cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A nationwide study of breast cancer, depression, and multimorbidity among hospitalized women and men in the United States

Breast cancer is the most common and second most deadly cancer for women in the US. Comorbidities like depression exacerbate the burden. This national study provides data on depression and comorbidity for both women and men with breast cancer. We conducted a serial cross-sectional analysis of the 2002–2014 National Inpatient Sample, the largest all-payer inpatient discharge database in the United States. We identified patients with primary site breast cancer, and captured information on their concomitant depression and other major chronic comorbidities. Logistic regression was used to generate adjusted odds ratios representing associations between patient and hospital characteristics and depression. Joinpoint regression was used to estimate temporal trends in depression rates. Depression prevalence was higher for women than men, with little difference between cancer subtypes. Comorbidity burden was nearly twice as high for men. From 2002 to 2014, the average number of comorbidities doubled. Depression rates were highest for patients with four or more chronic comorbidities and those with unplanned hospitalizations. Significant yearly increases of 6–10% in depression were also observed. Breast cancer patient depression rates were higher than the general inpatient population with a strong gradient effect between increasing numbers of comorbidities and the odds of depression. Comorbidities, including mental health-related, negatively impact breast cancer prognosis, increasing cancer-specific mortality as well as mortality for other conditions. Unplanned hospitalization episodes in a patient with breast cancer can be noted as an opportunity for mental health screening and intervention.
Constitutive Activation of BCR Explains Dysfunctional Signaling in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

In cancer biology, functional interpretation of genomic alterations is critical to achieve the promise of genomic profiling in the clinic. For Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), a heterogeneous disease of B-lymphocytes maturing under constitutive B-cell receptor (BCR) stimulation, the functional role of diverse clonal mutations remains largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that alterations in BCR signaling dynamics underlie the progression of B-cells toward malignancy. We reveal emergent dynamic features, namely bimodality, hypersensitivity, and hysteresis, in the BCR signaling pathway of primary CLL B-cells. Such signaling abnormalities in CLL quantitatively derive from BCR clustering and constitutive signaling with positive feedback reinforcement, as demonstrated through single-cell analysis of signaling motifs, computational modeling, and super-resolution imaging. Such dysregulated signaling segregates CLL patients by disease severity and clinical presentation. These findings provide a novel quantitative framework and methodology to assess complex and heterogeneous leukemia pathology and to inform therapeutic strategies in parallel to genomic profiling.
This kill shot is brought to you by…: An analysis of hunting television in the United States:

This article analyses hunting television shows selected from three cable channels dedicated to outdoor programming. Despite this genre’s long standing and its influence on mainstream spin-offs, suc...
Novel binding partners for Prenylated Rab Acceptor 1 identified by a split-ubiquitin yeast two-hybrid screen

Prenylated Rab Acceptor 1 (PRA1) is a transmembrane protein localized to the early secretory pathway. It has been found to interact with an array of Rab GTPases, leading to its hypothesized function in the recycling of Rab GTPases. However, all previous strategies used to screen for novel interacting partners have utilized a classic yeast two-hybrid approach that requires both bait and its potential binding partners to be cytosolic proteins. In the split-ubiquitin yeast two-hybrid screen, a protein interaction leads to the re-constitution of ubiquitin, which is followed by proteolytic release of a transcription activator that migrates to the nucleus alone. This allows for bait and/or prey to be integral membrane protein(s). To better understand the in vivo function of PRA1, we took an unbiased approach that screened PRA1 against a normalized mouse neuronal cDNA library using this variant of the classic screening strategy. We report 41 previously unidentified potential PRA1 binding partners revealed by this screen and validate the screen by confirming three of these interactions using a bi-molecular fluorescence complementation assay in mammalian cells. The identified proteins reside throughout the secretory pathway and are both membrane-bound and cytosolic in their identity, suggesting alternative functions for PRA1.
Pair design in undergraduate labs

Pair programming is widely recognized as a successful method of improving student competence in computer science while lowering dependence on teaching staff. In this paper, we propose an approach based on pair programming, termed pair design, that reinforces program design and testing skills in addition to collaboration. We describe the approach and our results in applying it to freshmen and sophomore laboratory environments.
The urban-rural interface: Urbanization and tropical forest cover change

A considerable body of empirical and theoretical literature on the causes of tropical deforestation has emerged over the last twenty years. Recognizing that small-farmers in the Amazon Basin are a key agent in the process of primary forest conversion, a growing genre of studies at the household level have attempted to quantify the influence of various factors on small-farmer land-use decisions. Many of these studies have acknowledged the seeming importance of urban centers as hubs of propulsive activity and information, yet none have comprehensively captured the “urbanization factor” in rural land use decisions. I argue that this methodological shortcoming in empirical work to-date reflects an inadequate conceptualization of the range of urban-based networks and their inter-relationships. In an effort to overcome this roadblock to further empirical discovery, I review several leading schools of thought that might be pressed into service in developing a framework for interpreting the urban influences on rural landscapes. I call this construct the “Urban-Rural Interface.” This is not a complete theoretical model or a unique methodology, but rather an initial effort to develop a general framework from which more sophisticated formulations might proceed.
A Novel Distance for Automated Surgical Skill Evaluation

