cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interspecific genetic complementation analysis with fibroblasts from humans and four species of animals with Chediak-Higashi syndrome

Although the autosomal recessive disease Chediak-Higashi syndrome (CHS) has been described in humans, cats, mink, cattle, mice, killer whales, blue foxes, and silver foxes, and these conditions appear quite similar, no direct evidence of the homology of this disease in the various species has been presented. To determine if CHS in humans, cats, mink, cattle, and mice is due to a mutant gene at the homologous genetic locus in each species, or alternatively, if these are merely similar syndromes, genetic complementation analysis after interspecific somatic cell (fibroblast) hybridization was performed. "Paracrystal" formation was the criterion used for the determination of complementation. The initial studies in this report were designed to characterize paracrystal formation in control and CHS fibroblasts of these five species. Most of the control fibroblasts from each species (91-96.6%) formed paracrystals upon incubation with 25 micrograms/ml of the microtubule depolymerizing agent vinblastine sulfate. A significantly (P less than 0.05) smaller percentage of the CHS fibroblasts formed paracrystals after the same incubation (except CHS mice, with 90.2% paracrystals). It was found that 52% of the human CHS fibroblasts, 60% of cat CHS fibroblasts, 47% of mink CHS fibroblasts, and 53.8% of cow CHS fibroblasts formed paracrystals. For genetic complementation analysis, human CHS fibroblasts were fused to cat, mink, cow, or mouse CHS fibroblasts with polyethylene glycol. Control fusions were human CHS fibroblasts fused with human, cat, mink, cow, and mouse normal fibroblasts. The results of complementation analysis after the fusion of human CHS with cow CHS and human CHS with mouse CHS fibroblasts were inconclusive. A lack of complementation of human CHS with cat CHS and human CHS with mink CHS fibroblasts indicates that the disease is homologous in these species.
Design of inverted siphons program documentation

Abstract An interactive computer program has been developed for the design of inverted siphons. Several features influencing the hydraulic and structural performance of the structure have been incorporated in the program. Sediment transport, upstream and downstream protection, and seepage are considered in addition to the basis design computations. The program is comprised of a main program and thirteen subroutines written in FORTRAN code. The basic features of the subroutines are described. The program was run on a Mac SE using a FORTRAN compiler. The design process is illustrated by means of an example problem, and the program code is listed on disk which can be obtained from the authors.
A high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the analysis of lipids from lyophilized formulations

Abstract A simple, sensitive and rapid, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of cardiolipin, cholesterol and egg phosphatidylcholine from lyophilized lipid formulations. The proposed HPLC method utilizes a μPorosil column (300×3.9 mm I.D., 10 μm) and UV detection at 205 nm. A good resolution was observed with a mobile phase of water-methanol-acetonitrile (5:70:25) at a flow-rate of 2 ml/min. This method is capable of measuring levels of about 0.2–0.8 mg/ml of cardiolipin, 0.25–1.0 mg/ml of cholesterol and 0.8–3.2 mg/ml of egg phosphatidylcholine (EPC). The proposed analytical method has been validated according to USP compliance standards for accuracy, precision and reproducibility and thus may be employed for routine analysis of the lipid components from a typical placebo liposomal formulation.
A Numerical Method for Obtaining an Optimal Temperature Distribution in a 3-D Triple-Layered Cylindrical Skin Structure Embedded with a Blood Vessel

In hyperthermia cancer treatments, the crucial problem, when heating the tumor tissue, is keeping the temperature of the normal tissue surrounding the tumor below a certain threshold so as not to cause damage to the tissue. Thus, it is important to optimize the temperature field of the entire treatment region. Recently, we have developed a numerical method for obtaining an optimal temperature distribution in a triple-layered cylindrical skin structure. In this article, we extend our method to a case involving a triple-layered cylindrical skin structure embedded with a blood vessel. The method is illustrated by a numerical example.
The rich get richer: Students' discounting of hypothetical delayed rewards and real effortful extra credit

The present research compared choices among students with higher or lower grades for rewards that were devalued by imposing a delay to their receipt (Study 1) or by requiring more work for a larger reward (Study 2). In Study 1, students chose between hypothetical and noncontingent smaller immediate or larger delayed monetary rewards. In Study 2, students chose from among different amounts of real, response-contingent academic rewards (extra credit) that required different amounts of work. The results of both studies were similar: The highest scoring students discounted the value of the delayed money less than did their lower scoring counterparts, and the highest scoring students also chose to do and actually did more extra-credit work than lower scoring students did. Differences in the discounting of devalued rewards might represent a fundamental difference between the highest and lower scoring students.
A scheduling approach for distributed resource architectures with scarce communication resources

