cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Incorporating Partners and Spouses in Oncofertility Communication

As couples in which one partner has cancer face decisions regarding fertility preservation and potential future infertility, oncofertility communication is crucial. The new yet rapidly growing area of oncofertility communication research, however, has focused largely on how to involve physicians, adult patients, and parents of adolescents and children with cancer diagnoses into oncofertility discussions. Little to no research has examined the need to involve partners in oncofertility communication. This chapter serves to both review the relevant research on couples’ issues related to fertility preservation and infertility and highlight the need for more research and clinical interventions in this area. Because couples bring with them a unique set of issues to the topic of fertility preservation and potential infertility in cancer patients, research is needed which focuses on the impact of fertility preservation decisions and potential infertility on the couple’s relationship. Such research not only could lead to couple-based interventions that actively involve partners in oncofertility discussions but could also potentially improve couples’ communication, marital and sexual satisfaction, and intimacy. We hope this chapter serves as a springboard to advance the new but quickly growing field of oncofertility.
Standardized Patient Modules in Medical School with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Patient in Mind

Objective: This study was designed with the intent to serve as an exploratory pilot and first step toward integrating Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) clinical education into the curriculum of Osteopathic and southeastern medical schools. Methods: Using a quasi-experimental study, second year Osteopathic medical students were studied for their clinical knowledge of LGBT health, attitudes toward LGBT patients, and use of sensitive language while obtaining sexual history from Standardized Patients (SPs) before and after exposure to a didactic module. Results: We found attitudes of LGBT health to be unaffected by the intervention (P=0.63) while clinical knowledge improved (P=0.11). Sensitive language used by students during sexual history gathering was similar between groups with no correlation with student LGBT health/knowledge scores. The results support previous literature suggesting a change in medical school curriculum can increase student awareness of LGBT health needs. Attitude scores toward LGBT patients of the studied students were slightly lower than those of six other osteopathic schools, and within the constraints of this study it appears a single didactic module was insufficient in changing attitude scores. Conclusion: With research being limited on this topic, our study provides guidance and methods for implementing LGBT care training into Osteopathic medical education. We hope our baseline data in conjunction with other studies will provoke further research into the most effective means for implementation. Further research should include multi-modal didactics including small group sessions, lectures, and clinical exposure to LGBT individual(s), as has been suggested and implemented in few other studies.
Colony-level regulation of forager caste ratios in response to caste perturbations in the carpenter Ant,Camponotus Pennsylvanicus (De Geer) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Field perturbations of the foraging force of the continuously polymorphic carpenter ant,Camponotus pennsylvanicus, were conducted over a two-year period to evaluate colony responses. Feeding the insect growth regulator RO-13-5223 resulted in a decrease in the mean proportion of smaller workers in the forager force, colonies receiving this growth regulator, and the insect growth regulator Methoprene, exhibited greater coefficients of variation in morphic caste proportions than found in control colonies, especially during the second year of the study. Neither insect growth regulator could be demonstrated to affect the foraging intensity of the colonies.
Abstract 316: Parallel activation of MEK as a mechanism of resistance to ALK inhibitor therapy

Chromosomal rearrangements of ALK can result in a fusion protein that serves as an oncogenic driver in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although patients with ALK-positive (ALK+) lung cancer have significant response rates when treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), resistance against ALK targeted therapy consistently develops. Here, we modeled acquired resistance to ALK TKI therapy using 5 different FDA-approved ALK TKIs, including crizotinib, ceritinib, alectinib, brigatinib, and lorlatinib, using two distinct ALK+ lung cancer cell lines, H3122 and STE-1 (10 resistant cell lines total). Both of these cell lines harbor an EML4-ALK E13;A20 fusion and were derived from patients prior to ALK directed therapy. An ALK kinase domain mutation (F1174L) was detected in the H3122 ceritinib resistant cells, but none of the other resistant cell lines harbored mutations in the ALK kinase domain known to confer TKI resistance. For each of the cell lines tested, we found that ALK TKI treatment in TKI-resistant cells failed to inhibit MAP kinase pathway activity. We hypothesized that inhibition of the MAP kinase pathway, via MEK inhibition, could restore drug sensitivity. The allosteric MEK inhibitors, trametinib and binimetinib, did not effectively reduce cell viability as single agents. However, ALK TKI co-treatment with a MEK inhibitor resensitized these cells by reducing cell viability in a synergistic manner across all ALK TKI-resistant cell lines tested. Whole transcriptomic analysis of ALK TKI-resistant cell lines also revealed an upregulation in EGFR and HER2 mRNA levels. These results provide rationale for combined ALK+MEK inhibitor therapy in patients who have relapsed on first line ALK TKI therapy. Citation Format: Vincent Huang, Yingjun Yan, Huan Qiao, Yunkai Zhang, Christine M. Lovly. Parallel activation of MEK as a mechanism of resistance to ALK inhibitor therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 316.
Intra-operative Measurement of Brain Deformation

