cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Proteomic characterization of novel alternative splice variant proteins in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2/neu-induced breast cancers.

Multifaceted alternative splicing in cancer cells greatly diversifies protein structure independently of genome changes, but the characterization of cancer-associated splice variants is quite limited. In this study, we used mass spectrometric data to interrogate a custom-built database created with three-frame translations of mRNA sequences from Ensembl and ECgene to find alternative splice variant proteins. In mass spectrometric files from liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analyses of normal mouse mammary glands or mammary tumors derived from conditional human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2)/neu transgenic mice, we identified a total of 608 alternative splice variants, of which peptides from 216 proteins were found only in the tumor sample. Among the 608 splice variants were 68 novel proteins that were not completely matched to any known protein sequence in mice, for which we found known functional motifs. Biological process enrichment analysis of the splice variants identified suggested the involvement of these proteins especially in cell motility and translation initiation. The cancer-associated differentially expressed splice variant proteins offer novel biomarker candidates that may function in breast cancer progression or metastasis. Cancer Res; 70(9); 3440–9. ©2010 AACR.
Distribution and reproducibility of spirometric response to ozone by gender and age.

Subjects were healthy nonsmoking men (n = 146) and women (n = 94) 18-60 yr old. Initially, each subject was exposed for 1.5 h to 0.42 ppm O3. Forty-seven individuals were later reexposed twice, 1 w...
Hybrid combination of dual band isolation circuits based on conventional and CRLH transmission lines for triplexers

This paper presents dual band isolation circuits based on conventional transmission lines (TLs) and Composite Right/Left Handed (CRLH) TLs. Combination of two dual band isolation networks using CRLH TLs and one dual band isolation network based on conventional TLs can form a triplexer. Since it is not necessary to modify filters and there is no limitation to choose filters in the design concept, commercial filters can be used for a triplexer. Also, the design process is simple and straightforward. Thus there is no need to use complex numerical optimization. For verifying the design concept, a triplexer, which has 881.5MHz, 1575MHz, and 1842.5MHz center frequencies, is designed. Filters are commercial Surface Mounted (SMT) type. The simulated and measured results show that the insertion loss is less than 2dB, the return loss is larger than 14dB, and the isolation is larger than 32dB.
Bias dependent microwave performance of AlGaN/GaN MODFET's up to 100 V

1 /spl mu/m gate-length AlGaN/GaN modulation doped field effect transistors (MODFET's) have been fabricated on an insulating GaN buffer layer for better carrier confinement. These devices demonstrate simultaneously high current levels (>500 mA/mm), excellent pinch-off and high gate-drain breakdown voltages (220 V for 3 /spl mu/m gate-drain spacing). In contrast to their GaAs counterparts, the current-gain cutoff frequency of the AlGaN/GaN devices shows little degradation at high drain voltage biases. A power-gain cutoff frequency of 19 GHz is obtained at 100 V. ACW power density of 1.57 W/mm at 4 Ghz is also achieved when biased at 28 V and 205 mA/mm.
The Standard Scales of Texture: Rescaling by Magnitude Estimation

Food items comprising the six “standard scales” of texture [Szczesniak et al., J. Food Sci. 28: 397 (1963)] were rescaled using the psychophysical method of modulus-free magnitude estimation. The category scale position of each food item on the standard scales was plotted against the geometric mean magnitude estimate for that item. The category (interval) scale data were concave downward relative to the magnitude (ratio) scale data. These results underscore the differences that can be obtained by using either interval or ratio procedures and suggest that the attributes of “hardness,”“chewiness,”“fracturability,”“viscosity,”“gumminess,” and “adhesiveness” can be classified as “prothetic” continua.
Predictions of ground states of LiGa and NaGa

Abstract The ground and very low-lying excited states of LiGa and NaGa have been studied using high level ab initio techniques. At the QCISD(T)/6-311 + G(2df) level of theory, the 1 Σ + state was found to be the most stable for both molecules. The equilibrium bond lengths and dissociation energies were found to be: R( LiGa ) = 2.865 A and D 0 (LiGa) = 22.3 kcal/mol and R( NaGa ) = 3.174 A and D 0 (NaGa) = 17.1 kcal/mol. Trends within the ground electronic states of LiB, NaB, LiAl, NaAl, LiGa and NaGa are discussed and predictions for related AlkM (Alk LiCs and MBTl) species are made.
Relaxant effects of 17β-estradiol in the rat tail artery are greater in females than males

Abstract To investigate whether sex differences contribute to the variability reported for acute effects of 17β-estradiol on vascular reactivity, the response to 17β-estradiol was compared in male and female isolated perfused rat tail arteries. 17β-Estradiol (10 −7 –10 −5 M) attenuated the contractile response to norepinephrine in female, but not male, arteries, but had no effect when the endothelium was removed. Relaxation to 17β-estradiol reached a steady state within approximately 15 min. This hormone appears to acutely relax pre-contracted arteries from females but not males by a non-genomic effect requiring an intact endothelium.
Seismic interferometry with antipodal station pairs