Advances in semiconductor fabrication technology will continue to enable exponential increase in the number of transistors available. However, conventional architectures, such as superscalars or VLIWs, will not be able to use the abundant on-chip resources efficiently to achieve high performance because of their inherent lack of scalability. In order to overcome the deficiencies of conventional architectures, architects have come up with a new breed of processors that have distributed resources interconnected via sophisticated networks. Although these processors have the potential of achieving higher performance and being more power efficient than conventional processors, the distributed resources make it difficult to write a compiler that generates a high quality schedule for an application. In this paper, we propose a scheduling approach targeted for such distributed resource architectures. Our approach simultaneously places and schedules an operation and routes communications between consumer and producer operations. We introduce techniques to use the scarce interconnect resources efficiently and empirically to show that they contribute to speeding up applications. In addition, we present a simple yet flexible way to describe the target architecture and generate data structures used for scheduling that represents the interconnect structure of the target architecture.
Tissue-Specific Differences in PD-1 and PD-L1 Expression during Chronic Viral Infection: Implications for CD8 T-Cell Exhaustion

The PD-1/PD-L pathway plays a major role in regulating T-cell exhaustion during chronic viral infections in animal models, as well as in humans, and blockade of this pathway can revive exhausted CD8(+) T cells. We examined the expression of PD-1 and its ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2, in multiple tissues during the course of chronic viral infection and determined how the amount of PD-1 expressed, as well as the anatomical location, influenced the function of exhausted CD8 T cells. The amount of PD-1 on exhausted CD8 T cells from different anatomical locations did not always correlate with infectious virus but did reflect viral antigen in some tissues. Moreover, lower expression of PD-L1 in some locations, such as the bone marrow, favored the survival of PD-1(Hi) exhausted CD8 T cells, suggesting that some anatomical sites might provide a survival niche for subpopulations of exhausted CD8 T cells. Tissue-specific differences in the function of exhausted CD8 T cells were also observed. However, while cytokine production did not strictly correlate with the amount of PD-1 expressed by exhausted CD8 T cells from different tissues, the ability to degranulate and kill were tightly linked to PD-1 expression regardless of the anatomical location. These observations have implications for human chronic infections and for therapeutic interventions based on blockade of the PD-1 pathway.
On the value of operator-induced neighborhoods in fitness landscapes

All of the solutions to a combinatorial optimization problem can be collected into a fitness landscape. Often these landscapes are huge, making an exhaustive search for the best solution impractical. Stochastic search algorithms work best if the search operators are tailored to the fitness landscape structure. Some researchers claim this structure is induced by the search operator itself. In this paper we show structural information obtained from operator-induced neighborhoods can be completely misleading unless specific ordering has prevailed during the mapping process and appropriate isomorphic proofs have been made.
The search for a grammatical theory of gene regulation is formally justified by showing the inadequacy of context-free grammars

No one questions the important practical contributions of computer sciences to molecular biology. It may well be that one day theoretical contributions also will become useful. One example of this type of interdisciplinary research is the attempt to construct a grammatical theory of the regulation of gene expression. In this paper, I demonstrate that context-free grammars are inadequate for the description of regulatory properties coded in the DNA. This result is supported by data available in the literature that show changes in the specificity of the recognition between regulatory proteins and their DNA targets. This result is an important limitation for the use of statistical approaches such as information theory as a source of inspiration for a theory of gene regulation. Additionally, such a demonstration gives formal justification to the search for more elaborate grammatical models in the study of gene regulation. Some basic proposals for such grammatical approach have been presented previously.
Effects of topical fluorides on five low-fusing dental porcelains

Samani, S. 1. A.: A procedure for repairing fractured post-core restorations. J PRCXTHET DENT 39:6, 1978. Johnson, J. I<.: I)wrl form and tcmsilc force. J PRCWHET [ILTInd rlesiqn. J PROSTXET DEN,~ 39:4. 10’8. l%rcz hloll, ,J. p.. (:;M gold post and tort rind pin-retained wrnpositc resirl hasrs A comparatiw ~tudv in strength. ,J PRO';THI.T DIXT 40:6. 197% il Vujimoto, J.. .\ comparison of pin-retained amalgam and composite resin core. J PROSTHET DENT 39:5, 1978. 7 Outhwaite, W. C. Pin vs. slot retention in extensive amalgam restorations. J PROSTHET DENT 41:4, 1979. h \Vrlk, D. A: Influencr of pins on the compressive and transverse strength of dental amalgam and retention of pins in amalgam. ,J :Zm Dent Rssoc 78:lOl. 1969.
Comparison of Different Thickness Measurements of Oxide Films on Silicon

The thermal oxidation of silicon in dry oxygen is examined with three different thickness measurements: Ellipsometry, transmission electron microscopy and step-profile measurements. The oxidation kinetics follow a linear-parabolic relationship throughout the measured thickness range. Previous deviations from linear-parabolic behavior result from inaccurate ellipsometer measurements of film thickness for films thinner than 0.05 μm.
Fibroblast activation protein cleavage of collagen enhances class A scavenger receptor-mediated macrophage adhesion (842.12)

