cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A generalized algorithm for duration and convexity of option embedded bonds

ABSTRACTThis article derives a generalized algorithm for duration and convexity of option embedded bonds that provides a convenient way of estimating the dollar value of 1 basis point change in yield known as DV01, an important metric in the bond market. As delta approaches 1, duration of callable bonds approaches zero once the bond is called. However, when the delta is zero, the short call is worthless and duration of callable will be equal to that of a straight bond. On the other hand, the convexity of a callable bond follows the same behaviour when the delta is 1 as shown in Dunetz and Mahoney (1988) as well as in Mehran and Homaifar’s (1993) derivations. However, in the case when delta is zero, the convexity of a callable bond approaches zero as well, which is in stark contrast to the non-zero convexity derived in Dunetz and Mahoney’s paper. Our generalized algorithm shows that duration and convexity nearly symmetrically underestimate (overestimate) the actual price change by 11/10 basis points for ± ...
The Evolving Cardiovascular Disease Risk Scores for Persons with Diabetes Mellitus

We briefly introduce the concept and use of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk scores and review the methodology for CVD risk score development and validation in patients with diabetes. We also discuss CVD risk scores for diabetic patients that have been developed in different countries. Patients with diabetes have a gradient of CVD risk that needs to be accurately assessed. Numerous CVD risk scores for diabetic patients have been created in various settings. The methods to develop risk scores are highly diverse and each choice has its own pros and cons. A well-constructed risk score for diabetic patients may be advocated by guidelines and adopted by healthcare providers to help determine preventive strategies. New risk factors are being investigated in order to improve the predictive accuracy of current risk scores. A suitable CVD risk score for the diabetes population should be accurate, low-cost, and beneficial to outcome. While the performance (accuracy) has all been internally validated, validation on external populations is still needed. Cost-effectiveness and clinical trials demonstrating improvement in outcomes are limited and should be the target of future research.
Toward a framework for navigational guidance during surgical access

Despite a number of recent advances in robot-assisted surgery, achieving minimal access still requires that surgeons operate with reduced faculties for perception and manipulation as compared to open surgery. Image guidance shows promise for enhancing perception during local navigation (e.g. near occluded endophytic tumors), and we hypothesize that these methods can be extended to address the global navigation problem of efficiently locating and exposing a target organ and its associated anatomical structures. In this work we describe the high-level architecture of an augmented reality system for guiding access to abdominal organs in laparoscopic and robot-assisted procedures, and demonstrate the applicability of an array of assimilation algorithms through proof-of-concept simulation. Under the proposed framework, a coarse model of procedure-specific internal anatomy is initialized based on segmented pre-operative imaging. The model is rigidly registered to the patient at the time of trocar placement, then non-rigidly updated in an incremental manner during the access phase of surgery based on limited views of relevant anatomical structures as they are exposed. Observations are assumed to derive primarily from reconstruction of stereoscopic imaging; however, the assimilation framework provides a means of incorporating measurements made with other sensing modalities. Simulation results show that standard state estimation algorithms are suitable for accommodating large-scale displacement and deformation of the observed feature configuration relative to the initial model. Future work will include development of a suitable 3D model of anatomical structures involved in partial nephrectomy as well as provision for leveraging intraoperative dynamics in the assimilation framework.
Elected local bodies, space, and the governance of market expansion in rural India

Abstract Departing from scholarship related to democratic decentralization which has largely treated the phenomenon through the lenses of comparative politics, public choice and participatory governance; I identify democratic decentralization as a form of state restructuring of rural spaces during an era of market expansion. Drawing upon political geography and critical governance studies and based on multi-site ethnographic fieldwork in India, elected local bodies are identified as mediators of market-society conflicts, builders of infrastructure to overcome spatio-temporal barriers to the movement of capital, and legitimators of new property regimes at the geopolitical margins. Market expansion by means of democratic decentralization is a window onto the transformation of statehood during second wave economic reforms in India, and unsettles the premise of grassroots democratization advancing distributional justice in the locality.
A Multi-UAS Trajectory optimization Methodology for Complex Enclosed Environments

This paper explores a multi-UAV trajectory optimization methodology for confined environments. One potential application of this technology is performing warehouse inventory audits; this application is used to evaluate the methodologie’s impact on minimizing total mission times. This paper investigates existing algorithms and improves upon them to better address the constraints of warehouse-like environments. An existing inventory scanning algorithm generates sub-optimal, collision free paths for multi-UAV operations, which has two sequential processes: solving a vehicle routing problem, and determining optimal deployment time without any collision. To improve the sub-optimal results, this paper introduces three possible improvements on the multi-UAV inventory tracking scenario. First, a new algorithm logic which seeks to minimize the total mission time once collision avoidance has been ensured rather than having separate processes. Next, an objective function that seeks to minimize the maximum UAV mission time rather than minimizing the total of all UAV mission times. Last, an operational setup consisting of multiple deployment locations instead of only one. These algorithms are evaluated individually and in combination with one another to assess their impact on the overall mission time using a representative inventory environment. The best combination will be further analyzed through a design of experiments by varying several inputs and examining the resulting fleet size, computation time, and overall mission time.
A Review of Magnetically Actuated Milli/Micro-Scale Robots Locomotion and Features

