cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Biliary Drainage Techniques for Malignant Biliary Obstruction: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

Background: The various techniques for relief of malignant biliary obstruction include endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD), and endoscopic ultrasound guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD). We conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) comparing all three modalities with respect to efficacy, adverse events, and re-intervention rate. Methods: We searched multiple databases from inception to October 2019 to identify comparative studies of malignant biliary obstruction patients treated with EUS-BD, ERCP or PTBD. Outcomes of interest were technical success, clinical success, adverse events and need for re-intervention. Pooled odds ratios (OR) were calculated and analyzed using the random effects model. To incorporate indirect comparisons, we conducted NMA using a multivariate, consistency model with random-effects meta-regression. We followed the GRADE approach to rate the certainty of evidence. Findings: We included 17 studies; of which 8 were randomized (3 EUS vs ERCP; 1 EUS vs PTBD; 13 ERCP vs PTBD) with 1566 patients (220: EUS vs ERCP; 33: EUS vs PTBD; 1313: ERCP vs PTBD). NMA did not show statistically significant differences to favor one intervention with certainty over the other across multiple outcomes. The analysis suggested that PTBD may have a higher clinical and technical success rate than ERCP and that EUS may have a lower re-intervention rate than ERCP. Interpretation: The available evidence cannot favor one of the 3 interventions with certainty across multiple outcomes. Shared-decision making is recommended to choose the approach most consistent with patient’s values, goals of treatment and comorbidities and consider the availability of procedural expertise. Funding: None. Conflict of Interest: None.
Mademoiselle Sculpsit: A Backstory

No image is more common in surveys of architectural theory than the frontispiece of the second edition of Laugier’s Essai sur l’architecture.1 In lecture courses that race through centuries in the ...
Exploring New Approaches for Locally Advanced Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinomas: TNT, Irinotecan, and ctDNA.

The authors of a recent pilot study incorporated novel concepts including total neoadjuvant therapy with induction triplet FOLFIRINOX then chemoradiotherapy before surgery, along with ctDNA minimal residual disease analyses demonstrating both feasibility of this approach as well as confirming prognostic value of ctDNA analysis before and after surgery.
Structural and functional organization of the synapse

Diversity in Synapse Structure and Composition.- The Role of Glutamate Transporters in Synaptic Transmission.- Structure and Function of Vertebrate and Invertebrate Active Zones.- Neurotransmitter Release Machinery: Components of the Neuronal SNARE Complex and Their Function.- The Molecular Machinery for Synaptic Vesicle Endocytosis.- Initiation and Regulation of Synaptic Transmission by Presynaptic Calcium Channel Signaling Complexes.- Adhesion Molecules at the Synapse.- Dendritic Organelles for Postsynaptic Trafficking.- Structure and Mechanism of Action of AMPA and Kainate Receptors.- Cellular Biology of AMPA Receptor Trafficking and Synaptic Plasticity.- Structure and Function of the NMDA Receptor.- Molecular Properties and Cell Biology of the NMDA Receptor.- Surface Trafficking of Membrane Proteins at Excitatory and Inhibitory Synapses.- Scaffold Proteins in the Postsynaptic Density.- Ca2+ Signaling in Dendritic Spines.- Postsynaptic Targeting of Protein Kinases and Phosphatases.- Long-Term Potentiation.- Homeostatic Synaptic Plasticity.- Ubiquitin and Protein Degradation in Synapse Function.- Signaling from Synapse to Nucleus.- Molecular Organization of the Postsynaptic Membrane at Inhibitory Synapses.- Acid-Sensing Ion Channels (ASICs) and pH in Synapse Physiology.- Glia as Active Participants in the Development and Function of Synapses.- Plasticity of Dentate Granule Cell Mossy Fiber Synapses: A Putative Mechanism of Limbic Epileptogenesis.- Stroke - A Synaptic Perspective.- and Pathological Pain.
General training in labor markets: Common value auctions with unobservable investment

Abstract This paper studies the puzzle of employer financing for the general training of workers. A parsimonious theory is developed based on asymmetric information between employers about the quantity of training. The labor market is modeled as a common value auction with an informed and an uninformed bidder. The novel feature of the game is that one of the bidders can make an unobservable investment that increases the value of the item before the auction. By randomizing the amount of training provided, an employer can create an endogenous adverse selection problem, enabling it to compress the wage structure and capture some returns from its training investment. The model generates continuous equilibrium wage and training distributions, and identical employees can receive different wage offers and training levels. A parametric example is used to illustrate how the shape of the wage distribution depends on the elasticity of production with respect to human capital.
Hematocrit alters VerifyNow P2Y12 assay results independently of intrinsic platelet reactivity and clopidogrel responsiveness.

