cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A System for Centralized ABAC Policy Administration and Local ABAC Policy Decision and Enforcement in Host Systems using Access Control Lists

We describe a method that centrally manages Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) policies and locally computes and enforces decisions regarding those policies for protection of resource repositories in host systems using their native Access Control List (ACL) mechanisms. The method is founded on the expression of an ABAC policy that conforms to the access control rules of an enterprise and leverages the ABAC policy expression by introducing representations of local host repositories into the ABAC policy expression as objects or object attributes. Repositories may be comprised of individual files, directories, or other resources that require protection. The method further maintains a correspondence between the ABAC representations and repositories in local host systems. The method also leverages an ability to conduct policy analytics in such a way as to formulate ACLs for those representations in accordance with the ABAC policy and create ACLs on repositories using the ACLs of their corresponding representations. As the ABAC policy configuration changes, the method updates the ACLs on affected representations and automatically updates corresponding ACLs on local repositories. Operationally, users attempt to access resources in local host systems, and the ABAC policy is enforced in those systems in terms of their native ACLs.
Efficient Approximate Subsequence Matching Using Hybrid Signatures

In this paper, we focus on the problem of approximate subsequence matching, also called the read mapping problem in genomics, which is finding similar subsequences (A subsequence refers to a substring which has consecutive characters) of a query (DNA subsequence) from a reference genome under a user-specified similarity threshold k. Existing methods first extract subsequences from a query to generate signatures, then produce candidate positions using the generated signatures, and finally verify these candidate positions to obtain the true mapping positions. However, there exist two main issues in these works: (1) producing many candidate positions; and (2) generating large numbers of signatures, among which many signatures are redundant. To address the above two issues, we propose a novel filtering technique, called hybrid signatures, which can achieve a better balance between the filtering ability of signatures and the overhead of producing candidate positions. Accordingly, we devise an adaptive algorithm to produce candidate positions using hybrid signatures. Finally, the experimental results on real-world genomic sequences show that our method outperforms state-of-the-art methods in query efficiency.
Can Big Data Predict the Rise of Novel Drug Abuse

Existing novel psychoactive drug (NPD) data are woefully inadequate. This gap is especially critical because NPDs are being developed and introduced at alarming rates and pose significant challenge...
Microstructural Aspects of Acoustic Emission Generation in Ceramics

The main objective of the studies described in this paper was to determine the conditions under which acoustic emission signals are generated in ceramics prior to failure and to see if these signals have any characteristic features which can be used to determine the microscopic process taking place within the material. In the first section, the techniques used and the materials studied are outlined. Section II then describes the characteristic features of the acoustic emission signals generated during plastic flow of MgO single crystals and accompanying the fracture of polycrystalline ceramics and glass. Following the work of Gatti et al.,1 the third section describes the establishment of a relationship between the occurrence of an individual acoustic burst and the motion of a slowly growing crack front. The fourth section describes the application of acoustic emission monitoring techniques to the determination of the material parameters appearing in fracture mechanics theories.
Online ethics-education modules and ethics forums of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

The American Society of Transplant Surgeons offers web-based educational modules and public discussions to promote exploration of ethical issues in the field.
Overnight Resident versus 24-hour Attending Radiologist Coverage in Academic Medical Centers.

Available data indicate that overnight coverage by radiology residents with delayed over-reading by subspecialist faculty has a low error rate comparable to that of attending radiologists in the em...
Patients,' Nephrologists,' and Predicted Estimations of ESKD Risk Compared with 2-Year Incidence of ESKD.

Background and objectives The rate of progression to ESKD is variable, and prognostic information helps patients and physicians plan for future ESKD. We assessed the estimations of ESKD risk of patients with CKD and physicians and compared them with risk calculators and outcomes at 2 years. Design, setting, participants, & measurements This prospective observational study assessed 257 adult patients with CKD stages 3–5 and their nephrologists at University of California, San Diego and Veterans Affairs San Diego CKD clinics. Patients’ and nephrologists’ estimations of 2-year ESKD risk were evaluated, and objective estimation of 2-year risk was determined using kidney failure risk equations; actual incidence rates of ESKD and death were ascertained by chart review. Participants’ baseline characteristics were compared across kidney failure risk equation risk levels and according to whether patients’ estimations were more optimistic or pessimistic than physicians’ estimations. We examined correlations between estimations and compared estimations with outcomes using c statistics and calibration plots. Results Average age was 65 (±13) years old, and eGFR was 34 (±13) ml/min per 1.73 m2. Overall, 13% reached ESKD, and 9% died. About one quarter of patients gave estimates that were >20% more optimistic than physicians, and more than one in ten gave estimates that were >20% more pessimistic. Physicians’ and kidney failure risk equation estimations had the strongest correlation (r=0.72; P 0.8), physicians and patients overestimated risk compared with actual outcomes; no patient whose physician estimated a risk of ESKD Conclusions Compared with actual ESKD incidence, the kidney failure risk equation outperformed patients’ and physicians’ estimations of ESKD incidence. Patients and physicians overestimated risk compared with the kidney failure risk equation.
Asymptotic distribution-free change-point detection based on interpoint distances for high-dimensional data