Objective evaluation of a surgeon’s skill level is a crucial step toward automatic surgical training. If the surgical activity is captured using a set of sensors, then the problem becomes a task to define an evaluation framework for motion analysis and comparison. In this paper, we propose an evaluation framework based on a novel surgery skill distance, PDTW. that consists of two main components: Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) and Procrustes analysis (PA). The DTW method aligns two time series with different lengths by contracting/dilating both signals such that their lengths become equal. The Procrustes analysis, that include reflection, scaling, and translation, can then be used as a distance measure between two aligned sequences. We evaluate our framework on two surgical datasets, one simulated and another one produced by robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery (RMIS). Our results show significant assessment improvements of PDTW over the traditional distance measures in automatically classifying expert, intermediate, and novice surgeons on different tasks.
Mitigation of RF Radiation and Electromagnetic Interference from a Lithium-Ion Battery Pack Used in Wearable Safety and Health Devices in the Mining Industry

Lithium-ion batteries are used widely to power various portable devices operated in many industries, including mining. The safety of using lithium-ion battery is, therefore, always a topic of concern. Researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently found that a personal dust monitor (PDM) powered by a lithium-ion battery could unintentionally produce RF radiation that electromagnetically interfered with the miner-wearable-component (MWC) of a magnetic proximity detection system (PDS) causing the MWC to function improperly. A PDM is worn by a miner to continuously monitor dust exposure. A PDS consists of its magnetic radiation antennas mounted on a mining machine to generate steady magnetic fields and an MWC that measures magnetic fields to determine if the miner is at a safe distance from the machine. If the miner is at an unsafe distance, the PDS will warn the miner or stop the machine to protect the miner from being pinned or struck. Electromagnetic interference from a PDM causes the PDS to fail to warn the miner and to stop the machine putting the miner at risk. In an effort to understand the nature of this interference, NIOSH researchers characterized RF emissions from the PDM and found that the lithium-ion battery pack was the strongest RF emission source among the internal components. NIOSH researchers also investigated different shielding materials as a mitigation strategy to reduce RF emissions and to prevent accidents potentially caused by interference with the PDS. The measurements of RF radiation from a PDM's lithium-ion battery and the results of the shielding material evaluation are presented in this paper.
Evaluation of pyrethroids and organophosphates in insecticide mixtures for management of western corn rootworm larvae.

Background The western corn rootworm is an economically important pest of corn. Management tactics include pyrethroid and organophosphate insecticides, which may be applied as a mixture to protect corn roots. The goal of our study was to characterize the effects of pyrethroids and organophosphates alone and in combination on larval corn rootworm mortality and injury to corn roots. We evaluated two insecticide combinations: tebupirimphos with β-cyfluthrin and chlorethoxyfos with bifenthrin. Using a soil-based, laboratory bioassay, we exposed larvae to five concentrations of the pyrethroid alone, the organophosphate alone, the combined formulation, and a water control. We calculated LC50 values and co-toxicity factors to determine synergism or antagonism between organophosphates and pyrethroids. We also measured adult emergence and root injury in a field experiment that tested tebupirimphos alone, β-cyfluthrin alone, the combined formulation, and an untreated control. Results Bioassay results indicated antagonism between the pyrethroid and organophosphate at most concentrations for both insecticide combinations. In the field experiment, tebupirimphos alone or in combination with β-cyfluthrin significantly reduced adult emergence and root injury compared to the untreated controls, but β-cyfluthrin alone did not differ from the untreated control for either metric. Conclusions These results suggest that, at the concentrations tested, the pyrethroid component of pyrethroid-organophosphate mixtures may not contribute to a reduction of rootworm emergence or root injury. While these pyrethroids may confer a management benefit for other pests, such as seedcorn maggot, the concentrations of pyrethroids present in current formulations of these mixtures are likely too low for effective rootworm management. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.
Integrating emergence and phenology models to determine windows of action for weed control: A case study using Senna obtusifolia

Abstract The success of integrated weed management strategies is contingent on the accuracy of control actions in both time and space. While emphasis has been given to spatial accuracy, timing accuracy has been largely neglected. Weed control timing must consider not only the total duration of weed interference with the crop, as done by the traditional critical period of weed control (CPWC) based on yield protection only, but also weed growth, size, and susceptible phenological stages. In this study, we expand upon the idea of using weed emergence models for timing weed control by integrating them with phenology probability models for key weed growth stages to optimize timing of control actions, here referred as Critical Control Windows (CCW). Combining the CCW with thresholds for yield loss due to weed interference and thresholds for weed survival risk makes it possible determining the frequency with which control actions should be implemented to maintain crop yield and weed populations at desired levels. Using Senna obtusifolia as a study case, vegetative and reproductive phenological stages were modeled as a function of seedling emergence for different cohorts. Chronological and thermal-time models provided robust predictions of S. obtusifolia phenology. CCW did not always coincided with CPWC for several crops when considering 10-cm tall plants as the threshold for control. In general, for summer row crops, CCW required 2 postemergence control actions and sometimes 1 action outside the CPWC. The results of the present research illustrate how predictive models can be used to develop CCW that will complement the traditional CPWC. These two concepts when used complementary can increase not only timing accuracy, but also efficiency of weed control.
The Geometry of Incompatibility in Growing Soft Tissues: Theory and Numerical Characterization.

