cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Twenty-year change in aspen dominance in pure aspen and mixed aspen/conifer stands on the Uncompahgre Plateau, Colorado, USA

Reports of decreasing quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) cover in forests of the western USA have caused concern about the long-term persistence of aspen on landscape scales. We assessed changes in overstory aspen dominance on the Uncompahgre Plateau in western Colorado over a 20 year period. We measured stand density, species composition and regeneration in 53 undisturbed, mature pure aspen, pure conifer, and mixed aspen/conifer stands originally inventoried between 1979 and 1983. Ages of overstory and understory trees were used to evaluate long-term change in regeneration and overstory development. While pure aspen stands occupy 16% of the study area, mixed aspen and conifer stands cover 62% of the forested landscape on the Uncompahgre Plateau. Pure aspen stands were self-thinning, but stable over the twenty-year study period, with high amounts of regeneration and without conifer invasion. Mixed stands of aspen and conifer had undergone significant change. In aspen dominated mixed species stands, conifer basal area increased from 10 to 23 m 2 ha 1 in the last 20 years, while aspen basal area decreased. In conifer dominated mixed species stands, conifer basal area increased from 18 to 24 m 2 ha 1 . Most overstory aspen in pure aspen stands were between 80 and 120 years old. Substantial aspen suckering was occurring, but all suckers were <20 years old, indicating lack of current growth into the overstory. Aspen suckering was occurring in mixed species stands, but again, most suckers were <20 years old, and few overstory trees were <100 years old. In contrast, understory and overstory conifers spanned ages from <20 to over 250 years old. Aspen dominance is decreasing in the forested communities of the study area. Pure stands are likely to persist without decline for a considerable time. Mixed stands are likely to continue to experience a decrease in overstory aspen canopy dominance. These changes are probably within the historic range of variability, but restoration of aspen canopy cover consistent with an early- to mid-seral landscape condition would require disturbances such as fire or cutting to create canopy gaps to permit growth of suckers into the overstory of mixed species stands. # 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Touchless circular menus: toward an intuitive UI for touchless interactions with large displays

Researchers are exploring touchless interactions in diverse usage contexts. These include interacting with public displays, where mouse and keyboards are inconvenient, activating kitchen devices without touching them with dirty hands, or supporting surgeons in browsing medical images in a sterile operating room. Unlike traditional visual interfaces, however, touchless systems still lack a standardized user interface language for basic command selection (e.g., menus). Prior research proposed touchless menus that require users to comply strictly with system-defined postures (e.g., grab, finger-count, pinch). These approaches are problematic because they are analogous to command-line interfaces: users need to remember an interaction vocabulary and input a pre-defined symbol (via gesture or command). To overcome this problem, we introduce and evaluate Touchless Circular Menus (TCM)---a touchless menu system optimized for large displays, which enables users to make simple directional movements for selecting commands. TCM utilize our abilities to make mid-air directional strokes, relieve users from learning posture-based commands, and shift the interaction complexity from users' input to the visual interface. In a controlled study (N=15), when compared with contextual linear menus using grab gestures, participants using TCM were more than two times faster in selecting commands and perceived lower workload. However, users made more command-selection errors with TCM than with linear menus. The menu's triggering location on the visual interface significantly affected the effectiveness and efficiency of TCM. Our contribution informs the design of intuitive UIs for touchless interactions with large displays.
On digit-recurrence division implementations for field programmable gate arrays

The flexibility of field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) can provide arithmetic-intensive programs with the benefits of custom hardware but without the high cost of custom silicon implementations. Efficient mappings are key to fast arithmetic implementations on FPGAs. A process for developing such mappings with lookup table based FPGAs is explored. The development process is illustrated with SRT division and the Xilinx XC4010 FPGA. With this mapping process a linear sequential array design that avoids the common problem of large fanout delay in the critical path is created. This approach has a cycle time that is independent of precision, yet it requires approximately the same number of logic blocks as a conventional implementation. >
An EELS study of the oxidation of H2CO on Ag(110)

Abstract High resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) was used to study the oxidation of H2CO by preadsorbed oxygen atoms on Ag(110). H2CO reacted with O(a) upon adsorption at 100 K to give a product with intense symmetric and asymmetric OCO stretching modes at 960 and 1100 cm−1, respectively. These frequencies differed from those expected for adsorbed formate. Upon heating H2CO(g) was evolved at about 225 K. EELS data taken after annealing to 225 K suggested the presence of an η2-methylenedioxy intermediate (H2CO2(a)) which dehydrogenated to give adsorbed, ordered formate (HCOO(a)) and H2(g) above 225 K. The overall stoichiometry combined with the EELS data strongly suggested a polymeric form of H2CO at 100 K, probably paraformaldehyde. The decomposition to HCOO(a) was complete at about 250 K leaving only formate intermediates on the surface. The formate produced in this fashion was identical to ordered formate produced upon adsorption of formic acid on oxygen precovered Ag(110).
Combined epidural and general anesthesia for abdominal aortic surgery