Recent advances have greatly facilitated the collection of high-dimensional data in many fields. Often the dimension of the data is much larger than the sample size, the so-called high dimension, l...
Erratum for Gettings et al., "Antibodies to Borrelia turicatae in Experimentally Infected Dogs Cross-React with Borrelia burgdorferi Serologic Assays"

Volume 57, no. 9, e00628-19, 2019, [https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.00628-19][1]. This article was published on 26 August 2019 with Aparna Krishnavajhala’s surname misspelled as “Krishnavahjala” in the byline. The byline was updated in the version posted on 2 January 2020. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.
Application of a Simple Ramsauer Model for Neutron Total Cross Sections for Nuclear Mass Numbers A < 40

A recent paper discussed fits of the nuclear Ramsauer model to total neutron cross sections for mass numbers A > 40 and for neutron energies between 6 and 60 MeV. These results are extended to nuclei of mass <40. A reasonably simple parameterization is found that gives a good representation of a recent set of precision data in this mass range. Particular emphasis is placed on the elements of biological importance: carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen.
The mathematical theory of a higher-order geometrically-exact beam with a deforming cross-section

Abstract This paper investigates the variational formulation and numerical solution of a higher-order, geometrically exact Cosserat type beam with deforming cross-section, instigated from generalized kinematics presented in earlier works. The generalizations include the effects of a fully-coupled Poisson’s and warping deformations in addition to other deformation modes from Simo-Reissner beam kinematics. The kinematics at hand renders the deformation map to be a function of not only the configuration of the beam but also elements of the tangent space of the beam’s configuration (axial strain vector, curvature, warping amplitude, and their derivatives). While this complicates the process of deriving the balance laws and exploring the variational formulation of the beam, the completeness of the result makes it worthwhile. The weak and strong form are derived for the dynamic case considering a general boundary. We restrict ourselves to a linear small-strain elastic constitutive law and the static case for numerical implementation. The finite element modeling of this beam has higher regularity requirements. The matrix (discretized) form of the equation of motion is derived. Finally, numerical simulations comparing various beam models are presented.
Rapid generation of optimal generalized Monkhorst-Pack grids

Abstract Computational modeling of the properties of crystalline materials has become an increasingly important aspect of materials research, consuming hundreds of millions of CPU-hours at scientific computing centers around the world each year, if not more. A routine operation in such calculations is the evaluation of integrals over the Brillouin zone. We have previously demonstrated that performing such integrals using generalized Monkhorst-Pack k-point grids can roughly double the speed of these calculations relative to the widely-used traditional Monkhorst-Pack grids. However the generation of optimal generalized Monkhorst-Pack grids is not implemented in most software packages due to the computational cost and difficulty of identifying the best grids. To address this problem, we present new algorithms that allow rapid generation of optimal generalized Monkhorst-Pack grids on the fly. We demonstrate that the grids generated by these algorithms are on average significantly more efficient than those generated using existing algorithms across a range of grid densities. For grids that correspond to a real-space supercell with at least 50 A between lattice points, which is sufficient to converge density functional theory calculations within 1 meV/atom for nearly all materials, our algorithm finds optimized grids in an average of 0.19 s on a single processing core. To facilitate the widespread adoption of this approach, we present new open-source tools including a library designed for integration with third-party software packages.
Statistical Explanation and Statistical Relevance

The ontological difference between the hypothetical frequency interpretations advanced by Kyburg [1974], [1978] and by van Fraassen [1977], [1979] and the single-case dispositional analysis advanced by Fetzer and Nute [1979], [1980], moreover, displays itself further in the kind of explanation they provide for the occurrence of singular outcomes and of sequential results as well. Under the dispositional interpretation, for example, both kinds of occurrences may be explained as manifestations of dispositional properties of the physical world; in particular, these probabilities as single-case statistical dispositions are equally applicable to the outcomes of singular or of multiple trials. Under their frequency interpretations, by contrast, the assignment of a “probability” to the occurrence of a certain result on a singular trial apparently is not literally meaningful, since “probability” itself is defined by means of limiting frequencies and relative frequencies over “long runs” of test trials. The fundamental difference which we have discovered to distinguish these interpretations from one another, therefore, is that the dispositional construction affords a theoretical conception of single-ease causal tendencies, which these hypothetical frequency interpretations are unable to supply; but there remains yet another difference with respect to their explanatory capacity which merits additional consideration.
Generation of synchronized configuration space trajectories with workspace path constraints for an ensemble of robots

We present an approach to generate path-constrained synchronous motion for the coupled ensemble of robots. In this article, we refer to serial-link manipulators and mobile bases as robots. We assum...
Comparative neurological safety of fluoroquinolones versus therapeutic alternatives.