Abstract Tissues in vivo are not stress-free. As we grow, our tissues adapt to different physiological and disease conditions through growth and remodeling. This adaptation occurs at the microscopic scale, where cells control the microstructure of their immediate extracellular environment to achieve homeostasis. The local and heterogeneous nature of this process is the source of residual stresses. At the macroscopic scale, growth and remodeling can be accurately captured with the finite volume growth framework within continuum mechanics, which is akin to plasticity. The multiplicative split of the deformation gradient into growth and elastic contributions brings about the notion of incompatibility as a plausible description for the origin of residual stress. Here we define the geometric features that characterize incompatibility in biological materials. We introduce the geometric incompatibility tensor for different growth types, showing that the constraints associated with growth lead to specific patterns of the incompatibility metrics. To numerically investigate the distribution of incompatibility measures, we implement the analysis within a finite element framework. Simple, illustrative examples are shown first to explain the main concepts. Then, numerical characterization of incompatibility and residual stress is performed on three biomedical applications: brain atrophy, skin expansion, and cortical folding. Our analysis provides new insights into the role of growth in the development of tissue defects and residual stresses. Thus, we anticipate that our work will further motivate additional research to characterize residual stresses in living tissue and their role in development, disease, and clinical intervention.
Circulating ACE2-expressing Exosomes Block SARS-CoV-2 Virus Infection as an Innate Antiviral Mechanism

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with innate and adaptive immune response triggered in such patients by viral antigens. Both convalescent plasma and engineered high affinity human monoclonal antibodies have shown therapeutic potential to treat COVID-19. Whether additional antiviral soluble factors exist in peripheral blood remain understudied. Herein, we detected circulating exosomes that express the SARS-CoV-2 viral entry receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in plasma of both healthy donors and convalescent COVID-19 patients. We demonstrated that exosomal ACE2 competes with cellular ACE2 for neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 infection. ACE2-expressing (ACE2+) exosomes blocked the binding of the viral spike (S) protein RBD to ACE2+ cells in a dose dependent manner, which was 400- to 700-fold more potent than that of vesicle-free recombinant human ACE2 extracellular domain protein (rhACE2). As a consequence, exosomal ACE2 prevented SARS-CoV-2 pseudotype virus tethering and infection of human host cells at a 50-150 fold higher efficacy than rhACE2. A similar antiviral activity of exosomal ACE2 was further demonstrated to block wild-type live SARS-CoV-2 infection. Of note, depletion of ACE2+ exosomes from COVID-19 patient plasma impaired the ability to block SARS-CoV-2 RBD binding to host cells. Our data demonstrate that ACE2+ exosomes can serve as a decoy therapeutic and a possible innate antiviral mechanism to block SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Dopamine and Norepinephrine Modulate the Formation of Aversive Memories in the Hippocampus

Aversive memories are important for survival, and dopaminergic signaling in the hippocampus has been implicated in aversive learning. However, the source and mode of action of hippocampal dopamine remain controversial. Here we combine optogenetic and pharmacological manipulations to control dopamine transmission in the hippocampus during encoding of contextual fear memory. We show in mice that hippocampal dopamine can potently modulate aversive memory formation during contextual fear conditioning. Using retrograde tracing, we identify a population of midbrain dopaminergic neurons near the border of the substantia nigra pars compacta and the lateral ventral tegmental area that send direct projections to the dorsal hippocampus. We separately demonstrate that activation of norepinephrine release in the hippocampus during encoding can also facilitate aversive memory formation. Moreover, we find that increasing norepinephrine release can ameliorate contextual fear learning impairments due to dopaminergic dysregulation in the hippocampus. Our findings identify a cluster of midbrain dopamine neurons that innervate the hippocampus, and we show that both dopamine from the midbrain and norepinephrine from the locus coeruleus modulate hippocampal contextual fear memory.
The Luxembourg Affair