In this study, we analyze continuous data from all Global Seismographic Network stations between year 2000 and 2009 and demonstrate that several body wave phases (e.g., PP, PcPPKP, SKSP, and PPS) propagating between nearly antipodal station pairs can be clearly observed without array stacking using the noise/coda cross-correlation method. Based on temporal correlations with global seismicity, we show that the observed body waves are clearly earthquake related. Moreover, based on single-earthquake analysis, we show that the earthquake coda energy observed between ~10,000 and 30,000 s after a large earthquake contributes the majority of the signal. We refine our method based on these observations and show that the signal can be significantly improved by selecting only earthquake coda times. With our improved processing, the PKIKP phase, which does not benefit from the focusing effect near the antipode, can now also clearly be observed for long-distance station pairs.
Semiformal Representations in Hypermedia for Analyzing Rich and Complex Domains

Semiformal knowledge representations, such as those often implemented in hypermedia, can support analyses of rich and complex data. As opposed to more traditional analysis representations that are fairly rigid and difficult to change, semiformal representations support searching for an analytic framework. In particular, semiformal representations (a) are re-interpretable as new perspectives on the database are created, (b) allow for incremental discovery, formalization and representation of knowledge about the domain, (c) support references from the analysis back to original source materials for verification and confidence-building, and (d) allow representations to be annotated with multimodal commentary appropriate to the analysis task, simplifying their use and comprehensibility. Experiences with IDE (a semiformal analysis environment) for analytical tasks in education and training illustrate these points.
Evaluation of a Health Promotion Program Provided at Senior Centers by Physical Therapy Students

A health promotion program provided by physical therapy students at senior centers was evaluated for its benefit to the elderly clients at the center. Measurable objectives were developed based on health needs identified by the Area Agency on Aging. The program was successful in providing opportunities for exercise and social interaction and in increasing clients' short term knowledge of health related topics. There was no significant improvement in range of motion or self responsibility for wellness. Reasons for the lack of improvement are discussed and recommendations are made for designing a physical therapy health promotion program that would be more likely to produce lasting effects.
Lipopolysaccharide Masking of Gonococcal Outer-membrane Proteins Modulates Binding of Bactericidal Cathepsin G to Gonococci

Human polymorphonuclear leucocyte (PMN) lysosomal cathepsin G exerts potent bactericidal action against Neisseria gonorrhoeae in vitro, independent of its serine esterase activity. The results presented demonstrate that (1) bactericidal, diisopropylfluorophosphate-treated cathepsin G binds in a specific and saturable manner to the surface of gonococci, (2) loss of carbohydrates in gonococcal LPS due to mutation increases total and specific binding of cathepsin G, and (3) at least three outer-membrane proteins (OMPs) (PIA, PIII, and a 45 kDa OMP) interact with cathepsin G. Taken together, the results suggest that gonococcal susceptibility to the lethal action of cathepsin G, and perhaps susceptibility of gonococci to oxygen-independent killing by PMNs, is controlled by LPS-masking of cathepsin-G-binding OMPs.
The prevalence of the 22° halo in cirrus clouds

Halos at 22 deg from the sun attributed to randomly-orientated, pristine hexagonal crystals are frequently observed through ice clouds. These frequent sightings of halos formed by pristine crystals pose an apparent inconsistency with the dominance of distorted, nonpristine ice crystals indicated by in situ and remote sensing data. Furthermore, the 46 deg halo, which is associated with pristine hexagonal crystals as well, is observed far less frequently than the 22 deg halo. Considering that plausible mechanisms that could cause crystal distortion such as aggregation, sublimation, riming and collisions are stochastic processes that likely lead to distributions of crystals with varying distortion levels, here the presence of the 22 deg and 46 deg halo features in phase functions of mixtures of pristine and distorted hexagonal ice crystals is examined. We conclude that the 22 deg halo feature is generally present if the contribution by pristine crystals to the total scattering cross section is greater than only about 10% in the case of compact particles or columns, and greater than about 40% for plates. The 46 deg halo feature is present only if the mean distortion level is low and the contribution of pristine crystals to the total scattering cross section is above about 20%, 50% and 70%, in the case of compact crystals, plates and columns, respectively. These results indicate that frequent sightings of 22 deg halos are not inconsistent with the observed dominance of distorted, non-pristine ice crystals. Furthermore, the low mean distortion levels and large contributions by pristine crystals needed to produce the 461 halo features provide a potential explanation of the common sighting of the 22 deg halo without any detectable 46 deg halo.
Egg Yolk Phosvitin and Functional Phosphopeptides—Review

Phosphopeptides are among the most interesting biomolecules with characteristic molecular structure and functions. They usually contain clusters of phosphoserines, which can effectively bind calcium and iron, and inhibit formation of insoluble calcium phosphates or iron complexes. Therefore, phosphopeptides can increase calcium or iron bioavailability and prevent lipid oxidation in foods. Milk protein casein has been currently used by industry to produce phosphopeptides. Egg yolk phosvitin is considered as the most phosphorylated protein found in the nature. Phosvitin from egg yolk can be much better source for producing phosphopeptides with varying sizes and functions than casein because it contains much greater number of phosphates in the molecule than casein. However, still phosvitin has not been subjected to considerable attention with regard to bioactive peptides production.
Cluster secondary ion mass spectrometry of polymers and related materials.