Summary Background The VerifyNow P2Y12 assay assesses the adequacy of clopidogrel therapy by measuring ADP-induced platelet activation in whole blood. Low hematocrit is associated with high clopidogrel on-treatment platelet reactivity (HTPR) defined by this assay. Objectives To characterize the effect of hematocrit on VerifyNow values and determine if it is due to hematocrit-dependent changes in intrinsic platelet reactivity or an in vitro assay phenomenon. Patients/Methods Adenosine diphosphate-induced platelet activation was measured using the VerifyNow P2Y12 assay, whole blood impedance and light transmission platelet aggregometry (LTA) before and after clopidogrel loading in 113 patients undergoing elective cardiac catheterization. Iso-TRAP-induced platelet activation was additionally measured using the VerifyNow device. Multivariate modeling employing clinical and laboratory variables was used to investigate the association between hematocrit and VerifyNow values. Results VerifyNow P2Y12 reaction units (PRU) and iso-TRAP Base units before and after clopidogrel loading, but not their relative change, exhibited strong negative correlation with hematocrit (P ≤ 0.0005 for both). While hematocrit remained a strong predictor of post-clopidogrel PRU (P = 0.001) in multivariate modeling, it was independent of post-clopidogrel ADP-induced platelet reactivity as measured by LTA (P = 0.001). Correcting for the effects of hematocrit resulted in a 15–39% reduction in the prevalence of HTPR defined by thresholds of 208–236 PRU. Conclusions The effect of hematocrit on VerifyNow PRU values is an in vitro phenomenon that is independent of intrinsic change in ADP-induced platelet reactivity and clopidogrel responsiveness. Correcting for hematocrit when using this assay may more accurately identify patients with HTPR that may benefit from alternative antiplatelet therapy.
Molecular detection of pheromone signals in mammals: from genes to behaviour.

The instinctive and species-specific behavioural response of animals to pheromones has intrigued biologists for a long time. Recent molecular and electrophysiological approaches have provided new insights into the mechanisms of pheromone detection in rodents and into the sensory coding of pheromone signals that lead to gender discrimination and aggressive behaviour.
Distributed Algorithm for Computing Formal Concepts Using Map-Reduce Framework

Searching for interesting patterns in binary matrices plays an important role in data mining and, in particular, in formal concept analysis and related disciplines. Several algorithms for computing particular patterns represented by maximal rectangles in binary matrices were proposed but their major drawback is their computational complexity limiting their application on relatively small datasets. In this paper we introduce a scalable distributed algorithm for computing maximal rectangles that uses the map-reduce approach to data processing.
Computer-assisted engineering for children: a pop-up design application

We have argued for the design of computationally-enriched craft activities [Eisenberg et al. 2003; Eisenberg, 2002; Eisenberg, Rubin, and Chen 1998]: activities that combine the affordances of computational media with those of children's educational crafts. In this poster, we present and describe such an application: a system for the design of pop-up forms in paper, geared toward use by K-12 students. Briefly, the application, Popup Workshop, permits students to create a paper template from which a pop-up form will be created, and to see that form simulated in a three-dimensional rendering. Once the design has been created to the child's satisfaction, the template may be printed and cut to produce the predicted moving structure.
Capillary Rise of Water into Soil as Described by a Solution of Burgers' Equation

An exact mathematical solution for vertically upward capillary rise of water, into initially unsaturated, uniform soil or porous medium, was found by solving the applicable form of Burgers' equation subject to the appropriate initial and boundary conditions. From the classic Richards equation for unsaturated flow of soil water, Burgers' equation was obtained by imposing a constant soil water diffusivity and a parabolic concave-upward hydraulic conductivity as a function of the volumetric water content. J. R. Philip was the first to point out the possibility of using Burgers' equation for the opposite case of vertically downward infiltration of water into soil. One impetus for seeking the capillary-rise solution was to obtain an improved quantitative description of the time course by which the quantity of water taken up by the soil would approach a finite, fixed value as time increased without limit. This exact solution, however, did not produce such a finite value. Instead, for large values of time, the quantity of water uptake was found to be proportional to the natural logarithm of the square root of time, and was thus predicted to increase without limit as time increased without limit. Therefore, in this respect, the new Burgers-equation solution was less satisfactory physically than an earlier solution of the linearized Richards equation. Remaining to be assessed is whether early time ranges of the new solution would have utility in describing experimental capillary-rise data.
Abstract 1573: TUSC4 functions as tumor suppressor by regulating BRCA1 stability and functions