In the past decades, wireless milli and micro devices have been incorporated into medical procedures as a way to reduce invasiveness. However, the commercially available methods still consist of passive locomotion devices, which is a limiting factor to the development of minimally invasive devices. Magnetism simplifies the design of small-scale devices since it does not require on-board batteries or motors. This review presents locomotion techniques and features using magnetic actuation towards minimally invasive procedures. Requirements, advantages, and challenges are discussed.
ANALYSIS MARKETING STRATEGIES AT CULINARY TOURISM CENTERS

Research purposes: Analyzing marketing strategies at culinary tourism centers. Methodology: This research method is qualitative, where the informants who will provide information in this study are: 1). Manager of Culinary Tourism Centers (1 person), 2). Owner Stan (5 people), 3). Visitors to the Culinary Tourism Centers (10 visitors) from each culinary tourism. Main Findings: Strategies to improve marketing in the Central Culinary Tourism In Surabaya, between the manager and the owner of the booth must pay attention to the quality of the products produced, the determination of the selling price, the promotion system used to introduce the existence of culinary tourism centers which have gone through social media, while also paying attention to services, cleanliness, and facilities available at the culinary tourism. Implications: So that the Department of Cooperatives and SMEs also the City Government of Surabaya can develop the existence of a culinary tourism center must actively provide assistance to develop a culinary tourism center. And also culinary entrepreneurs and owners continue to improve the quality of products, facilities, services, and the surrounding environment so consumers can enjoy the culinary specialties of Surabaya. Novelty/Originality of this study: This research raises the theme of the culinary industry in increasing tourism and increasing the income of citizens of the city.
Evidence of Kinetic Cooperativity in Dimeric Ketopantoate Reductase from Staphylococcus aureus.

Ketopantoate reductase (KPR) catalyzes the NADPH-dependent production of pantoate, an essential precursor in the biosynthesis of coenzyme A. Previous structural studies have been limited to Escherichia coli KPR, a monomeric enzyme that follows a sequential ordered mechanism. Here we report the crystal structure of the Staphylococcus aureus enzyme at 1.8 A resolution, the first description of a dimeric KPR. Using sedimentation velocity analysis, we show that the S. aureus KPR dimer is stable in solution. In fact, our structural analysis shows that the dimeric assembly we identify is present in the majority of KPR crystal structures. Steady state analysis of S. aureus KPR reveals strong positive cooperativity with respect to NADPH (Hill coefficient of 2.5). In contrast, high concentrations of the substrate ketopantoate (KP) inhibit the activity of the enzyme. These observations are consistent with a random addition mechanism in which the initial binding of NADPH is the kinetically preferred path. In fact, F...
Linear Theory of Theta Functions

Let V be a complex vector space of dimension n, real dimension 2n. Let D be a lattice in V, that is, a discrete subgroup of real dimension 2n, so that the factor group V/D is a complex torus. We define a theta function on V, with respect to D (or on V/D), to be a quotient of entire functions (called a meromorphic function for this chapter), not identically zero, and satisfying the relation $$F(x + u) = F(x){e^{2\pi i[L(x,u) + J(u)]}},{\text{ }}all{\text{ }}x{\text{ }} \in {\text{V,u}} \in {\text{D}}$$ (1) where L is C-linear in x, and no specifications are made on its dependence on u, or on the dependence of the function J on u. However, we note that we can change J by a Z-valued function on D without changing the above equation. Also, we shall see below that any such L and J must satisfy additional conditions which can be deduced from this equation. We note that the theta functions form a multiplicative group.
5 – Control Concepts

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the concepts of control and presents a contemporary view of the feasibility, and the advantages and disadvantages, of the various control options. Control of emissions to the atmosphere can be accomplished in many ways, depending upon the nature of the process involved and the ingenuity of the air pollution control engineers involved. As access to the air resource for air pollution control becomes less available, other control methods, now available, will gradually assume greater importance. It is likely that currently available air and gas cleaning technology will be the first alternative method to be exploited fully. Ultimately, it is expected that methods designed to eliminate emissions entirely will be built into new facilities at the design stage as an economically and environmentally optimizing objective. Division of the environment into individual self-sufficient compartments by particularized legislation, bureaucratic organization, and academic discipline tends to divert attention from legitimate concerns over the intermedia transfer of pollutants, and inhibits prompt intervention to avert or minimize damage. Even a brief discussion of the intermedia transfer of substances having important environmental effects emphasizes, anew, the basic concept that the environment is unitary.
The effect of platelet-rich plasma on female androgenetic alopecia: A randomized controlled trial