In the years following the separation of Belgium, the Dutch adhered to the policy of playing a passive role in world politics with steadily increasing determination. Foreign ministers soon learned that any participation in power politics, no matter how minor the part, would be quickly rebuked by parliament and public opinion. This was, for example, the experience of Foreign Minister Jhr. P. van der Maesen de Sombreff (1862–1864). At the time of the Polish Rebellion in 1863 the great powers sent notes to Russia expressing disapproval over the manner in which the rebellion was suppressed. At the suggestion, it was generally assumed, of Napoleon III the Dutch minister of foreign affairs had also sent a note. Members of the States-General first learned of it through the press. When interpellated, the minister admitted that a note had been sent and justified it on humanitarian grounds. An attack on the minister’s act was led by Groen van Prinsterer, the leader of the Anti-revolutionary Party, who branded the note as an act of intervention, a departure from the policy of neutrality. He solemnly warned the foreign minister of the danger of becoming involved in a Napoleonic war. The foreign minister survived this parliamentary storm,1 but this good fortune was not to be repeated.
Radio Frequency Identification Technology

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is a method for automatic identification that relies on storing and retrieving data from transponder “tags.“ RFID systems require readers equipped with one or more antennas connected to back-end computer systems. To date, RFID technology has been evaluated and implemented in a number of applications including supply chain tracking, animal identification, and toll collection and is expected to replace conventional barcode technologies. However, RFID has some drawbacks, including cost of implementation, reliability, performance, and potential for privacy misuse issues. Keywords: Radio-frequency identification; RFID
The Market Risk Premium: Expectational Estimates Using Analysts' Forecasts

We use expectational date from financial analysts to estimate a market risk premium for U.S. stocks. Using the SP500 as a proxy for the market portfolio, we find an average market risk premium of 7.14% above yields on long-term U.S. government bonds over the period of 1982-1998. We also find that risk premium varies over time and that much of this variation can be explained by either the level of interest rates or readily available forward-looking proxies for risk. The market risk premium appears to move inversely with government interest rates suggesting that required returns on stocks are more stable than interest rates themselves.
Elastic constants of β -eucryptite studied by density functional theory

The five independent elastic constants of hexagonal -eucryptite have been determined using density functional theory total energy calculations. The calculated values agree well, to within 15%, with the experimental data. Using the calculated elastic constants, the linear compressibility of -eucryptite parallel to the c axis, c, and perpendicular to it, a, have been evaluated. These values are in close agreement to those obtained from experimentally known elastic constants, but are in contradiction to those obtained through direct measurements based on a three-terminal technique. The calculated compressibility parallel to the c axis was found to have a positive value rather than a negative one as obtained from the three-terminal technique. We demonstrate that c must be positive and discuss the implications of a positive c in the context of explaining the negative bulk thermal expansion of -eucryptite.
Plasticity and second messengers during synapse development.

Publisher Summary This chapter outlines the experimental paradigms for the study of plasticity at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) and discusses the cellular parameters are to be altered by plasticity at the NMJ. A number of the known molecules that can effect plastic changes at the NMJ by the activation of signal transduction pathways and the way they initiate these processes are discussed. The chapter also discusses the internal machinery of signal transduction and the way a cell reacts when plasticity-inducing pathways are activated. Functional plasticity refers to changes in the magnitude of synaptic transmission that occur without gross structural change, usually on a short timescale. The Drosophila NMJ is a glutamatergic synapse. Release of glutamate into the synaptic cleft activates ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) permeable to cations. The resulting glutamate-induced depolarization of the muscle membrane leads to the opening of a variety of voltage-dependent channels. The Drosophila NMJ has proved to be a fertile ground for the study of plasticity and signal transduction. Molecules that are involved in invertebrate and vertebrate behavior inevitably have a role in the development or modulation of this experimentally accessible synapse.
The Federated Databases and System: A New Generation of Advanced Database Systems

The presence of large numbers of heterogeneous databases in a given organization is prompted by the replacement of traditional data processing with modern database management systems (DBMS) for traditional applications, such as record keeping, product assemblies and inventory control, as well as for new applications, such as expert-system support, design automation and manufacturing engineering. These heterogeneous databases form a federation in the organization due to the desire to facilitate data sharing and resource consolidation while maintaining the local autonomy of individual databases, which are dictated by their particular security requirements, integrity constraints and application specificities. This paper outlines an architecture for the federated databases, based on the multimodel, multilingual, and multibackend approach, that facilitates data sharing and resource consolidation in a heterogeneous database environment without compromising the autonomy of individual databases.
The Dangerous Necessity of an External Enemy: James Madison on the Republican Uses of International Anarchy and the Impossibility of a World Republic

Would James Madison, the great theorist of the American compound republic, believe that association is a workable model for a world government? This paper offers a preliminary sketch of an argument that he would not think such a project can be successful. Since he believed republics require external enemies for internal stability, Madison's theory suggests that a world government would need a great deal more "energy" than republican principles will admit.
Aristophanes Dialect and Textual Criticism

L'A. expose la difficulte d'etablir les textes d'Aristophane, le traducteur etant confronte a deux problemes: les differentes lectures permises par differents manuscrits d'un meme passage, et l'usage de dialectes, en particulier dans les pieces «Les Acharniens» (Megarien et Boetien) et «Lysistrata» (Laconien). L'A. commente l'utilisation a certains points specifiques de ces dialectes, puis explique rapidement comment il procede pour etablir un texte
Monitoring the 1980-1982 Eruptions of Mount St. Helens: Compositions and Abundances of Glass