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Expression of the BRCA1 tumor suppressor is frequently lost in breast cancer and associated with aggressive phenotypes through as yet undetermined mechanisms. In this study, we demonstrated that the tumor suppressor TUSC4 (Tumor Suppressor Candicate 4) physically interacts with multiple DNA damage response proteins and prevent its degradation by E3 ligase ubqutination pathways. Knockdown of TUSC4 enhanced BRCA1 polyubiquitination, leading to BRCA1 protein degradation and significantly reduced the efficacy of homologous recombination repair. Notably, ectopic expression of TUSC4 effectively suppressed multiple breast cancer cells proliferation, invasion, and colony formation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, TUSC4 knockdown was sufficient to transform normal mammary epithelial cells and enhance the sensitivity of cells to PARP inhibitors. Microarray analysis of TUSC4 knockdown also indicated critical changes and the global impact to cancer development. Therefore, TUSC4 acts as a bona fide tumor suppressor gene through the mechanism of regulating BRCA1 protein stability and function. Citation Format: Yang Peng, Shiaw-Yih Lin. TUSC4 functions as tumor suppressor by regulating BRCA1 stability and functions. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1573. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1573
Enterocolitis causes profound lymphoid depletion in endothelin receptor B- and endothelin 3-null mouse models of Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis

Potentially life-threatening enterocolitis is the most frequent complication in children with colonic aganglionosis (Hirschsprung disease, HSCR), and little is known about the mechanisms leading to enterocolitis. Splenic lymphopenia has been reported in the Endothelin Receptor B (Ednrb)-null mouse model of HSCR that develops enterocolitis. In this study, we sought to identify molecular mechanisms underlying this immune phenotype. We employed the Ednrb(-/-) mouse, and the knockout of its ligand, Edn3 (Edn3(-/-)). The major finding is that enterocolitis in the Ednrb(-/-) and Edn3(-/-) mice lead to thymic involution, splenic lymphopenia, and suppression of B lymphopoiesis as a consequence of colonic aganglionosis, not an intrinsic Edn3-Ednrb signaling defect directly affecting the lymphoid organs. We showed that adoptive transfer of Ednrb(-/-) marrow repopulated the RAG2-null mice marrow, thymus and spleen without development of enterocolitis. We identified the glucocorticoid corticosterone, as a potential mediator of the immune phenotype. This previously unrecognized pattern of immune abnormalities in mouse is nearly identical to lymphoid depletion in neonatal sepsis during severe physiological stress, suggesting that the mouse model used here could be also used for sepsis studies.
Could What You Don’t Know Hurt You? Information Asymmetry in Land Markets in Late Antiquity

Markets in antiquity can provide valuable information about the importance of different factors in market pricing of assets. In this paper, we discuss a text from the Babylonian Talmud that deals with seasonal price and trading volume fluctuations in land markets in Roman Palestine. We argue that these fluctuations are probably due to information asymmetry and uncertainty regarding the value of land and the crops growing on that land. Could what you don't know hurt you? Information Asymmetry in Land Markets in Late Antiquity
Blinatumomab for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a potentially fatal disease that involves clonal expansion of early lymphoid progenitor cells. Much of drug development for ALL treatment involves targeting antigens of the clonal cell surface. Blinatumomab belongs to an emerging class of anti-cancer therapeutics referred to as bispecific T-cell engaging antibodies. The Food and Drug Administration approved its use in relapsed or refractory adult Philadelphia chromosome-negative B-cell precursor ALL in December of 2014. Blinatumomab contains both an anti-CD3 and anti-CD19 arm, allowing for the juxtaposition of CD3+ T-cells to malignant CD19+ B-cells, thereby resulting in granzyme- and perforin-mediated B-cell apoptosis. Preclinical studies suggest that blinatumomab’s efficacy is related to the effector-to-target ratio and to the difference between its affinity for CD19 and CD3. Preclinical and early phase clinical studies have allowed for the characterization of the pharmacokinetics of blinatumomab, including the determination of its short half-life. The metabolic pathway has not been fully characterized but is thought to be similar to that of other antibodies. Phase I and II studies led to the identification of an ideal stepwise dose, involving long-term continuous intravenous infusion (CIVI), to optimize its efficacy and reduce the risk of certain toxicities. A high remission rate and duration were noted among a relapsed/refractory population of patients. The results of clinical trials have identified cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity, among others, as serious drug-related toxicities, leading to the institution of a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy. Blinatumomab represents a significant addition to the treatment options for ALL, but it is not without its limitations, of which are its short-half life, necessitating long-term CIVI, and the eventual emergence of CD19-negative clones. Continual development of the agent involves assessing its role in the frontline setting and in combination with chemotherapy.
More graph drawing in the cloud: data-oblivious st-numbering, visibility representations, and orthogonal drawing of biconnected planar graphs

We give a new efficient data-oblivious PRAM simulation and several new data-oblivious graph-drawing algorithms with application to privacy-preserving graph-drawing in a cloud computing context.
Generating a fault tolerant global clock in a high speed distributed system