Background Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) may be a useful treatment for androgenetic alopecia (AGA), although objective studies are needed. Objective To determine whether PRP injections improve female AGA. Method Prospective randomized controlled trial of 30 women diagnosed with AGA. Patients received subdermal scalp injections of Eclipse system PRP or placebo saline at weeks 0, 4, and 8. Outcome measures were changes in hair density (hair/cm2), hair caliber (mm), and blinded global photographic assessment (improved or not improved) at week 24. Results Blinded global photographic assessment indicated that 57% of patients receiving PRP versus 7% of patients receiving saline improved at week 24 from baseline (P Limitations Two patients lost to follow-up. Conclusions PRP with the Eclipse system is a safe and effective intervention for female AGA.
Assessing preferences for receiving supportive care resources among patients seen at a Breast Care Center.

Patients with breast cancer or at high risk for breast cancer have supportive care needs. Although cancer centers offer social, psychological, and other support to these patients, these services are not always utilized, and patients continue to report unmet supportive care needs. Reasons for non-utilization of these services have not been well documented. In this analysis, we examine patient reasons for service non-utilization and evaluate patients’ interest in receiving information about and paying for other supportive care services. Study participants were contacted by email 7–14 months following appointments at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Breast Care Center (BCC) and were invited to complete a 26-question survey about supportive care utilization at UCSF. In total, 195 patients (45%) completed surveys. Of these, 68% had breast cancer. Among patients with breast cancer, fewer than half completed appointments with psychological services. Lack of self-perceived need was the primary reason patients did not pursue psychological services. Overall, 61% of participants were interested in learning more about psychological services, 27% in nutrition counseling, and 20% in exercise counseling. Participants were more interested in individual counseling than in group counseling but were less interested in paying for services. Patients often feel that they do not need supportive services. Breast cancer patients are interested in learning more about psychological services, exercise counseling, and nutrition counseling. Although many cancer centers offer group coaching and counseling sessions on these topics, patients may be more willing to engage in individual counseling.
Factors Associated With the Acceptance of New TRICARE and Medicare Patients by Health Care Providers

We use data from the 2012-2015 TRICARE Standard Survey to examine factors that affect civilian health care providers’ acceptance of patients covered by the U.S. Department of Defense’s TRICARE insu...
Patient Participation With a Mobile Phone Application for Objective Activity Assessment Before and After Spinal Fusion.

Background Evolution within spine surgery is driven by a surgeon's desire for expertise and significant improvement in their patients' quality of life. As surgeons move away from using subjective patient-reported outcome (PRO) surveys, there must be an alternative objective metric in its place. Modern iPhone (Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA) technology can be used to capture daily activity in a simple, non-user biased manner. These health data can be used to analyze objective functional status in conjunction with PRO surveys to measure surgical outcomes. Methods Patients who underwent an awake transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) between 2014 and 2018 at our institution were identified. Patients were consented and instructed to download the application "QS Access" (Quantified Self Labs, San Francisco, CA). Following data collection, we analyzed the demographic information of patients who were reached to gauge participation and feasibility of data exportation. Results A total of 177 patients who underwent an awake TLIF at our institution were contacted. Of those who answered, 41 (44.6%) agreed to participate and 51 (55.4%) declined to participate. When comparing those who either participated or declined, there were no significant differences in age (p=0.145), sex (p=0.589), or ethnicity (p=0.686). Conclusion Our pilot study examined the patient participation in the novel usage of Apple "Health" data, queried from "QS Access" (Quantified Self Labs), to objectively measure relative patient functional status surrounding spinal fusion. We demonstrated that a smartphone-based application was mostly well received by our patient cohort and has the potential to be used as an objective operative metric moving forward.
Specific concussion curriculum: Does it improve resident comfort, knowledge and in-training scores? A pilot study

Title: Specific concussion curriculum: Does it improve residents’ comfort, knowledge and in-training examination scores? A pilot study. Background: Concussions can cause significant morbidity if not recognized and treated appropriately. Over a span of 8 years (2006-2014) concussion related hospital visits have increased by 54%. It is imperative that Pediatricians have the knowledge and comfort to be able to treat this population. …
Estimation of mechanical work done to open the esophagogastric junction using functional lumen imaging probe panometry.

