cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of mutant serine palmitoyltransferase 1 in LY-B cells.

CHO-LY-B cells have been useful in studies of sphingolipid metabolism and function because they lack serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT) activity. Cloning and sequencing of the SPT1 transcript of LY-B cells identified the mutation as a guanine to adenine change at nucleotide 738, causing a G246R transformation. Western blots revealed low expression of the mutant SPT1 peptide, but activity was not detectable by mass spectrometric analysis of [13C]-palmitate incorporation into sphinganine, sphingosine, 1-deoxysphinganine, or 1-desoxymethylsphinganine. Treatment of LY-B cells with chemical chaperones (DMSO or glycerol) increased the amounts of mutant SPT1 as well as SPT2, but SPT activity was not restored. This study has established that G246R mutation in hamster SPT1 results in the loss of SPT activity.
Aqueous mercury precipitation with the synthetic dithiolate, BDTH2

Abstract BDTH 2 , 1,3-benzenediamidoethanethiol (common name) and closely related derivatives were specifically designed to become insoluble after the formation of linear, covalent bonds to aqueous mercury(II). BDTH 2 (IUPAC nomenclature, N , N ′-bis(2-mercaptoethyl)isophthalamide) emerged as the preeminent reagent for the complete precipitation of mercury from water after several years of studies with a wide range of compounds having one, two, three, and four thiol groups. BDTH 2 does not become inactive through oxidation to disulfide and can be applied to mercury-containing water as acidic, basic, and ethanolic solutions. The BDT–Hg precipitate is extremely stable and leaches low-ppm levels of mercury only under extremely acidic and basic conditions. BDTH 2 is also effective in the aqueous precipitation of other soft, divalent metals, such as copper, cadmium, lead, and the main group elements, arsenic and selenium. The insolubility of the BDT–M compounds can be attributed to the presence of strong, non-polar, covalent M–S bonding within a water-insoluble organic framework. BDTH 2 has no known biological toxicity and is being sold as a nutritional supplement under the trade name OSR-1. This review describes the chemistry, precipitation, and leaching studies of BDTH 2 with mercury.
Maximal oxygen consumption and stress performance in children operated on for congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Abstract The long-term follow-up of patients operated on for congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) at birth has been extensively evaluated, both clinically and with respect to respiratory function. However, little is known about the sports practice and stress performance of these subjects. Fifteen of 107 patients operated on for CDH underwent exercise stress testing with a stepwise increase in workload. A questionnaire was provided, which requested information on sports practice and lifestyle. Maximal oxygen consumption (Vo 2 max) was measured along with dynamic lung volumes. Clinical examination included a whole-body assessment (height, weight, skinfolds) and vital parameters (heart rate and blood pressure). Fifteen healthy children who practiced regular physical activity (2 to 4 hours/week) served as controls. All the CDH patients experienced a good lifestyle, but only 8 of them were participating in sports. Exercise duration andVo 2 max were significantly lower for the CDH patients, and were lowest for the sedentary patients. Therefore, the reducedVo 2 max of these otherwise healthy children most likely represents a lower degree of physical fitness rather than decreased respiratory function. Fitness is an expression of well-being; thus, there is evidence that these patients could safely participate in competitive motor activities.
Diphoterine® for alkali splashes to the skin

(In response to the recent review article: Brent J. Water based solutions are the best decontaminating fluids for dermal corrosive exposures. Clin Toxicol 2013;51:731–736.)To the Editor:I am writin...
Multilayered polyelectrolyte films promote the direct and localized delivery of DNA to cells

Abstract Multilayered polyelectrolyte films fabricated from plasmid DNA and a hydrolytically degradable synthetic polycation can be used to direct the localized transfection of cells without the aid of a secondary transfection agent. Multilayered assemblies 100 nm thick consisting of alternating layers of synthetic polymer 1 and plasmid DNA encoding for enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) were deposited on quartz substrates using a layer-by-layer fabrication procedure. The placement of film-coated slides in contact with COS-7 cells growing in serum-containing culture medium resulted in gene expression in cells localized under the film-coated portion of the slides. The average percentage of cells expressing EGFP relative to the total number of cells ranged from 4.6% to 37.9%, with an average of 18.6% ± 8.2%, as determined by fluorescence microscopy. In addition to providing a mechanism for the immobilization of DNA at the cell/surface interface, a preliminary analysis of film topography by atomic force microscopy (AFM) demonstrated that polymer 1 /DNA films undergo significant structural rearrangements upon incubation to present surface bound condensed plasmid DNA nanoparticles. These data suggest that the presence of the cationic polymer in these materials may also contribute to the internalization and expression of plasmid. The materials and design principles reported here present an attractive framework for the local or non-invasive delivery of DNA from the surfaces of implantable materials or biomedical devices.
Computation of Viscoelastic flow in a cylindrical tank with a rotating lid