A technique is described for constructing a fault-tolerant global clock in a point-to-point distributed system with an arbitrary topology, which constitutes a wide-area network. It is assumed that the network is constructed of optical links with very high transmission rates. The approach used is to generate a global clock from the ensemble of the local transmission clocks, and not to synchronize these high-speed clocks directly. The steady-state algorithm which generates the global system clock is executed in hardware by the network interface of each node. As a result, it is possible to estimate accurately intermodal delays and thereby to achieve a much tighter synchronization than with other methods. The basic synchronization time step is proportional to the error or uncertainty in the measurement of the end-to-end network delay rather than to the actual value of the end-to-end network delay. Node and network models are presented, and the synchronization condition is defined. The synchronization algorithm, its bound, and its correctness proof are presented. A procedure is described for detecting and isolating a faulty component, while maintaining the integrity of the global clock. >
PERCEPTION AND ACCEPTANCE OF EVALUATIONS BY SUPERVISOR AND PEERS

A survey of 200 employed graduate and undergraduate business students investigated differences in individuals’ acceptance and perceptions about peer evaluation vs. supervisor evaluation. Results showed that, compared to peer evaluations, acceptance of supervisor evaluations is higher, supervisor evaluations are perceived as more accurate and more trusted, supervisors are seen as having more qualifications to evaluate performance and more opportunities to observe performance, and suffer less from friendship bias.
Men, Merchants, and Toughs : A Study of Reactions to Imprisonment

6. Mowrer, Harriet R., "Sex and Marital Adjustment," in Jerome Himelhoch and Sylvia Fleis Fava, eds., Sexual Behavior in American Society (New York: W. W. Norton, 1955), PP. 147-149. 7. Smith, Keith, "Distribution-free Statistical Methods and the Concept of Powrr Efficiency," in Leon Festinger and Daniel Katz, Research Methods in the Behavioral Sciences (New York: Dryden, 1955), Pp. 553-555.
Assessing Reserve Management Systems: Do They Deliver on Their Promises?

The authors examine, based on a survey of users, the e-reserve management software landscape. Library course reserve processing staff was surveyed to determine what management systems, if any, are being used and how effective they are in meeting the needs of the library, the faculty, and the students. Although there are many positive aspects to such systems, there are some shortcomings, which the authors discuss.
Self-assembly of a chlorophyll-based cyclic trimer: Structure and intramolecular energy transfer

Abstract Small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) and DOSY 1H NMR reveal that a zinc methyl pyrochlorophyllide a (Chl) derivative with a 3-pyridyl ligand at the Chl 20-position self-assembles in toluene solution into a cyclic trimer having a radius of 8.2 ± 0.1 A. Femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy shows that singlet–singlet annihilation occurs within the cyclic trimer as a result of energy transfer between the Chls that occurs with an (11 ± 1 ps)−1 rate constant, which agrees with the predictions of Forster theory, even though the Chl–Chl distances are comparable to the length of the Chl transition dipole.
On the behavioral and rational foundations of economic dynamics

Abstract Existing uncertainties about the correct explanations for economic growth and business cycles cannot be settled by aggregative analysis within the neoclassical framework. Current disputes in theory rest largely on ad hoc, casually empirical, assumptions about departures from perfect rationality under uncertainty. Such disputes can only be settled by painstaking microeconomic empirical study of human decision making and problem solving. Microeconomic research of the kinds that are required can receive powerful guidance from the theories of human thinking that have been developed and tested over the past twenty five years by cognitive psychologists.
Enzymatic sulfation of gastrin in rat gastric mucosa

An enzyme which catalyzes the transfer of sulfate from 3′-phosphoadenosine 5′-phosphosulfate (PAPS) to gastrin (G17) was identified in rat gastric mucosal cells. The enzyme activity was detected in the 105,000xg supernatant fraction. Formation of gastrin sulfate was shown by using 125I-gastrin and non-radioactive PAPS. The product was sensitive to acid hydrolysis, arylsulfatase treatment and removed by gastrin antibody, but not changed by treatments with chondro-4-sulfatase and chondro-6-sulfatase. The product had a molecular weight of 2050 daltons, close to the molecular weight of G17 sulfate, and, therefore, indicating the sulfated product is not APS derived from the degradation of PAPS. The enzyme activity showed a Km value of 5 μM for PAPS and a pH optimum of 6.0. The activity was not detected in the liver preparation.
Relative Cleanability of Various Stainless Steel Finishes after Soiling with Inoculated Milk Solids