Cluster secondary ion mass spectrometry (cluster SIMS) has played a critical role in the characterization of polymeric materials over the last decade, allowing for the ability to obtain spatially resolved surface and in-depth molecular information from many polymer systems. With the advent of new molecular sources such as , , , and , there are considerable increases in secondary ion signal as compared to more conventional atomic beams (Ar+, Cs+, or Ga+). In addition, compositional depth profiling in organic and polymeric systems is now feasible, without the rapid signal decay that is typically observed under atomic bombardment. The premise behind the success of cluster SIMS is that compared to atomic beams, polyatomic beams tend to cause surface-localized damage with rapid sputter removal rates, resulting in a system at equilibrium, where the damage created is rapidly removed before it can accumulate. Though this may be partly true, there are actually much more complex chemistries occurring under polyatomic bombardment of organic and polymeric materials, which need to be considered and discussed to better understand and define the important parameters for successful depth profiling. The following presents a review of the current literature on polymer analysis using cluster beams. This review will focus on the surface and in-depth characterization of polymer samples with cluster sources, but will also discuss the characterization of other relevant organic materials, and basic polymer radiation chemistry. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Mass Spec Rev 29:247–293, 2010
Perspectives on root canal obturation with thermoplasticized injectable gutta‐percha

Summary. Perspectives on the clinical usage of a thermoplastic injection delivery system for guttapercha are presented. Areas which have been identified as problems in the clinical use of the technique and management of the system are highlighted. succinct guidelines for effective usage are presented along with cases typifying clinical achievement.
Molecular structure and dynamics of proteins in solution: Insights derived from high-resolution NMR approaches

This article reviews heteronuclear NMR techniques that are used to characterize the 3D structures and internal molecular dynamics of proteins in solution. Applications to sev- eral proteins that have been studied in our laboratory are presented. Topics discussed include sequential assignments, the use of nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy (NOESY) and residual dipolar coupling restraints to determine protein structure, and the use of relax- ation measurements to obtain information about protein internal motions. Also discussed are recent computational approaches directed at increasing the efficiency of structure determina- tion, as well as new methods for studying large proteins.
Multi-View Edge-based Stereo by Incorporating Spatial Coherence

A limitation of the state-of-art multi-view reconstruction algorithms is in their ability to handle scenes with very little texture or a lot of clutter. Texture-less scenes with clutter are traditionally difficult for dense multi-view stereo methods. Feature-based stereo algorithms, in particular, edge- based methods, are better suited for these scenes. The success of the edge-based reconstruction heavily depends on the amount of the prior information used. This paper introduces an algorithm that extends the well-known plane- sweep algorithm by incorporating spatial coherence of the scene. The method utilizes the geometric consistency derived from the continuity of three-dimensional edge points as a geometric constraint in addition to previously known multi-view image constraints. Experimental results on synthetic as well as real data are provided to demonstrate the efficacy and robustness of the proposed method.
Behavioral Assay on Asian Citrus Psyllid Attraction to Orange Jasmine

The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) is an important pest because it transmits a bacterium putatively responsible for huanglongbing, a devastating citrus disease. Research on ACP chemical ecology is of interest with respect to identifying attractants and repellents for managing the psyllid. We report on an assay for investigating ACP attraction to the foliar odor of one of its host plants, orange jasmine (Murraya exotica L.). Flush shoots from this plant were placed into 25 dram vials covered with a paper wrapper, a lid with a small entrance hole was snapped onto each vial, the vials were placed into a small cage, adult ACP were released into the cage, and the location of the adults was determined 24 h later. A positive response required an adult to find and enter a vial. When single males or females were released, they were attracted into vials with flush 64 % of the time. At release rates of 25, 50 or 100 adults with 30 repetitions for each rate, relatively large mean percentages of adults (ca. 83 %) positively responded to flush shoots. ACP can escape from the assay vial and will do so if flush is not present. Working with ACP in empty vials, fluoropolymer resin applied to the inside of vials reduced escapes but did not eliminate them. An entrapment funnel for reducing escapes was tested, but it reduced ACP response rates. A good method of preventing escapes remains to be developed. When two vials of flush were placed in the assay cage and one was treated with a candidate repellent, only 8 % of adults settled in the vial with the repellent.
Overlapping Dislocation of the Pubic Symphysis with an Open Reduction and Anterior and Posterior Pelvic Ring Fixation: A Case Report.