Brain shift invalidates the assumption of most neuronavigation systems that rigid registration is sufficient for mapping pre-operative image data to patient coordinates during surgery. Brain shift has been measured to be as large as 25 mm at the cortical surface and greater than 3 mm at deep tumour margins, where precision is required to achieve good outcomes. Thus, it is critical that brain shift be accounted for in neuronavigation. Unfortunately, brain shift is complex, patient- and tumour-specific, varies throughout the brain and as surgery progresses, and depends on many variables that are hard to predict and model preoperatively. For these reasons, the need to measure and compensate for brain shift intraoperatively is critical. This chapter reviews previous work to measure brain shift and summarises both quantitative results and qualitative observations reported in this work. It discusses intra-operative methods for measuring brain shift that are currently being used clinically and for research purposes in the operating room. These methods include intra-operative MRI and CT, cortical surface measurements, and intra-operative 3D ultrasound.
Supervisory Circuits for Low-Frequency Monitoring of a Communication SoC

Towards the goal of enhanced hardware security, this work proposes compact supervisory circuits to perform low-frequency monitoring of a communication SoC. The communication RF output is monitored through an integrated RF envelope detector. The input supply to the transceiver block of the SoC is delivered by an integrated linear voltage regulator with output current monitoring. These two supervisory circuits are inexpensively fabricated in 0.6-µm technology. The useful bandwidth of the envelope detector is measured as 1–6 GHz at a supply of 3.3 VDC and quiescent current of 2.65 mA. The linear regulator generates 3.3 VDC using an input of 5 VDC, quiescent current of 1.83 mA, and load current from 1–120 mA. Static and transient load current tests demonstrate linear output current monitoring.
Air Potato Leaf Beetle (Suggested Common Name), Lilioceris cheni Gressitt and Kimoto (Insecta: Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Criocerinae)

This leaf feeding beetle was recently introduced into Florida from China for biological control of air potato. This 4-page fact sheet provides information on the distribution, appearance, life cycle, host range and importance of the beetle. Written by Rodrigo Diaz, William A. Overholt, and Ken Hibbard, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, January 2013. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in972
Introduction to Machine Learning, Neural Networks, and Deep Learning.

Purpose To present an overview of current machine learning methods and their use in medical research, focusing on select machine learning techniques, best practices, and deep learning. Methods A systematic literature search in PubMed was performed for articles pertinent to the topic of artificial intelligence methods used in medicine with an emphasis on ophthalmology. Results A review of machine learning and deep learning methodology for the audience without an extensive technical computer programming background. Conclusions Artificial intelligence has a promising future in medicine; however, many challenges remain. Translational relevance The aim of this review article is to provide the nontechnical readers a layman's explanation of the machine learning methods being used in medicine today. The goal is to provide the reader a better understanding of the potential and challenges of artificial intelligence within the field of medicine.
Quantifying protein-protein interactions of the acyl carrier protein with solvatochromic probes.

Abstract Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are universal to life and their study and understanding is critical to drug discovery and bioengineering efforts. Historically, X-ray crystallography, isothermal titration calorimetry and other biophysical methods have been used to study PPIs, but can be costly and are low throughput, hindering progress towards rapid evaluation of these interactions. Recent interest in targeting PPIs and in engineering biosynthetic pathways in which PPIs play a critical role has driven innovation in their evaluation but a universal screen is still needed. One of the best characterized systems relying upon PPIs is Escherichia coli type II fatty acid biosynthesis in which the central acyl carrier protein (EcACP) shuttles substrates to a series of partner enzymes. Here we present a method by which EcACP is labeled with a solvatochromic dye, 4-DMN, and then allowed to interact with its various partner enzymes. Upon interaction, there is a large increase in fluorescence intensity which is easily monitored via fluorometer or plate reader. This method is useful in the study of known PPI, hypothetical PPI and in evaluation of inhibitors of both partner enzyme active site and of the PPI itself.
9.07 – Artificial Proteins

Recombinant DNA methods provide a powerful, general route to macromolecular systems of controlled chain length, sequence, and stereochemistry. This chapter summarizes recent advances in the synthesis of artificial proteins, including analogs of elastin, silk, and collagen, as well as de novo-designed proteins with no natural counterparts. The principles of protein synthesis are presented briefly, as are the most important methods of genetic engineering and methods for the incorporation of noncanonical amino acids into proteins expressed in microbial cells.
Collagen hydrogel confinement of Amyloid-β (Aβ) accelerates aggregation and reduces cytotoxic effects