BACKGROUND Fluoroquinolones, one of the most commonly prescribed antibiotic classes, have been implicated in cases of central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) adverse events, which highlights the need for epidemiologic studies of the neurological safety of fluoroquinolones. PURPOSE To evaluate the safety of fluoroquinolones with regard to risk of diagnosed neurological dysfunction. METHODS We conducted a propensity score-matched inception cohort study using claims data from a commercially insured population. Our study included adults prescribed an oral fluoroquinolone or comparator antibiotic between January 2000 and September 2015 for acute bacterial sinusitis, acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, uncomplicated urinary tract infection, or acute bronchitis. Our outcomes were CNS dysfunction, and four separate but complementary PNS dysfunction outcomes. Cox proportional hazards models were estimated after matching on propensity scores fitted using the variables age, sex, epilepsy, hereditary peripheral neuropathy, renal dysfunction, diabetes, gabapentinoid use, statin use, isoniazid use, and chemotherapy use. RESULTS Our cohort contained 976 568 individuals exposed to a fluoroquinolone antibiotic matched 1:1 with a comparator. Matching produced balance (standardized mean difference <0.1) on all variables included in the propensity score. The hazard ratio associated with fluoroquinolone exposure was 1.08 (95% confidence interval 1.05-1.11) for CNS dysfunction, and 1.09 (95% CI 1.07-1.11) for the most commonly occurring PNS dysfunction outcome. CONCLUSIONS Fluoroquinolone antibiotic use was associated with the development of neurological dysfunction versus comparator antibiotic use in the adult population.
The impact of customized head molds on motion and motion-related artifacts from structural and functional MRI scans in children

Abstract Although neuroimaging provides powerful tools for assessing brain structure and function, their utility for elucidating mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric disorders is limited by their sensitivity to head motion. Several publications have shown that standard retrospective motion correction and arduous quality assessment are insufficient to fully remove the deleterious impacts of motion on functional (fMRI) and structural (sMRI) neuroimaging data. These residual errors tend to be correlated with age and clinical diagnosis, resulting in artifactual findings in studies of clinical, developmental, and aging populations. As such there is a continued need to explore and evaluate novel methods for reducing head motion, and their applicability in these populations. Recently, a custom-fitted styrofoam head mold was reported to reduce motion across a range of ages, mostly adolescents, during a resting state fMRI scan. In the present study, we tested the efficacy of these head molds in a sample exclusively of young children (N = 19; mean age = 7.9 years) including those with ADHD (N = 6). We evaluated the head mold’s impact on head motion, data quality, and analysis results derived from the data. Importantly, we also evaluated whether the head molds were tolerated by our population. We also assessed the extent to which the head mold’s efficacy was related to anxiety levels and ADHD symptoms. In addition to fMRI, we examined the head mold’s impact on sMRI by using a specialized sequence with embedded volumetric navigators (vNAV) to determine head motion during sMRI. We evaluated the head mold’s impact on head motion, data quality, and analysis results derived from the data. Additionally, we conducted acoustic measurements and analyses to determine the extent to which the head mold reduced the noise dosage from the scanner. We found that some individuals benefited while others did not improve significantly. One individual’s sMRI motion was made worse by the head mold. We were unable to identify predictors of the head mold response due to the smaller sample size. The head molds were tolerated well by young children, including those with ADHD, and they provided ample hearing protection. Although the head mold was not a universal solution for reducing head motion and improving data quality, we believe the time and cost required for using the head mold may outweigh the potential loss of data from excessive head motion for developmental studies.
Acupuncture for chronic pain in adults with sickle cell disease: a mixed-methods pilot study.

Objective:Chronic pain is a common symptom experienced among patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Our aims were to assess the feasibility and acceptability of performing acupuncture for the tre...
Bilateral sciatic hernias in an elderly woman successfully managed with robotic surgery: A case report and literature review.

Abstract Introduction Sciatic hernias are the rarest form of pelvic floor hernias as well as an uncommon cause of sciatica. A high index of suspicion is required to make the diagnosis due to its variable clinical presentation. This is the first case describing bilateral intestinal sciatic hernia, diagnosis, and robotic surgical repair. Presentation of case A 77-year-old female with history of chronic back pain and diverticulitis presented with three weeks of abdominal pain, radiating down her legs bilaterally. Computed tomography (CT) revealed bilateral sciatic notch hernias without evidence of bowel obstruction. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed compression of the sciatic nerves within the sciatic notch bilaterally. She underwent robotic bilateral retroperitoneal sciatic notch hernia repair successfully. Discussion There are several independent causes of abdominal pain and bilateral radiating leg pain. Sciatic hernias are an unusual cause of both. Aside from bowel, the hernia can involve other structures, such as the bladder, ureters, or ovaries, potentially creating drastically different clinical pictures. Laparoscopic or robotic repair have been proven superior to open surgery in the literature. Conclusion This case demonstrates that bilateral sciatic hernias can present as uncomplicated sciatica in an elderly patient, but the addition of seemingly unrelated abdominal pain should warrant further investigation. Minimally invasive robotic repair can successfully treat sciatic hernias.
Sex differences in cardiopulmonary effects of acute bromine exposure.