Abstract An orthogonal collocation method is used to compute steady flows of viscoelastic fluids in a cylindrical tank covered by a rotating disk. The stability of these flows with respect to small disturbances is also analyzed. The Criminale-Ericksen-Filbey constitutive equation is used, since the primary flow is viscometric and the secondary flow is small. The solutions satisfy the equation of continuity and the boundary conditions exactly, including the velocity discontinuity at the edge of the disk. The computed flows for aqueous solutions of Separan 30 exhibit single or double vortices, according to the concentration and the rotation speed. Reasonable agreement is found with the data of Hill [7,8].
Improved delivery of methoxsalen

Significant improvement in the effective bioavailability of methoxsalen was achieved when it was administered to rats and dogs in a solution as compared to a suspension. Much earlier and higher peak levels were observed for the solution in both animals. The possible impact of these observations on current use of this agent for psoriasis treatment is discussed.
Solution structure of S100A1 bound to the CapZ peptide (TRTK12).

Abstract As is typical for S100–target protein interactions, a Ca2+-dependent conformational change in S100A1 is required to bind to a 12-residue peptide (TRTK12) derived from the actin-capping protein CapZ. In addition, the Ca2+-binding affinity of S100A1 is found to be tightened (greater than threefold) when TRTK12 is bound. To examine the biophysical basis for these observations, we determined the solution NMR structure of TRTK12 in a complex with Ca2+-loaded S100A1. When bound to S100A1, TRTK12 forms an amphipathic helix (residues N6 to S12) with several favorable hydrophobic interactions observed between W7, I10, and L11 of the peptide and a well-defined hydrophobic binding pocket in S100A1 that is only present in the Ca2+-bound state. Next, the structure of S100A1–TRTK12 was compared to that of another S100A1–target complex (i.e., S100A1–RyRP12), which illustrated how the binding pocket in Ca2+-S100A1 can accommodate peptide targets with varying amino acid sequences. Similarities and differences were observed when the structures of S100A1–TRTK12 and S100B–TRTK12 were compared, providing insights regarding how more than one S100 protein can interact with the same peptide target. Such comparisons, including those with other S100–target and S100–drug complexes, provide the basis for designing novel small-molecule inhibitors that could be specific for blocking one or more S100–target protein interactions.
Hospital board effectiveness: relationships between board training and hospital financial viability.

This study examined whether hospital governing boards that invest in board education and training are more informed and effective decision-making bodies. Measures of hospital financial viability (i.e., selected financial ratios and outcomes) are used as indicators of hospital board effectiveness. Board participation in educational programs was significantly associated with improved profitability, liquidity, and occupancy levels, suggesting that investment in the education of directors is likely to enhance hospital viability and thus increase board effectiveness.
Adverse childhood experiences and frequent insufficient sleep in 5 U.S. States, 2009: a retrospective cohort study

Background Although adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have previously been demonstrated to be adversely associated with a variety of health outcomes in adulthood, their specific association with sleep among adults has not been examined. To better address this issue, this study examines the relationship between eight self-reported ACEs and frequent insufficient sleep among community-dwelling adults residing in 5 U.S. states in 2009.
Continuous dielectrophoretic bacterial separation and concentration from physiological media of high conductivity

Biological sample processing involves purifying target analytes from various sample matrices and concentrating them to a small volume from a large volume of crude sample. This complex process is the major obstacle for developing a microfluidic diagnostic platform. In this study, we present a microfluidic device that can continuously separate and concentrate pathogenic bacterial cells from complex sample matrices such as cerebrospinal fluid and whole blood. Having overcome critical limitations of dielectrophoretic (DEP) operation in physiological media of high conductivity, we utilized target specific DEP techniques to incorporate cell separation, medium exchange, and target concentration into an integrated platform. The proposed microfluidic device can uptake mL volumes of crude biological sample and selectively concentrate target cells into a submicrolitre volume, providing ∼104 fold of concentration. We designed the device based on the electrokinetic theory and electric field simulation, and tested the device performance with different sample types. The separation efficiency of the device was as high as 97.0% for a bead mixture in TAE buffer and 94.3% and 87.2% for E. coli in human cerebrospinal fluid and blood, respectively. A capture efficiency of 100% was achieved in the concentration chamber. With a relatively simple configuration, the proposed device provides a robust method of continuous sample processing, which can be readily integrated into a fully automated microfluidic diagnostic platform for pathogen detection and quantification.
Quantitative pharmacokinetic analysis of DCE-MRI data without an arterial input function: a reference region model

Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) can assess tumor perfusion, microvascular vessel wall permeability and extravascular-extracellular volume fraction. Analysis of DCE-MRI data is usually based on indicator dilution theory that requires knowledge of the concentration of the contrast agent in the blood plasma, the arterial input function (AIF). A method is presented that compares the tissues of interest (TOI) curve shape to that of a reference region (RR), thereby eliminating the need for direct AIF measurement. By assigning literature values for Ktrans (the blood perfusion-vessel permeability product) and v(e) (extravascular-extracellular volume fraction) in a reference tissue, it is possible to extract the Ktrans and v(e) values for a TOI without knowledge of the AIF. The operational RR equation for DCE-MRI analysis is derived, and its sensitivity to noise and incorrect assignment of the RR parameters is tested via simulations. The method is robust at noise levels of 10%, returning accurate (+/-20% in the worst case) and precise (+/-15% in the worst case) values. Errors in the TOI Ktrans and v(e) values scale approximately linearly with the errors in the assigned RR Ktrans and v(e) values. The methodology is then applied to a Lewis Lung Carcinoma mouse tumor model. A slowly enhancing TOI yielded Ktrans=0.039+/-0.002 min-1 and v(e)=0.46+/-0.01, while a rapidly enhancing region yielded Ktrans=0.35+/-0.05 min-1 and v(e)=0.31+/-0.01. Parametric Ktrans and v(e) mappings manifested a tumor periphery with elevated Ktrans (>0.30 min-1) and v(e) (>0.30) values. The main advantage of the RR approach is that it allows for quantitative assessment of tissue properties without having to obtain high temporal resolution images to characterize an AIF. This allows for acquiring images with higher spatial resolution and/or SNR, and therefore, increased ability to probe tissue heterogeneity.
Endothelin in Coronary Endothelial Dysfunction and Early Atherosclerosis in Humans

Background The endothelium modulates vascular tone through release of vasodilating substances, such as endothelium-derived relaxing factors, and vasoconstricting substances, such as endothelin. Endothelin concentrations are elevated in humans with atherosclerosis and in hypercholesterolemic pigs. Furthermore, the endothelium-dependent vasodilator acetylcholine increases endothelin in hypercholesterolemia in association with coronary vasoconstriction. The present study was designed to test the hypotheses that coronary endothelial dysfunction in humans is characterized by enhanced coronary and circulating endothelin and that the vasoconstriction associated with acetylcholine results in further release of coronary endothelin. Methods and Results Coronary and circulating endothelin concentrations were measured at baseline and during intracoronary acetylcholine administration in 20 patients undergoing diagnostic coronary angiography. Patients were divided into two groups on the basis of their response to intra...
On the Correctness of Mixing Lazy and Eager Version Management in Transactions

Transactional memory has been proposed as an optimistic concurrency-control construct to ease parallel programming. Hardware transactional memory (HTM) approaches implement version management and conflict detection in hardware to guarantee the correctness of transaction execution. Based on the style of version management and conflict detection, state-of-the-art HTM systems fall into two main types, namely lazy systems and eager systems. Neither system type is able to always perform better than the other over a wide range of applications due to the broad variations in the execution behaviors in typical parallel workloads. In this paper, we focus on the correctness of mixing lazy and eager version management in a log-based HTM. This hybrid type of version management is demonstrated to satisfy the requirement of atomicity and conflict serializability, which are critical for correctness. Furthermore, it is shown that the new approach does not violate the memory coherence formal model.
Supporting collaborative learning in engineering design

In team-based project courses, collaborative learning is the dominant learning mode. Collaborative learning has been shown to increase individual learning through co-construction and personal reflection. Rapid adoption of Web-based communication and mobile computing by students provide opportunities to take advantage of collaboration tools for engineering education. We present preliminary findings on a computer environment, the Kiva that supports the activities of group collaboration for engineering design teams. We have employed methods from human-computer interaction (HCI) methodologies to iterate on the design in the context of use. In this paper, we discuss the implications for both student design teams and professional design teams.
Deficits in Domains of Social Cognition in Schizophrenia: A Meta-Analysis of the Empirical Evidence

Objective: Social cognition is strongly associated with functional outcome in schizophrenia, making it an important target for treatment. Our goal was to examine the average magnitude of differences between schizophrenia patients (SCs) and normal comparison (NCs) patients across multiple domains of social cognition recognized by the recent NIMH consensus statement: theory of mind (ToM), social perception, social knowledge, attributional bias, emotion perception, and emotion processing. Method: We conducted a meta-analysis of peer-reviewed studies of social cognition in schizophrenia, published between 1980 and November, 2011. Results: 112 studies reporting results from 3908 SCs and 3570 NCs met our inclusion criteria. SCs performed worse than NCs across all domains, with large effects for social perception (g = 1.04), ToM (g = 0.96), emotion perception (g = 0.89), and emotion processing (g = 0.88). Regression analyses showed that statistically significant heterogeneity in effects within domains was not explained by age, education, or gender. Greater deficits in social and emotion perception were associated with inpatient status, and greater deficits in emotion processing were associated with longer illness duration. Conclusions: Despite the limitations of existing studies, including lack of standardization or psychometric validation of measures, the evidence for deficits across multiple social cognitive domains in schizophrenia is clear. Future research should examine the role of neurobiological and psychosocial factors in models linking various aspects of deficit in schizophrenia, including social cognition, in order to identify targets for intervention.
Genetic Variability in Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase Genes: Associations with Post-traumatic Seizures after Severe TBI

