies. Methods. A retrospective study was performed of all patients who received an organ transplant from January 1981 to June 1997 and died within 100 days, a time interval in which epithelial malignancies found at autopsy were presumed to have been present, but clinically occult, at the time of transplantation. Results. A total of 375 patients were studied who received the following organ transplants: 231 liver, 52 heart, 26 heart and lung, 32 lung, and 34 kidney. Eleven malignancies were identified for an overall frequency of 2.9% and included three thyroid carcinomas, three carcinoids of the small bowel, two lung carcinomas, one laryngeal carcinoma, one renal cell carcinoma, and one seminoma. Conclusion. The 2.9% frequency of malignancies seen in this study suggests that a small, but significant, number of patients have occult malignancies at the time of transplantation and that these occult tumors contribute substantially to the number of malignancies that present clinically after transplantation.
Design of a single chip database filter based on a CMOS optoelectronic smart pixel array

The design of a CMOS based optoelectronic database filters is presented. In addition to providing optical/electrical data conversion, this filter is capable of reducing a high data rate, page oriented optical input to a low data rate electronic signal compatible with conventional database management systems.
Role of laparoscopy in the evaluation of biliary tract cancer.

The prognosis for patients with cancer of the biliary tract is poor. Resection is the only treatment option that offers a chance for long-term survival. Unfortunately, most patients present late in the course of disease, and curative resection is often not possible. As with most cancer patients who are considered for resection, preoperative imaging of patients with biliary tract cancer is critical for identifying potentially resectable tumors. Patients with gallbladder cancer and hilar cholangiocarcinoma generally are assessed best with multiple complimentary studies, including ultrasound, CT scan, and some form of cholangiography. Ideally, these studies should identify patients who are surgical candidates and should distinguish them from patients who are best managed by palliative nonsurgical methods. Although the quality of these imaging techniques has improved, many patients still are found to have unresectable, locally advanced tumors or metastatic disease at the time of laparotomy. Despite extensive evaluation with preoperative imaging, only 50% to 75% of patients who undergo exploration are amenable to a potentially curative resection [1–4]. Because even the highest-quality imaging studies have a false-negative rate of approximately 10% to 30% for small liver, omental, or peritoneal metastases, staging laparoscopy has been used increasingly to prevent unnecessary laparotomy in patients with a variety of gastrointestinal malignancies. In patients with primary and secondary hepatic malignancies, laparoscopy correctly identifies most patients with unresectable disease [5,6], thereby decreasing the length of stay and overall hospital charges [6]. Studies of the role of laparoscopic staging in biliary tract cancers are scarce. It is important to emphasize that the yield of laparoscopy is a
A Data Clustering Tool with Cluster Validity Indices

Data clustering is an important procedure to detect hidden patterns of a data set in a variety of fields, yet clustering analysis is a challenging problem, because many factors play together in devising and selecting a well tuned clustering technique and there are no predefined classes or examples to show whether the clusters are valid or not. In this paper, cluster validation methods are reviewed, and an extended tool with validation indices is developed.
Occlusion criteria in tubes under transverse body forces

When a fluid in a tube is occluded, one finds a static configuration in which the occluding free surface of the fluid is an equilibrium capillary surface spanning the tube. We extend known criteria for existence and non-existence of such a surface, leading to an explicit mathematically rigorous occlusion criterion for cylindrical tubes in a transverse body force field, depending on the force magnitude and contact angle. For any contact angle γ ≠ π/2, we provide further an explicit design of a tube section, which will not occlude in a downward gravity field, regardless of the field strength. In addition, we derive a precise analytic occlusion criterion for liquid partially filling a circular vessel spinning about its axis.
Evaluation of Cholera Vaccines Formulated with Toxin-Coregulated Pilin Peptide Plus Polymer Adjuvant in Mice

Cholera is an acute diarrheal disease that is caused by the gram-negative bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The low efficacy of currently available killed-whole-cell vaccines and the reactinogenicity coupled with potential reversion of live vaccines have thus far precluded widespread vaccination for the control of cholera. Recent studies on the molecular nature of the virulence components that contribute to V. cholerae pathogenesis have provided insights into possible approaches for the development of a defined subunit cholera vaccine. Genetic analysis has demonstrated that the toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP) is the major factor that contributes to colonization of the human intestine by V. cholerae. In addition, polyclonal and several monoclonal antibodies directed against TCP have been shown to provide passive immunity to disease in the infant mouse cholera model. In the present study, synthetic peptides corresponding to portions of the C-terminal disulfide region of TcpA pilin were formulated with polymer adjuvants currently in clinical trials and used to actively immunize adult female CD-1 mice. The experimental vaccine formulations elicited high levels of antigen-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG), including a broad spectrum of subclasses (IgG1, IgG2a, IgG2b, and IgG3), and lower levels of IgA. Infant mice born to the immunized mothers showed 100% protection against a 50% lethal dose (1 LD50) challenge and 50% protection against a 10-LD50 challenge with virulent strain O395. These results indicate that specific regions of TcpA, including those delineated by the peptides used in this study, have the potential to be incorporated into an effective defined subunit vaccine for cholera.
Handoffs and Medication Errors: A Community Hospital Case Study