Changes in pressure and diameter occur at the EGJ during esophageal emptying. Similar changes can be observed during FLIP panometry. Data from healthy and diseased individuals were used to estimate...
Abstract IA-06: Artificial intelligence in cancer imaging

Medical imaging in oncology has traditionally been restricted to the diagnosis and staging of cancer. But technological advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), deep learning in particular, are moving imaging modalities into the heart of patient care. Imaging can address a critical barrier in precision medicine as solid tumors can be spatial and temporal heterogeneous, and the standard approach to tumor sampling, often invasive needle biopsy, is unable to fully capture the spatial state of the tumor. Radiomics refers to the automatic quantification of this radiographic phenotype. Radiomic methods heavily rely on AI technologies to quantify phenotypic characteristics that can be used to develop non-invasive biomarkers. In this talk, Dr. Aerts will discuss recent developments from his group and collaborators performing research at the intersection of radiology, bioinformatics, and data science. Also, he will discuss recent work of building a computational image analysis system to extract a rich radiomics set and use these features to build radiomic signatures. The presentation will conclude with a discussion of future work on building integrative systems incorporating both molecular and phenotypic data to improve cancer therapies. Citation Format: Hugo Aerts. Artificial intelligence in cancer imaging [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Special Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Diagnosis, and Imaging; 2021 Jan 13-14. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2021;27(5_Suppl):Abstract nr IA-06.
Signatures of optimal codon usage in metabolic genes inform budding yeast ecology.

Reverse ecology is the inference of ecological information from patterns of genomic variation. One rich, heretofore underutilized, source of ecologically relevant genomic information is codon optimality or adaptation. Bias toward codons that match the tRNA pool is robustly associated with high gene expression in diverse organisms, suggesting that codon optimization could be used in a reverse ecology framework to identify highly expressed, ecologically relevant genes. To test this hypothesis, we examined the relationship between optimal codon usage in the classic galactose metabolism (GAL) pathway and known ecological niches for 329 species of budding yeasts, a diverse subphylum of fungi. We find that optimal codon usage in the GAL pathway is positively correlated with quantitative growth on galactose, suggesting that GAL codon optimization reflects increased capacity to grow on galactose. Optimal codon usage in the GAL pathway is also positively correlated with human-associated ecological niches in yeasts of the CUG-Ser1 clade and with dairy-associated ecological niches in the family Saccharomycetaceae. For example, optimal codon usage of GAL genes is greater than 85% of all genes in the genome of the major human pathogen Candida albicans (CUG-Ser1 clade) and greater than 75% of genes in the genome of the dairy yeast Kluyveromyces lactis (family Saccharomycetaceae). We further find a correlation between optimization in the GALactose pathway genes and several genes associated with nutrient sensing and metabolism. This work suggests that codon optimization harbors information about the metabolic ecology of microbial eukaryotes. This information may be particularly useful for studying fungal dark matter—species that have yet to be cultured in the lab or have only been identified by genomic material.
Failure of a lithium-filled target and some implications for fusion components

Abstract In preparation for testing a lithium-helium heat exchanger at Sandia, unexpected rapid failure of the mild steel lithium preheater due to liquid metal embrittlement occurred when lithium at ~400 °C flowed into the preheater then at ~200 °C. This happened before the helium system was pressurized or heating with electron beams began. The paper presents an analysis of the preheater plus a discussion of some implications for fusion.
Mode of Action of Hypoglycemic Agents: III. STUDIES ON 5-METHOXY INDOLE-2-CARBOXYLIC ACID AND QUINALDIC ACID

Abstract Quinaldic acid and 5-methoxy indole-2-carboxylic acid inhibited the oxidation of pyruvate, α-ketoglutarate, glutamate, and citrate but not of β-hydroxybutyrate or succinate in rat liver mitochondria. The inhibition of glutamate and citrate metabolism resulted primarily from inhibition of the further oxidation of α-ketoglutarate. Isolated liver mitochondria accumulated these inhibitors to concentrations 30-fold in excess of those found in the suspending medium. Octanoate or 2,4-dinitrophenol reduced this accumulation and also reversed the inhibition of pyruvate oxidation. Kidney mitochondria did not accumulate these aromatic monocarboxylic acid inhibitors to nearly the same extent as liver mitochondria; neither compound inhibited kidney mitochondrial oxidations. The site of inhibition was lipoyl dehydrogenase. Concentrations of the inhibitors which could be accumulated by isolated mitochondria significantly inhibited the enzyme isolated from rat liver mitochondria. The specificity of various indole derivatives indicated that different structural requirements were necessary for accumulation by mitochondria, inhibition of isolated lipoyl dehydrogenase, and, finally, inhibition of α-keto acid oxidation.
Neurostimulation for the treatment of epilepsy: a review of current surgical interventions.