The Mount St. Helens eruptive sequence of 1980 through 1982 reflects the tapping of successively less water-rich, more highly crystallized, and more viscous, highly phyric dacitic magmas. These changes reflect both syn- and preeruption processes. The decreasing water content points to a continued decline in the volume and intensity of explosive pyroclastic activity. This decreasing water content appears to be composed of a long-term trend established during a long period of repose (about 130 years) imposed on short-term trends established during short periods (about 7 to 100 days) of repose between eruptions in the present eruptive cycle. The last two eruptive cycles of this volcano, the T (A.D. 1800) and W cycles (about A. D. 1500), exhibited similar trends. These changes are inferred from a combination of petrographic, bulk chemical, and electron- and ion-microprobe analyses of matrix and melt-inclusion glasses.
Response of a semi-infinite cubic lattice to uniform electric fields

Abstract Self-consistent field equations for the dipole moments of point polarizable atoms in slabs of cubic lattices with a uniform applied electric field are constructed. Results of Toeplitz operator theory are used to characterize the ranges of atomic polarizability for which there are unique solutions to the equations. A normal mode analysis of the frequency spectrum of the coupled dipole lattice is given and is used in the interpretation of the results for the simple cubic lattice. Approximate solutions of the self-consistent field equations for the semi-infinite lattice are constructed which display the exponential approach of the atomic dipoles to their infinite lattice value with increasing penetration into the lattice.
Contribution of orosensory stimulation to strain differences in oil intake by mice

Little is known about why animals differ in daily intake of oils. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the oral acceptability of oil is a key determinant of daily intake. To this end, we examined short- and long-term ingestive responses of eight mouse strains (FVB/NJ, SWR/J, SM/J, C57BL/6J, BALB/cJ, 129P3/J, DBA/2J and AKR/J) to Intralipid, a stable emulsion of soybean oil. In Experiment 1, we compared orosensory responsiveness (as indicated by initial licking rates) of eight mouse strains to a range of concentrations of Intralipid and sucrose. We included sucrose because there are two natural alleles of Tas1r3 (the gene that encodes the T1R3 sweet taste receptor), and strains with the Tas1r3Sac-b allele exhibit higher daily intake of sucrose and oil than strains with the Tas1r3Sac-d allele. All strains exhibited concentration-dependent increases in lick rates for both sucrose and Intralipid, but the extent of these increases varied greatly across strains. The strains with the Tas1r3Sac-b allele licked more vigorously for sucrose at concentrations < or =0.3 M, but not for Intralipid at any concentration. In Experiment 2, we ran the mice through 24-h preference tests, in which they had a choice between water and each of four concentrations of Intralipid (1, 5, 10 and 20%). The strains differed greatly in daily intake of Intralipid, particularly at the 1 and 5% concentrations. Regression analyses revealed that strain differences in orosensory responsiveness reliably predicted strain differences in daily intake of 1 and 5% Intralipid, but not 10 or 20% Intralipid. These findings indicate (i) that Tas1r3 genotype does not modulate orosensory stimulation from oil, (ii) that orosensory stimulation contributes to strain differences in daily intake of dilute oil emulsions, but not concentrated ones, and (iii) that daily intake of concentrated oil emulsions is controlled primarily by post-oral satiety mechanisms.
State feedback control of nonlinear systems: a simple approach

A simple methodology for the design of state feedback controllers for nonlinear continuous-time systems is introduced. The objective is to develop controllers that drive a nonlinear system from an initial condition into an assigned region of state space. It is shown that such state feedback controllers can be derived by solving a set of inequalities obtained directly from quantities given in the controlled system’s equation. The results are applied to the design of state feedback controllers that achieve robust asymptotic stabilisation for a rather general class of nonlinear systems.
Recent work on sharp estimates in second-order elliptic unique continuation problems

This is an expository article concerning unique continuation for second-order elliptic differential equations and inequalities, from the harmonic analysis point of view.
Reflections on Earth's Insights from an East Asianist

Callicott's Earth's Insights is a remarkable survey of resources from the world's religions for formulating a global ethics. He mentions, in particular, the rich symbolic and conceptual resources available from East Asia. This paper supports such an assertion and develops more fully the teachings of Japanese Shingon Buddhism which helped to foster a deep identity with the natural world by means of ritual. Moreover, the paper suggests that the literary and artistic resources of Japanese culture are also important sources for further exploration.
BODY COMPOSITION AND BLOOD PRESSURE IN BLACK PHILADELPHIA ADOLESCENTS