Accidental occupational bromine (Br>2>) exposures are common, leading to significant morbidity and mortality; however, the specific effects of Br>2> inhalation in female victims are unclear. Our studies demonstrated that acute high-concentration Br>2> inhalation is fatal, and cardiac injury and dysfunction play an important role in Br>2> toxicity in males. In this study, we exposed female Sprague Dawley rats, age-matched to those males from previously studied, to 600 ppm Br>2> for 45 min and assessed their survival, cardiopulmonary injury and cardiac function after exposure. Br>2> exposure caused serious mortality in female rats (59%) 48 h after exposure. Rats had severe clinical distress, reduced heart rates and oxygen saturation after Br>2> inhalation as was previously reported with male animals. There was significant lung injury and edema when measured 24 h after exposure. Cardiac injury biomarkers were also significantly elevated 24 h after Br>2> inhalation. Echocardiography and hemodynamic studies were also performed and revealed that the mean arterial pressure was not significantly elevated in females. Other functional cardiac parameters were also altered. Aside from the lack of elevation of blood pressure, all other changes observed in female animals were also present in male animals as reported in our previous study. These studies are important to understand the toxicity mechanisms to generate therapies and better-equip first responders to deal with these specific scenarios after bromine spill disasters.>.
Comparison of the effect of citalopram, bupropion, sertraline, and tricyclic antidepressants on QTc: A cross-sectional study.

Abstract Background Some data suggests that citalopram has more risk of corrected QT interval (QTc) prolongation than other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Consequently the U.S. Food and Drug Administration distributed a safety warning limiting the maximum dose for citalopram. There is also a suggestion that bupropion may decrease QTc in patients on drugs that increase QTc. The goals of this cross-sectional study were to examine (1) effects on QTc of citalopram compared to sertraline, bupropion, and tricyclic antidepressants; (2) dose dependent effects of citalopram; and (3) effects of bupropion on citalopram-mediated changes in QTc. Methods Records of subjects who received an EKG while taking one of the specified antidepressants were reviewed to collect demographic information, antidepressant history, and information about other confounders. Linear regression was used to examine the relationship between QTc and antidepressants. Results 487 subjects provided 798 EKG records. The sample was 95% male with an average age of 61 years. No differences were found in QTc between citalopram and other antidepressants. No dose relationship was detected between citalopram and QTc. Bupropion did not affect the relationship between citalopram and QTc (coefficient = -3.4; 95%CI = -14.2, 7.5; p = 0.54). Limitations Observational study designs are prone to biases from retrospective data collection. Some data subsets had small numbers of subjects. Conclusions No effect of citalopram on QTc was found at therapeutic doses. Neither was there evidence of a “QTc-sparing” effect of bupropion. The risk of adverse cardiovascular effects from citalopram at doses of 60 mg per day or less appears minimal.
6D Object Pose Estimation with Pairwise Compatible Geometric Features

This work addresses the problem of 6-DoF pose estimation under heavy occlusion. While previous work demonstrates reasonable results in unoccluded situations, robust and efficient pose estimation is still challenging in heavily occluded and low-texture scenarios which are ubiquitous in many applications. To this end, we propose a novel end-to-end deep neural network model recovering object poses from depth measurements. The proposed model enforces pairwise consistency of 3D geometric features by applying spectral convolutions on a pairwise compatibility graph. We achieve comparable accuracy as the state-of-the-art graph matching solver while being much faster. Our approach outperforms state-of-the-art 6-DoF pose estimation methods on LineMOD and Occlusion LineMOD and runs in reasonable time (~5.9 Hz). We additionally verify this method on a synthetic dataset with large affine changes.
Spatial accessibility and equity analysis of Amazon parcel lockers facilities

Abstract The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the growth of e-commerce and home deliveries. Automated parcel lockers are a way to improve delivery efficiency, but despite their rapid growth, little is known about their accessibility and equity impacts. Among e-commerce players in the U.S., Amazon stands out by its large market share. This research studies the location of Amazon lockers in Portland, Oregon utilizing highway, land use, employment, and sociodemographic datasets. Geographical tools and cluster analysis are utilized to estimate accessibility and equity metrics. Lockers tend to be located in mixed-use areas and can be utilized by a large percentage of the population. However, the equity metrics indicate that the current distribution of lockers could be improved to reach traditionally underserved populations. Given the environmental and economic advantages of lockers, policymakers should encourage the expansion of this type of last mile solution to avoid market failures in areas that are currently underserved.
Automatic Forecasting of Radiology Examination Volume Trends for Optimal Resource Planning and Allocation