Case: We present a case of a patient who sustained overlapping dislocation of the pubic symphysis (ODPS), which required an open reduction as well as anterior and posterior pelvic ring fixation. Conclusion: This case report is a valuable addition to the current literature on ODPS because we believe it to be the first report describing a patient who required both anterior and posterior fixation because of pelvic instability.
An Excitotoxic Model of Alzheimer’s Disease: NMDA Lesions and Initial Neural Grafting Results

We have developed an animal model of Alzheimer’s disease, based on a critical loss of neurons which are sensitive to the excitotoxic effects of NMDA glutamate agonists. This model follows an alternative hypothesis for the etiology of the disease, in assuming a global involvement of cortical (and subcortical) neurons with NMDA glutamate receptors, as opposed to a primary subcortical lesion. The initial evaluation of the animal model has included histological assessment and behavioral testing for cortical memory function. Treatment with neural grafting has also been performed, to replace damaged cortical circuitry. The development of animal models of Alzheimer’s disease apart from those with primary cholinergic dysfunction may be helpful for future understanding of the disease manifestations and treatment paradigms.
From liberation to citizenship: identity and innovation in Black South African political thought

In the political tradition of black South Africa, such ideological positions as liberalism, socialism, and nationalism are secondary to those themes emerging from the conjuncture of race and class. At the core of black political thought there are two interrelated and recurring visions of liberation: one, the image of multiracial union; the other, black republican identity.I am aware of the contentious nature of the terms multiracial and nonracial within the context of black South African political debate. Nonetheless, I have decided to use multiracial union because, in my judgment, it provides a more realistic picture of the actual appeal and vision of this strand of thought. I do not assume that either black republicans or multiracial unionists are uncommitted to the ideal of a nonracial society. While adherents to both visions espouse the ideal of a genuinely nonracial society, they disagree over the question of whether intra-racial versus inter-racial class solidarity is the means to attain this end.
Large increase in stretchability of organic electronic materials by encapsulation

This paper describes a large increase in the stretchability–i.e., resistance to cracking under tensile deformation–of organic semiconductor films produced by encapsulation. Specifically, encapsulation is shown to greatly suppress crack formation and growth in films of materials relevant to organic solar cells. Encapsulated films of the organic bulk heterojunction blend of poly(3-heptylthiophene) and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HpT:PCBM) exhibit greater crack-onset strain, lower crack density, and lower average crack length than unencapsulated films. Films of P3HpT:PCBM on polyurethane (PU) showed cracks at 6.6 ± 0.5% without encapsulation and 40 ± 4% with encapsulation. Films of the conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) also demonstrate suppressed cracking when encapsulated, as well as reduced dependence of resistance on strain after the crack-onset strain (which indicates a greater usable range of strain for encapsulated vs. unencapsulated films). A finite element model is used to explain the mechanism suppressing crack growth, which involves delocalization of strain around minor defects in the films by the encapsulating substrate. In addition, encapsulation is used to enable the first encapsulated solar cell in which every component is intrinsically stretchable. These cells are stretchable to 9–10% strain, with some cells performing well even after their crack-onset strain of 8–9%, whereas unencapsulated cells fail at 4% strain. This work highlights the necessity to consider encapsulation–already important for protecting the electronically active components of a device from abrasion, weathering, or chemical damage–as an important factor in the mechanical robustness of stretchable devices.
Trans-1,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2-(3-hydroxystyryl)-1-methyl pyrimidine (CP-14,445), a new antiwhipworm agent.

SummaryThe antiwhipworm activity of CP-14,445, the meta-oxyphenyl analog of pyrantel, was described. In dogs it was more potent as the HCl salt than as the pamoate, but both forms were more potent ...
A non-parametric framework for object tracking in videos with quasi-stationary backgrounds