Post traumatic seizures (PTS) occur frequently after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Since gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) neurotransmission is central to excitotoxicity and seizure development across multiple models, we investigated how genetic variability for glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) influences risk for PTS. Using both a tagging and functional single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) approach, we genotyped the GAD1 and GAD2 genes and linked them with PTS data, regarding time to first seizure, obtained for 257 adult subjects with severe TBI. No significant associations were found for GAD2. In the GAD1 gene, the tagging SNP (tSNP) rs3828275 was associated with an increased risk for PTS occurring <1 wk. The tSNP rs769391 and the functional SNP rs3791878 in the GAD1 gene were associated with increased PTS risk occurring 1 wk-6 mo post-injury. Both risk variants conferred an increased susceptibility to PTS compared to subjects with 0-1 risk variant. Also, those with haplotypes having both risk variants had a higher PTS risk 1 wk-6 mo post-injury than those without these haplotypes. Similarly, diplotype analysis showed those with 2 copies of the haplotype containing both risk alleles were at the highest PTS risk. These results implicate genetic variability within the GABA system in modulating the development of PTS.
KynR, a Lrp/AsnC-Type Transcriptional Regulator, Directly Controls the Kynurenine Pathway in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa can utilize a variety of carbon sources and produces many secondary metabolites to help survive harsh environments. P. aeruginosa is part of a small group of bacteria that use the kynurenine pathway to catabolize tryptophan. Through the kynurenine pathway, tryptophan is broken down into anthranilate, which is further degraded into tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates or utilized to make numerous aromatic compounds, including the Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS). We have previously shown that the kynurenine pathway is a critical source of anthranilate for PQS synthesis and that the kynurenine pathway genes (kynA and kynBU) are upregulated in the presence of kynurenine. A putative Lrp/AsnC-type transcriptional regulator (gene PA2082, here called kynR), is divergently transcribed from the kynBU operon and is highly conserved in gram-negative bacteria that harbor the kynurenine pathway. We show that a mutation in kynR renders P. aeruginosa unable to utilize L-tryptophan as a sole carbon source and decreases PQS production. In addition, we found that the increase of kynA and kynB transcriptional activity in response to kynurenine was completely abolished in a kynR mutant, further indicating that KynR mediates the kynurenine-dependent expression of the kynurenine pathway genes. Finally, we found that purified KynR specifically bound the kynA promoter in the presence of kynurenine and bound the kynB promoter in the absence or presence of kynurenine. Taken together, our data show that KynR directly regulates the kynurenine pathway genes.
Design of a pressure sensitive floor for multimodal sensing

Visualization and knowledge of detailed pressure information can play a vital role in multimodal sensing of human movement. We have designed a high-resolution pressure sensing floor prototype with a sensor density of one sensor per square centimeter that can provide real-time information about the location of the performer on the floor as well as the amount of pressure being exerted on the floor. Hardware and software have been developed for detecting, collecting, transmitting and rendering a graphical representation of the pressure data gathered from the sensors. This prototype can be easily reconfigured to cover large floor areas, and integrates closely with video, audio and motion-based sensing technologies to facilitate robust multimodal sensing. In our demonstrations, we show that the system accurately captures and transmits pressure information, and we illustrate how this forms a basis for a variety of applications including use in rehabilitation, virtual reality, entertainment, and children activity centers.
Breakfast intake among adults with type 2 diabetes: influence on daily energy intake.

Objective To assess the association between breakfast energy and total daily energy intake among individuals with type 2 diabetes. Design Cross-sectional study. Daily energy intake was computed from a 24 h dietary recall. Multiple regression models were used to estimate the association between daily energy intake (dependent variable) and quartiles of energy intake at breakfast (independent variable), expressed in either absolute or relative (percentage of total daily energy intake) terms. Orthogonal polynomial contrasts were used to test for linear and quadratic trends. Models were controlled for sex, age, race/ethnicity, BMI, physical activity and smoking. In addition, we used separate multiple regression models to test the effect of quartiles of absolute and relative breakfast energy on energy intake at lunch, dinner and snacks. Setting The 1999–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Subjects Participants aged ≥30 years with self-reported history of diabetes (n 1146). Results Daily energy intake increased as absolute breakfast energy intake increased (linear trend, P<0·0001; quadratic trend, P=0·02), but decreased as relative breakfast energy intake increased (linear trend, P<0·0001). In addition, while higher quartiles of absolute breakfast intake had no associations with energy intake at subsequent meals, higher quartiles of relative breakfast intake were associated with lower energy intake during all subsequent meals and snacks (P<0·05). Conclusions Consuming a breakfast that provided less energy or comprised a greater proportion of daily energy intake was associated with lower total daily energy intake in adults with type 2 diabetes.
Can EMG machine interface be used to model brain machine interface