Summary A semiautomatic spray-washing device, which provided controlled rinsing and washing without brushing, was used to determine the relative cleanability of Type 302 stainless steel panels having a No. 2B, 3, 4, and 7 finish after soiling with skimmilk inoculated with Bacillus globigii spores. Using the Direct Surface Agar Plate test at the 1 and 5% level, no significant difference was observed among these finishes after the test areas were rinsed (T-2), rinsed and washed with alkaline detergent (T-3), and rinsed, washed, and sanitized (T-4). This study indicates that the less highly polished finishes can be cleaned bacteriologically to the same degree as the highly polished No. 7 surface when the same cleaning cycle is used. No significant difference in bacterial cleanability was observed among finishes at the 5% level with the Standard Swab Contact Test after T-3 and after T-4. With the Direct Agar Contact Plate, a significant difference was observed among No. 2B, 3, 4, and 7 finishes after T-2, T-3, and T-4. The recovery of bacterial cells by this test was less than that obtained in the DSAP and Swab Contact Tests and indicates the unreliability of this test. In all trials, the bacteria counts decreased markedly as the washing procedure was changed from a minimum rinse to a complete cycle of rinse-wash and sanitize.
Convergent beam electron diffraction study of Al3Zr in Al-Zr AND Al-Li-Zr alloys

Abstract Point and space group analysis of metastable and equilibrium A1 3 Zr precipitates in Al-Zr and Al-Li-Zr alloys was performed by convergent beam electron diffraction (CBED). The results obtained for the metastable Al 3 Zr showed it possesses a cubic Pm3m (No. 221) space group with a lattice parameter of 0.408 nm. The equilibrium Al 3 Zr (β) phase was determined to be body-centered tetragonal having a space group I4/mmm (No. 139) and lattice constants of a = 0.401 nm and c = 1.73 nm . In the lithium containing alloys, it was shown that if lithium incorporation into the metastable Al 3 Zr particles occurred, it did not alter its structure. X-ray microanalysis of extracted metastable Al 3 Zr precipitates was conducted using energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), and the composition of these particles was determined to be ≈ 60 wt%Al and ≈ 40 wt%Zr. Since this composition is significantly different from stoichiometric Al 3 Zr (48 wt%Al, 52 wt%Zr), it suggests that a metastable phase field exists in the α + β phase region of the Al-Zr phase diagram.
Visualizing extreme-scale data

The ability to extract meaning from the huge amounts of data obtained from simulations, experiments, sensors, or the world wide web gives one tremendous advantage over others in the respective area of business or study. Visualization becomes a hot topic because it enables that ability. As data size is growing from terascale to petascale and exascale, new visualization techniques must be developed and integrated into data analysis tools and problem solving environments so the collected data can be fully exploited. In this talk, I will point out a few important directions for advancing the visualization technology, which include parallel visualization, knowledge-assisted visualization, intelligent visualization, and in situ visualization. I will use some of the projects we have done at UC Davis in my discussion.
Influence of time of x-irradiation on the regenerative process after localized bone marrow depletion.

SummaryStudies were made of the effect of X-irradiation with 1000 R on marrow restoration after localized depletion of the rabbit femur. The femur was X-irradiated immediately before or after depopulation by dextran perfusion or 9 days later. In some experiments, the femur was X-irradiated without subsequent marrow extrusion. Regeneration was evaluated by determining the uptake of tritiated thymidine into DNA and the number of hemic cells in the depopulated and/or irradiated femoral marrow relative to the contralateral marrow. Impairment, i.e., delay of regeneration, was similar whether the femur was irradiated just before or after marrow removal. However, the radiation effect at this time was greater than that when regeneration was in progress. The response of the 9-day regenerating system resembled closely that of normal marrow. Reconstitution of the microenvironment precedes hemic cell repopulation, and it is noteworthy that a connective tissue matrix and vasculature have already been formed by 9 days ...
A strategic perspective for make or buy decisions

Abstract Make or buy decisions have typically been relegated to purchasing departments. While this is not totally unjustified, top management must consider the strategic implications. In essence, operative decisions are made here which influence the strategic thrust of the organization. Make or buy decisions have substantial strategic implications in the entire planning process. They can affect a firm's competitive advantage, and alter the types of alternatives considered in the planning process. It is argued that strategic considerations should outweigh technical and conventional approaches to make or buy decisions. Top management needs to put these decisions back on their strategic agenda.
Effectiveness of phosphate acquisition by juvenile cold-desert perennials from different patterns of fertile-soil microsites

Phosphate uptake was measured for Artemisia tridentata, Agropyron desertorum and Pseudoroegneria spicata, three common perennial North American Great Basin species. Four patterns of nutrient-rich microsites were used in the experiments (different distances, densities and nutrient concentrations) All species were more efficient at taking up P from microsites nearest the plants than from more distant microsites. Artemisia and Agropyron acquired P more rapidly from the distant microsites when there was a larger number of microsites and, therefore, a greater probability of encounter. Uptake from the nearest microsites did not increase after 26 days, while uptake from distant microsites increased and was equal to uptake from the nearest microsites by the end of the experiment. Phosphate uptake was four to five times higher for Artemisia than for Agropyron on a shoot mass basis and seven to eight times greater than for Pseudoroegneria, which reflects species relative growth rates. Differences in shoot dry mass were significant among species, but little evidence was found for interspecific competition. Root density, root dry mass and P uptake in the upper part of the soil mixture was higher for Artemisia than the other species. Phosphate acquisition seems to be influenced by the distance of microsites and their density and the ability of plants to encounter and proliferate absorbing organs in the microsites.
The effect of particle size and morphology on the rate capability of 4.7 V LiMn1.5+δNi0.5−δO4 spinel lithium-ion battery cathodes