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and is associated with the accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ), a peptide whose aggregation has been associated with neurotoxicity. Drugs targeting Aβ have shown great promise in 2D in vitro models and mouse models, yet preclinical and clinical trials for AD have been highly disappointing. We propose that current in vitro culture systems for discovering and developing AD drugs have significant limitations; specifically, that Aβ aggregation is vastly different in these 2D cultures carried out on flat plastic or glass substrates vs. in a 3D environment, such as brain tissue, where Aβ confinement alters aggregation kinetics and thermodynamics. In this work, we identified attenuation of Aβ cytotoxicity in 3D hydrogel culture compared to 2D cell culture. We investigated Aβ structure and aggregation in solution vs. hydrogel using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS), and Thioflavin T (ThT) assays. Our results reveal that the equilibrium is shifted to stable extended β-sheet (ThT positive) aggregates in hydrogels and away from the relatively unstable/unstructured presumed toxic oligomeric Aβ species in solution. Volume exclusion imparted by hydrogel confinement stabilizes unfolded, presumably toxic species, promoting stable extended β-sheet fibrils. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating disease and has been studied for over 100 years. Yet, no cure exists and only 5 prescription drugs are FDA-approved to temporarily treat the AD symptoms of declining brain functions related to thinking and memory. Why don't we have more effective treatments to cure AD or relieve AD symptoms? We propose that current culture methods based upon cells cultured on flat, stiff substrates have significant limitations for discovering and developing AD drugs. This study provides strong evidence that AD drugs should be tested in 3D culture systems as a step along the development pathway towards new, more effective drugs to treat AD.
From unstable input to robust output.

In the presence of recording instabilities, the performance of brain–computer interfaces can be robustly maintained by exploiting ‘hidden’ structures underlying neural activity.
Alopecia areata as an immune‐related adverse event of immune checkpoint inhibitors: A review

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) improve the ability of the immune system to target cancer cells by blocking signaling through either the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4), programmed cell death (PD-1) receptor, or its ligand (PD-L1). They have been found to cause a variety of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) including a form of nonscarring alopecia that resembles alopecia areata (AA) in presentation and histology. Clinical features of ICI-induced AA are poorly described. We queried the Pubmed database for cases of AA secondary to ICI use reporting on extent of hair loss, treatments attempted, alopecia outcome, and time of follow-up with 13 cases identified. Although most patients had localized hair loss with subsequent regrowth, four of them experienced extensive and persistent AA, lasting up to a year. All but one patient continued ICI after the onset of hair loss. Many used topical corticosteroids with varying outcomes. Possible prognostic factors for severe and persistent disease may include young age and male sex. However, the low number of reported cases limits the generalizability of these findings. Tumor response was positive in every case of immune-induced AA where it was reported. Further investigation will be needed to better characterize clinical features of this irAE, risk factors for persistent disease, and determine its optimal management.
Computationally Driven Discovery in Coagulation

Bleeding frequency and severity within clinical categories of hemophilia A are highly variable and the origin of this variation is unknown. Solving this mystery in coagulation requires the generation and analysis of large data sets comprised of experimental outputs or patient samples, both of which are subject to limited availability. In this review, we describe how a computationally driven approach bypasses such limitations by generating large synthetic patient data sets. These data sets were created with a mechanistic mathematical model, by varying the model inputs, clotting factor, and inhibitor concentrations, within normal physiological ranges. Specific mathematical metrics were chosen from the model output, used as a surrogate measure for bleeding severity, and statistically analyzed for further exploration and hypothesis generation. We highlight results from our recent study that employed this computationally driven approach to identify FV (factor V) as a key modifier of thrombin generation in mild to moderate hemophilia A, which was confirmed with complementary experimental assays. The mathematical model was used further to propose a potential mechanism for these observations whereby thrombin generation is rescued in FVIII-deficient plasma due to reduced substrate competition between FV and FVIII for FXa (activated factor X).
College Costs and Credit Cards: How Student Credit Card Use Influences College Degree Attainment

Since the turn of the twenty-first century, going to college has become increasingly financially difficult in the United States. Tuition prices continued to rise, state funding for higher education declined, and the mean family income declined or stagnated for all but the top 20 percent of families (Goldrick-Rab 2016). In a period where college has risen to be the preeminent way Americans can make a better life for themselves, it is becoming more difficult for Americans to pay for college. Financial aid does not cover as much of the price of college as it once did (Goldrick-Rab 2016), and college students are relying on financing methods like student loans more than ever before. Student loans, however, are not the only credit-based financial strategy college students use to pay for college (Manning 2000, 2005). With the explosion of consumer credit access from the 1980s to the 2000s, college students are using credit cards, many times to bridge gaps in their budgets as they try to pay for college. This paper utilizes data from the Education Longitudinal Study (2002–12) to examine the link between college student credit card use and bachelor's degree attainment and demonstrates that college students who carry a balance on their credit card from month to month have a lower likelihood of completing a bachelor’s degree, net of other important factors. Research in the fields of financial counseling and planning, consumer studies, public policy, sociology, and health has explored college student credit card spending behaviors, associated health and educational outcomes, and the influence of family backgrounds on credit card use. This paper extends this existing body of research by considering how college student credit card use influences educational outcomes.
Exploring the utility of a novel point-of-care whole blood thrombin generation assay following trauma: A pilot study.