The hypothesis that combined epidural and light general anesthesia for infrarenal abdominal aortic surgery is associated with a more stable intraoperative course and less postoperative morbidity than general anesthesia alone was tested. The authors compared intraoperative hemodynamic variables and postoperative morbidity between a group with combined epidural and general anesthesia (n = 30) and a group with general anesthesia (n = 19). Patients who had combined epidural and general anesthesia were given epidural bupivacaine intraoperatively and epidural morphine postoperatively. After cross-clamping of the aorta, cardiac index and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure did not change in the group with combined epidural and general anesthesia, whereas cardiac index decreased (mean change, 0.30 L/min/m2; P = 0.0006) and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure increased (mean change, 1 mm Hg; P = 0.007) in the group with general anesthesia. After unclamping, cardiac index increased in both groups (mean change, 0.26 L/min/m2, P = 0.002, and 0.30 L/min/m2, P = 0.001, respectively). Postoperatively, the necessity for ventilatory support and the incidence of respiratory failure were lower in the combined epidural and general anesthesia group than in the general anesthesia group (P = 0.0002 and P = 0.018, respectively). In addition, vasodilator therapy was required less frequently in the group with combined epidural and general anesthesia (P = 0.002). Duration of intensive care unit stay was shorter in the combined epidural and general anesthesia group (2.7 days v 3.8 days, P = 0.003). These data indicate that for infrarenal abdominal aortic surgery, combined epidural and general anesthesia is associated with more stable intraoperative hemodynamics and significantly less postoperative morbidity than general anesthesia alone.
Molecular events associated with apoptosis and proliferation induced by ultraviolet-B radiation in the skin of hairless mice

dine); p53; p21; Bax; bcl-2; E2F-1; Apoptosis; Proliferation Summary Background: It is recognized that UV radiation produced apoptotic cells (sun burn cells) in the epidermis of mice. However, the relationship between apoptosis and cell proliferation after UV exposure in the skin of hairless mice are still unclear. Objective: To investigate the effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on molecular events associated with apoptosis and proliferation in SKH1-hr mouse skin. Methods: Mice were irradiated with daily UVB exposure of 0.1 or 0.25 J/cm 2 for 14 days. The skin tissues were analyzed at 2 and 24 h after the end irradiation for the presence of apoptotic cells and Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-positive cells. We measured the expression of p53, p21, bcl-2, bax and E2F-1. Results: The results indicated that UVB irradiation caused to increase apoptotic cells in the epidermis of mice. The expression of p53 and p21 was increased at 2 and 24 h after irradiation compared with the control. UV radiation induced high levels of bax at 2 and 24 h after irradiation with a concomitant decrease in bcl-2 expression. The expression of E2F-1 in the skin was also increased at 2 and 24 h after irradiation. Coinciding with these changes, BrdU positive cells increased at 2 and 24 h after UVB exposure at the epidermis of hairless mice, which observed the apoptotic expression. Conclusion: These results suggest that UVB irradiation of mouse skin induces apoptosis and is mediated by the p53/p21/E2F-1/bax pathway and that the dead cells are replaced by hyperproliferative cells, leading to epidermal hyperplasia.
Explicit substitutions in the reduction of lambda terms

Substitution in the lambda calculus is a complex operation that traditional presentations of beta contraction naively treat as a unitary operation. Actual implementations are more careful. Within them, substitutions are realized incrementally through the use of environments. However, environments are usually not accorded a first-class status within such systems in that they are not reflected into term structure. This approach does not allow the smaller substitution steps to be intermingled with other operations of interest on lambda terms. Various new notations for lambda terms remedy this situation by proposing an explicit treatment of substitutions. Unfortunately, a naive implementation of beta reduction based on such notations has the potential of being costly: each use of the substitution propagation rules causes the creation of a new structure on the heap that is often discarded in the immediately following step. There is, thus, a tradeoff between these two approaches. This paper discusses these tradeoffs and offers an amalgamated approach that utilizes recursion in rewrite rule application but also suspends substitution operations where profitable.
Activation of Neuronal Circuits by Circulating Hormones in Insects