It is well established that weight is positively associated with blood pressure (BP) and that overweight is a significant risk factor for elevated BP. However, determining the relative importance of fat and lean body mass in explaining this phenomenon requires further investigation. This study examines the association between height (ht) and weight (wt) and BP at 7 years and body composition variables and BP during adolescence, using a representative sample of 600 black children from Philadelphia. The variables from the adolescent data are wt, ht, upper arm muscle circumference, and skinfold thicknesses and were analyzed using a mixed longitudinal design. The results from the 7 year and adolescent data show that wt, ht, and corrected wt for ht are all significantly correlated with BP. However, wt is more highly related to BP than the other variables. Further analyses of the adolescent data indicate that in those age and sex groups in which wt explains a significant proportion of BP variance, lean body mass is generally a more important contributor to this association than fat body mass. For example, for 13 and 14 year old males, the results of multiple regression analysis show that muscle circumference is the important contributor in systolic BP (adjusted beta weights .46 and .33, p < .01). Particularly in young adolescent males, lean body mass appears to be the component of wt which is associated with systolic BP. This work was supported by NHLBI Grant #HL - 19869.
Some subgroups of SL(3, z) generated by involutions

For R a commutative ring with identity 1 we let SL(n, R) denote the group of n × n integral matrices with determinant 1. A transvection T is an element of SL(n, R) which we represent (see [1]) as a pair (φ d) where φ ∈ (Rn)*, the dual space of Rn, d ∈ Rn, φ(d) = 0, and for all x ∈ Rn we haveT(x) = + φ(x) d.Throughout this paper an involution is an element Y of SL(n, R) which has order two. Let n = 3 and R = Z and let C = diag(–1, –1, –1) be the central element of GL(3, Z).
Taylor-Couette flow in a virtual rheoscopic fluid

Physics-based flow visualization techniques seek to mimic laboratory flow visualization methods with virtual analogues. In this work we present the rendering of a virtual rheoscopic fluid (VRF) to produce images with results strikingly similar to laboratory experiments with real-world rheoscopic fluids using products such as Kalliroscope. Our initial work studies flow between concentric rotating cylinders, a classic problem in fluid mechanics. This visualization shows a typical Taylor-Couette flow: above certain critical parameter values, the purely azimuthal flow becomes unstable and a stack of toroidal Taylor vortices forms in the flow. Our virtual rheoscopic fluid is produced by defining a closed-form formula for the orientation of shear layers in the flow and using this orientation to volume render the flow as a material with anisotropic reflectance and transparency. Our algorithm is implemented within VisIt, broadening the data formats to which this work can be applied.
Cognitive Radio: Time Domain Spectrum Allocation using Game Theory

The currently available unlicensed spectrum is reaching its limit and various demands for applications and data rates in wireless communications requires additional spectrum which imposes limits on spectrum access. These requirements demand for efficient and intelligent use of spectrum. The system model and the problem of the optimum spectrum allocation in cognitive radios are introduced and formulated in this paper. We derived a lower limit of the demanded allocations for all the users in the system and obtain the optimal solution which attains this lower bound. An algorithm which finds these optimum values of the demanded allocations is introduced to find the optimum spectrum allocation in time domain. The convergence of this algorithm is shown using the eigen values of the Gram matrices. Simulations are provided to support the mathematical formalism and the convergence of the algorithm to optimal solution.
Fugitive Diffusion Barrier for Integration of Sol‐Gel‐Derived Lead Titanate with Oxidized Silicon Substrates

The crystalline phase development and microstructural changes with heating of sol-gel-derived lead titanate (PT) particles and films on silica with and without a fugitive (or removable) diffusion barrier layer were investigated. Amorphous gel-derived PT particles were deposited on SiO 2 -coated TEM grids with and without polyimide (PI) or carbon barrier layers between SiO 2 and PT. TEM analysis showed that PI or carbon barriers prevented reaction between the gel-derived PT particles and SiO 2 . PT particles crystallize and then the PI or carbon film decomposes. Sol-gel-derived PT films were deposited on oxidized Si substrates (Si/SiO 2 ) with and without a PI barrier layer. Perovskite PT films were prepared on Si/SiO 2 substrates with a PI barrier ; however, some porosity remained in the films. Identically prepared films without the PI barrier formed a mixture of pyrochlore and perovskite. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicate that the PI film prevents the diffusion of Si into the PT film.
Doppler flow velocity mapping in an in vitro model of the normal pulmonary artery.

Pulsed Doppler pulmonary artery velocity measurements are useful in evaluating a number of cardiac conditions including pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary stenosis and insufficiency, intracardiac shunts and other congenital abnormalities. However, variations in sample location relative to the arterial wall and valve have been thought to affect pulmonary artery velocity and acceleration measurements clinically. Therefore, pulsed Doppler and color flow mapping were performed in a pulsatile flow apparatus connected to a glass or Plexiglas model of the main pulmonary artery and its bifurcation, which contained a Hancock 29 mm pericardial tissue valve (5.35 cm2orifice). Doppler sample volumes were placed at four sites: 1) at the pulmonary valve leaflet tips, centrally; 2) 2 cm distal to the leaflet tips, centrally; 3) 2 cm distal but laterally near the pulmonary artery wall; and 4) at the pulmonary artery bifurcation, centrally. Doppler peak flow velocity and acceleration time were measured. There was no difference between sites 1 and 2 in peak flow velocity or acceleration time. At site 3, peak flow velocity and acceleration time were both less than at site 1 (mean ± SD, 85 ± 44 versus 105 ± 39 cm/s, p < 0.005, and 162 ± 65 versus 188 ± 46 ms, p < 0.03, respectively). Moreover, the pulmonary artery velocity contour at site 3 exhibited increased spectral dispersion and notching and increased variance on the color spectrum. At site 4, peak flow velocity was less than at site 1 (85 ± 31 versus 105 ± 39 cm/s, p < 0.005), whereas pulmonary artery acceleration time was not significantly different. In this model, Doppler pulmonary artery flow velocity was best recorded within 2 cm of the valve and in the center of the vessel. Similar studies should be performed in the human pulmonary artery to standardize the recording technique and sample sites for Doppler measurements of velocity and acceleration.
Perceptually relevant image fidelity