Introduction Plasma thrombin generation kinetics as measured by the calibrated automated thrombogram (CAT) assay is a predictor of symptomatic venous thromboembolism after trauma. We hypothesized that data from a new prototype assay for measurement of thrombin generation kinetics in fresh whole blood (near patient testing of thrombin generation), will correlate with the standard CAT assay in the same patients, making it a potential tool in the future care of trauma patients. Methods Patients were enrolled from June 2018 to February 2020. Within 12 hours of injury, blood samples were collected simultaneously for both assays. Variables compared and correlated between assays were lag time, peak height, time to peak, and endogenous thrombin potential. Data are presented as median with interquartile range (IQR). Spearman and Pearson correlations were estimated and tested between both assays; a P value of <0.05 was considered to be significant. Results A total of 64 trauma patients had samples analyzed: injury severity score = 17 (IQR), 10-26], hospital length of stay = 7.5 (IQR), 2-18) days, age = 52 (IQR, 35-63) years, 71.9% male, and 42.2% of patients received a transfusion within 24 hours of injury. Thrombin generation parameters between plasma and whole blood were compared and found that all parameters of the two assays correlate in trauma patients. Conclusion In this pilot study, we have found that a novel point-of-care whole blood thrombin generation assay yields results with modest but statistically significant correlations to those of a standard plasma thrombin generation assay. This finding supports studying this device in a larger, adequately powered study.
Redesign as Reform: A Critique of the Design of Bilateral Investment Treaties

This Article engages with the heated debates about the reform of the legal regime of international investment. The primary goal of most reform proposals is to improve the regime’s dispute settlement mechanism. This Article draws attention to the redesign of bilateral investment treaties — the principal legal instrument in international investment law — as an alternative reform agenda. It describes the main extra-legal theories put forward in the investment law literature to explain the design of these treaties. The Article argues that none of the cited theories fully justify the current design, but rather warrant modifications thereof which go far beyond the reform of dispute settlement. The Article outlines these modifications as possible options for reform and provides a road-map for further research on the redesign of bilateral investment treaties.
A Noise-Cancelling Self-Interference Canceller with +7 dBm Self-Interference Power Handling in 0.18μ m CMOS

Self-interference (SI) mitigation is critical for full-duplex and frequency-domain duplex systems. Canceller noise and linearity limits the SI power that can be tolerated at RX input. A dual-path SI cancellation scheme is presented where the noise and distortion from the canceller are addressed through a differential noise-cancelling path. The proposed scheme relaxes the noise/linearity trade-offs in canceller design and a 400 MHz implementation in $0.18\mu \mathrm{m}$ CMOS demonstrates 20 dB SI cancellation over 50 MHz bandwidth and 23 dB cancellation for +1dBm peak SI power while degrading RX NF by 3.8 dB.
Desmosomal Cadherins in Health and Disease

Desmosomal cadherins are a recent evolutionary innovation that make up the adhesive core of highly specialized intercellular junctions called desmosomes. Desmosomal cadherins, which are grouped int...
Elucidating molecular mechanisms of two-dimensional chemical reactions

2D reactions on surfaces/interfaces are important but difficult to study. In this issue of Chem, Seki et al. report the use of sum-frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy to elucidate that molecular mechanisms of surfactants facilitated "on-water" 2D polymerization reactions by identifying the key reaction intermediate.
Foundations of Human Memory

1 Introduction 1.1 Historical Background 1.2 Association, Context, and Episodic Memory 1.3 Methods Used in Studying Memory 1.4 The Laws of Repetition and Recency 1.5 Cognitivism 1.6 Organization of the Book 2 Item Recognition 2.1 Strength Theory 2.2 Multiple Sources of Strength? 2.3 Major Findings Concerning Item Recognition 2.4 Sternberg's Procedure 2.5 Summary and Current Directions 2.6 Study Questions 3 Attribute Models 3.1 Attributes 3.2 A Multi-trace Distributed Memory Model 3.3 Similarity Effects 3.4 The Diffusion Model of Reaction Time 3.5 Context Revisited 3.6 Summary and Current Directions 3.7 List-strength Effect 3.8 A Unitrace Attribute Model 3.9 Study Questions 4 Associations and Cued Recall 4.1 Major Associative Tasks 4.2 Encoding and Repetition 4.3 Recency and List Length 4.4 Retrieval Errors 4.5 Retroactive Interference and Recovery 4.6 Proactive Interference 4.7 Context and Interference Theory 4.8 Similarity and Interference 4.9 Unlearning as Inhibition 4.10 Interference Theory: Concluding Remarks 4.11 Item and Associative Information 4.12 Summary and Current Directions 4.13 Study Questions 5 Models of Association 5.1 The Attribute-Similarity Framework 5.2 Neural Network Models 5.3 Summary and Current Directions 5.4 More on Linear Associators 5.5 Project: Cued Recall in a Hopfield Net 5.6 Study Questions 6 Free Recall and Memory Search 6.1 Serial-position Effects 6.2 Retrieval Dynamics 6.3 Semantic Clustering 6.4 Intrusions 6.5 Repetition Effects 6.6 Summary and Current Directions 6.7 Study Questions 7 Models of Free Recall 7.1 Dual-store Memory Search Models 7.2 Testing Dual-Store Models 7.3 Problems for Dual-store Models 7.4 Single-store retrieved-context models 7.5 Testing Retrieved Context Theory 7.6 Summary and Current Directions 7.7 Study Questions 8 Sequence Memory 8.1 Serial Recall and Memory Span 8.2 Serial-Position Effects 8.3 Modality and Suffix Effects: Evidence for a phonological STS? 8.4 Recall Errors 8.5 Associative Asymmetry 8.6 Grouping Effects 8.7 Summary and Current Directions 8.8 Study Questions 9 Theories of Sequence Memory 9.1 Associative Chaining 9.2 Positional Coding 9.3 Eight Critical Findings 9.4 Chaining vs. Positional Coding 9.5 Hierarchical Associative Theory 9.6 Summary and Current Directions 9.7 Study Questions References Author Index Index
KBB: a knowledge-bundle builder for research studies