The aim of the study was to evaluate the performance of the Prophet forecasting procedure, part of the Facebook open-source Artificial Intelligence portfolio, for forecasting variations in radiological examination volumes. Daily CT and MRI examination volumes from our institution were extracted from the radiology information system (RIS) database. Data from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2019, was used for training the Prophet algorithm, and data from January 2020 was used for validation. Algorithm performance was then evaluated prospectively in February and August 2020. Total error and mean error per day were evaluated, and computational time was logged using different Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) samples. Data from 610,570 examinations were used for training; the majority were CTs (82.3%). During retrospective testing, prediction error was reduced from 19 to < 1 per day in CT (total 589 to 17) and from 5 to < 1 per day (total 144 to 27) in MRI by fine-tuning the Prophet procedure. Prospective prediction error in February was 11 per day in CT (9934 predicted, 9667 actual) and 1 per day in MRI (2484 predicted, 2457 actual) and was significantly better than manual weekly predictions (p = 0.001). Inference with MCMC added no substantial improvements while vastly increasing computational time. Prophet accurately models weekly, seasonal, and overall trends paving the way for optimal resource allocation for radiology exam acquisition and interpretation.
The General Conditions of Knowledge: External Conclusiveness

If all justification of confidence had to be infallible then conditions (1), (2), and (3) of our general definition would be sufficient for knowing that something is the case. But the possibility of fallible justification for a claim to know brings with it the possibility that conditions (1)–(3) should be satisfied and yet S fail to know that p, because the facts giving him his fallible justification do so only because they are protected by his ignorance of, or false but justified beliefs about, certain other facts, ones such that were he to learn of them the question of whether or not p would be entirely reopened for him (if he were being reasonable), his justification for being confident that p would be wiped out. Condition (4) must rule out just all such possible circumstances in which (1) and (2) are satisfied and (3) is satisfied by a fallible justification for claiming to know that p and yet S does not in virtue of that justification know that p. Let us speak of a circumstance that falsifies condition (4) with respect to a particular justification for claiming to know that p as defeating that justification for claiming to know that p. Let us consider first kinds of circumstance that can defeat non-inferential justifications and then kinds that can defeat inferential ones.
Examining the association between substance use disorder treatment and smoking cessation

Aims To examine rates of smoking cessation among people with last year substance use disorder (SUD) and how these rates differ among those that have ever received SUD treatment, those who have never received treatment and those who received last year out-patient and/or in-patient treatment. Design Cross-sectional study based on 2009–12 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Setting and Participants A total of 12 796 adult life-time smokers with any last year SUD. The sample is representative of the non-institutionalized US adult population. Measurements We described smoking cessation rates by type of SUD and SUD treatment. We used a logistic regression model identifying the association between smoking cessation and life-time SUD treatment, adjusting for confounders. We also estimated models identifying the association between smoking cessation and last year out-patient and in-patient SUD treatment. Findings Multivariate models identified significantly lower odds of quitting among those with life-time SUD treatment [odds ratio (OR) = 0.561, P-value < 0.001] compared with those without SUD treatment. Past year in-patient and out-patient SUD treatment was associated with lower odds of quitting in an unadjusted comparison (OR = 0.559, P-value = 0.043). In multivariate models, associations were suggestive of lower odds of quitting among those in treatment but there were no significant associations between smoking cessation and receiving in-patient and out-patient services (OR = 0.753, P-value = 0.312), in-patient services only (OR = 0.397, P-value = 0.192) or out-patient services only (OR = 0.689, P-value = 0.214). Conclusions Life-time smokers with past year substance use disorder who had ever received substance use disorder treatment appear to be less likely to quit smoking than those who have never received treatment. This pattern persists across type of substance use disorder.
Frontotemporal dementia to Alzheimer's disease.

Behavioral manifestations may dominate the clinical picture of the frontal variant of frontotemporal dementia (fv-FTD) for a long time before the appearance of true cognitive deficits. On the other hand, a deficit in the episodic memory domain represents the main manifestation of Alzheimer's disease (AD), Many behavioral disorders have been described in the clinical course of both FTD and AD; however, apathy and personality changes characterize frontal dementias, while depression dominates in AD, at least in the earlier stages. Depending on the distribution of neural damage, different patterns of noncognitive manifestations may be expected in different subtypes of FTD, Recent research on the social cognition deficit in FTD has offered new insights into the relationship between cognition and behavior, suggesting that some aspects of the behavioral changes in dementia may be generated by impairment in this domain.
Ethical Issues in Antiepileptic Trials: Old Issues in a New World