In hospitals, a handoff occurs when responsibility for care of a patient is transferred to another caregiver, along with information about the patient's condition, treatment plans, and orders. Prior studies report that flawed handoffs contribute to adverse events, but few studies have closely analyzed this from an information processing perspective. We report on a case study of medication administration processes and related information quality issues associated with handoffs in one hospital. Applying an interdisciplinary lens (informed by prior work on health care quality, process management, and accounting information systems) this case study reveals evidence that handoffs both contribute to process and data flaws and can help reveal and correct prior errors. Our findings highlight the importance of designing clinical systems and processes that systematically prevent threats to the validity, accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of clinical data and that use handoffs to detect and correct these four types of errors.
The Thematic Study: The Visible and the Invisible in the Dynamic Manifestation of Life

The appearance of Merleau-Ponty’s posthumous work under the title The Visible and the Invisible electrified the philosophical imagination. In their contrast, the terms “visible and invisible” seem to offer a new way of seeing the reality which appeared in the history of philosophy in Plato’s distinction between the world of senses, and its presumption of doxa, and the world of ideas, and its wisdom of episteme, and in Descartes’ doubtable knowledge of the senses and the certainty of the mind, and in Husserl’s natural cognitive acts and eidoi. Yet, one will ask whether this distinction of the visible and invisible does not go beyond the classic philosophical epistemological and ontological perspective: whether it does not go beyond even the invisibility of the human language and the contrasting bodily foundation of cognition. Following its enigmatic inspiration, I will attempt to pass in review and to follow the stirring, enigmatic power of this imaginative enunciation through the numerous spheres of life in its manifestation in the world in its human significance.
Redundancy gains and coactivation with two different, targets: The problem of target preferences and the effects of display frequency

When a visual display contains two targets, both of which require the same response,reaction times (RTs) are faster than when only one target appears. This effect has previously been obtained regardless of whether the redundant targets are the same or different in shape, and in at least one set of two-target experiments, the redundancy gains have been larger for different targets (Grice & Reed, 1992). Experiments with two different targets have also revealed violations of the race-model inequality, suggesting that redundant targets coactivate the response (Miller, 1982). The present paper reexamines both of these findings, because both appear to be inconsistent with the interactive race model (Mordkoff & Yantis, 1991). Experiment 1 shows that the race-model inequality is not violated whenthe experimental design is free of biased contingencies; Experiment 1 also provides evidence that target preferences may artifactually produce the RT advantage for different- over same-target trials. Experiment 2, however, shows that the race-model inequality is violated when the frequencies of single- and redundant-target displays are equated (without introducing any biased contingencies), implying that the interactive race model cannot account for the results of experiments involving-more-than one~type of target. Alternative loci for coactivation are briefly discussed. When people are given more than one reason to perform some behavioral act, they often perform it more quickly (or are simply more likely to do it) than when they are given only one reason. In the real world, reasons are usually given sequentially, and it is easy to imagine that their influence arises from serial processing. In the laboratory, however, the same effects can be observed when all of the reasons are given at once, and the data suggest that people can divide their attention and process multiple inputs in parallel. For example, when subjects are required to press a button (i.e., make a go response) if presented with one or more targets, and to do nothing (no-go) if no targets appear, responses have been shown to be faster (see, e.g., Gnice, Canham, & Boroughs, 1984; Miller, 1982; Mordkoff & Yantis, 1991; van der Heijden, Schreuder, Mans, & Neerincx, 1984) and more likely (see, e.g., Duncan, 1980; Shaw, 1982) when more than one target appears in the display. This advantage for trials with more than one target is usually called a redundancygain, because any additional targets are redundant with the first. Theorists have proposed two different classes of parallelprocessing model that can account for redundancy gains:
In vivo assessment of vascular endothelial growth factor‐induced angiogenesis