Researchers struggle to manage vast amounts of data coming from hundreds of sources in online repositories. To successfully conduct research studies, researchers need to find, retrieve, filter, extract, integrate, organize, and share information in a timely and high-precision manner. Active conceptual modeling for learning can give researchers the tools they need to perform their tasks in a more efficient, user-friendly, and computer-supported way. The idea is to create "knowledge bundles" (KBs), which are conceptual-model representations of organized information superimposed over a collection of source documents. A "knowledge-bundle builder" (KBB) helps researchers develop KBs in a synergistic and incremental manner and is a manifestation of learning in terms of its semi-automatic construction of KBs. An implemented KBB prototype shows both the feasibility of the idea and the opportunities for further research and development.
THE 'POTATO HEAD' METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING DRIVER PREFERENCES FOR VEHICLE CONTROLS

This paper describes a method for identifying customer preferences for product features (here, vehicle controls) and how to implement the method. In brief, people sit in a vehicle mockup surrounded by panels of switches. For each function of interest (e.g., headlights on/off, hazard, etc.). They select the switch they prefer and attach it to the instrument panel (covered with Velcro®) or the steering column where they want it. (This is much like the Mr Potato Head® toy where children construct a face from parts - eyes, noses, etc.). To identify poor choices, test participants then drive a simulator while operating the chosen switches. Afterwards, participants can change their preferences, which they often do. While applied to controls here, it could be used to determine preferences for displays or other features.
Similarity and Order in Memory1

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses two related issues in human memory theory: how the effects of similarity on serial memory are represented and how the distinction between item and order information is understood. A central phenomenon for both issues is the interaction first documented by Horowitz showing that high intra list similarity facilitates item memory but inhibits order memory. The results of experiments in the chapter argue that semantic similarity affects performance in list memory situations much in the same way as does phonological similarity. This means investigators should formulate explanations for these effects in terms that transcend particular manipulations of similarity. The chapter concludes that the facilitation of high intra list similarity for item information, such as in free recall, does not occur with recognition tests of item information. This result may be understood with reference to the sophisticated guessing hypothesis and it has a major implication for the distinction between item and order information. All similarity effects appear to operate in the same way, and similarity seems to have uniform effects on item and order information once these are defined with respect to the proper scale.
Dialysis continuous process for ammonium-lactate fermentation of whey: experimental tests.

Laboratory experiments were conducted to validate theoretical predictions describing a dialysis continuous process for the fermentation of whey lactose to ammonium lactate, in which the fermentor contents are poised at a constant pH by adding ammonia solution and dialyzed through a membrane against water. Dried sweet-cheese whey was rehydrated to contain 230 mg of lactose per ml, supplemented with 8 mg of yeast extract per ml, charged into a 5-liter fermentor without sterilization, adjusted in pH (5.3) and temperature (44°C), and inoculated with Lactobacillus bulgaricus. The fermentor and dialysate circuits were connected, and steady-state conditions were established. A series of such conditions was managed nonaseptically for 94 days to study the process and to demonstrate efficiency and productivity. As time progressed, the fermentation remained homofermentative and increased in conversion efficiency, although membrane fouling necessitated dialyzer cleaning about every 4 weeks. With a retention time of 19 h, 97% of the substrate was converted into products. Relative to nondialysis continuous or batch processes for the fermentation, the dialysis continuous process enabled the use of more concentrated substrate, was more efficient in the rate of substrate conversion, and additionally produced a second effluent of less concentrated but purer ammonium lactate.
Smoothing Strange Attractors Using Splines