Objectives: Epilepsy continues to provide challenges to clinicians, as a significant proportion of patients continue to suffer from seizures despite medical and surgical treatments. Neurostimulation has emerged as a new treatment modality that has the potential to improve quality of life and occasionally be curative for patients with medically refractory epilepsy who are not surgical candidates. In order to continue to advance the frontier of this field, it is imperative to have a firm grasp of the current body of knowledge. Methods: We performed a thorough review of the current literature regarding the three main modalities of vagus nerve stimulation, deep brain stimulation, and closed-loop stimulation (responsive neurostimulator [RNS]) for the treatment of refractory epilepsy. For each of these forms of treatment, we discuss the current understanding of the underlying mechanism of action, patient selection, outcomes to date, and associated side effects or adverse reactions. We also provide an overview of related ongoing clinical trials. Results: A total of 189 sources from 1938 to 2012 pertaining to neuromodulation for the treatment of epilepsy were reviewed. Sources included review articles, clinical trials, case reports, conference proceedings, animal studies, and government data bases. Conclusions: This review shows us how neurostimulation provides us with yet another tool with which to treat the complex disease of medically refractory epilepsy.
Individual differences in working memory moderate the relationship between prosaccade latency and antisaccade error rate

Cognitive control is required for flexible responses in changing environments and can be assessed by measuring antisaccade error rate. Considerable variance in antisaccade error rate is observed in healthy participants, which motivated the current study to explore the cognitive factors affecting antisaccade performance. Relationships exist between prosaccade latency and antisaccade error rate, with faster prosaccade latencies linked to more antisaccade errors. Individual differences in working memory also impact saccadic performance. The current study tested the relationships among prosaccade latency, antisaccade error rate, and working memory in 153 healthy participants. Correlation and multiple regression analyses demonstrated that prosaccade latency predicted antisaccade error rate, and working memory moderated this relationship. These results may help elucidate individual differences in cognitive control among healthy individuals.
Synexin (annexin VII) hypothesis for Ca2+/GTP-regulated exocytosis.

Publisher Summary The current fusion machine hypothesis envisions a core complex formed between plasma membrane syntaxin and SNAP-25 and the synaptic vesicle protein synaptobrevinNAMP (S), with vesicular synaptotagmin identified as a low-affinity calcium sensor that interacts with regulatory syntaxin 1. The site of GTP action in exocytosis has been thought to be closely associated with the site of calcium action at some common site. The affinity of this site for Ca 2+ has been shown to be in the 50- to 200- μ M range, as estimated from electrophysiological studies with caged calcium in chromaffin cells, neurons, and digitonin-permeabilized chromaffin cells. Therefore, a good experimental goal would seem to be to search for a embrane fusion protein that is activated by both calcium and GTP. Chromaffin and many other cell types contain a membrane fusion protein, synexin (annexin VII), associated with secretory vesicles and plasma membranes, which have an appropriate intrinsic K d for Ca 2+ of approximately 200 μ M. In addition to binding of GTP and Ca 2+ , a further identifying feature of the hypothetical “fusion scaffold” protein has been proposed to be self-association. Indeed, it has been shown by light scattering and electron microscopy studies that the Ca 2+ -activated form of synexin has a polymeric structure. Consistently, the protein concentration dependence for many synexindependent reactions has consistently been sigmoidal, with Hill coefficients (n H ). It is true that synexin alone is able to mediate efficiently both membrane contact and fusion reactions in vitro . However, the exocytosis process is likely to be much more complicated.
Response activation impairments in schizophrenia: Evidence from the lateralized readiness potential

Previous research has demonstrated deficits in preresponse motor activity in schizophrenia, as evidenced by a reduced lateralized readiness potential (LRP). The LRP deficit could be due to increased activation of the incorrect response (e.g., failure to suppress competition) or to reduced activation of the correct response (e.g., a low-level impairment in response preparation). To distinguish these possibilities, we asked whether the LRP impairment is increased under conditions of strong response competition. We manipulated the compatibility of stimulus-response mappings (Experiment 1) and the compatibility of the target with flankers (Experiment 2). In both experiments, the patient LRP was reduced as much under conditions of low response competition as under high competition. These results are incompatible with a failure of patients to suppress competition and are instead consistent with a deficit in activating the correct response.
Southern California Deformation

Southern California is one of the most seismically active places in the United States and has therefore been of long-standing interest to geoscientists. In their Perspective, Jackson et al . discuss recent work to collect geodetic data on the motion and earthquake potential of the faults in southern California.
Methods for Detection of Matrix Metalloproteinases as Biomarkers in Cardiovascular Disease

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of zinc-dependent proteolytic enzymes that degrade extracellular matrix (ECM) components like collagen, fibronectin, and laminin. While this activity is important for normal development, morphogenesis, and wound healing, deregulation of MMP activity has been implicated in a number of cardiovascular diseases, including congenital heart defects, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and congestive heart failure. MMPs are good potential diagnostic indicators of cardiovascular disease, but current detection methods are time consuming and quite laborious. This review will discuss MMP biology, current methods for detection of MMPs from patient samples, and potential new developments in multiplexed analysis of MMPs.
Early forest fire detection using principal component analysis of infrared video