The electrochemical impact of lithium-ion diffusivity on the discharge rate capabilities of cation ordered (P4332) and disordered (Fd3m) LiMn1.5+δNi0.5−δO4 spinels were studied. Potentiostatic Intermittent Titration (PITT) measurements revealed up to 2 orders-of-magnitude lower lithium diffusion coefficient for the ordered spinel polymorph. The optimum structure of the high voltage spinel is resolved with respect to these ionic studies and our previous electronic transport studies. Modification of the morphology and pore dimensions was accomplished through the tuning of the ethylene glycol used for the synthesis of nanostructured spinel in the modified Pechini process. Glycol will be shown to play a major role on the energy and power density of LiMn1.5+δNi0.5−δO4 electrodes.
Harnessing microtubule dynamic instability for nanostructure assembly.

Intracellular molecular machines synthesize molecules, tear apart others, transport materials, transform energy into different forms, and carry out a host of other coordinated processes. Many molecular processes have been shown to work outside of cells, and the idea of harnessing these molecular machines to build nanostructures is attractive. Two examples are microtubules and motor proteins, which aid cell movement, help determine cell shape and internal structure, and transport vesicles and organelles within the cell. These molecular machines work in a stochastic, noisy fashion: microtubules switch randomly between growing and shrinking in a process known as dynamic instability; motor protein movement along microtubules is randomly interrupted by the motor proteins falling off. A common strategy in attempting to gain control over these highly dynamic, stochastic processes is to eliminate some processes (e.g., work with stabilized microtubules) in order to focus on others (interaction of microtubules with motor proteins). In this paper, we illustrate a different strategy for building nanostructures, which, rather than attempting to control or eliminate some dynamic processes, uses them to advantage in building nanostructures. Specifically, using stochastic agent-based simulations, we show how the natural dynamic instability of microtubules can be harnessed in building nanostructures, and discuss strategies for ensuring that ``unreliable'' stochastic processes yield a robust outcome.
Rapid analysis using capillary supercritical fluid chromatography

Capillary supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) is proving to be a viable and useful separation method for thermally labile and nonvolatile materials. As with other capillary chromatographic techniques, very fast separations can be accomplished by sacrificing total efficiency and optimizing the conditions for rapid analysis. This is achieved using short, small-bore capillary columns, increased mobile phase linear velocities and very fast pressure programming rates. These principles are demonstrated for the rapid separation of selected component systems.
Energy allocation patterns in a multiple spawning sunfish: evidence for an income‐based reproductive strategy

Timing of reproduction is an important life-history trait that varies among species as a function of energy allocation strategy, particularly as individuals are influenced by seasonal variations prior to and during the reproductive season. This study investigated size- and sex-based seasonal patterns of energy allocation in bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus (Rafinesque), a species that spawns repeatedly throughout the summer, by quantifying gonad, liver and mesenteric fat masses. Results indicate that bluegill delay production of gonad tissue until the onset of the spawning season and use an ‘income spawning’ approach. Comparisons of energetic trends with crappies, Pomoxis annularis (Rafinesque) and P. nigromaculatus (Lesueur), a confamilial species of relatively similar size and morphology that spawns in the spring, highlight the flexibility of energy allocation patterns even among relatively similar fishes and shed light on bluegill life-history strategies.
Observations of the water expulsion vacoule of Phytophthora palmivora

The water expulsion vacuole ofPhytophthora palmivora was studied with the light microscope after the motility of the spores had been slowed by using a low Ca2 + medium. For transmission electron microscopy, the zoospores were prepared using freeze substitution. The water expulsion vacuole consisted of a central vacuole that collapsed and emptied its contents to the external medium. The central vacuole was surrounded by a series of interconnected vacuoles that are called the surrounding vacuole. The surrounding vacuole and the central vacuole were always associated with coated pits. The vesicles found in the region between the central and surrounding vacuole were exclusively coated vesicles. Consistent changes in the organization of the water expulsion vacuole led us to conclude that, as the central vacuole collapses, the surrounding vacuole is transformed and becomes the new central vacuole. No evidence was obtained for contraction of the central vacuole. The processes involved in membrane recycling during the functioning of the water expulsion vacuole are discussed.
Ketamine in adult cardiac surgery and the cardiac surgery Intensive Care Unit: An evidence-based clinical review