Clinical trials of new antiepileptic drugs and therapies raise a number of challenging issues. Some would call them methodological issues. Others would call them safety issues. Still others would focus on ethical issues. Taking them altogether, they should be called responsibility issues. Responsible conduct of human studies of epilepsy, its pathophysiology, and its therapy, as in any clinical condition, must, of course, consider study design, procedures, safety, and ethics. These essential components cannot be separated, nor can the responsibility for ensuring that all studies are sound in all respects. The goals of scientists, of their subjects, and of society are ultimately shared goals; there may be differing emphasis and competing interests, but all parties to the research mission share common goals and share a common responsibility to ensure that studies are properly designed and conducted with all these elements in mind. At least four perspectives must be considered in human trials: those of the investigators, the sponsors, the subjects, and the research ethics review board (RERB), which used to be called the institutional review board, or IRB. Traditionally, the interests of sponsors and investigators have been aligned and linked together, as are those of the subjects and IRBs. These pairings have contributed to a confrontational environment, one that began with the imposition on the scientific and corporate communities of regulations for protection of human subjects in research, an environment that has existed for the past three decades. This paradigm pits the interests of those who want to do research against those on whom it will be done. Consider, for example, a 15-year-old female patient with a history of grand mal seizures since 2 years of age. She has taken four different drugs over the years, is now stable, has been without seizures for >1 year, and is succeeding in school. Her medication is reasonably well tolerated, except for severe gingival hyperplasia. This has been on her mind lately as she is getting ready to attend her junior prom.
IDENTIFICATION AMONG FIRST-GENERATION CITIZEN STUDENTS AND FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS: AN EXPLORATION OF SCHOOL SENSE OF COMMUNITY

The current study explored the relationships within a higher education institution between school sense of community among first-generation U.S. citizen students and first-generation college students compared to students of non-first generation studentship and citizenship (N = 3,025; M age = 27.21), and of varied racial backgrounds. Students at a large, urban, and faith-based university completed a measure of belongingness on campus. In terms of generational status, results found a significant interaction such that students who were both first-generation U.S. citizen students and first-generation college students reported the highest school sense of community. However, the combined first-generation U.S. citizen students and non-first-generation college student group reported the lowest scores. Despite these significant findings, sense of community scores were very similar with few differences between groups, which is further discussed in the discussion and limitation sections. Significant racial differences were not found. Implications for community psychology and higher education policy are discussed.
A novel transglutaminase-mediated post-translational modification of phospholipase A2 dramatically increases its catalytic activity.

Transglutaminases (TG), which include coagulation Factor XIIIa, are calcium-dependent ubiquitous enzymes. TGs catalyze the formation of an isopeptide bond by cross-linking a specific glutamine and a lysine residue between two proteins or within the same protein molecule. Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) is a key enzyme in the regulation of prostaglandin and leukotriene biosynthetic pathways, which catalyzes the release of free fatty acids from the sn-2 position of membrane glycerophospholipids. This enzyme has been suggested to be pathophysiologically related to the initiation and propagation of several inflammatory diseases including juvenile rheumatoid and rheumatoid arthritis. Here, we describe a novel TG-catalyzed post-translational modification of PLA2 which dramatically increases the activity of this enzyme. This increase was dependent upon the time of preincubation, the concentration of TG and the presence of Ca2+. Size exclusion chromatography of TG-treated PLA2 yielded two peaks of PLA2 activity, with apparent molecular masses of 26 and 13 kDa, respectively. The 26-kDa species, a putative PLA2 dimer, contained epsilon-(gamma-glutamyl)-lysine isopeptide in about 1:1 molar ratio to PLA2, suggesting an intramolecular rather than intermolecular cross-linking. This hypothesis was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the 26- and 13-kDa species under denaturing conditions. The specific activity of the dimeric peak was 10-fold higher with respect to that of the monomeric enzyme. These data suggest that TG-catalyzed covalent cross-linking of PLA2 is intramolecular and that this may promote a noncovalent dimerization and subsequent activation of this enzyme via a conformational change. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that TG-mediated post-translational modification of an enzyme (e.g. PLA2) causes a striking increase in the catalytic activity of the enzyme.
Barriers to substance use and mental health utilization among Asian-American women: exploring the conflict between emotional distress and cultural stigma

Background There has been growing incidence of depression, suicide, substance use, and sexually transmitted infections among Asian-American women. However, they are reluctant to seek health and mental health services. There is scant empirical research focused on potential barriers to health-care utilization among Asian-American women. The present paper contributes to the literature by providing an indepth exploration of the factors Asian-American women identify as preventing them from seeking healthcare services.
Computer based biomedical equipment design: an EKG recorder, monitor and simulator