The importance of interactions between cancer and stromal cells within the tumor microenvironment to tumor progression is well documented. In contrast, how interactions between different stromal cell types, such as fibroblasts and macrophages, support tumor growth is not understood. Increased infiltration and retention of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in tumors is indicative of poor prognosis in cancer patients. TAMs secrete a variety a factors that activate stromal fibroblasts. Tumor associated fibroblasts (TAFs) differ from quiescent fibroblasts by upregulating the expression of type 1 collagen, the primary component of the tumor extracellular matrix, and by expressing the post-prolyl serine protease, fibroblast activation protein (FAP). In this study, we used a quenched fluorescent substrate to show that FAP proteolytically cleaves type 1 collagen, and that the adhesion of primary macrophages to collagen-1 is substantially increased by FAP-mediated cleavage. Further, using macrophages isolated fr...
Comparison of adaptive methods for function estimation from samples

The problem of estimating an unknown function from a finite number of noisy data points has fundamental importance for many applications. This problem has been studied in statistics, applied mathematics, engineering, artificial intelligence, and, more recently, in the fields of artificial neural networks, fuzzy systems, and genetic optimization. In spite of many papers describing individual methods, very little is known about the comparative predictive (generalization) performance of various methods. We discuss subjective and objective factors contributing to the difficult problem of meaningful comparisons. We also describe a pragmatic framework for comparisons between various methods, and present a detailed comparison study comprising several thousand individual experiments. Our approach to comparisons is biased toward general (nonexpert) users. Our study uses six representative methods described using a common taxonomy. Comparisons performed on artificial data sets provide some insights on applicability of various methods. No single method proved to be the best, since a method's performance depends significantly on the type of the target function, and on the properties of training data.
Beta functions in the presence of linear coupling

One effect of random a/sub 1/, the skew quadrupole field error, is to perturb the beta -functions. This effect may be large in proton accelerators using superconducting magnets, because of the relatively large random a/sub 1/ expected in these magnets. This effect has been studied in the RHIC accelerator (the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider proposed at Brookhaven National Laboratory). An analytic result has been found for the changes in the beta functions caused by the random a/sub 1/. This result indicates that the important harmonics of a/sub 1/ that need to be controlled are the harmonics near nu /sub x/+ nu /sub y/. This has been verified in computer studies. >
Detection of early carotid arterial atherosclerosis by briefly trained physicians using a hand-held ultrasound device.

Maseri A. The prognostic value of C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A protein in severe unstable angina. N Engl J Med 1994;331:417–424. 6. Feldman M, Jialal I, Devaraj S, Cryer B. Effects of low-dose aspirin on serum C-reactive protein and thromboxane B2 concentrations: a placebo-controlled study using a highly sensitive C-reactive protein assay. J Am Coll Cardiol 2001;37:2036–2041. 7. Feng D, Tracy RP, Lipinska I, Murillo J, McKenna C, Tofler GH. Effect of short-term aspirin use on C-reactive protein. J Thromb Thrombolysis 2000;9:37– 41. 8. Ikonomidis I, Andreotti F, Economou E, Stefanadis C, Toutouzas P, Nihoyannopoulos P. Increased proinflammatory cytokines in patients with chronic stable angina and their reduction by aspirin. Circulation 1999;100:793–798. 9. Biasucci LM, Bitelli A, Liuzzo G, Altamura S, Caligiuri G, Monaco C, Rebuzzi AG, Ciliberto G, Maseri A. Elevated levels of interleukin-6 in unstable angina. Circulation 1996;94:874–877. 10. Kennon S, Price CP, Mills PG, Ranjadayalan K, Cooper J, Clarke H, Timmis AD. The effect of aspirin on C-reactive protein as a marker of risk in unstable angina. J Am Coll Cardiol 2001;37:1266–1270. 11. Jialal I, Stein D, Balis D, Grundy SM, Adams-Huet B, Devaraj S. Effect of hydroxymethylglutary coenzyme A reductase inhibitor therapy on high sensitive C-reactive protein levels. Circulation 2001;103:1933–1935.
Physical layout automation for system-on-packages

System-On-Package (SOP) technology provides a capability to integrate both mixed-signal active components and passive components all into a single high speed/density three dimensional packaging substrate. The physical layout resource of SOP is multi-layer in nature, where all layers are used for both placement and routing unlike the traditional multi-layer PCB or MCM packaging. In this paper, we present the first 3D physical design algorithms targeting SOP technology. 3D partitioning divides the input design into multiple layers. 3D placement determines the location of the active and passive components in multi-layer packaging substrate while considering various signal integrity issues. 3D global routing performs the following major steps: pin/net distribution, layer assignment, tree generation, and channel/pin assignment. Our experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our approaches.
Discharged on Supplemental Oxygen From an Emergency Department in Patients With Bronchiolitis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Bronchiolitis is the most common reason for hospital admission in patients aged <1 year. Admissions have been increasing with hypoxia frequently cited as the determinant. Home oxygen (O2) has been shown to be feasible, although safety data are lacking. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of a home O2 clinical care protocol on admission rates in patients with bronchiolitis from the pediatric emergency department. METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review of patients with bronchiolitis who presented to a children’s hospital pediatric emergency department (altitude 1600 m) between 2005 and 2009. Patients between the ages of 1 and 18 months were included in the analysis. Patients requiring baseline O2 were excluded. We calculated the percentage of patients discharged on O2 and their readmission rates. We reviewed charts of patients who were admitted after home O2 for adverse outcomes. We also compared rates of admission before and after initiation of the protocol. RESULTS: In this study, 4194 illnesses were analyzed; 2383 (57%) were discharged on room air, 649 (15%) were discharged on O2, and 1162 (28%) were admitted. Of those discharged on room air, 4% were subsequently admitted, and 6% of those discharged on O2 were admitted. There were no ICU admissions or need for advanced airway management in those patients discharged on O2. Our overall admission rates for bronchiolitis dropped from a rate of 40% to 31%. CONCLUSIONS: Home O2 is an effective way to decrease hospital admissions in a select group of patients with bronchiolitis. * Abbreviations: CI — : confidence interval O2 — : oxygen PCP — : primary care provider PED — : pediatric emergency department RA — : room air
Total Syntheses of (-)-Papuamine and (-)-Haliclonadiamine.