A land-based early forest fire detection scheme which exploits the infrared (IR) temporal signature of fire plume is described. Unlike common land-based and/or satellite-based techniques which rely on measurement and discrimination of fire plume directly from its infrared and/or visible reflectance imagery, this scheme is based on exploitation of fire plume temporal signature, i.e., temperature fluctuations over the observation period. The method is simple and relatively inexpensive to implement. The false alarm rate is expected to be lower that of the existing methods. Land-based infrared (IR) cameras are installed in a step-stare-mode configuration in potential fire-prone areas. The sequence of IR video frames from each camera is digitally processed to determine if there is a fire within camera's field of view (FOV). The process involves applying a principal component transformation (PCT) to each nonoverlapping sequence of video frames from the camera to produce a corresponding sequence of temporally-uncorrelated principal component (PC) images. Since pixels that form a fire plume exhibit statistically similar temporal variation (i.e., have a unique temporal signature), PCT conveniently renders the footprint/trace of the fire plume in low-order PC images. The PC image which best reveals the trace of the fire plume is then selected and spatially filtered via simple threshold and median filter operations to remove the background clutter, such as traces of moving tree branches due to wind.
Data assimilative hindcast of the Gulf of Maine coastal circulation

[1] A data assimilative model hindcast of the Gulf of Maine (GOM) coastal circulation during an 11 day field survey in early summer 2003 is presented. In situ observations include surface winds, coastal sea levels, and shelf hydrography as well as moored and shipboard acoustic Doppler D current profiler (ADCP) currents. The hindcast system consists of both forward and inverse models. The forward model is a three-dimensional, nonlinear finite element ocean circulation model, and the inverse models are its linearized frequency domain and time domain counterparts. The model hindcast assimilates both coastal sea levels and ADCP current measurements via the inversion for the unknown sea level open boundary conditions. Model skill is evaluated by the divergence of the observed and modeled drifter trajectories. A mean drifter divergence rate (1.78 km d � 1 ) is found, demonstrating the utility of the inverse data assimilation modeling system in the coastal ocean setting. Model hindcast also reveals complicated hydrodynamic structures and synoptic variability in the GOM coastal circulation and their influences on coastal water material property transport. The complex bottom bathymetric setting offshore of Penobscot and Casco bays is shown to be able to generate local upwelling and downwelling that may be important in local plankton dynamics.
Factors affecting a woman's intent to adopt hormone replacement therapy for menopause.

Objective To explore the relationship of attitude toward menopause, knowledge of menopause, social support for hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and self-efficacy for HRT with intention to adopt HRT for menopause. Design A prospective design, to explore the relationship between predictors and the criterion, intent to adopt HRT. Setting The participants were recruited from clinic sites in rural Nebraska and Wyoming. Participants A convenience sample of 167 peri- menopausal/menopausal women ages 39 to 58. Main Outcome Measure Multiple regression was used to examine the relationships between predictors and the criterion, intent to adopt HRT. Results Self-efficacy was found to predict intent to adopt HRT to a higher degree than the other predictors of support and knowledge. The combined influence of all three predictors affected intent to adopt HRT to a greater degree than any of the variables independently, R2= .45. Conclusions This study provides evidence that self-efficacy, support, and knowledge may affect a woman's intent to adopt HRT. A higher priority needs to be placed on enhancing a menopausal woman's self-efficacy, support, and knowledge to facilitate adoption of HRT.
Comparison of the SonoSite™ and Acuson 128/XP10 ultrasound machines in the ‘bed-side’ assessment of the post liver transplant patient

Abstract Hepatic artery thrombosis after liver transplant is associated with biliary sepsis and irretrievable loss of the graft. Early identification of hepatic artery thrombosis, using a ‘high-specification’ ultrasound machine incorporating spectral Doppler, is crucial to patient management in the postoperative period with portable ultrasound as the first line of investigation for evaluation of the hepatic artery. We evaluated the efficacy of the SonoSite™ portable ultrasound machine, which uses power Doppler only, in the evaluation of the post transplant hepatic artery. An Acuson 128/XP10 ultrasound machine was used as the comparison ‘reference-standard’ with identification of the hepatic artery by both colour and spectral Doppler trace. The SonoSite™ accurately identified the hepatic artery in 88.4% of patients with power Doppler. The SonoSite™ was easier to transport and manage at the bedside leading to considerable time saving. In 11.6% of patients a repeat ultrasound using the ‘reference-standard’ machine would be necessary.
Integrated expression profiles of mRNA and miRNA in polarized primary murine microglia.