The ability to automatically detect and track objects of interest in a video sequence is an essential feature of many high-level vision-based applications. In this dissertation we propose a non-parametric computational framework which detects and tracks foreground image regions (typically corresponding to moving objects such as people or vehicles), while estimating their trajectories for further processing stages such as activity recognition. The contribution of this dissertation extends along two main directions: background modeling for object detection and appearance-based object tracking. In many applications such as vision-based surveillance or traffic monitoring it is typically assumed that the camera is static. Even with this assumption, quasi-stationary backgrounds (that change due to moving tree branches, waving flags, rain or water surfaces) pose significant challenges in detecting and tracking the actual objects of interest while ignoring such changes. Due to the diverse nature of vision-based applications, it has been a main concern for researchers to design a scene-independent system that consistently handles these difficult situations. In the object detection stage, we first propose a novel adaptive statistical method as a base-line system that addresses the issue of scene-independent background modeling. After investigating its performance, we introduce a universal statistical technique which aims to overcome the weaknesses of its predecessor in modeling slow changes in the background. Furthermore, a new analytical technique is proposed that addresses the limitations of statistical techniques which are bound to the probability density estimation accuracy. The performance of each proposed method is studied, while investigating scenarios where each technique leads to better performance. In the object tracking stage, photometric and geometric appearance models are built for the detected objects, then used to predict their locations in subsequent images by employing a novel spatio-spectral tracking technique. The proposed tracker is shown to be particularly robust to local illumination changes, while also being able to detect and resolve the temporary overlapping of tracked objects. We support our claims with extensive experimental results and comparisons between the proposed techniques and other methods for detection and tracking. Finally, we describe a robotic application which successfully employs the proposed vision-based tracking framework in order to infer the intentions of agents in the monitored environment, before their actions are finalized.
The Electrochemical Formation Process of Calcium Tripolyphosphate Films

The formation process of calcium tripolyphosphate films on stainless steel electrodes from aqueous solutions containing Na5P3O10 and Ca (NO3) 2 has been studied by the use of galvanostatic method. It is shown that pH of aqueous solutions containing Na5P3O10 increases with increasing temperature. The increase in pH is due to the change in the stability constant of H5P3O10 with temperature and due to its hydrolysis. The rate of film formation depends on the degree of supersaturation of calcium tripolyphosphate in solutions. The rate of the film formation increases with an increase in pH, since the degree of supersaturation increases with increasing pH. Too much increase in pH, however, causes a decrease in the film formation rate because of the suppressing effect of a precipitation on the supersaturation. The films can be formed even at a very low current density when pH is adjusted to appropriate values.
Bringing Federated Identity to Grid Computing

The Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) is facing the challenge of providing scientific data access and grid submission to scientific collaborations that span the globe but are hosted at FNAL. Researchers in these collaborations are currently required to register as FNAL users and obtain FNAL credentials to access grid resources to perform their scientific computations. These requirements burden researchers with managing additional authentication credentials, and put additional load on FNAL for managing user identities. Our design integrates the existing InCommon federated identity infrastructure, CILogon Basic CA, and MyProxy with the FNAL grid submission system to provide secure access for users from diverse experiments and collaborations without requiring each user to have authentication credentials from FNAL. The design automates the handling of certificates, so users do not need to manage them manually. Although the initial implementation is for FNAL's grid submission system, the design and the core of the implementation are general and could be applied to other distributed computing systems.
Scale Up of Ceramic Waste Forms for Electrorefiner Salts Produced during Spent Fuel Treatment

A full-scale process has been developed to immobilize fission products that accumulate within the Mark IV electrorefiner (ER) electrolyte at Idaho National Laboratory. ER salt was blended with treatment additives, followed by pressureless consolidation (PC) in a furnace to produce a durable ceramic waste form (CWF). The goal is the development of a process to consolidate actual radioactive ER salt into a form suitable for transportation and disposal. Four batches (300 to 400 kg per batch) of full-scale pre-qualification material preparation runs have been prepared. From these four batches of nonradioactive salt-loaded surrogate material, three full-scale PC trials have been conducted. The first PC test run, established equipment parameters with a basic CWF container design. The second trial included a modified CWF container design, real-time measurement of CWF consolidation, and an audio recording to identify cracking during the CWF cool-down. During the third trial, salt was doped (from the fourth material preparation batch) to create a nonradioactive salt material and to more closely represent actual ER salt. The second and third trials were also used to validate a model developed for the CWF. The CWF model is beneficial for understanding and predicting the physical processes that occur during the heat cycle. This would be particularly useful when the CWF is located in a hot cell, which makes accessing and examining a CWF difficult.
Detection and analysis of microbiology for food poisoning caused by Salmonella in the funeral dinner

Objective:To find the cause of arousing food poisoning in order to provide data for processing of the public health emergency.Methods: Purpose bacteria was isolated from twenty-seven samples of foods which were leading to the food poisoning,judging by《Microbiological Examination of Food Sanitation》GB/T 4789-2008;Each isolated strain was tested by biochemicalreaction,serotyping,drugsensitivetest and pulsed-field gel lectrophoresis,and meanwhile corresponding antibody was tested with the collecting double serum of patients and the isolated strains.Results: Eight strains of Salmonella Thompson were detected from four feces,one rectal swab specimen,one rap samples and two leftover foods of the patients,which turned out homology according to the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.And the results of biochemicalreaction,serotyping,drugsensitivetest were similar.The geometric mean titers of double serum of six patients increased by 11.8 times.Conclusion: The food poisoning caused by Salmonella Thompson of the beef and the mutton was confirmed by the results of the detection and analysis of microbiology and the epidemiological investigation.
Heterogeneous recurrence analysis of heartbeat dynamics for the identification of sleep apnea events