The pentacyclic marine alkaloids (−)-papuamine (1) and (−)-haliclonadiamine (2) have been prepared by total synthesis. The synthesis began with (−)-8, which was converted into diester 20 by way of bis-mesylate 17, dinitrile 18, and diacid 19. Dieckmann cyclization of 20 provided keto ester 21, which was transformed into acetal 22. After hydrolysis of the acetal, ketone 25 was subjected to reductive amination with 1,3-propanediamine and sodium triacetoxyborohydride to obtain diamines 26 and 27 as a 71:29 mixture of diastereomers, favoring the symmetrical isomer having the papuamine relative configuration. After transformation of the diamines to their t-Boc derivatives, the benzyl ethers were cleaved and the resulting diol was oxidized to dialdehyde 30. Application of the Seyferth procedure for conversion of aldehydes to alkynes gave a mixture of diynes 31 and 32. After removal of the t-Boc protecting groups from 31, diamino diyne 15 was treated with tributylstannane and azoisobutyronitrile to obtain the bi...
Comparison of types and antimicrobial susceptibility of Staphylococcus from conventional and organic dairies in west-central Minnesota, USA

Aims: To assess whether conventional and organic dairy management practices are associated with differences in the susceptibility of Staphylococcus to antimicrobial agents. Methods and Results: Staphylococcus was isolated from milk samples collected from conventional and organic dairies in west-central Minnesota. Isolates were categorized as (1) coagulase-positive, (2) novobiocin-sensitive coagulase-negative or (3) novobiocin-resistant coagulase-negative. Novobiocin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS) was more common on conventional farms and novobiocin-sensitive CNS predominated the isolates from organic farms. Overall, a larger proportion of isolates from organic rather than conventional farms were susceptible to erythromycin, pirlimycin and tetracycline. However, for pirlimycin and tetracycline, different patterns of susceptibility were observed among Staphylococcus categories. Conclusion: In this study, organic dairy management was associated with more overall antimicrobial susceptibility among Staphylococcus than was conventional management. However, different patterns of susceptibility among Staphylococcus categories suggest that multiple management practices, including some unrelated to antimicrobial use, may contribute to the observed differences in susceptibility. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study adds to our understanding of the implications of dairy management choices.
Understanding the design trade-offs among current multicore systems for numerical computations

In this paper, we empirically evaluate fundamental design trade-offs among the most recent multicore processors and accelerator technologies. Our primary aim is to aid application designers in better mapping their software to the most suitable architecture, with an additional goal of influencing future computing system design. We specifically examine five architectures, based on: the Intel quadcore Harpertown processor, the AMD quad-core Barcelona processor, the Sony-Toshiba-IBM Cell Broadband Engine processors (both the first-generation chip and the second-generation PowerXCell 8i), and the NVIDIA Tesla C1060 GPU. We illustrate the software implementation process on each platform for a set of widely-used kernels from computational statistics that are simple to reason about; measure and analyze the performance of each implementation; and discuss the impact of different architectural design choices on each implementation.
Case 64: An Anterior Mediastinal Mass. What Will You Do?

An 18-year-old boy is an “add on” in a large university hospital. It is 6p.m. He is scheduled for a thoracoscopy and biopsy. He has recently been diagnosed with a 13 cm anterior mediastinal mass. The mass on computed tomography scan shows the arch vessels, superior vena cava, and trachea all encasing these structures. The distal trachea and the right main bronchus are 60 % compressed. You go and see the patient. He is surrounded by his family who are all very concerned. The surgeon is also at the bedside. He introduces you by saying, “This anesthesiologist will make sure that you get a safe general anesthetic.”
Divisibility properties of sporadic Apéry-like numbers

In 1982, Gessel showed that the Apery numbers associated to the irrationality of ζ(3) satisfy Lucas congruences. Our main result is to prove corresponding congruences for all known sporadic Apery-like sequences. In several cases, we are able to employ approaches due to McIntosh, Samol–van Straten and Rowland–Yassawi to establish these congruences. However, for the sequences labeled s18 and (η) we require a finer analysis.
Auto-Anti-Idiotype Production during the Response to Antigen