A noise-reduction algorithm for time-series of non-linear systems is presented. The algorithm smoothes the attractors in phase space using B-splines, allowing a more accurate measure of their dynamics. The algorithm is tested on numerical and experimental data. It is linear in complexity, and can be applied to embeddings of any dimension.
Utilization of Rules 614 and 706 in Fact-Finding: A Recent Study of Midwest Judges

(Please note: this is an abridged version of the complete Study, which appears in the University of Pittsburgh Law Review and is available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2027549.)The Daubert decision in 1993 provided judges significant guidance on the substantive standard to use in gatekeeping expert evidence, but less so with the procedures to use to do so. While Justice Breyer suggested several methods in his concurrence in General Electric v. Joiner in 1997, few studies have systematically measured the tools used by judges to perform that task. This paper explores how judges use advanced fact-finding tools of the Rules of Evidence in their courtrooms, by discussing a recent survey of judges regarding how they use these methods, why they use these methods, and the source of their reluctance to do so in some cases. By measuring the actual practices of state court judges, the paper examines the methods Justice Breyer suggested judges use in their Daubert gatekeeping and whether the aspirational goals of the Rules of Evidence match reality in courtroom practice today.
Gain-assisted nanoscale surface plasmons

Surface plasmons at the interface between metal and dielectric with strong optical gain are analyzed. Proper choice of optical indices results in an infinitely large effective refractive index, vanishing low group velocity, and deep sub-wavelength localization near the interface.
Localization of nerve fibers in colonic polyps, adenomas, and adenocarcinomas by immunocytochemical staining for PGP 9.5.

Background PGP 9.5 is a cytoplasmic protein and is a specific marker for neurites and neurons.
Measurement problems in estimating theoretically informed models of stress: A sociological perspective

The estimation of theoretically informed models of stress require valid and unconfounded measures of the explanatory constructs that comprise the models. Psychosocial theoretical perspectives draw analytic distinctions between life circumstances, subjective evaluation of threat, adaptive/defensive/coping responses, and dysfunctional personal and social consequences. The theoretical considerations surrounding these constructs and the implications of these considerations for measurements decisions are reviewed. Further progress in understanding the stress process depends on increasingly sophisticated theoretical statements that permit finer delineation of explanatory constructs. Progress depends also on analytic techniques that permit the estimation of structural relations among latent constructs independent of the correlated errors between the observed variables.
Thermochemistry of 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylic acid.

The enthalpies of combustion and sublimation of 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylic acid [CASRN 4282-31-9] were measured by rotary-bomb combustion calorimetry and the method of transference in a saturated stream of nitrogen, and the gas-phase enthalpy of formation was determined, Δf (g) = −(632.6 ± 2.2) kJ·mol-1. Standard ab initio molecular orbital calculations at the G2(MP2) and G3(MP2) levels were performed, and a theoretical study on the molecular and electronic structure of the compound has been carried out. The three most stable conformers have been explicitly taken into account. The calculated enthalpy of formation averaged using three different isodesmic reactions, −631.1 kJ·mol-1, is in very good agreement with the experimental value. A comparison of the substituent effect of the carboxylic groups in benzene and thiophene ring has been made. The relative stability obtained for the substitution of two H atoms by COOH in position 2,5- for thiophene and 1,4- for benzene involve the same energetic effects, ΔΔf...
Assessing Homegrown Library Collections: Using Google Analytics to Track Use of Screencasts and Flash-Based Learning Objects

Increasing use of screencast and Flash authoring software within libraries is resulting in “homegrown” library collections of digital learning objects and multimedia presentations. The author explores the use of Google Analytics to track usage statistics for interactive Shockwave Flash (.swf) files, the common file output for screencast and Flash projects. Best practices for implementing Google Analytics are summarized. Examples are provided for the Flash authoring software and the screencast software programs Adobe Captivate, Qarbon Viewlet Builder, and Camtasia Studio. Observations, analysis, and recommendations based on the author's use of Google Analytics to track library screencast tutorials are provided.
Counter-therapeutic facilitation of a complex movement disorder with haloperidol in a young adult with a developmental disability

A rigorous behavioral assessment protocol was used to evaluate the stimulus control of a complex movement disorder and the effects of haloperidol in a 22-year-old developmentally disabled female patient after behavioral interventions had failed to produce durable change. An increase in haloperidol resulted in an increase in involuntary movements and acted differentially on the different response topographies that comprised this patient's disorder.
Acute neurologic decompensation in an infant with cobalamin deficiency exposed to nitrous oxide

After exposure to nitrous oxide, an infant with unrecognized cobalamin deficiency developed neurologic deterioration and pancytopenia. Hematologic recovery and partial resolution of his neurologic changes followed repletion of the vitamin. Nitrous oxide depletes bioavailable cobalamin and may be a dangerous anesthetic in patients with cobalamin deficiency.
Management of Significant Femoral Bone Loss with Use of Modular Stems