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder that affects 24% of adult men and 9% of adult women. It occurs due to the occlusion of the upper airway during sleep, thereby leading to a decrease of blood oxygen level that triggers arousals and sleep fragmentation. OSA significantly impacts the quality of sleep and it is known to be responsible for a number of health complications, such as high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. Traditional diagnosis of OSA relies on polysomnography, which is expensive, time-consuming and inaccessible to the general population. Recent advancement of sensing provides an unprecedented opportunity for the screening of OSA events using single-channel electrocardiogram (ECG). However, existing approaches are limited in their ability to characterize nonlinear dynamics underlying ECG signals. As such, hidden patterns of OSA-altered cardiac electrical activity cannot be fully revealed and understood. This paper presents a new heterogeneous recurrence model to characterize the heart rate variability for the identification of OSA. A nonlinear state space is firstly reconstructed from a time series of RR intervals that are extracted from single-channel ECGs. Further, the state space is recursively partitioned into a hierarchical structure of local recurrence regions. A new fractal representation is designed to efficiently characterize state transitions among segmented sub-regions. Statistical measures are then developed to quantify heterogeneous recurrence patterns. In addition, we integrate classification models with heterogeneous recurrence features to differentiate healthy subjects from OSA patients. Experimental results show that the proposed approach captures heterogeneous recurrence patterns in the transformed space and provides an effective tool to detect OSA using one-lead ECG signals. This work develops new models to delineate heterogeneous recurrence patterns inherent in nonlinear dynamics of cardiac electrical activity.This work exploits heterogeneous recurrence variations and links with the disease patterns for the identification of OSA events.Our approach outperforms classical recurrence quantitative analysis used in existing approaches for OSA detection.
Course of psychiatric disorders in pregnancy. Dilemmas in pharmacologic management.

In this article, information available on the pharmokinetics of psychotropic medications during pregnancy are reviewed. As many women require psychotropic medication in pregnancy, the course of illness during pregnancy and the risk of teratogenecity of each class of medications are covered. The dilemma of the risks ot discontinuing psychotropic medications in pregnancy versus the potential risk of teratogenecity are discussed.
Results on finite time stability for a class of hybrid systems

This paper introduces notions and tools for finite time stability of closed sets for a class of hybrid systems. The proposed finite time stability notion consists of both Lyapunov stability and finite time convergence. Several sufficient conditions for a closed set to have such a property for a hybrid system are established. Robustness of finite time stability to small perturbations is studied by the regularity of the system data. Relationships between finite time stability and asymptotic stability of sets are also investigated. Examples illustrating the results are discussed throughout the paper.
Teaching Technology: Implementing a Problem-Centered, Activity-Based Approach

Traditionally, computer-based technology classes have been taught in lock-step fashion, moving from one software application to another, emphasizing mastery of specific skills. Although this method has proven effective, at least in relation to short-term use of software tools, new methods are emerging for creating learner-centered environments for teaching computer-based technologies to teachers. In this article, processes and techniques for teaching a technology course using a problem-centered, activity-based approach will be described. Rewards and issues will be discussed.
GENETIC DEFECTS IN HUMAN PURINE METABOLISM LEADING TO UROLITHIASIS

The increased incidence of renal calculi among patients with gouty arthritis is a well-known feature of the disease (1, 2). By far the majority of the stones produced by gouty patients are composed of uric acid although calcium-containing stones are produced in certain gouty patients. In a series of 524 gouty patients studied by Berger and Yu in 1975 (3), a history of renal calculi was obtained in 15.8 per cent. Since uric acid has a very limited solubility, one of the most obvious major determinants of stone formation is the quantity of uric acid produced by the body and the resulting load that must be excreted through the kidneys in the daily urine. This quantity is determined by the purine content of the diet, the amount of purines synthesized endogenously and the ability of the kidney to excrete uric acid. After dietary sources of purines are eliminated and equilibration on a standard diet virtually free of purines, around 20 to 25 per cent of gouty patients show an abnormally large 24-hour excretion of uric acid, thus indicating a high endogenous production of purines.
Dispersion of Rayleigh waves in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea

Abstract Group and phase velocities of Rayleigh waves along 57 paths between Central America and the central United States were determined. The waves examined were of period between 15 and 60 seconds and crossed the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea in many directions. The following conclusions about the structure of the region are drawn: Along the paths crossing the western and central Gulf and the regions near the coast of Texas and the eastern coast of Mexico the velocities were found to be very low. This is attributed to the great thickness of the sediments in these regions. The velocities along paths crossing the eastern Gulf and westernmost Caribbean were found to be higher than the typical continental velocities. This is considered as an indication of a difference in structure between the eastern and western Gulf of Mexico. Along one path in the western Caribbean Sea between Colombia and Cuba the velocities were almost continental. High velocities found for part of the eastern Caribbean indicate an almost oceanic character for this region. For each earthquake examined the initial phases were determined with an error less than ± π/4. For a given earthquake in all cases except two the initial phases were found to be the same at all stations.
Words Matter: Diction in Electronic Communication Influences Palliative Care Consultation Implementation