A central question in neuroethology is why do animals behave in the way they do? When confronted with a particular set of environmental stimuli, why does an animal act in one way at one time and then in a completely different fashion the next? Two factors that play a major role in this behavioral plasticity are the prior experience of the animal and the animal’s “behavioral state.” The latter feature is set by a number of internal conditions, perhaps the most important of which is the hormonal composition of the fluids bathing the nervous system. It has been clear for well over a hundred years since the first studies by Berthold (1849) that chemicals (that later turned out to be hormones) can unlock specific behaviors that are not accessible to the animal under other conditions. These earliest studies involved the expression of sexual behaviors, but it has since been shown that other coordinated behaviors such as those involved in hunger, thirst, aggression, and so forth are all called forth to a greater or lesser extent by their own specific circulating chemicals.
Association of 1,5-Anhydroglucitol With Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality

In diabetes, low concentrations of the biomarker 1,5-anhydroglucitol (1,5-AG) reflect hyperglycemic excursions over the prior 1-2 weeks. To the extent that hyperglycemic excursions are important in atherogenesis, 1,5-AG may provide independent information regarding cardiovascular risk. Nonetheless, few studies have evaluated associations of 1,5-AG with long-term cardiovascular outcomes in a population-based setting. We measured 1,5-AG in 11,106 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study without cardiovascular disease at baseline (1990-1992) and examined prospective associations with coronary heart disease (n = 1,159 events), ischemic stroke (n = 637), heart failure (n = 1,553), and death (n = 3,120) over 20 years of follow-up. Cox proportional hazards models were adjusted for demographic and cardiovascular risk factors. Compared with persons with 1,5-AG ≥6 μg/mL and no history of diabetes, persons with diabetes and 1,5-AG 10 μg/mL). Associations remained but were attenuated with additional adjustment for fasting glucose or HbA1c. These data add to the growing evidence for the prognostic value of 1,5-AG for long-term complications in the setting of diabetes.
Impact of Anodic Large Bubble on Horizontal Current Distribution in Metal Pad of an Aluminum Reduction Cell

In this paper, the effects of anodic large bubble including bubble position and coverage on horizontal current (HC) in the metal pad in an aluminum reduction cell have been investigated using a three-dimensional electric model. Results show that the HC, the maximum HC, and inward HC flow are greatly influenced by the large bubble position and coverage. It is necessary to take the large bubble into account when we study the horizontal current in a cell.
Coupled Atomistic/Continuum Simulation based on Extended Space-Time Finite Element Method

A multiscale method based on the extended space-time finite element method is de- veloped for the coupled atomistic/continuum sim- ulation of nanoscale material systems. Exist- ing single scale approach such as the finite ele- ment method has limited capability of represent- ing the fine scale physics in both the spatial and temporal domains. This is a major disadvantage for directly incorporating FEM in coupled atom- istic/continuum simulations as it results in errors such as spurious wave reflections at the atom- istic/continuum interface. While numerous efforts have been devoted to eliminating the interfacial mismatch effects, less attention has been paid to developing fine scale, atomistic level represen- tations within the FEM framework. In this pa- per, we show that multiscale space-time approxi- mations can be established within the context of FEM. By augmenting the regular space-time fi- nite element shape function basis with the enrich- ment function, we demonstrate that the contin- uum and atomistic representations can be consis- tently linked and this naturally leads to a reflec- tionless interfacial boundary condition. In addi- tion, a unique feature of this approach is its ability to achieve wave transmitting condition that is en- ergy conservative. Realization of these properties is illustrated through both harmonic and nonlinear lattices in 1D. Keyword: Coupled simulation, enrichment, X- FEM, X-TFEM, VAC model, reflectionless inter- face
The Effects of Accelerated Stress Conditions on Electromigration Failure Kinetics and Void Morphology

Accelerated life testing has long been used to measure the electromigration reliability of integrated circuit (IC) metallization systems. In order to establish or verify electromigration design rules for IC products the measured data is extrapolated over a wide range of operating conditions using phenomenological models. These models assume that the components of the diffusional flux, thermal stress and resulting void morphology are independent of test/operating condition. In this paper, electromigration void morphology and failure criteria are studied over a range of stress conditions and microstructures for non-layered AlCu and AlCuSi metallurgies. The failure criteria, defined as the average change in conductor resistance prior to an open circuit condition, was strongly dependent on test current density. Moreover, the nature of the relationship between failure criteria and current density was governed by the linewidth (W) relative to the median grain size (D50). This dependence can be explained qualitatively in terms of the Blech Effect.
Blaine, Garfield and Latin America: A New Look