Jerne,(1) building on earlier observations on the existence of idiotypic determinants related to the antigen combining sites of human myeloma proteins(2) and rabbit antibodies,(3) proposed that the immune system is self-regulated by a network of idiotype-anti-idiotype (Id- anti-Id) interactions. Numerous studies have documented biological effects of passively administered heterologous anti-Id consistent with predictions based on the Jerne network hypothesis.(1) An important advance was the observation that anti-Id can be induced in animals which are genetically identical to the donor of the immunizing antibody.(4–6) This was crucial in establishing that this form of autoimmune response can occur. However, the ultimate testing of Jerne’s hypothesis must include the demonstration of spontaneous auto- anti-Id production following antigen administration and a regulatory influence of such autoantibody. Evidence is accumulating that T cells may also express Id-like determinants(7–14) and that VH-restricted receptor-antireceptor circuits are activated during an immune response and serve important regulatory functions. T-T-cell interactions are dealt with in other chapters of this volume. In addition, specific immune B cells are known to induce suppressor activity which is T cell mediated, in some cases shown to be VH-restricted and likely to be anti-Id in specificity(15,16) In most of the reports on suppressor cell circuits, secretion of auto-anti-Id by the B cells is not regarded as the mechanism of suppression. In the present discussion we will focus on humoral auto-anti-Id of which the immunoglobulin nature has been established and we will primarily consider auto-anti-Id produced “spontaneously” during the response to antigen.
Complex sacral abscess 8 years after abdominal sacral colpopexy.

Background Sacral colpopexy is an effective, durable repair for women with apical vaginal or uterovaginal prolapse. There are few reports of serious complications diagnosed in the remote postoperative period. Case A 74-year-old woman presented 8 years after undergoing posthysterectomy abdominal sacral colpopexy using polypropylene mesh. Posterior vaginal mesh erosion had been diagnosed several months before presentation. She suffered severe infectious complications including an infected thrombus in the inferior vena cava, sacral osteomyelitis, and a complex abscess with presacral and epidural components. Surgical exploration revealed an abscess cavity surrounding the mesh. Conclusion Although minor complications commonly occur after sacral colpopexy using abdominal mesh, serious and rare postoperative infectious complications may occur years postoperatively.
Mitochondrial pathways to cardiac recovery: TFAM

Mitochondrial dysfunction underlines a multitude of pathologies; however, studies are scarce that rescue the mitochondria for cellular resuscitation. Exploration into the protective role of mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) and its mitochondrial functions respective to cardiomyocyte death are in need of further investigation. TFAM is a gene regulator that acts to mitigate calcium mishandling and ROS production by wrapping around mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) complexes. TFAM's regulatory functions over serca2a, NFAT, and Lon protease contribute to cardiomyocyte stability. Calcium- and ROS-dependent proteases, calpains, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are abundantly found upregulated in the failing heart. TFAM's regulatory role over ROS production and calcium mishandling leads to further investigation into the cardioprotective role of exogenous TFAM. In an effort to restabilize physiological and contractile activity of cardiomyocytes in HF models, we propose that TFAM-packed exosomes (TFAM-PE) will act therapeutically by mitigating mitochondrial dysfunction. Notably, this is the first mention of exosomal delivery of transcription factors in the literature. Here we elucidate the role of TFAM in mitochondrial rescue and focus on its therapeutic potential.
The Medical Student and Care at the End of Life

Today's medical students have an important role in ethical care for the dying because their role involves having conversations with patients about their experiences and values.
Neurotransmitter Release: An Overview

During this course we heard many excellent talks that provided a nice survey of our rapidly advancing understanding of the process of neurotransmitter release. These talks described experiments that used diverse experimental approaches to yield interesting, though sometimes contradictory, conclusions. I have been assigned the not-so-simple task of summarizing what we have learned over the course. One goal of my summary is to highlight what I perceive to be the central themes of our lectures. My second goal is to look to the future by pointing out questions whose answers we do not yet understand.
Call variation in the Colorado river toad (Bufo alvarius): Behavioral and phylogenetic implications

We studied variation in advertisement calls, release calls, and calling behavior in three populations of Bufo alvarius in central Arizona over a 3-yr period. Of advertisement call variables, pulse rate was the only variable significantly (positively) related to temperature, and no variables were correlated with male snout-vent length. For release calls, only pulse rate was significantly (negatively) related to temperature, and no variables were related to male size. Mean advertisement call pulse rate was approximately 30% of average release call pulse rate; such dramatic differences in temporal structure of advertisement and release calls are previously unreported in the genus Bufo. These results support the hypothesis that B. alvarius generates advertisement calls without passive vibrations of the arytenoid cartilages. Overall patterns of call variation in B. alvarius more closely parallel the valliceps rather than the boreas species group. Preliminary discrimination trials indicate that females are attracted to male advertisement calls. Within relatively low density choruses, some large males produced advertisement calls consistently, and active-searching behavior was size-related. Male advertisement calls may play an important role in mate selection by females under some conditions, but an adequate test of this hypothesis awaits additional study.
Вехи работы администрации Д.Трампа: 100 дней и далее (D. Trump Presidency's Milestones: '100 Days' Decisions Analysis)