Significant femoral bone loss can be encountered in the multiply revised patient. Deficient proximal bone requires either a bulk allograft or a femoral component that allows stable distal fixation. Extensively coated stems have shown excellent results for many revisions but have shown higher rates of failure among patients with femoral remodeling in retroversion, an enlarged endosteal diameter, or an ectatic canal. A modular tapered stem is an alternative in this subset of patients. A modular tapered implant provides axial and rotational stability through the use of distal splines while the proximal body segments can allow independent adjustment of leg length, offset, and anteversion. We previously reported the 1- to 4-year (average 2 years) results of modular tapered femoral prosthesis in cementless femoral revisions. In the previous study there were 16 patients all with Type IIIB or IV Paprosky femurs. This is a follow-up of that article reporting on 24 patients, all with Type IIIB or IV Paprosky femurs with a follow-up of 2 to 5 years (average 3 years). We revised one component for subsidence, one component was revised for fracture at the modular junction, and one component was revised for sepsis.
Comprehension of Information in Three Direct-to-Consumer Television Prescription Drug Advertisements Among Adults With Limited Literacy

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) television advertisements present a number of facts about prescription drug risks and benefits in a brief time. This study assessed comprehension of information in three advertisements among 50 adults with limited literacy. Participants correctly answered an average of 59% of comprehension questions. The percentage of respondents correctly answering individual comprehension questions ranged from 26% to 92%. A multivariate analysis suggested that type of information (risk vs. other) and channel (text vs. audio) predicted comprehension. There was a significant interaction effect for literacy and place of birth. Our results suggest key areas for future research on comprehension of DTC advertising.
Assay of Flucytosine and Furosemide by High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography

A high-pressure liquid chromatographic method for the analysis of flucytosine and furosemide concentrations in biological fluid is described. The separations were carried out on a pellicular cation-exchange resin eluted with an ammonium phosphate buffer. Detection of elution peaks was by UV absorption at 280 nm and fluorescence monitoring. Advantages of the method are specificity, minimal preanalysis sample workup, and small sample size.
Joint multi-video compression for robot explorations

To assist human shared control for robotic explorations in complicated environments, it is essential to transmit multiple videos of monitoring wheel-land interactions to human control stations. Since multiple video data is very huge, in this research, we have developed an effective joint compression scheme for multiple robot videos to assist human shared control. The proposed scheme is flexible which can work for multiple videos with both the same and different resolutions. To jointly regulate the overall compression rate to meet the available network bandwidth while obtaining optimal encoding quality, we propose a new joint rate control approach which can intelligently perform target bit allocation among multiple videos and dynamically determine encoding parameters. Further, our scheme also allows flexible priority adjustment among multiple videos to meet diverse needs from human controllers. Our experimental results have demonstrated that the proposed scheme can effectively compress multiple robot videos and regulate overall encoding rates meet diverse channel bandwidths.
Designing high-throughput VLC decoder. I. Concurrent VLSI architectures

Two classes of architectures-the tree-based and the PLA-based architectures-have been discussed in the literature for the variable length code (VLC) decoder. Pipelined or parallel architectures in these two classes are proposed for high-speed implementation. The pipelined tree-based architectures have the advantages of fully pipelined design, short clock cycle, and partial programmability. They are suitable for concurrent decoding of multiple independent bit streams. The PLA-based architectures have greater flexibility and can take advantages of some high-level optimization techniques. The input/output rate can be fixed or variable to meet the application requirements. As an experiment, the authors have constructed a VLC based on a popular video compression system and compared the architectures. A layout of the major parts and a simulation of the critical path of the pipelined constant-input-rate PLA-based architecture using a high-level synthesis approach estimates that a decoding throughput of 200 Mb/s with a single chip is achievable with CMOS 2.0 mu m technology. >
Continuous manufacturing of fiber-reinforced metal matrix composite wires — technology and product characteristics

Abstract A new continuous processing method is presented for the production of continuous-fiber-reinforced metal matrix composite (MMC) wires. The process currently yields MMC wires with the diameter of 0.5–1.6 mm at a maximum speed of ∼0.3 m/s for (fiber)–(metal) combinations of (Al2O3, Si–Ti Carbide, SiC, Carbon)–(Aluminum, 2024A1, 6061A1) with a fiber volume fraction of ∼0.50–0.65. The process operation, mechanical/materials characteristics of the MMC wires as well as their relationships are described as an overview of the new materials processing technology.
Complex lipid requirements for SNARE-and SNARE chaperone dependent membrane fusion