IF, as has been suggested, a country without a foreign policy is a happy country, then the United States must have reached the peak of its felicity between the Civil War and the turn of the century. Of all the Secretaries of State in that otherwise obscure progression from William Seward to John Hay only one has managed to escape oblivion and capture the imagination of diplomatic historians. That exception is James G. Blaine. Secretary of State on two separate occasions and under three different presidents, Blaine brought to his office not only his personal dynamism but also an apparently well thought-out conception of foreign affairs. Unlike his contemporaries, who seemed content merely to react to events, Blaine appeared to have a policy . The genesis of that policy has been a source of controversy ever since.
Seasonal Phenology of White Grubs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in Florida Sugarcane Fields

The seasonal phenology of two white grub species found in Florida sugarcane was determined under field conditions. Both Cyclocephala parallela Casey and Ligyrus subtropicus Blatchley had 1-year life cycles, and third-instar larvae were the longest enduring and the overwintering stage of both species. Developmental stages of C. parallela preceded corresponding stages of L. subtropicus by 2 to 6 weeks in sugarcane fields. Morphometric data for the two species are also given. The relationship of these preceding data to grub damage in Florida sugarcane fields is discussed.
Analysis of Conservative Land Use in Large-sized Fossil-fuel Power Plant Projects

According to the specified area in the "Construction land quotas for electric power projects" and recommended area in the "Cost reference for quoted design of fossil-fuel power projects" and actual occupied area for the plant site,also taking a project of 2×600 MW units as an example,this paper discusses ways to use land conservatively in large power plant projects and its importance.Suggestions on optimized design are given.
Another Surgical Approach for Vasculogenic Impotence

AbstractUntil recently, a defect in the capability of blood to be trapped in the corpus cavernosum so that adequate penile turgidity can be maintained for successful intercourse has not been considered a major etiology for impotence. A diagnostic test called dynamic cavernosography was developed that consists of a cine-taped cavernosogram in conjunction with intracavernous pressure measurements at 3 different cavernous infusion rates. The results of 104 of these tests are presented. More recently, 17 of these patients also have undergone papaverine tests.Of the patients 59 per cent had no or only partial erections at all infusion rates and pressure did not increase to greater than 50mm. Hg. The papaverine test showed only partial or no tumescence when 60mg. were injected into the corpora. As a result, 25 patients underwent a penile operation to remove some venous outflow channels. Of the patients who underwent an operation for absent tumescence at any flow rate and who had a large number of venous channel...
Proximal Humerus Fracture

Various common injuries in the shoulder, humerus, and elbow are investigated in this section. Significant attention is paid not only to proper diagnostic examination and imaging, but also to optimal non-operative and operative treatment options to manage these conditions.
Genome Sequence of Gordonia Phage Emalyn

ABSTRACT Emalyn is a newly isolated bacteriophage of Gordonia terrae 3612 and has a double-stranded DNA genome 43,982 bp long with 67 predicted protein-encoding genes, 32 of which we can assign putative functions. Emalyn has a prolate capsid and has extensive nucleotide similarity with several previously sequenced phages.
Mild Viral Gastroenteritis and Afebrile Seizures

Ictal electroencephalograms (EEGs) were recorded in six patients (2 male, 4 female; ages 14 mo to 38 mo) with afebrile convulsions and mild gastroenteritis (CwG), in a study at Nagoya, Japan. None had febrile convulsions.
Test of a 32-channel prototype ASIC for photon counting application

A new low-power application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) detectors for single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) application is being developed at BNL. As the first step, a 32-channel prototype ASIC was designed and tested recently. Each channel has a preamplifier followed by CR-RC3 shaping circuits and three independent energy bins with comparators and 16-bit counters. The ASIC was fabricated with TSMC 0.35μm complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process and tested in laboratories. The power consumption is around 1 mW/ch with a 2.5-V supply. With a gain of 400 mV/fC and the peaking time of 500 ns, the equivalent noise charge (ENC) of 360 e-has been measured in room temperature while the crosstalk rate is less than 0.3%. The 10-bit DACs for global thresholds have an integral nonlinearity (INL) less than 0.56% and differential nonlinearity (DNL) less than 0.33%. In the presentation, we will report the detailed test results with this ASIC.
Preclinical development of novel small molecule anticancer agents targeted focal adhesion kinase pathway.