To determine whether vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced tumor microvascularity is detectable by in vivo NMR imaging, an experimental study was conducted in nude mice. Human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) and MCF-7 cells stably transfected with the cDNA for the VEGF165 isoform (MV165) were grown in nude mice and models were characterized by RT-PCR, Western blotting, ELISA, immunohistochemistry and NMR imaging using a novel synthetic protected graft copolymer (PGC) as a vascular probe. MV165 tumors showed a 1.6-fold higher microvascular density by histology. Both tumors showed identical MR signal intensities on non-contrast and Gd-DTPA enhanced images. PGC enhanced MR imaging of tumoral vascular volume fraction (VVF), however, revealed significant differences between the 2 tumor types (MV165: 8.9 +/- 2.1; MCF-7: 1.7 +/- 0.5; p < 0.003), as expected from histology. VVF changes were more heterogeneous in the MV165 model both among tumors as well as within tumors as determined 3-dimensionally at submillimeter resolutions. Our results have potential applications for non-invasive assessment of angiogenesis by in vivo imaging and for clinical monitoring during angiogenic therapies.
Michael F. Suarez and H.R. Woudhuysen, eds. The Book: A Global History . Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014. 672p. ISBN 9780199679416. $50.00

The Book: A Global History is a tremendous reference work for anyone interested in the history of books, texts, and written communications. It is a more affordable iteration of 2010's The Oxford Companion to the Book, focusing on and updating the latter's article-length narratives of thematic and regional book histories, while excising its encyclopedia of terminology. In their introduction to The Book: A Global History, general editors Suarez and Woudhuysen explain that it emerged from their desire to further disseminate these essays created for The Oxford Companion. The book is sparingly illustrated, except in chapters that truly benefit from illustration, . . .
Drug resistance gene transfer: Stem cell protection and therapeutic efficacy.

Introduction The use of drug resistance genes to allow cell selection and selective survival has been a goal of stem cell gene therapy since its inception. There has now been sufficient effort in the field to raise a number of critical, basic mechanistic issues to warrant a meeting of investigators in the field. This meeting, held February 10 and 11, 2000, in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and University Hospitals of Cleveland, was designed to address and reach consensus on the following issues.
Isolation, Preliminary Characterization and Preliminary Assessment of Scale-Up Potential of Photosynthetic Microalgae for the Production of Both Biofuels and Bio-Active Molecules in the U.S. and Canada: Cooperative Research and Development Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-10-372

Combustion flue gases are a major contributor to carbon dioxide emissions into the Earth's atmosphere, a factor that has been linked to the possible global climate change. It is, therefore, critical to begin thinking seriously about ways to reduce this influx into the atmosphere. Using carbon dioxide from fossil fuel combustion as a feedstock for the growth, photosynthetic microorganisms can provide a large sink for carbon assimilation as well as a feedstock for the production of significant levels of biofuels. Combining microalgal farming with fossil fuel energy production has great potential to diminish carbon dioxide releases into the atmosphere, as well as contribute to the production of biofuels (e.g., biodiesel, renewable diesel and gasoline and jet fuel) as well as valuable co-products such as animal feeds and green chemicals. CO2 capture may be a regulatory requirement in future new coal or natural gas power plants and will almost certainly become an opportunity for commerce, the results of such studies may provide industries in the US and Canada with both regulatory relief and business opportunities as well as the ability to meet environmental and regulatory requirements, and to produce large volumes of fuels and co-products.
Statistical Adaptive Metric Learning for Action Feature Set Recognition in the Wild

This paper proposes a statistical adaptive metric learning method by exploring various selections and combinations of multiple statistics in a unified metric learning framework. Most statistics have certain advantages in specific controlled environments, and systematic selections and combinations can adapt them to more realistic “in the wild” scenarios. In the proposed method, multiple statistics, include means, covariance matrices and Gaussian distributions, are explicitly mapped or generated in the Riemannian manifolds. Subsequently, by embedding the heterogeneous manifolds in their tangent Hilbert space, the deviation of principle elements is analyzed. Hilbert subspaces with minimal principle elements deviation are then selected from multiple statistical manifolds. After that, Mahalanobis metrics are introduced to map the selected subspaces back into the Euclidean space. A uniformed optimization framework is finally performed based on the Euclidean distances. Such a framework enables us to explore different metric combinations. Therefore our final learning becomes more representative and effective than exhaustively learning from all the hybrid metrics. Experiments in both static and dynamic scenarios show that the proposed method performs effectively in the wild scenarios.