Palliative care consultation teams (PCCTs) provide input to other health-care providers working with patients who have life-limiting disease. This study examines whether the diction and phrasing of...
Trade and information in the corporate bond market

Abstract This paper examines the impact of shifting liquidity and institutional trading in the corporate bond market on inferences regarding informational efficiency. We find that when institutional trade dominance and other bond trading features are accounted for, stock leads evidenced in earlier studies surprisingly disappear. Short windows after firm-specific news releases are examined, and bond trading advantages are shown to be pronounced particularly when equity market liquidity is low (during after-market hours). Cross-sectionally, the effect of credit risk and other firm/bond level characteristics are determined. Finally, ‘top bonds’ are identified, and their common ex ante identifiable characteristics are determined.
Integrating genomics and genetics into clinical trials for patient stratification

ED02-03 The use of gene expression microarrays in clinical medicine is a goal that is being realized because the technology is maturing, and a handful of prognostic and predictive profiles have been validated across multiple patient sets. Our gene expression profiling studies have focused on identifying the dominant biological subtypes of breast cancer. These studies identified five major molecular intrinsic subtypes of breast cancer (Luminal A, Luminal B, Basal-like, HER2-enriched, and Normal-like), which show significant differences in patient survival and metastatic potential. Mounting evidence also suggests that these subtypes vary in their responsiveness to chemotherapeutics and biologic agents. In fact, the expression of drug targets like ER, HER2, and HER1 within selected subtypes strongly suggests that the use of specific biologic agents will be subtype-specific; therefore, I will discuss the development of improved predictors for the intrinsic subtypes and how this information can be used to help predict the benefits of endocrine-therapy, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy. For breast cancer patients, clinical trials are increasing being run within biologically-defined classes (i.e. ER+, HER2+ and Triple-negatives), and many of these trials have embedded correlative sciences studies that utilize genomic analyses. For example, many new trials are focused on “Triple-negative” breast tumors (i.e. ER-, PgR-, HER2-), which is an immunohistochemical based assay for the stratification of patients for inclusion into clinical trials. The Triple-negative phenotype is not, however, a validated biomarker and data will be presented that compares and contrasts the genomic distinction of Basal-like versus Triple-negative. Lastly, despite the prognostic and predictive abilities of the intrinsic subtype classification of Basal-like, the treatment options for these patients is still limited to combination chemotherapeutics. Our results suggest, however, that the HER1-RAS-MAPK pathway is critical to this subtype. We have initiated a clinical trial where pre-selected Triple-negative patients received a HER1 inhibitor alone (cetuximab) and in combination with carboplatin (NCT00232505), with genomic endpoints performed. Analyses of these data again highlight the importance of the HER1-RAS-MAPK pathway, but suggest that this pathway is being activated via non-HER1-ligand mediated methods. In addition, these data identify and confirm the importance of a new potential subtype of breast tumor called the “Claudin-low” group; this subtype appears enriched for potential tumor initiating cell markers, is related to Basal-like tumors, and is also classified as Triple-negative. These findings highlight that genomics can sometimes provide further subdivisions within clinically defined groups, which is valuable additional information that might change treatment decisions.
On the effects of income volatility on income distribution: Asymmetric evidence from state level data in the U.S.

Abstract A previous study that tried to assess the impact of income volatility on income inequality in the U.S. used state level data and a balanced panel model to conclude that increased volatility worsens income distribution in the U.S., which implies that decreased volatility should reduce inequality. We use the same data set that is extended by nine years and revisit the issue using linear and nonlinear ARDL time-series models to show that the above conclusion does not hold in every state. While we discover short-run asymmetric effects of income volatility on a measure of inequality in most states, they translate to long-run asymmetric effects only in 16 states. Both increased volatility and decreased volatility are found to have unequalizing effects on income distribution in these states.
Impact of Virtual Reality (VR) Experience on Older Adults’ Well-Being

Aging often leads to decreased social engagement. While technology has the potential to improve the quality of life among older adults, not much is known about effects of new technologies, including virtual reality (VR) applications, on their well-being. This paper reports on a field study conducted with older adults in assisted living communities to understand how use of a VR system may contribute to their emotional and social well-being. During the study, a two-week intervention was done with an experimental group that used a VR system to view contents related to travel and relaxation, and a control group that used a TV to view the same contents. Feedback collected before and after the intervention showed that the VR application provided more benefits compared to the control condition. Participants that used the VR system reported being less socially isolated, being less likely to show signs of depression, experiencing positive affects more frequently, and feeling better about their overall well-being. While the study has limitations to its generalizability, findings show the potential for using VR applications for improving the quality of life among the aging population.
Risk Assessment, Regulation, and the Limits of Science