Russian Abstract: Предварительные итоги работы администрации Дональда Трампа рассматриваются в контексте способности политика избранного с мандатом на радикальные изменения принимать решения под давлением мощной оппозиции и могущественных групп интересов опасающихся реформ: сокращения полномочий и бюджета "Большого правительства". Анализ построен на официальных источниках – информации о законах, назначениях, указах и распоряжениях на официальных сайтах. Большая часть мер либо носила символический характер либо сводилась к второстепенным мерам (отмена отдельных регуляций введенных предыдущей администраций). Назначение Нила Горсуча в Верховный суд, подготовка новых назначений федеральных судей, реформа здравоохранения и проект реформы налоговой системы доказывают готовность администрации к решительным действиям. С учетом невысоких ожиданий разумного эксперта от кандидата с яркой риторикой но без четкой идеологии результаты работы можно считать впечатляющими. В Приложении отдельно рассматриваются основания для спекуляций о "подпольном правительстве" каковые находятся вполне очевидными. English Abstract: Donald Trump's Administration's "100 Days" analysis has been made in perspective of pre-programmed conflict of the leader, got elected with mandate on radical reforms, against mighty opposition allied with special interests groups (federal government's civil bureaucracy). While majority of the decision of Administration addressed and managed the minor problems, Neil Gorsuch appointment, new wave of federal judges candidates, Healthcare reform (AHCA) proved Trumps' resoluteness to move forward. Taking in consideration low expectations, reasonable expert could have from the leader with expressive rhetoric, but without political experience and with no clear ideology, "100 Days" results looks pretty impressive. The Annex contains analysis of speculations on the "Deep State" activities. The reasons for the speculations proven to be quite solid in the Public Choice perspectives: basing on the Federal Bureaucracy's self interest behavior assumption and presidential elections outcomes (both general and precinct outcomes) in the federal District Columbia.
Deep Learning in the Classroom: (Abstract Only)

This workshop is a hands-on exploration of Deep Learning techniques and topics for use in the classrooms of Computer Science and related fields. Deep Learning denotes the latest in a series of advances in neural network training algorithms and hardware that allow Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) to learn quickly and effectively, even with many, stacked layers. These types of networks can be applied to almost any learning problem, such as driving a car, describing images, controlling a robot, or understanding language. This workshop will start with the mathematical and algorithmic foundations of Deep Learning, and introduce an accessible Python-based library, called "conx," which is based on the Keras library and was developed by the workshop instructors. The workshop will demonstrate ideas through animation and visualizations, examine the path to advanced topics, and explore ideas for incorporating Deep Learning topics into the classroom. The workshop is designed to allow participants to gain a foothold with these complex topics, and to help them develop their own materials for teaching. Workshop materials will be made freely available before the workshop as Jupyter notebooks.
Evaluating Logistic Mixed-Effects Models of Corpus-Linguistic Data in Light of Lexical Diffusion

We explore methods for evaluating logistic mixed-effects models of both corpus and experimental data types through simulations. We suggest that the fit of the model should be evaluated by examining the variance explained by the fixed effects alone, rather than both fixed and random effects put together. Nonetheless, for corpus data, in which frequent items contribute more observations, coefficient estimates for fixed effects should be derived from a model that includes the random effects. Including random effects in the model with such datasets allows for better estimates of the fixed-effects predictor coefficients. Not having random effects in the model can cause fixed-effects coefficients to be overly influenced by frequent items, which are often exceptional in linguistic data due to lexical diffusion of ongoing changes.
Stimulus–stimulus interactions and the habituation of neophobia

Abstract Findings and theoretical views regarding the effects of nontarget stimulus presentations on the habituation of neophobia to a target stimulus are discussed. These findings include the effects of a distractor stimulus on the habituation of neophobia, the role of similarity and dissimilarity of the two stimuli on habituation, the role of associations or conditioning involving the two stimuli and the influence of retention intervals on such effects. The discussion illustrates potentially valuable ways that events can influence each other during preexposure, especially those that can occur during exposure to a novel flavor. The discussion also points out various processes that may occur during the habituation of neophobia.
End-to-End Trust and Security for Internet of Things Applications

Many Internet of Things (IoT) devices utilize the cloud to store data and synchronize with one another. Because data breaches can occur anywhere en route to the cloud, ensuring end-to-end trust and security for IoT applications is critical. The authors propose a novel 3D threat model for the IoT and discuss nine security and privacy challenges as well as several ways to mitigate risks.
Prions of Yeast and Fungi: Proteins Acting as Genes