In recent years a number of image fidelity measures have been developed. These measures are designed to predict a person's ability to perceive differences between two nearly identical images. Successful image fidelity measures allow digital imaging developers to replace difficult and time consuming subjective evaluations with automated evaluations. Although a number of image fidelity measures have been developed, no method for evaluating and comparing the accuracy of these measures has been commonly accepted. In this paper we describe a new method for evaluating image fidelity measures. The method involves comparing spatially localized ratings from a human subject with distortion maps generated by an image fidelity measure.
The crystal structure of 3′-methoxy-5-phenyl-5,10-dihydrophenarsazine, C19H16AsNO

The crystal structure of 3′-methoxy-5-phenyl-5,10-dihydrophenarsazine, C19H16AsNO has been determined by the single crystal x-ray diffraction method. The crystals are monoclinic with a = 15.305(6), b = 5.809(2), c = 17.595(6)A, β = 92.92(2)°, V = 1562.3(1.0A3, space group P2,/n, Z = 4 and dcalc = 1.485g cm−3. An automatic diffractometer with graphite monochromatized MoKα radiation was used to obtain 1480 observed reflection with I > 3σ(I) at 2θ < 50°. Final R = 0.040 and wR = 0.032. The tricyclic ring is folded with the central ring in a flattened boat conformation. The folding angle between the least-squares planes of the two benzo rings is 164.6(2)°. The 3′-methoxyphenyl group is in a boat-axial conformation with respect to the central ring.
Psychological distress, comorbidities, and health behaviors among U.S. adults with seizures: results from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey.

Summary: Purpose: To examine the association of seizures with health-related quality of life (HRQOL), physical and psychiatric comorbidities, and health behaviors. Methods: We analyzed data obtained from adults aged 18 years or older (n = 30,445) who participated in the 2002 National Health Interview Survey, an ongoing, computer-assisted personal interview of the noninstitutionalized U.S. population. Results: An estimated 1.4% of adults 18 years or older reported being told by a health care professional that they had seizures. Persons with seizures were significantly more likely than those without seizures to report lower levels of education, higher levels of unemployment, pain, hypersomnia and insomnia, and psychological distress (e.g., feelings of sadness, nervousness, hopelessness, and worthlessness). In addition, they were significantly more likely to report insufficient leisure-time physical activity as well as physical comorbidities such as cancer, arthritis, heart disease, stroke, asthma, severe headaches, lower back pain, and neck pain. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that it is advisable for health care professionals to assess psychiatric and physical comorbidities among patients with a history of seizures potentially to improve patient health outcomes. Furthermore, public health surveillance systems should include questions on seizures, epilepsy, and mental health to better examine associations among these disorders and to better identify populations meriting further assessment and intervention.
Synthesis and characterization of seven-coordinate tripodal imidazole complexes of iron(II) and manganese(II)

The iron(II) and manganese(II) complexes of the N7 Schiff-base condensate of tris(3-aminopropyl)amine with 1-methyl-2-imidazolecarbaldehyde and the manganese(II) complex of the N7 Schiff-base condensate of tris(3-aminopropyl)amine with 4-imidazolecarbaldehyde are high-spin mono capped octahedral seven-coordinate complexes with a short, ∼2.44 A, metal to apical nitrogen bond.
A case of acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis associated with polyarteritis nodosa, responding to systemic steroids.

A patient with a known biopsy of polyarteritis nodosa diagnosis presented with cyclic fevers, acute kidney injury, and progression of rash from macular to pustular, worsening despite being on antibiotics, without evidence of infection on multiple cultures. The patient had a pathological diagnosis from a skin biopsy of acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis syndrome, with a total resolution of rash, fevers, and acute kidney injury on treatment with pulse steroids. Keywords: AGEP; PAN; Systemic Steroids; Skin Lesions; Pustules (Published: 1 April 2015) Citation: Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives 2015, 5 : 26645 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/jchimp.v5.26645
Inhibition of the metabolism of amino sugars with 2-deoxy-2-(2-fluoroacetamido)-α-D-glucopyranose