Neuroinflammation contributes to many neurologic disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and stroke. Microglia is brain resident myeloid cells and have emerged as a key driver of the neuroinflammatory responses. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) provide a novel layer of gene regulation and play a critical role in regulating the inflammatory response of peripheral macrophages. However, little is known about the miRNA in inflammatory activation of microglia. To elucidate the role that miRNAs have on microglial phenotypes under classical (M1) or alternative (M2) activation under lipopolysaccharide (‘M1’-skewing) and interleukin-4 (‘M2a’-skewing) stimulation conditions, we performed microarray expression profiling and bioinformatics analysis of both mRNA and miRNA using primary cultured murine microglia. miR-689, miR-124, and miR-155 were the most strongly associated miRNAs predicted to mediate pro-inflammatory pathways and M1-like activation phenotype. miR-155, the most strongly up-regulated miRNA, regulates the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 signaling pathway enabling the late phase response to M1-skewing stimulation. Reduced expression in miR-689 and miR-124 are associated with dis-inhibition of many canonical inflammatory pathways. miR-124, miR-711, miR-145 are the strongly associated miRNAs predicted to mediate anti-inflammatory pathways and M2-like activation phenotype. Reductions in miR-711 and miR-124 may regulate inflammatory signaling pathways and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma pathway. miR-145 potentially regulate peripheral monocyte/macrophage differentiation and faciliate the M2-skewing phenotype. Overall, through combined miRNA and mRNA expression profiling and bioinformatics analysis we have identified six miRNAs and their putative roles in M1 and M2-skewing of microglial activation through different signaling pathways.
The orange and the 'Cross in the Crescent': imagining Palestine in 1929

. This article analyses a public discussion held in Palestine during the last months of 1929 over proposals for a particular Palestinian flag. Based on readers' reactions published in the daily newspaper Filastin and on letters sent to the Arab Executive, the article examines the character of Palestinian identity as it was imagined by a certain segment of the Palestinian elite. The three main leitmotifs of the flag proposals – the four colors of the Arab flag, the color orange and the ‘Cross in the Crescent’ emblem – serve as a starting point for discussing the tensions between Palestinian particularism and pan-Arabism, as well as the status of Muslim-Christian partnership in a period of increasing Islamisation of Palestinian identity. The second part of the article incorporates a comparative discussion that aims to explain the failure of the color orange and the ‘Cross in the Crescent’ to be accepted as emblems in the national flag. By comparing the unsuccessful proposals with the Arab flag (that eventually became the official Palestinian flag) and with the Lebanese flag, the article suggests their failure was due to three main reasons: (a) they reflected the interests of relatively marginal social groups; (b) they were not raised at a time of sweeping change in the socio-political order; and (c) they lacked a profound basis in local tradition and the potential to be attached to an ancient past.
Another view of nucleosynthetic radioactivity

Abstract We discuss the prospects for direct measurements of nucleosynthesis yields of electron capture decay radioactive nuclei from supernovae, by detecting the characteristic K X-rays of the daughters. Several isotopes in galactic supernova remnants and SN 1987A appear to be detectable now or in the near future. Precise measurements of these nuclear yields, mostly achievable no other way, would greatly constrain nucleosynthesis theory.
Cortactin as a target for FAK in the regulation of focal adhesion dynamics.

Background Efficient cell movement requires the dynamic regulation of focal adhesion (FA) formation and turnover. FAs are integrin-associated sites of cell attachment and establish linkages to the cellular actin cytoskeleton. Cells without focal adhesion kinase (FAK), an integrin-activated tyrosine kinase, exhibit defects in FA turnover and cell motility. Cortactin is an actin binding adaptor protein that can influence FA dynamics. FAK and cortactin interact, but the cellular role of this complex remains unclear.
Effect of irrigation on the production of white potatoes

As the result of irrigation experiments conducted for three seasons, it was shown that the yield of potatoes was increased greatly by irrigation under the climatic conditions of Davis, in California. An application of 30 to 35 inches of water produced maximum yields. The nonirrigated potatoes produced a smaller percentage of No. is, were smaller in size, and usually had fewer knobs. The irrigated potatoes were usually of higher water content, had a smaller percentage of nitrogen, and exhibited large, whitish appearing lenticels.
Big Data and Image Search

Editor-in-Chief Yong Rui reflects on what has been achieved in the past 20 years of multimedia research and where to go next, specifically on the past and future of image search.
Functionalization of hybrid poly(n-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogels for Escherichia coli cell capture via adsorbed intermediate dye molecule

Poly(n-isopropylacrylamide) Laponite (PNIPAM-Lap) hybrid hydrogels, which use the synthetic clay Laponite as a crosslinker, permanently adsorb cationic laser dyes out of solution. This proof-of-concept expounds on this capability by adsorbing an intermediate dye molecule and using it as the foundation for successfully conjugating microbial antibodies to the surface of a PNIPAM hydrogel. The study involves using acriflavinium chloride molecules, adsorbed by a PNIPAM-Lap hydrogel from an acriflavine laser dye solution, as an intermediate molecule to attach antibodies raised against E. coli to the hydrogel and demonstrate cell capture. Furthermore, this system exemplifies a novel biotechnological platform for greatly expanding PNIPAM hydrogels' capabilities and applicability through conjugation chemistry to surface-bound molecules. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41557.
Ethical decision making and leadership: Merging social role and self-construal perspectives