B220 Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) is an important survival molecule that is upregulated in a broad range of solid tumors and is expressed at very low levels in normal tissues, creating a therapeutic window and making this protein a highly attractive target for the treatment of cancer, as suggested by our lab and recently by other leading authors in the field. We have identified the key binding partners of FAK and peptides from the binding sites that cause apoptosis in cancer but not normal cells. Based on these findings as well as correlative structural and functional data, we suggest that blocking FAK-protein interactions will lead to apoptosis and tumor cell death. We have well-documented data that targeting FAK-protein interactions is important for cell survival and we have used atomic resolution structural data of specific binding sites to identify small molecule lead compounds. We have screened small molecule libraries and identified several lead compounds that disrupt binding of FAK to key signaling molecules and induce apoptosis in breast, colon, pancreatic, lung, as well as melanoma cancer cell lines. Some of these compounds caused apoptosis at low nanomolar concentrations. We also have shown that lead compounds increase the sensitivity of cancer cells to standard chemotherapy drugs. Our data suggest that peptides and small molecule inhibitors of FAK-protein interaction can be identified as lead compounds to provide the basis for targeted novel cancer therapeutic agents. Such compounds will effectively reduce activation of both molecules involved in survival signaling and will lead to sensitivity to chemotherapy and cancer cell death. We anticipate that our approach (targeting FAK protein-protein interactions) is amenable to more successful drug discovery and development than the typical method of targeting the kinase activity by targeting ATP binding site of tyrosine kinases. Experience shows that it is especially difficult in the case of FAK due to cross-reactivity with other essential tyrosine kinases.
Effect of Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation on Heart Failure Readmission Rates.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) cause numerous hospital admissions. We investigated if AF increases readmissions in patients with HF and whether AF ablation alters readmissions for HF exacerbations. The 2013 Nationwide Readmissions Database was analyzed for all-cause 90-day readmissions, after discharge for HF exacerbation. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to compare hazard rates for readmissions due to HF exacerbation, after recent ablation versus no ablation. There were 885,270 admissions for HF exacerbation of which 364,447 had coexisting AF. All-cause 90-day readmission rates were higher in patients with HF with coexisting AF versus those without AF (41.4% vs 37.6%, p
Abstract TP355: Cardiovascular Screening at Menopause Will Decrease the Incidence of Stroke and Irreversible Disability

Background and Purpose: Stroke is the 3 rd leading cause of death in women and a leading cause of irreversible disability. Physical changes occur during menopause, increasing risk factors for coronary artery disease and stroke. Baby Boomers coming of age will increase the incidence of stroke in the female population. The direct and indirect cost of cardiovascular disease and stroke total more than $320.1 billion a year. The purpose of this research is to make evident, a preventive cardiovascular screening program completed at menopause will decrease mortality and irreversible harm in post-menopausal women; evaluate and compare the healthcare savings for preventive care versus post-stroke treatment; to gain support for further research in menopausal changes, preventive screenings and stroke and to establish support of legislators and insurance companies. Methods: A quantitative and systematic literature review was conducted. Six thousand women reach menopause every day, totaling 2,190,000 a year. An odds ratio of 1:1 participation in the screening was calculated at a probable variable. One in five of these women will have a stroke in their lifetime. A variable of 20% stroke prevention rate, based on pre-screening and subsequent treatment was assigned (n=43,800). Individual cost of care post-stroke estimates at (n=$42,767). A cost-benefit analysis was completed on post-stroke care versus preventive screening costs (n=$1468), based on current preventive program costs. Results: The analysis indicated (n=43,800) women will avoid stroke and/or disability due to cardiovascular preventive screening and warranted treatment versus (n=219,000) who will have a stroke without these measures. This equates to healthcare savings of $253,997,547 a year. Conclusions: Quantitative and systematic literature review and the cost-benefit analysis indicates preventive screenings at menopause will save lives, decrease irreversible disability and healthcare costs. A randomized controlled clinical trial is necessary to further substantiate the significance of preventive screenings and early cardiovascular interventions in menopausal women.
Fluorotryptophan Incorporation Modulates the Structure and Stability of Transthyretin in a Site-Specific Manner

Abnormal deposition of aggregated wild-type (WT) human transthyretin (TTR) and its pathogenic variants is responsible for cardiomyopathy and neuropathy related to TTR amyloidosis. The tryptophan (Trp) fluorescence measurements typically used to study structural changes of TTR do not yield site-specific information on the two Trp residues per TTR protomer. To obtain such information, tryptophan labeled with fluorine at the 5 and 6 positions (5FW and 6FW) was incorporated into TTR. Fluorescence of 5FW and 6FW-labeled WT-TTR (WT-5FW and WT-6FW) and a single-Trp mutant W41Y showed that the photophysics of incorporated fluoro-Trp is consistent with site-specific solvation of the indole ring of W41 and W79. 19F-NMR showed that solvent accessibility depends on both the location of the Trp and the position of the fluorine substituent in the indole ring. Unexpectedly, differences were observed in the rates of aggregation, with WT-6FW aggregating more rapidly than WT-5FW or WT TTR. Real-time 19F-NMR urea unfolding ...
Self-Supporting, Hydrophobic, Ionic Liquid-Based Reference Electrodes Prepared by Polymerization-Induced Microphase Separation