The brain-machine interfaces (BMI) have attracted lots of research efforts with the goal to help individuals with paralysis to regain certain motor functions. Many usability issues of BMI are common to other types of human-machine interfaces. Studying of these interfaces, especially those that have similar semantics would provide valuable insights about how the BMI might be used, before the technology essential for BMI is developed. Electromyograph (EMG) is proposed for such study because of its close relationship to the movement control and noninvasive approaches. The paper characterized the attributes of EMG of elbow flexion in the sagittal plane for the purpose of real-time control. It also discussed possible EMG experiments that could improve our understanding of BMI.
WHEN IS A CATEGORY OF MANY-SORTED ALGEBRAS CARTESIAN CLOSED?

The category of all S-sorted Σ-algebras is Cartesian closed iff all the operation symbols in Σ are strictly unary.
Fluorescence Proteins, Live-Cell Imaging, and Mechanobiology: Seeing Is Believing

Fluorescence proteins (FPs) have been widely used for live-cell imaging in the past decade. This review summarizes the recent advances in FP development and imaging technologies using FPs to monitor molecular localization and activities and gene expressions in live cells. We also discuss the utilization of FPs to develop molecular biosensors and the principles and application of advanced technologies such as fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP), fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM), and chromophore-assisted light inactivation (CALI). We present examples of the application of FPs and biosensors to visualize mechanotransduction events with high spatiotemporal resolutions in live cells. These live-cell imaging technologies, which represent a frontier area in biomedical engineering, can shed new light on the mechanisms regulating mechanobiology at cellular and molecular levels in normal and pathophysiological conditions.
Rehydration‐induced changes in pressure‐volume relationships of Artemisia tridentata Nutt. ssp. tridentata

Abstract. Pressure-volume measurements were made on Artemisia tridentata Nutt. ssp. tridentata samples rehydrated for 0, 1.5, 3, 6 or 24 h. Increasing rehydration time caused a significant increase in osmotic potential at turgor loss, cell elasiticity, and the relative water content at turgor loss, and a significant decrease in pressure potential at saturation. Osmotic potential at saturation was changed significantly by rehydration, but no consistent trend was observed. The symplastic water fraction did not differ significantly among treatments. The increase in the osmotic potential at turgor loss did not correspond with decreasing cell elasticity or synthesis of solutes. Instead, the leaf solute content remained constant suggesting a redistribution of solutes between the symplast and apoplast. Using non-rehydrated samples for pressure-volume analysis introduced errors in estimates of the symplastic water fraction, osmotic potential at full turgor, and the relative water content at turgor loss. These errors are due to uncertainties in the determination of saturated weights.
Long-term effects of testing on the recall of nontested materials.

Testing, or memory retrieval, is a powerful way to enhance long-term retention of studied material. Recent studies have shown that testing can also benefit later retention of related but nontested material (a finding known as retrieval-induced facilitation, Chan, McDermott, & Roediger, 2006), but the long-term consequences of this benefit is unknown. In the current experiment three retention intervals—20 minutes, 24 hours, 7 days—were used to assess the effects of testing on subsequent recall of the nontested material. The results indicate that the magnitude of retrieval-induced facilitation, like that of the testing effect (i.e., the memorial benefit of testing on the tested material), increases with delay at the beginning (i.e., between 20 minutes and 24 hours) but asymptotes afterward (i.e., between 24 hours and 7 days). Theoretical and applied implications of this finding are discussed.
Promoting Cognitive Health: A Formative Research Collaboration of the Healthy Aging Research Network

Purpose: Evidence suggests that healthy lifestyles may help maintain cognitive health. The Prevention Research Centers Healthy Aging Research Network, 9 universities collaborating with their communities and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is conducting a multiyear research project, begun in 2005, to understand how to translate this knowledge into public health interventions. Design and Methods: This article provides an overview of the study purpose, design, methods, and processes. We examined the literature on promoting cognitive health, convened a meeting of experts in cognitive health and public health interventions, identified research questions, developed a common focus group protocol and survey, established quality control and quality assurance processes, conducted focus groups, and analyzed the resulting data. Results: We conducted 55 focus groups with 450 participants in 2005–2007, and an additional 20 focus groups and in-depth interviews in 2007-2008. Focus groups were in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Vietnamese, with African Americans, American Indians, Asian Americans, Hispanics, non-Hispanic Whites, physicians and other health practitioners, rural and urban residents, individuals caring for family or friends with cognitive impairment, and cognitively impaired individuals. Implications: The data provide a wealth of opportunities for designing public health interventions to promote cognitive health in diverse populations.
Effectiveness of loss labeling in improving TCP performance in wired/wireless networks