Ketamine is a unique anesthetic drug that provides analgesia, hypnosis, and amnesia with minimal respiratory and cardiovascular depression. Because of its sympathomimetic properties it would seem to be an excellent choice for patients with depressed ventricular function in cardiac surgery. However, its use has not gained widespread acceptance in adult cardiac surgery patients, perhaps due to its perceived negative psychotropic effects. Despite this limitation, it is receiving renewed interest in the United States as a sedative and analgesic drug for critically ill-patients. In this manuscript, the authors provide an evidence-based clinical review of ketamine use in cardiac surgery patients for intensive care physicians, cardio-thoracic anesthesiologists, and cardio-thoracic surgeons. All MEDLINE indexed clinical trials performed during the last 20 years in adult cardiac surgery patients were included in the review.
The Dehn Function of PSL2(Z[1/p])

We show that PSL2(Z[1/p]) admits a combing with bounded asynchronous width, and use this combing to show that PSL2(Z[1/p]) has an exponential Dehn function. As a corollary, PSL2(Z[1/p]) has solvable word problem and is not an automatic group.
GENOTYPIC AND PHENOTYPIC ALTERATIONS OF P53 IN HEAD AND NECK SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA

p53 is the most frequently altered suppressor gene in human cancers. The genotypic and corresponding phenotypic abnormalities of this gene in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remain undefined. We analyzed the loss of heterozygosity (LOH) by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) at three polymorphic loci in the p53 gene and performed immunohistochemistry (MC) for its protein on paraffin-embedded tumor tissue from 20 previously sequenced tumor specimens. LOH was noted at one or more of the three polymorphic sites within the p53 gene in 12 (67%) of the 18 informative samples. Concordance between LOH and mutations was observed in 14 (78%) cases. Twelve (60%) tumors with point mutations were immunohistochemically reactive to p53 antibody and two (10%) lacked both genetic and immunohistochemical alterations. In six tumors (30%) contradictory results between immunohistochemistry and molecular analysis were observed. Our data indicate that: (i) simultaneous deletion and mutation of both p53 alleles was observed in the majority of head and neck squamous carcinomas and implicate this gene in the oncogenesis of these neoplasms, (ii) p53 immunohistochemical analysis may not fully account for the different molecular alterations of this gene, and (iii) no correlation between p53 abnormalities and clinicopathologic or DNA content characteristics of HNSCC was found.
Laugh yourself to sleep: memory consolidation for humorous information

There is extensive evidence that emotional information is better remembered than neutral information across long delays, especially if the delay interval contains an opportunity for sleep. However, as prior studies have focused on memory for negative stimuli, it is unclear whether positive memories benefit from time and sleep as well. To investigate the consolidation of positive memories, the current study examined differences in memory for humorous and non-humorous cartoons. While prior evidence demonstrates that humorous information is preferentially remembered relative to non-humorous information over brief delays, it is unknown whether this benefit lasts across longer delay intervals or whether sleep is important for lasting humor memories to form. Thus, we tested memory for 27 cartoons across 12-h delay periods containing either sleep or wakefulness. Results indicate that humor’s enhancing effect on recall memory is robust across a 12-h delay and that a period of sleep facilitates this effect over wakefulness when cartoons are novel to participants and ranked based on subjective emotional ratings. Further, in accordance with previous studies that reveal diminished emotional reactivity to stimuli following sleep, in a supplemental experiment, we found that sleep reduced subjective ratings of humor, arousal, and positivity of humorous cartoons. These findings provide preliminary evidence that sleep’s impact on negative emotional memory consolidation and emotional reactivity can be extended to positive stimuli as well.
Inherited Platelet Disorders

The inherited platelet disorders are a heterogeneous collection of rare diseases that are infrequently encountered in clinical practice. They are, however, fascinating abnormalities, which have taught us a great deal about normal platelet biochemistry and physiology. In this section of the presentation we will review disorders of the platelet membrane, platelet granule packaging disorders, the hereditary macrothrombocytopenias, platelet signaling disorders and disorders of platelet coagulant function. The molecular basis of the disorders, the cardinal features of their clinical presentation and best methods to make their diagnosis and the latest information regarding therapy will be presented.
The role of localization in visual reinforcement audiometry.

The response task employed in visual reinforcement audiometry (VRA) has been characterized both as a localization response and, alternatively, as a pure operant conditioning behavior independent of...
Adjustment of parameters for signal decision networks

Summary form only given, as follows. Artificial neural architectures such as the Hopfield network have been applied to optimization problems such as the traveling salesman problem, signal decision problems, and linear programming. However, due to the presence of local minima in the energy function of Hopfield networks, the percentage of incorrect outputs increases as the problem size becomes larger. A design technique based on asymmetrically adjusting the parameters to eliminate such local minima is presented. For the A/D conversion problem, simulation results show perfect A/D conversion with the proposed technique. The technique can be used as a guideline to adjust theoretically derived parameters of signal decision networks in order to obtain the desired output. >
Efficiency in the Mortgage Market: The Borrower's Perspective