Interfaces of ionic liquids and aqueous solutions exhibit stable electrical potentials over a wide range of aqueous electrolyte concentrations. This makes ionic liquids suitable as bridge materials that separate in electroanalytical measurements the reference electrode from samples with low and/or unknown ionic strengths. However, methods for the preparation of ionic liquid-based reference electrodes have not been explored widely. We have designed a convenient and reliable synthesis of ionic liquid-based reference electrodes by polymerization-induced microphase separation. This technique allows for a facile, single-pot synthesis of ready-to-use reference electrodes that incorporate ion conducting nanochannels filled with either 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide or 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethyl sulfonyl)imide as ionic liquid, supported by a mechanically robust cross-linked polystyrene phase. This synthesis procedure allows for the straightforward design of va...
Semiconductor color-center structure and excitation spectra: Equation-of-motion coupled-cluster description of vacancy and transition-metal defect photoluminescence

Valence excitation spectra are computed for deep-center silicon-vacancy defects in 3C, 4H, and 6H silicon carbide (SiC), and comparisons are made with literature photoluminescence measurements. Optimizations of nuclear geometries surrounding the defect centers are performed within a Gaussian basis-set framework using many-body perturbation theory or density functional theory (DFT) methods, with computational expenses minimized by a QM/MM technique called SIMOMM. Vertical excitation energies are subsequently obtained by applying excitation-energy, electron-attached, and ionized equation-of-motion coupled-cluster (EOMCC) methods, where appropriate, as well as time-dependent (TD) DFT, to small models including only a few atoms adjacent to the defect center. We consider the relative quality of various EOMCC and TD-DFT methods for (i) energy-ordering potential ground states differing incrementally in charge and multiplicity, (ii) accurately reproducing experimentally measured photoluminescence peaks, and (iii) energy-ordering defects of different types occurring within a given polytype. The extensibility of this approach to transition-metal defects is also tested by applying it to silicon-substituted chromium defects in SiC and comparing with measurements. It is demonstrated that, when used in conjunction with SIMOMM-optimized geometries, EOMCC-based methods can provide a reliable prediction of the ground-state charge and multiplicity, while also giving a quantitative description of the photoluminescence spectra, accurate to within 0.1 eV of measurement for all cases considered.
Inflammatory reaction of the anterior dorsal tongue presumably to sodium lauryl sulfate within toothpastes: a triple case report.

Background Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), a popular surface active agent ingredient within toothpastes, is known for its foaming action. Surface active agents increase the effectiveness of toothpastes with respect to dental plaque removal. SLS is a known irritant and also has allergenic potential. The authors report 3 patients with oral pain secondary to inflammation of the dorsal anterior tongue. These patients were all using toothpastes with SLS as an ingredient. Results The dorsal tongue lesions and oral pain resolved upon switching to toothpastes without SLS as an ingredient. Conclusions Clinicians should be aware of the potential of SLS within toothpastes to cause oral mucosal inflammatory reactions of the anterior dorsal tongue. To our knowledge, these are the first case reports of oral mucosal inflammatory reactions of the anterior dorsal tongue associated with SLS containing toothpastes.
Surface play: rewriting black interiorities through camouflage and abstraction in Mickalene Thomas's oeuvre

This essay examines the use of camouflage, artifice, and abstraction – as strategies of surface-play – by Mickalene Thomas, a contemporary painter. Many scholars have focused on Thomas's use of pai...
RARE: A Systematic Augmented Router Emulation for Malware Analysis