Just as nucleic acids can carry out enzyme reactions, it has now been found that proteins can be genes. The nonchromosomal genes [URE3], [PSI], [PIN], [SWI], [MCA], [MOT3], and [OCT] of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and [Het-s] of the filamentous fungus Podospora anserina are self-propagating amyloid forms of normal cellular proteins Ure2p, Sup35p, Rnq1p, Swi1p, Mca1p, Mot3p, Cyc8p, and HET-s, respectively. The phenotypes produced are due to the absence of the soluble forms in the [URE3], [PSI], [SWI], and [OCT] cases, but due to the presence of the amyloid forms in [PIN], [MCA], and [Het-s]. The portions of the Ure2p, Sup35p, Rnq1p, Swi1p, Mca1p, and Cyc8p molecules primarily responsible for prion formation and propagation (prion domains) are very rich in asparagine and glutamine residues, unlike the HET-s prion domain or the PrP molecule that plays a central role in the mammalian transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). The [Het-s] prion is of particular interest because it apparently carries out a normal function for Podospora, namely, ‘heterokaryon incompatibility’. By contrast, the [URE3] and [PSI+] prions appear to be yeast diseases. Chaperones play a critical role in prion propagation, some by generating seeds for formation of the amyloid filaments and others by blocking prion formation.
Insertion of Double-J Stent

This common procedure is indicated in a variety of settings in urology. Its general indication is to relieve obstruction of the ureter. This can be caused by a variety of conditions. Obstruction by a calculus, ureteral stricture, extrinsic compression, and ureteropelvic junction obstruction are just a sample of the conditions this procedure can be employed in. In addition, double-J stents (Figure 29.1) can be placed before other pelvic surgeries to aid in identifying the ureter, though simple ureteral catheters can be used for this as well. Finally, double-J stents can be placed after other reconstructive urologic procedures such as ureteral reimplant, pyeloplasty, or partial nephrectomy. Here we will describe the basic technique employed in placing the double-J stent (double pigtail ended stent on both ends). Open image in new window Figure 29.1. One End of a Double-J Stent With Black Mark.
A rapid ultra-performance LC-MS/MS assay for determination of serum unbound fraction of voriconazole in cancer patients.

Abstract Background Voriconazole (VOR), an antifungal agent, is clinically monitored to guide therapeutic dosing and avoid toxicity. It is believed that measurement of serum unbound VOR provides more accurate information, especially in hypoalbuminemia patients. We developed and validated an accurate, simple and fast test with ultrafiltration and ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) to measure unbound VOR in human serum. Methods The Agilent UPLC system coupled with a SCIEX QTRAP4000 MS with a positive ionization mode was developed and validated for VOR analysis. Results A good linearity was demonstrated from 0.02 to 2.5 μg/ml for unbound VOR (r2 = 0.9969). The within-run and between-run accuracy and precision was Conclusion This assay is suitable for monitoring both unbound and bound VOR in cancer patients especially in those with hypoalbuminemia in clinical laboratories. Measurement of unbound VOR offers a better approach in prediction of VOR toxicity.
Lifetime and 1-year prevalence of homelessness in the US population: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III.

ABSTRACT This study was to conduct a preliminary survey of the concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX) in ambient workplaces of 94 automotive paint shops and their surrounding communities in Bangkok, Thailand. Results showed that the average toluene concentration emitted from these shops was higher than other compounds. Although none exceeded the short time exposure limit (STEL) recommended by National Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), except for benzene detected in a few shops, many measured concentrations of toluene and xylene exceeded the odor threshold, which could possibly be a cause of odor nuisance. Therefore, these two compounds should be measured in this type of shops in order to be used as source tracers when odor complaint occurs. Key words: BTEX, VOCs, Painting, Nuisance
Reevaluation of Current Prism Standards With Recommendations to Increase Accuracy in the Measurement of Strabismus.

PURPOSE To critically evaluate the traditional standards for holding single prisms in measuring strabismus, with the specific goal being to increase the overall accuracy of clinical measurements. DESIGN Reliability and validity analysis. METHODS Using an analysis involving geometric optics, the effective prism power (EPP), measured in prism diopters (PD), was calculated for glass and acrylic prisms and was the main outcome measure. These results were also validated using optical bench measurements. No patients were involved. RESULTS Plotting the calculated effective prism power as a function of rotational angle produced curves demonstrating that the frontal plane position lies along the flatter portions of the curves, while the Prentice position lies along the steeper portions of the curves. Calculated values of prism power for the standard clinical positions as well as the percentage errors from accepted standards were compared. Acrylic prisms can be held in the frontal plane position with acceptable amounts of error (<5%) for prisms up to 50 PD. Glass prisms are capable of producing significant errors for measurements much greater than 10 PD. CONCLUSIONS The use of glass prisms as currently calibrated should be abandoned or at least limited to small measurements. Acrylic prisms produce acceptable errors if careful attention is given to their position.
Marketing Strategies for Performing Arts Audiences: Characteristics of Ticket Purchasers

Symphony orchestras are finding it increasingly difficult to fill the seats in their halls. We use multiple regression to examine how characteristics of attendees, such as income, education, and ag...
Skinning vector graphics with GANs