A design is presented for combining a personal computer along with advanced programming techniques and basic medical equipment requirements to create a simplified, integrated piece of biomedical equipment. The goal is to design various modules of the hardware equipment, using the software. In this way, the actual hardware can be minimized and standardized. The complete model has three components. First, a biomedical signal generator concept was introduced. Second, a patient EKG (ECG) simulator was designed and built. Third, an EKG monitor was built to collect data from the patient. This paper explains the rationale and the methodology used in the design of this equipment. The paper demonstrates the facts regarding easy accessibility, scalability and usefulness of the design. A procedure to assemble an EKG simulator reflecting any particular disease pattern is explained. The EKG monitor's interface aspects and information about various monitoring (recording) parameters are elaborated.
The object oriented paradigm: issues and practices

The object-oriented approach to software development has entered a period of explosive growth. The number of programmers using object-oriented programming languages has been growing at double-digit rates for the past two or three years. According to Gapers Jones of Software Productivity Research, object oriented languages ranked second in use by development programmers and fifth in overall use in the United States. Even with all of this growth, thoughtful observers have noticed some gaps. This missing information would be useful in exploring overall economic and technical value of the object-oriented approach. Many software engineering topics are either not covered in the object-oriented literature, or the coverage is so sparse that more data is needed to make a complete and convincing case in favor of object-oriented methods.
Stability of antibiotics in parenteral solutions.

Stability of ampicillin, carbenicillin, clindamycin, kanamycin, cephalothin, methicillin, and penicillin was tested in each of seven parenteral solutions (Isolyte M and Isolyte P, Ringer9s lactate, 5% dextrose in water, 10% dextrose in water, dextrose in normal saline and normal saline) at three temperatures (4°C, 25°C, and 37°C). Each antibiotic was reconstituted to a predetermined concentration with bacteriostatic water and immediately added (zero time) to each solution at each temperature. Aliquots were obtained at 30 minutes and at 1, 2, 4, 6, and 12 hours and tested for antibacterial activity. Ampicillin activity fell in most solutions reaching nondetectable levels in Ringer9s lactate at 24 hours at 37°C. Minimal loss of activity was demonstrable in Isolyte M and Isolyte P solutions at 24 hours. Carbenicillin, clindamycin, kanamycin, methicillin, and penicillin generally retained 90% of their initial activity at 24 hours in all solutions and at all temperatures. Cephalothin activity was retained for 24 hours in all solutions at 4°C and 25°C and at 37°C until 6 hours; thereafter, antimicrobial activity decreased in solutions at 37°C. The stability of ampicillin in multiple electrolyte solutions containing acetate contrasted sharply with loss of activity in solutions containing lactate.
Statistics for the Life Sciences (4th Edition)

M.L. Samuels, J.A. Witmer, and A. Schaffner Hardcover: 672 pages Publisher: Pearson Language: English ISBN-13: 978-0321652805 As suggested by its title, Statistics for the Life Sciences (SLS) is an...
Dimethylketene: Plasma-generated gas-phase precursor of photoluminescence chromophores in plasma polymerized films of methyl methacrylate and tetramethyl-1,3-cyclobutanedione

Gas-phase chemistry of tetramethyl-1,3-cyclobutanedione (TMCB) and formaldehyde plasmas have been studied within situ Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy. Our previous work indicated that methyl methacrylate (MMA) dissociates to intermediate species of dimethylketene (DMK) and formaldehyde in MMA plasmas. This investigation of DMK dimer (TMCB) and formaldehyde plasmas is a continuation of our effort to understand the plasma polymerization chemistry of MMA. FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of DMK in TMCB plasmas and a polymeric thin film was deposited. Formaldehyde plasmas did not deposit any film for our experimental condition. Furthermore, plasma polymerized TMCB (PPTMCB) films exhibit UV photoluminescence similar to that of PPMMA films. Therefore, DMK is proposed to be the gas-phase precursor of photoluminescence chromophores in both PPMMA and PPTMCB films.
A survey of women managers in Taiwan: Perceptions and perspectives

More open governmental and industrial policies have changed business operations dramatically in Taiwan in the past few years. There are now more women managers than there were just a few years ago. Currently, the growing body of research on women employees has been discussed in many diverse publications, but data on female managers in Taiwan are scarce. The purpose of this study is to conduct a regional survey to solicit women managers' perceptions of today's working environment in Taiwan. Variables employed to measure the perceptions of overall workplace were: qualification/credential, compensation, colleagueship, leadership style/role of supervisor, sexual harassment, corporate policy, advancement on the job, and demographic profile. The targeted sample group was made up of 500 women managers who were executives in a wide range of the private sector in the metropolitan Taipei area. Two hundred and eight of the 215 questionnaires returned were included in the analysis.
Senescence and the retinal pigment epithelium: Alterations in basal plasma membrane morphology