How can we analyze and profile the behavior of a router malware? This is the motivating question behind our work focusing on router. Router-specific malware has emerged as a new vector for hackers, but has received relatively little attention compared to malware on other devices. A key challenge in analyzing router malware is getting it to activate, which is hampered by the diversity of firmware of various vendors and a plethora of different platforms. We propose, RARE, a systematic approach to analyze router malware and profile its behavior focusing on home-office routers. The key novelty is the intelligent augmented operation of our emulation that manages to fool malware binaries to activate irrespective of their target platform. This is achieved by leveraging two key capabilities: (a) a static level analysis that informs the dynamic execution, and (b) an iterative feedback loop across a series of dynamic executions, whose output informs the subsequent executions. From a practical point of view, RARE has the ability to: (a) instantiate an emulated router with or without malware, (b) replay arbitrary network traffic, (c) monitor and interact with the malware in a semi-automated way. We evaluate our approach using 221 router-specific malware binaries. First, we show that our method works: we get 94% of the binaries to activate, including obfuscated ones, which is a nine-fold increase compared to the 10% success ratio of the baseline method. Second, we show that our method can extract useful information towards understanding and profiling the botnet behavior: (a) we identify 203 unique IP addresses of C&C servers, and (b) we observe an initial spike and an overall 50% increase in the number of system calls on infected routers.
Analysis of accident injury-severities using a correlated random parameters ordered probit approach with time variant covariates

Abstract This paper employs a correlated random parameters ordered probit modeling framework to explore time-variant and time-invariant factors affecting injury-severity outcomes in single-vehicle accidents. The proposed approach extends traditional random parameters modeling, by accounting for possible correlations among the random parameters. On the basis of an unrestricted covariance matrix for the random parameters, the proposed framework can capture the combined effect of the unobserved factors – which are captured by the random parameters – on the injury-severity mechanism. The empirical analysis is based on traditional roadway-, traffic- and crash-specific information, and detailed weather and pavement surface disaggregate data, collected in the State of Washington, between 2011 and 2013. The results show that accident injury-severity outcomes are affected by a number of time-variant (ice thickness or water depth on pavement surface, sub-surface temperature) and time-invariant (roadway geometrics, and vehicle-, driver-, and collision-specific characteristics) factors, several of which result in statistically significant parameters – thus they have mixed effects on the injury-severity generation mechanism. The findings also present statistically significant correlation effects among the random parameters, which substantiates the appropriateness of the approach. The comparative assessment between the employed approach and its lower-order counterparts (i.e., fixed parameters, and uncorrelated random parameters ordered probit modeling approaches) shows that accounting for the unobserved heterogeneity interactions results not only in superior statistical performance (in terms of model’s fit, and explanatory and prediction performance) but also in less biased and more consistent parameter estimates.
Statistics, Causality, and Graphs

Some of the main users of statistical methods – economists, social scientists, and epidemiologists – are discovering that their fields rest not on statistical but on causal foundations. The blurring of these foundations over the years follows from the lack of mathematical notation capable of distinguishing causal from equational relationships. By providing formal and natural explication of such relations, graphical methods have the potential to revolutionize how statistics is used in knowledge-rich applications. Statisticians, in response, are beginning to realize that causality is not a metaphysical deadend but a meaningful concept with clear mathematical underpinning. The paper surveys these developments and outlines future challenges.
43-OR: DIFFERENTIAL BINDING OF CITRULLINATED VERSUS NATIVE VIMENTIN PEPTIDES TO HLA MOLECULES CONTAINING RESISTANT AND SUSCEPTIBLE RA EPITOPES

Aim Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder affecting 1% of the world population and results in the destruction of bone and joints. A two amino acid shared epitope LA 67,74 in HLA-DRB1 is highly associated with RA and is positively correlated with the level of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies. In contrast, a single amino acid shared epitope, D 70 in HLA-DRB1, is associated with resistance in a resistance dominance fashion. The HLA function in autoimmunity is unclear, but it is possible that citrullination of joint peptides increases their affinity to susceptible HLA molecules. In this study, we utilize a novel method for measuring HLA:peptide binding to answer this question. Methods We measured binding of biotinylated citrullinated and native vimentin peptides to HLA molecules attached to Luminex beads; binding was detected with PE-streptavidin. Results Of the 91 HLA class II molecules, citrullinated vimentin bound over background on 88 of them. Citrullinated vimentin bound significantly more strongly than native vimentin to alleles with LA 67,74 (p = 0.0003). We observed no difference in binding between citrullinated and native vimentin peptides to alleles with D 70 [Fig. 1]. Conclusions Citrullination of vimentin increased the peptide affinity for DRB1*LA 67,74 but not DRB1*D 70 . While native vimentin binds effectively to DRB1*D 70 , it does not bind well to DRB1*LA 67,74 . We also show peptides bind class II HLA (including alleles not associated with RA susceptibility or resistance) over a broad range, from very strong binding (MFI > 5000) to weaker binding (MFI ∼ 100). This demonstrates that HLA epitopes may mediate autoimmunity by preferentially binding autoantigens. Download full-size image
Comparative Structures of P-450 Cytochromes