This paper uses mortgage history data from the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation to analyze the prepayment behavior of homeowners and to test whether borrowers exercise their prepayment options in a manner consistent with contingent claims models. A variety of hazard models are estimated from individual data on more than 6000 mortgages issued during the 1976–1980 period. In these models, it is clear that the extent to which the prepayment option is “in the money” has a strong effect on behavior. However, it is less clear that the option is exercised quite as ruthlessly as the theory predicts.
Enabling Construction 4D Topological Analysis for Effective Construction Planning

AbstractConstruction four-dimensional (4D) models have emerged to become a powerful tool for effective construction planning and control. However, the emphasis has been visualization and 4D topological analysis capabilities are not well-incorporated in the existing practice. Some 4D models enabled space-time conflict detection or site layout analysis, subtypes of 4D topological analysis; these functions are fragmented and constrained in particular construction scenarios. This paper presents a generic construction 4D topology framework that enables 4D topological analysis to support a wide range of construction planning tasks. The framework includes a 4D topological representation method that formalizes the spatial-temporal relationships between construction activities, a topology categorization method that formats the 4D topological representations into task templates, and a mathematical method to conduct the analysis. The framework is tested in a prototype through a case study, which proves that the fram...
The structure of 2,3,5-trisubstituted 2-pyrrolin-4-ones

Abstract Compounds previously reported to be 2,3,5-trisubstituted 2-pyrrolin-4-ones are shown to have 5,5′-dimeric structures.
The prolactin response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone in depressed patients and normal subjects

The prolactin (PRL) response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) was studied in depressed patients (while ill or during remission) and in normal volunteers. Depressed women were shown to have lower basal PRL and lower PRL after TRH, but similar proportional PRL responses, compared to normal women. Depressed women also had basal thyroxine levels that were higher than those of the control women. No significant changes in PRL were noted in depressed men; in fact, there was almost complete overlap of all PRL variables between depressed and normal male subjects. Examination of the responses of PRL and of thyrotropin (TSH) to TRH revealed a significant positive relationship between the two in depressed women, but no association in men.
Combating negative blog posts and a negative incident: A case study of the “Mayday” incident between Juneyao Airlines and Qatar Airways

Abstract This case analysis examined the image repair strategies used by Juneyao Airlines after an anonymous blog posted information on a Juneyao flight's refusal to yield to a flight that issued an emergency call. This case revealed that addressing the credibility of the blog post and relying a third-party – Civil Aviation Administration of China – to combat the inaccuracies in the blog post was successful and that Juneyao's final announcement to take responsibility for the incident and to apologize was effective as well.
Transtornos de humor refratários a tratamento

OBJECTIVE AND METHOD: Mood disorders are the most prevalent psychiatric disorders. Despite new insights and advances on the neurobiological basis and therapeutic approaches for bipolar disorders and recurrent depression, elevated prevalence of recurrence, persistent sub-syndromal symptoms and treatment resistance are challenging aspects and need to be urgently addressed. The objective of this literature review is to evaluate the current concepts of treatment resistance and refractoriness in mood disorders. RESULTS: Genetic factors, misdiagnosis, use of inappropriate pharmacological approaches, non-compliance and biological/psychosocial stressors account for dysfunctions in mood regulation, thus increasing the prevalence of refractory mood disorders. Regarding available treatments, the use of effective doses during an adequate period followed by augmentation with a second and/or third agent, and finally switching to other agent are steps frequently necessary to optimize efficacy. However, in the treatment-resistant paradigm, drugs mimicking standard strategies, which target preferentially the monoaminergic system, can present reduced therapeutic effects. Thus, the search for new effective treatments for mood disorders is critical to decreasing the overall morbidity secondary to treatment resistance. CONCLUSION: Emerging strategies targeting brain plasticity pathways or 'plasticity enhancers', including antiglutamatergic drugs, glucocorticoid receptor antagonists and neuropeptides, have been considered promising therapeutic options for difficult-to-treat mood disorders.
GIS-based Analysis of Ice-breeding Seal Strandings in the Gulf of Maine

Phoca groenlandica (harp seals) and Cystophora cristata (hooded seals), two species of ice-breeding seals, are being sighted more frequently onshore in the Gulf of Maine since 1990, but little is known about their behavior in this ecosystem. We obtained records of 904 ice-breeding seal stranding locations in the Gulf of Maine between 1996 and 2002 from NOAA Fisheries and used a geo- graphic information system (GIS) to conduct group-wise comparisons by species (using non-parametric techniques), and to determine the predictors of high seal- stranding density (using ordinal logistic regression analysis). Compared to harp seals, hooded seals stranded closer to deep water, farther north, and near different intertidal shoreline types. Predictors of high seal-stranding density included being closer to an offshore basin, deep water, public land, and areas of lower human population. These results may reflect seal behavior and reporting bias.