Marked age-related changes in the morphology of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell basal infoldings were found in pigmented rats. Quantitative morphometric analysis revealed that during senescence the amount of basal plasma membrane per unit RPE length increased substantially, the regional distribution of the basal infoldings along the RPE became more irregular, and the average depth of penetration of the basal infoldings into the RPE increased dramatically. The crucial role of the RPE in maintaining retinal integrity suggests that the observed changes in RPE morphology may be involved in the development of senile retinopathies which occur in a variety of species, including man.
Characterization and preclinical development of LY2603618: a selective and potent Chk1 inhibitor

Interference with DNA damage checkpoints has been demonstrated preclinically to be a highly effective means of increasing the cytotoxicity of a number of DNA-damaging cancer therapies. Cell cycle arrest at these checkpoints protects injured cells from apoptotic cell death until DNA damage can be repaired. In the absence of functioning DNA damage checkpoints, cells with damaged DNA may proceed into premature mitosis followed by cell death. A key protein kinase involved in activating and maintaining the S and G2/M checkpoints is Chk1. Pharmacological inhibition of Chk1 in the absence of p53 functionality leads to abrogation of DNA damage checkpoints and has been shown preclinically to enhance the activity of many standard of care chemotherapeutic agents. LY2603618 is a potent and selective small molecule inhibitor of Chk1 protein kinase activity in vitro (IC50 = 7 nM) and the first selective Chk1 inhibitor to enter clinical cancer trials. Treatment of cells with LY2603618 produced a cellular phenotype similar to that reported for depletion of Chk1 by RNAi. Inhibition of intracellular Chk1 by LY2603618 results in impaired DNA synthesis, elevated H2A.X phosphorylation indicative of DNA damage and premature entry into mitosis. When HeLa cells were exposed to doxorubicin to induce a G2/M checkpoint arrest, subsequent treatment with LY2603618 released the checkpoint, resulting in cells entering into metaphase with poorly condensed chromosomes. Consistent with abrogation of the Chk1 and p53-dependent G2/M checkpoint, mutant TP53 HT-29 colon cancer cells were more sensitive to gemcitabine when also treated with LY2603618, while wild-type TP53 HCT116 cells were not sensitized by LY2603618 to gemcitabine. Treatment of Calu-6 human mutant TP53 lung cancer cell xenografts with gemcitabine resulted in a stimulation of Chk1 kinase activity that was inhibited by co-administration of LY2603618. By all criteria, LY2603618 is a highly effective inhibitor of multiple aspects of Chk1 biology.
The Workflow and Procedures for Automatic Integration of a Computer-Aided Diagnosis Workstation with a Clinical PACS with Real World Examples

Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) has standardized structure reports (SR) to fully support conventional free-text reports, images, and structured information, thus enhancing the precision, clarity, and value of clinical documents. The SR standard provides the capacity to link key images, region of interest within images, and measurement as result of Computer-Aided Diagnosis (CAD) process. Accordingly, SR bridges the traditional gap between CAD and PACS. Last year we presented an open and universal CAD-PACS integration toolkit that could seamlessly integrate standalone Computer-Aided Diagnosis (CAD) workstations with a clinical PACS based on Structure Report (SR) and IHE Post-Processing. In this presentation, we illustrate the workflow and procedures of CAD-PACS integration by showing examples from some available CAD applications using the toolkit. This proper integration will improve usage of the CAD applications for more accurate analysis and faster assessment in the clinical decisionmaking process.
The A-current: how ubiquitous a feature of excitable cells is it?

Abstract The membranes of most excitable cells contain a distinct set of potassium channels that rapidly open and close following depolarization, giving rise to a transient outward membrane current ( I A ). This current seems to play an important role in allowing neurons to encode graded depolarization into spike train information; in action potential repolarization, particularly in cardiac muscle cells; and in several aspects of synaptic transmission. As a modifier of the responsiveness of postsynaptic neurons to synaptic potentials, I A is a critical determinant of the integrative behavior of certain neural networks. Recent studies indicate that I A can be physiologically modulated by synaptic influences and during learning. The discovery of Drosophila mutants where I A is defective or absent provides the hope that this may soon be the first potassium channel amenable to structural analysis by molecular genetic techniques.
Total correctness of CSP programs

In this paper we propose an axiomatic system for proving the total correctness of CSP programs. The system is based on the partial correctness system of [6, 7]. We use the proposed system to prove the total correctness of a program for set partitioning.
Protection against tourniquet shock afforded by parabiosis.

Summary1. Elastic ligatures applied to both hind limbs of young female rats for 5 hours produced shock and death in 12 of 13 single rats; a marked and progressive decrease in body temperature and an increase in hemoconcentration invariably occurred in those which succumbed. 2. Tourniquets applied similarly to the limbs of one partner failed to produce a single death in 10 pairs of parabionts. A transient hemoconcentration was observed in the injured partner at 12 hours although rectal temperatures remained stable. Anemia occurred in the untreated member of many of the pairs, and is believed to reflect transfusion of the shocked rats, with compensatory hemodilution in an effort to sustain the blood volume.