The current congestion-oriented design of TCP hinders its ability to perform well in hybrid wireless/wired networks. We propose a new improvement on TCP NewReno (NewReno-FF) using a new loss labeling technique to discriminate wireless from congestion losses. The proposed technique is based on the estimation of average and variance of the round trip time using a filter, called flip flop filter, that is augmented with history information. We show the comparative performance of TCP NewReno, NewReno-FF and TCP Westwood through extensive simulations. We study the fundamental gains and limits using TCP NewReno with varying loss labeling accuracy (NewReno-LL) as a benchmark. Lastly our investigation opens up important research directions. First, there is a need for a finer grained classification of losses (even within congestion and wireless losses) for TCP in heterogeneous networks. Second, it is essential to develop an appropriate control strategy for recovery after the correct classification of a packet loss.
Bicuspid aortic valve associated with aortic dilatation: a community-based study.

Objective— This study was undertaken to examine the association between bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and aortic dilatation in the community. The association between BAV and aortic dilatation has been reported predominantly in retrospective studies in patients mostly with valvular dysfunction or selected surgical patients from tertiary referral centers. An independent association of BAV and aortic dilatation in a community-based study has not been demonstrated. Methods and Results— In a geographically defined population of Olmsted County, Minnesota, residents with BAV (n=44, age 35±13 years) without hemodynamically significant obstruction or regurgitation and matched controls with normal tricuspid aortic valves were identified by transthoracic echocardiography. The two groups were compared with respect to measurements of the aorta. The BAV and control groups differed with respect to size of the aortic anulus (23.2±2.4 versus 21.6±2.4 mm; P =0.002), aortic sinus (33.5±4.6 versus 30.3±4.1 mm; P =0.0001), and proximal ascending aorta (33.3±6.5 versus 27.9±3.6 mm; P =0.0001). There was no difference in the size of the aortic arch (24.2±3.6 versus 25.3±3.4 mm; P =0.16). These differences were maintained when the groups were stratified by sex and blood pressure. The relationship between bicuspid aortic valve and aortic dilatation was maintained when adjusting for factors related to fluid mechanics and hemodynamics such as systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, left ventricular ejection time, and peak aortic valve velocity. Conclusions— In a community-based study, BAV is associated with an alteration of aortic dimensions even in the absence of hemodynamically significant aortic valve stenosis or regurgitation.
Multi-feature contour evolution for automatic live cell segmentation in time lapse imagery

Cell boundary segmentation in live cell image sequences is the first step towards quantitative analysis of cell motion and behavior. The time lapse microscopy imaging produces large volumes of image sequence collections which requires fast and robust automatic segmentation of cell boundaries to utilize further automated tools such as cell tracking to quantify and classify cell behavior. This paper presents a methodology that is based on utilizing the temporal context of the cell image sequences to accurately delineate the boundaries of non-homogeneous cells. A novel flux tensor-based detection of moving cells provides initial localization that is further refined by a multi-feature level set-based method using an efficient additive operator splitting scheme. The segmentation result is processed by a watershed-based algorithm to avoid merging boundaries of neighboring cells. By utilizing robust features, the level-set algorithm produces accurate segmentation for non-homogeneous cells with concave shapes and varying intensities.
Multiniche crowding in genetic algorithms and its application to the assembly of dna restriction-fragments

The determination of the sequence of all nucleotide base-pairs in a DNA molecule, from restriction-fragment data, is a complex task and can be posed as the problem of finding the optima of a multimodal function. A genetic algorithm that uses multiniche crowding permits us to do this. Performance of this algorithm is first tested using a standard suite of test functions. The algorithm is next tested using two data sets obtained from the Human Genome Project at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The new method holds promise in automating the sequencing computations.
Casein Kinase I and the Classification of Protein Kinases: What’s in a Name?

The discovery of new protein kinases, whether through analysis of proteins or the characterization of genes, has reached a remarkable rate that will only abate once the supply of genes in the genome becomes limiting. Probably a couple of hundred protein kinases are identified at present (Hunter, 1991). For the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, 55 of 1700 entries in the database maintained by Mark Goebl, Indiana University, are protein kinase catalytic subunits (as of October 22, 1992; M. Goebl, personal communication). Extrapolated from these numbers, a yeast genome of say 6,000 genes would contain ∼200 genes encoding protein kinases1. Phrased another way, approximately 3.2% of the genome would code for protein kinases. Note that this count does not include any regulatory subunits. For a human genome ten times as large, figures of ∼2000 protein kinases could be projected. This type of prediction is not novel and, of course, the forerunner was the noted “1001 kinases” paper of Tony Hunter, Salk Institute (Hunter, 1987). What looked to some like a fairly high estimate aimed mainly at a good title may well turn out to be low. The principal point to be made here is simply that the protein kinases constitute one of the larger gene families known. Interestingly, several other signaling molecules such as the low molecular weight GTPases, trimeric G-protein α-subunits, protein phosphatases, and the G-protein coupled transmembrane receptors are members of rapidly expanding gene families. While attesting to the importance of regulatory processes and the signal transduction molecules involved, this high degree of diversity poses some interesting problems of taxonomy, nomenclature and classification. This article takes one example, that of casein kinase I, to highlight the problems of classifiying protein kinases in an expanding market.
A dynamic stopping method for improving performance of steady-state visual evoked potential based brain-computer interfaces