Abstract The metabolism of amino sugars in extracts of mouse cells was studied by the use of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α- D -glucopyranose, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α- D -mannopyranose, and N-acetylneuraminic acid as tracers with or without added 0.5mM 2-deoxy-2-(2-fluoroacetamido)-α- D -glucopyranose. The accumulation of uridine 5′-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α- D -glucopyranosyl pyrophosphate) and cytidine 5′-(N-acetylneuraminyl monophosphate) was inhibited by the fluoro sugar.
Whole Exome Sequencing in Females with Autism Implicates Novel and Candidate Genes

Classical autism or autistic disorder belongs to a group of genetically heterogeneous conditions known as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Heritability is estimated as high as 90% for ASD with a recently reported compilation of 629 clinically relevant candidate and known genes. We chose to undertake a descriptive next generation whole exome sequencing case study of 30 well-characterized Caucasian females with autism (average age, 7.7 ± 2.6 years; age range, 5 to 16 years) from multiplex families. Genomic DNA was used for whole exome sequencing via paired-end next generation sequencing approach and X chromosome inactivation status. The list of putative disease causing genes was developed from primary selection criteria using machine learning-derived classification score and other predictive parameters (GERP2, PolyPhen2, and SIFT). We narrowed the variant list to 10 to 20 genes and screened for biological significance including neural development, function and known neurological disorders. Seventy-eight genes identified met selection criteria ranging from 1 to 9 filtered variants per female. Five females presented with functional variants of X-linked genes (IL1RAPL1, PIR, GABRQ, GPRASP2, SYTL4) with cadherin, protocadherin and ankyrin repeat gene families most commonly altered (e.g., CDH6, FAT2, PCDH8, CTNNA3, ANKRD11). Other genes related to neurogenesis and neuronal migration (e.g., SEMA3F, MIDN), were also identified.
Atomistic simulation and virtual diffraction characterization of stable and metastable alumina surfaces

Abstract The structures of select alumina surfaces are studied using molecular statics and molecular dynamics simulations and are characterized using virtual diffraction methods. First, bulk alumina simulations are performed to validate the transferability of the ReaxFF potential to model different alumina phases. Bulk alumina simulations accurately predict α-Al2O3 as the lowest energy crystalline phase; however, they unexpectedly predict an even lower-energy amorphous phase. At 0 K, virtual X-ray diffraction patterns of the bulk crystalline phases and select alumina surfaces are validated by experimental studies. Molecular statics simulations of select alumina surfaces are consistent with prior first-principles studies. However, molecular dynamics simulations show that many surfaces experience significant reconstructions at temperatures below what is expected from experiments. It is believed that premature surface reconstructions are biased by the predicted lower-energy amorphous phase and occur due to the extra degrees of freedom allowed by the free surfaces as well as the available thermal energy during dynamics. Discrete peaks appearing in virtual selected-area electron diffraction patterns indicate that the reconstructions are not fully amorphous due to lattice constraints imposed by the internal bulk structure. Bulk and surface energies are tabulated for each simulation to be used in future predictive mesoscale models of polymorphic alumina.
Aging and down syndrome.

The initial clinical description of Down syndrome (DS) was made by Down in 1866 [1] and identified as trisomy of chromosome 21 by Lejeune et al. in 1959 [2]. DS, or trisomy 21, is one of the most common causes of intellectual disability (ID), and recent national prevalence estimates suggest that 14.47 per 10,000 live births are infants with DS, leading to an average of 6037 annual DS births [3]. This represents an increase from previous prevalence rates. Characteristic physical features, deficits in the immune and endocrine systems, and delayed cognitive development [4] can be present in children with DS. Improvements in medical care for children and adults with DS have led to significant extensions in lifespan and enhanced quality of life. As a consequence, up to 35 years of age, mortality rates are comparable in adults with DS to individuals with ID from other causes. However, after age 35, mortality rates double every 6.4 years in DS, as compared to 9.6 years for people without DS [5], and the currently estimated life expectancy of a 1-year-old child with DS is between 43 and 55 years (depending on the level of disability). Although longevity in adults with DS has been increasing progressively, these increases have been substantially lower for some minority groups [6, 7]. Further, as described by L. Thorpe et al., adults with DS are still disadvantaged compared to adults with other types of ID in terms of mortality rate, with multiple comorbidities being of significant concern (e.g., depression, seizures). Significant contributors to quality of life in aging individuals with DS also include gait disturbances (B. A. Smith et al.) and ophthalmic disorders (e.g., S. J. Krinsky-MC. Hale et al.), both of which increase with age.
The Global Network for Molecular and Cell Biology (MCBN).

The Global Network for Molecular and Cell Biology (MCBN), first as a UNESCO program and later as an independent NGO, has largely contributed in the years between 1990 and 2008 to stimulate research and training by promoting international cooperation in the field of cell and molecular biology. It has enabled scientists from developing countries to go abroad and to learn techniques not otherwise accessible to them, and through a number of small grants to carry out research in their countries which otherwise would have been impossible.