My paper deals with two different topics: first, the relation between population heterogeneity and dose-response at low dose; and second, the intrinsic limits to what science can say about dose-response at low dose, and how this affects regulatory policy.
Group C Streptococcal Pleurisy and Pneumonia: A Fulminant Case and Review of the Literature

A 30-year-old, previously healthy patient developed a pleurisy and pneumonia due to group C streptococcus, with multiple medical complications, including bilateral empyemas. Eight other reported cases of group C streptococcal pneumonia are reviewed.
New computational models of the respiratory oscillator in mammals.

Unraveling how the brainstem respiratory oscillator generates the rhythm of breathing remains one of the fundamental problems in understanding the neural control of breathing. With the recent expansion of information on biophysical and network properties of brainstem respiratory neurons has come the understanding that a synthesis of neural processes at cellular, synaptic, and network levels will be required to solve this problem (4, 7, 9). Modeling is an essential tool for achieving such a synthesis. Computational approaches that allow modeling of biologically realistic neurons and networks, closely based on experimental data of cell biophysical properties and network architecture, will be particularly powerful in this regard (1, 6). There are now well established approaches for modeling networks of neurons incorporating the complex biophysical properties and spatiotemporal interactions that are required to describe the behavior of real neurons and networks (ibid.). Recent technical developments, including the availability of neuron/network simulation software, have made computer simulation of these more realistic types of models practical (e.g., 2, 6). In this paper we briefly describe new models for the respiratory oscillator that incorporate this approach.
The red-green chromatic system in X-chromosome- linked anomalous trichromats

We compared the spectral sensitivity of a protanomalous (PA), a deuteranomalous (DA), and a normal (N) trichromatic observer as measured by increment detection thresholds and hue identification thresholds on a white pedestal. Detection sensitivity functions for wavelengths greater than 500 nm showed two peaks and a notch around 570 nm (PA and N) or 580 nm (DA). The peaks of the function for the two anomalous trichromats were much less sensitive and the depth of the notch was much shallower than the peaks and notch of the normal trichromat. Hue detection sensitivity functions clearly separated into the ‘red’ and ‘green’ region of the spectrum for each of the observers. Both detection and hue identification data were well fitted by assuming that there was an inhibitory interaction between long-wavelength-sensitive (LWS) and middle-wavelength-sensitive (MWS) cones.
The Molecular Basis for the Effects of Allopurinol on Pyrimidine Metabolism

Investigations undertaken early in the course of clinical studies of allopurinol established the predominance of oxipurinol (alloxanthine) among its metabolites. However, one patient to whom 14C-allopurinol had been given excreted a significant amount of a presumptive allopurinol ribonucleoside [1]. Somewhat later this ribonucleoside was synthesized chemically, and enzymatically by purine nucleoside phosphorylase, and was identified as 1-ribosylallopurinol (Fig. 1, I)[2]. With oxipurinol as substrate the corresponding 1-ribosyloxipurinol (Fig. 1, II) was obtained, and by using uridine phosphorylase a third ribonucleoside, oxipurinol-7-ribonucleoside was prepared. Meanwhile a third metabolite had been isolated from the urine of treated patients, and the availability of reference substances made it possible to identify this as 7-ribosyl-oxipurinol (Fig. 1, III).
Measuring fatigue crack deflections via cracking of constituent particles in AA7050 via in situ x-ray synchrotron-based micro-tomography

Abstract Brittle constituent particles play a significant role in the fatigue behavior of 2XXX and 7XXX series aluminum alloys. In this work, in situ fatigue crack growth combined with x-ray synchrotron computed micro-tomography (μXSCT) characterization is used to observe and quantify three dimensional propagating fatigue cracks interacting with constituent particles. A relationship is observed with the size of the constituent particle ahead of the crack tip and the maximum distance the crack path deflects to interact with the particle. This crack deflection behavior agrees with the Murakami and Endo model, for the effect of small defects on fatigue performance. A stress field analysis, based on (i) an Eshelby inhomogeneity solution of a perfectly bonded particle, and (ii) a cracked particle, based on the Westergaard solution, indicates the stress concentration developed by the presence of a constituent particle contributes to crack path deflections. This finding has implications for modeling fatigue crack growth in AA7050-T7451, specifically in determining the actual crack length in terms of a tortuous crack topography, as opposed to a flat projected length.
The Central Nervous Connections Involved in the Vomiting Reflex

The vomiting reflex may be elicited by a number of different types or classes of stimuli involving many varieties of receptor structures and considerable diversity in afferent pathways and central connections. Central relay or mediating structures thus may vary widely according to the type of initial emetic stimulus.