This research extends our understanding of ethical decision making on the part of leaders by merging social role and self-construal perspectives. Interdependent self-construal is generally seen as enhancing concern for justice and moral values. Across two studies, we tested the prediction that non-leading group members’ interdependent self-construal would be associated with lower levels of unethical decision making on behalf of their group but that, in contrast, this relationship would be weaker for leaders, given their social role. These predictions were experimentally tested by assigning participants to the role of leader or non-leading group member, and assessing the association between their interdependent self-construal and their unethical decision making. Across both studies, interdependence predicted less unethical decision making on behalf of one’s group for non-leading group members. However, the leader role was shown to weaken, and even reverse, this relationship. This research demonstrates that self-construal influences group-based ethical decision making, but that the nature of this influence is moderated by social role.
A multiple imputation approach to the analysis of interval-censored failure time data with the additive hazards model

This paper discusses regression analysis of interval-censored failure time data, which occur in many fields including demographical, epidemiological, financial, medical, and sociological studies. For the problem, we focus on the situation where the survival time of interest can be described by the additive hazards model and a multiple imputation approach is presented for inference. A major advantage of the approach is its simplicity and it can be easily implemented by using the existing software packages for right-censored failure time data. Extensive simulation studies are conducted which indicate that the approach performs well for practical situations and is comparable to the existing methods. The methodology is applied to a set of interval-censored failure time data arising from an AIDS clinical trial.
Temperature profile determination in an absorbing plasma

A new method has been developed to determine the temperature profile of an optically-non-thin plasma. The technique is essentially an extension of the brightness-emissivity method to the case of a cylindrically-symmetric plasma.
Droplets in an axisymmetric microtube: Effects of aspect ratio and fluid interfaces

The flow within a liquid droplet steadily translating along an axisymmetric microtube is investigated experimentally and compared with a model to predict the invariants of the flow, that is circulation, hydrodynamic impulse, and kinetic energy. The model is based on pipe Poiseuille flow and allows for variable aspect ratio, AR. The invariants are computed from the velocity fields, which are measured with micro digital particle image velocimetry. The non-dimensionalized experimental invariants show negligible dependence on the Reynolds number, within the small range investigated (∼1.5-13), which also agrees with the model. The effect of introducing a fluid interface is found to increase the observed magnitude of invariants in low-AR droplets above those in continuous flow. Also increased are the average rates at which invariants are advected across a hypothetical flux plane within the tube. The increase in these rates above continuous flow goes as AR−1. The momentum flux is similarly increased for low-AR a...
Maraviroc in the treatment of HIV infection.

While a successful HIV vaccine will likely take several more years to become a reality, many anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs are currently available to treat HIV infection, and their efficacious use has improved the quality of life and life expectancy of millions of HIV-infected individuals. A recent addition to these ARVs is a new class of drug that targets the HIV entry process by interfering with the action of the CCR5 coreceptor. The first licensed member of this class is a drug called maraviroc, which is also the first ARV that targets a cellular rather than a viral protein. Several other CCR5 antagonists with varied mechanisms of action are being developed. Key issues with the use of these drugs include determining their potential for use in treatment-naive versus treatment-experienced patients, the development of sensitive coreceptor phenotyping assays to determine patient eligibility, and finally monitoring the emergence of resistant viruses and their mechanisms of resistance. This review summarizes the preclinical and clinical development of maraviroc as well as studies of HIV resistance to this drug both in vitro and in patients. In addition, a range of diverse CCR5 antagonists currently under development, are also discussed.
Magnetic Tracking Inside Conducting Bores for Radiotherapy Tumor Localization Systems

Magnetic tracking is sensitive to the eddy currents induced on the conducting gantry during radiotherapy tumor localization. We propose a unique magnetic tracking method that can resist the eddy current distortion. Our method uses a specific sensor array to estimate the secondary magnetic field generated from the eddy currents. An optimization procedure is adopted to reduce the distortion effects. A technique of providing the initial guess is also presented to accelerate the convergence of the algorithm. Numerical results demonstrate the effectiveness of our method for tumor localization inside radiotherapy gantry bores.
The price elasticity of demand for heroin: matched longitudinal and experimental evidence

This paper reports estimates of the price elasticity of demand for heroin based on a newly constructed dataset. The dataset has two matched components concerning the same sample of regular heroin users: longitudinal information about real-world heroin demand (actual price and actual quantity at daily intervals for each heroin user in the sample) and experimental information about laboratory heroin demand (elicited by presenting the same heroin users with scenarios in a laboratory setting). Two empirical strategies are used to estimate the price elasticity of demand for heroin. The first strategy exploits the idiosyncratic variation in the price experienced by a heroin user over time that occurs in markets for illegal drugs. The second strategy exploits the experimentally induced variation in price experienced by a heroin user across experimental scenarios. Both empirical strategies result in the estimate that the conditional price elasticity of demand for heroin is approximately -0.80.