The performance of steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP)-based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) has been drastically improved in the past few years. In conventional SSVEP-based BCIs, the speed of a selection is fixed towards high performance based on preliminary offline analysis. However, due to inter-trial variability, the optimal selection time to achieve sufficient accuracy is different for each trial. To optimize the performance of SSVEP-based BCIs, this study proposed a dynamic stopping method that can adaptively determine a selection time in each trial by applying a threshold to the probability of detecting a target. A 12-class SSVEP dataset recorded from 10 subjects was used to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. Compared to the conventional method with a fixed selection time towards the highest accuracy, the proposed method could significantly reduce the averaged selection time (0.84±0.39 s vs. 1.44±0.63 s, p<0.05) with comparable accuracy (99.44±1.57 % vs. 99.55±1.22 %). As a result, the simulated online information transfer rate (ITR) with the dynamic stopping method achieved a significant improvement compared to the conventional method (125.30±21.55 bits/min vs. 92.75±23.77 bits/min). These results suggest that the proposed dynamic stopping method is effective for improving the performance of SSVEP-based BCI systems.
An experimental study of dynamic trailing edge deflections on a two dimensional translating wing

In this study, dynamic trailing-edge deflections with different kinematics were applied on a high-angle-of-attack translating wing. The effects of trailing-edge-deflection speed and timing were investigated through PIV and force measurements. Both the PIV and force measurement results indicate that the trailing edge deflection timing play a more important role than that of deflection speed. Specially, by changing the trailing-edge-deflection timing, three different flow patterns were captured while varying deflection speed results in similar flow patterns. The force measurements show that a 22% variation of mean lift can be achieved by changing the trailing edge deflection timing while much less variation was found with deflection speed varying.
Orthopedic Resident Education and Patient Safety.

he mantra "See one, do one, teach one" is a long- standing cliche in surgical education. Although this mantra does not apply literally in the case of complex modern orthopedic procedures, the reality is that all surgical education, including orthopedic surgery residency, involves learning "on the job" in the clinic, emergency room, and operating room. In conjunction with a sound basis of text- book learning and observation, orthopedic residents receive graduated patient care responsibilities leading to the goal of entering independent practice at the conclusion of 5 years of residency. Moreover, the academic medical centers involved in ortho- pedic resident education often also serve as referral centers for patients with challenging problems and multiple comorbidi- ties, so that attending physicians teaching orthopedic residents must balance educating residents with caring for complex pa- tients. In contrast to their physicians' dual focus on patient care and resident education, some patients are hesitant to allow residents to participate in their surgical care, fearing increased errors and complications due to resident inexperience. 1,2 How do we address these patients' legitimate concerns while con- tinuing to provide the on-the-job training experience so im- portant to resident education?
Quantum Neural Computing

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the limitations of the standard computing paradigm and illustrates the concept of quantum neural computing. Implications of this idea for the understanding of biological information processing and design of new kinds of computing machines are described. Arguments are presented in support of the thesis that brains are to be viewed as quantum systems, with their neural structures representing the classical measurement hardware. From a performance point of view, a quantum neural computer may be viewed as a collection of many conventional computers that are designed to solve different problems. A quantum neural computer is a single machine that reorganizes itself, in response to a stimulus, to perform a useful computation. Selectivity offered by such reorganization appears to be at the basis of the gestalt style of biological information processing. Clearly, a quantum neural computer is more versatile than the conventional computing machine. The proposal for a quantum neural computer is based on an explicit representation of the unity of the computation process; it defines computation as a behavior in relation to other systems. The chapter introduces computation in relative terms, a perspective that appears to be appropriate for computation related to artificial intelligence (AI) problems.
Regional Anesthesia Techniques

Regional anesthesia (RA) techniques, especially peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs) and central neuraxial anesthesia/analgesia, are more difficult to learn than the basic skills to conduct general anesthesia (GA). RA has not been conducted as a structured rotation for the promotion of consistency as the other subspecialty rotations within anesthesia, but the goals of RA are to develop and cultivate proficiency in motor skills aligned with quality and safe patient care. RA training and practice must impart knowledge, judgment, motor skill proficiency, didactic training, and continued assessment of learned knowledge and skills.
Nanometer Scale Composition Variations in Ge Quantum Dots on Si(100)