Membrane fusion without lysis has been reconstituted with purified yeast vacuolar SNAREs (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors), the SNARE chaperones Sec17p/Sec18p and the multifunctional HOPS complex, which includes a subunit of the SNARE-interactive Sec1-Munc18 family, and vacuolar lipids: phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylserine (PS), phosphatidic acid (PA), cardiolipin (CL), ergosterol (ERG), diacylglycerol (DAG), and phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PI3P). We now report that many of these lipids are required for rapid and efficient fusion of the reconstituted SNARE proteoliposomes in the presence of SNARE chaperones. Omission of either PE, PA, or PI3P from the complete set of lipids strongly reduces fusion, and PC, PE, PA, and PI3P constitute a minimal set of lipids for fusion. PA could neither be replaced by other lipids with small headgroups such as DAG or ERG nor by the acidic lipids PS or PI. PA is needed for full association of HOPS and Sec18p with proteoliposomes having a minimal set of lipids. Strikingly, PA and PE are as essential for SNARE complex assembly as for fusion, suggesting that these lipids facilitate functional interactions among SNAREs and SNARE chaperones.
An Analysis of Recorder Motion Errors in Optical Processing

Random motion errors in recorders are analyzed in the context of complex filter optical processors. The mean output signal is found and the effects of large and small bandwidth error processes are exhibited. Performance requirements are derived for position and velocity errors in terms of signal bandwidth (resolution) and time-bandwidth product.
Trusted Identities in Cyberspace

Secure and privacy-preserving digital identity management is a key requirement for secure use of the Internet and other online environments. However, the landscape of digital identity management is quite complex, with several different stakeholders. Here, the author discusses critical issues that must be addressed for the large-scale and effective deployment of digital identity solutions.
A new time-dependent ionosphere-magnetosphere coupling model: Comparison of field-aligned currents against ST5 observations

Abstract By using Tsyganenko's model for the magnetosphere's magnetic field, which links two hemispheres of the ionosphere, and adopting a practical boundary condition for the electric potential around the polar cap, we developed a new ionosphere–magnetosphere coupling model based on prairie view dynamo code (PVDC). The new model takes the variations in solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field, as well as the geomagnetic activity, into account. Rather than the previous version of PVDC that is useful only for quiet conditions, the new model enables to calculate the electric potential and currents in the ionosphere and the field-aligned current (FAC) off the ionosphere in quiet and disturbed times. Comparison of the calculated FAC with the measurements of Space Technology 5 (ST5) mission shows a good agreement.
Statistical diffusion tensor histology reveals regional dysmyelination effects in the shiverer mouse mutant.

Shiverer is an important model of central nervous system dysmyelination characterized by a deletion in the gene encoding myelin basic protein with relevance to human dysmyelinating and demyelinating diseases. Perfusion fixed brains from shiverer mutant (C3Fe.SWV Mbp^(shi)/Mbp^(shi)n = 6) and background control (C3HeB.FeJ, n = 6) mice were compared using contrast enhanced volumetric diffusion tensor magnetic resonance microscopy with a nominal isotropic spatial resolution of 80 mum. Images were accurately coregistered using non-linear warping allowing voxel-wise statistical parametric mapping of tensor invariant differences between control and shiverer groups. Highly significant differences in the tensor trace and both the axial and radial diffusivity were observed within the major white matter tracts and in the thalamus, midbrain, brainstem and cerebellar white matter, consistent with a high density of myelinated axons within these regions. The fractional anisotropy was found to be much less sensitive than the trace and eigenvalues to dysmyelination and associated microanatomic changes.
The FDA and the case of Ketek.

The FDA and the Case of Ketek Since the FDA approved the drug Ketek (telithromycin), concerns have arisen about both safety and fraud. Dr. David Ross writes that there are lessons to be learned from an examination of the events surrounding the approval of this product. Dr. David Ross discusses the FDA review process for the antibiotic Ketek, problems with data integrity, and the “culture of approval” at the FDA. Dr. Ross is a clinical assistant professor at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, D.C., and a former medical reviewer for the FDA.
Teetering towards chaos and complexity

The closest that most chemists get to the concepts of nonlinearity and emergent properties is a passing acquaintance with a well-known oscillating reaction. Bruce C. Gibb suggests that looking a little deeper into chaos and complexity could help us to answer some very important questions.
Skull Base Surgery for Benign Skull Base Tumors

The use of skull base techniques in the treatment of benign skull base tumors has allowed access to areas of the brain once considered inaccessible. The most common benign skull base tumors encountered in neurosurgical practice are benign meningiomas, schwannomas, and glomus jugulare tumors. Gross total resection of these lesions gives patients the best possible chance of a cure. In this paper, we review the rationale for the use of skull base surgery techniques for benign skull base tumors.
Photodissociation of vibrationally excited CH3Br

Abstract A two-step laser photodissociation technique is used to study the UV photodissociation of vibrationally excited CH 3 Br. The absorption by CH 3 Br of coincident lines of the 10.6 μm CO 2 laser is measured as a function of laser fluence and CH 3 Br pressure. The results are compared with calculations based on spectroscopic parameters for the CH 3 Br( v 6  0 → 1) absorption band and a simple rotational relaxation model. Subsequent photodissociation by a variably delayed UV laser pulse probes the effect of this vibrational excitation (and collisional vibrational energy transfer) on the UV photodissociation cross section.