We propose a novel method for editing vector graphics which enables users to intuitively modify complex Bezier geometry. Our method uses a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) to automatically predict salient points for any arbitrary geometry defined by cubic Bezier curves, which are used as handle locations for a Linear Blend Skinning transformation. Further, we bind input geometry to a triangle mesh, to decouple the complexity of input geometry from mesh topology. Finally, to reconstruct Bezier curves from the transformed mesh, we formulate a linear optimization problem and solve it in performant manner to ensure real time feedback, without increasing the number of Bezier segments.
Higher Caloric Exposure in Critically Ill Patients Transiently Accelerates Thyroid Hormone Activation

Introduction The inflammatory response of critical illness is accompanied by nonthyroidal illness syndrome (NTIS). Feeding has been shown to attenuate this process, but this has not been explored prospectively over time in critically ill patients. Objective To explore the impact of calorie exposure on NTIS over time in critically ill patients. Methods Mechanically ventilated patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) were randomized to receive either 100% or 40% of their estimated caloric needs (ECN). Thyroid hormones were measured daily for 7 days or until intensive care unit discharge or death. Mixed level regression modeling was used to explore the effect of randomization group on plasma triiodothyronine (T3), reverse triiodothyronine (rT3), thyroxine (T4), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), as well as the T3/rT3 ratio. Results Thirty-five participants (n=19 in 100% ECN; n=16 in 40% ECN) were recruited. Adjusting for group differences in baseline T3/rT3 ratio, the parameters defining the fitted curves (intercept, linear effect of study day, and quadratic effect of study day) differed by randomization group (P = 0.001, P = 0.01, and P = 0.02 respectively). Plots of the fitted curves revealed that participants in the 100% ECN group had a 54% higher T3/rT3 ratio on postintervention day 1 compared with the 40% ECN group, a difference which attenuated over time. This was driven by a 23% higher plasma T3 and 10% lower plasma rT3 levels on postintervention 1. Conclusions Higher caloric exposure in NTIS patients transiently attenuates the drop of the plasma T3/rT3 ratio, an effect that is minimized and finally lost over the following 3 days of continued higher caloric exposure.
The influence of organizational culture, climate and commitment on speaking up about medical errors.

Aim Speaking up about medical errors is an essential behaviour for nurses in pursuit of their goal of maintaining patient safety. This study was designed to understand how a hospital's culture and climate can impact a nurse's active behaviour in this important health care activity. Background Research shows that while medical errors happen frequently, there is great variability on whether these errors are reported. As such, organizational culture, climate and commitment as well as employee perceptions associated with the reporting process were investigated to determine their impact on participants' intentions to speak up about medical errors. Methods Focus groups and one-on-one interviews were used to collect these data and were analysed using content analysis. Results/key issues Nurses in the hospital perceive and understand both the benefits and barriers to reporting medical errors. Commonly reported benefits include patient safety, promoting education and awareness, and the improvement of internal processes or systems. Barriers include an inefficient reporting system and organizational influences such as perceived consequences and unequal status/position of the individual who made the error and the person reporting the error. Participants are aware that the organization believes that the responsibility to report medical errors falls to everyone. Conclusions Results indicate that the organization's existing culture does not facilitate the reporting of medical errors and that the organizational climate interferes with the reporting process. Lastly, organizational commitment is not related to the perception of importance given to the reporting of medical errors by the hospital. Implications for nursing management Nurses and nurse managers are an essential part of any hospital. In their role, they can effect change on the organization's culture and climate, but often do not realize the connection between organizational culture and patient safety. Results indicate that promoting organizational commitment to speaking up through the creation of a positive organizational culture can both promote speaking up about medical errors and increase patient safety.
Churn: Mobilization–demobilization and the fungibility of American military life:

This article posits an analytic of mobilization–demobilization that attends to the instrumentalization and fungibility of military lives as both a primary source of embodied war-related harm and an...
Multisite, Randomized Trial of Early Integrated Palliative and Oncology Care in Patients with Advanced Lung and Gastrointestinal Cancer: Alliance A221303

Background: We conducted a multicenter, randomized trial of early integrated palliative and oncology care in patients with advanced cancer to confirm the benefits of early palliative care (PC) seen...
Evaluation of two portable pupillometers to assess clinical utility.

Author(s): McKay, Rachel Eshima; Kohn, Michael A; Schwartz, Elliot S; Larson, Merlin D | Abstract: BackgroundPupillometers have been proposed as clinical assessment tools. We compared two pupillometers to assess measurement agreement.Materials a methodsWe enrolled 30 subjects and simultaneously measured the pupil diameter and light reflex amplitude with an iPhone pupillometer and a portable infrared pupillometer. We then enrolled 40 additional subjects and made serial measurements with each device.ResultsFailure occurred in 30% of attempts made with the iPhone pupillometer compared with 4% of attempts made with the infrared pupillometer (Fisher's exact p = 0.0001). Method comparison of the two devices used simultaneously showed significant disagreement in dynamic measurements.ConclusionThe iPhone pupillometer had poor repeatability and suggests that it is not a practical tool to support clinical decisions.