Electron-energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) in a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) was used to measure nm-scale composition variations in Ge/Si(100) islands grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) at substrate temperatures 400°C ≤T ≤700°C and a growth rate of 1.4 ML/min (1 monolayer, ML=6.78x1014 atoms / cm2). These measurements were correlated with island ensemble morphology determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The average Si concentration of the islands and Si/Ge interface width increased monotonically with growth temperature. Integrated island volumes measured by AFM were proportional to the equivalent Ge coverage, oGe, with slopes greater than one for the higher deposition temperatures. This result confirms that the islands grow faster than the Ge deposition rate. Linear behavior of the island volume vs. oGe curves implies that the average Ge composition is independent of island size. The volume at which islands change shape from pyramids to domes correlates well with the average Ge content of the islands in the context of simple strain-scaling arguments. For T=700°C, rapid Si interdiffusion precludes formation of pure Ge pyramids for growth at 1.4 ML/min. Growth at 4.8 ML/min kinetically stabilizes pure Ge pyramid clusters, allowing their formation prior to Si interdiffusion.
Mechanisms of dietary flavonoid action in neuronal function and neuroinflammation.

Abstract Flavonoids are a class of plant-derived dietary polyphenols that have attracted attention for their pro-cognitive and anti-inflammatory effects. The diversity of flavonoids and their extensive in vivo metabolism suggest that a variety of cellular targets in the brain are likely to be impacted by flavonoid consumption. Initially characterized as antioxidants, flavonoids are now believed to act directly on neurons and glia via the interaction with major signal transduction cascades, as well as indirectly via interaction with the blood-brain barrier and cerebral vasculature. This review discusses potential mechanisms of flavonoid action in the brain, with a focus on two critical transcription factors: cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF−κB). To advance beyond current understanding of cellular targets, critical bioavailability studies need to be performed to verify the identity and concentration of flavonoid metabolites reaching the brain after ingestion and to validate that these metabolites are produced not just in rodent models but also in humans. Recent advances in human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) differentiation protocols to generate human neuronal and glial cell types could also provide a unique tool for clinically relevant in vitro investigation of the mechanisms of action of bioavailable flavonoid metabolites in humans.
REGULATION OF GLUCAGON RELEASE IN VIVO

A negative relationship between blood glucose concentration and pancreatic glucagon secretion has been established in studies conducted in conscious dogs. Glucagon rises promptly as glucose concentration falls 60 mg% or more below the fasting level and is suppressed when glucose rises 60 mg%. It is suggested that glucagon along with insulin is intimately involved in the moment-to-moment regulation of blood glucose homeostasis. Hyperaminoacidemia induces a parallel rise of both glucagon and insulin. Evidence is presented which suggests that aminogenic hyperglucagonemia serves to prevent hypoglycemia secondary to aminogenic hyperinsulinemia.
The role of iron and reactive oxygen species in the production of CO2 in arctic soil waters

Abstract Hydroxyl radical ( OH) is a highly reactive oxidant of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the environment. OH production in the dark was observed through iron and DOC mediated Fenton reactions in natural environments. Specifically, when dissolved oxygen (O2) was added to low oxygen and anoxic soil waters in arctic Alaska, OH was produced in proportion to the concentrations of reduced iron (Fe(II)) and DOC. Here we demonstrate that Fe(II) was the main electron donor to O2 to produce OH. In addition to quantifying OH production, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was detected in soil waters as a likely intermediate in OH production from oxidation of Fe(II). For the first time in natural systems we detected carbon dioxide (CO2) production from OH oxidation of DOC. More than half of the arctic soil waters tested showed production of CO2 under conditions conducive for production of OH. Findings from this study strongly suggest that DOC is the main sink for OH, and that OH can oxidize DOC to yield CO2. Thus, this iron-mediated, dark chemical oxidation of DOC may be an important component of the arctic carbon cycle.
Energy-conserving risk-aware data collection using ensemble navigation network

The Data-collection Problem (DCP) models robotic agents collecting digital data in a risky environment under energy constraints. A good solution for DCP needs a balance between safety and energy use. We develop an Ensemble Navigation Network (ENN) that consists of a Convolutional Neural Network and several heuristics to learn the priorities. Experiments show ENN has superior performance than heuristic algorithms in all environmental settings. In particular, ENN has better performance in environments with higher risks and when robots have low energy capacity.
Head and Neck Manifestations of Relapsing Polychondritis: Review of 29 Cases:

This review of 29 patients with relapsing polychondritis seen at the Mayo Clinic between 1962 and 1976 emphasizes the head and neck manifestations of the disease and the role of the otolaryngologist in its diagnosis and treatment. The major clinical features included inflammation of the pinna, eye involvement, nasal cartilage involvement, laryngotracheal involvement, arthropathy, hearing loss, costal chondritis, and fever. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was often elevated, and mild anemia was not uncommon.