Rapid research progress during the past decade has led to the isolation and characterization of many apparently distinct forms of cytochrome P-450 and has shown that the inducers, substrates, and inhibitors of this versatile enzyme are almost unlimited in number. Only in the past 3 years, however, have complete primary structures become known through protein and DNA sequencing, thus providing firm evidence that these cytochromes are distinct gene products. This chapter is concerned with comparative structures of the P-450 cytochromes as revealed by general properties as well as by partial or complete sequence information on about 30 such proteins.
Peirce as Catalyst in Modern Legal Science: Consequences

In 1903 Peirce writes to Lady Welby in response to her book What Is Meaning. Here he says that words, as signs, have three levels of meaning: the lowest grade of meaning is the basic, instrumental use of words “in communicating our knowledge to others and in getting at the knowledge that these others seek to communicate to us”; the second level of meaning involves the responsibility, intention, and commitment of the person who conveys the message; the third, highest level of meaning attaches to the consequences of the message. Peirce says that “besides the consequences to which the person who accepts a word knowingly commits himself to, there is a vast ocean of unforeseen consequences which the acceptance of the word is destined to bring about, not merely consequences of knowing but perhaps revolutions of society” (CP 8.176). It is immediately apparent that these three levels of meaning correspond to the three divisions of Peirce’s Normative Sciences: to his extended Logic, his Ethics, and his Esthetics which he understands as the “science of value” (CSP-FCSS 5. 12.05; CP 5.36, 5.111ff., 5.533, 535).
Enzyme induction in the tryptophan biosynthetic pathway in Bacillussubtilis

Abstract A single mutation resulting in a non-functional chorismate mutase simultaneously leads to increased activity of anthranilate synthetase and phosphoribosyl transferase in Bacillus subtilis . This mutant produces a concentration of chorismate that is significantly greater than that found in another mutant which has an unaltered chorismate mutase and is constitutive for the enzymes of the tryptophan pathway. We propose that the high internal concentration of chorismate induces the synthesis of these enzymes. It is inferred that alteration of the internal level of chorismate dramatically changes the specific activity of enzymes in the tryptophan pathway.
piMGM: incorporating multi-source priors in mixed graphical models for learning disease networks.

Motivation Learning probabilistic graphs over mixed data is an important way to combine gene expression and clinical disease data. Leveraging the existing, yet imperfect, information in pathway databases for mixed graphical model (MGM) learning is an understudied problem with tremendous potential applications in systems medicine, the problems of which often involve high-dimensional data. Results We present a new method, piMGM, which can learn with accuracy the structure of probabilistic graphs over mixed data by appropriately incorporating priors from multiple experts with different degrees of reliability. We show that piMGM accurately scores the reliability of prior information from a given expert even at low sample sizes. The reliability scores can be used to determine active pathways in healthy and disease samples. We tested piMGM on both simulated and real data from TCGA, and we found that its performance is not affected by unreliable priors. We demonstrate the applicability of piMGM by successfully using prior information to identify pathway components that are important in breast cancer and improve cancer subtype classification. Availability and implementation http://www.benoslab.pitt.edu/manatakisECCB2018.html. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
A Qualitative Study of Psychological Outcomes in Avalanche First Responders

Abstract Objectives: We sought to characterize the mental health morbidity associated with avalanche rescue, and to generate hypotheses as to how such morbidity may be mitigated. Materials and Meth...
Long-term risk of colorectal cancer and related deaths after a colonoscopy with normal findings.

Importance Guidelines recommend a 10-year rescreening interval after a colonoscopy with normal findings (negative colonoscopy results), but evidence supporting this recommendation is limited. Objective To examine the long-term risks of colorectal cancer and colorectal cancer deaths after a negative colonoscopy result, in comparison with individuals unscreened, in a large, community-based setting. Design, Setting, and Participants A retrospective cohort study was conducted in an integrated health care delivery organization serving more than 4 million members across Northern California. A total of 1 251 318 average-risk screening-eligible patients (age 50-75 years) between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2015, were included. The study was concluded on December 31, 2016. Exposures Screening was examined as a time-varying exposure; all participants contributed person-time unscreened until they were either screened or censored. If the screening received was a negative colonoscopy result, the participants contributed person-time in the negative colonoscopy results group until they were censored. Main Outcomes and Measures Using Cox proportional hazards regression models, the hazard ratios (HRs) for colorectal cancer and related deaths were calculated according to time since negative colonoscopy result (or since cohort entry for those unscreened). Hazard ratios were adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, Charlson comorbidity score, and body mass index. Results Of the 1 251 318 patients, 613 692 were men (49.0%); mean age was 55.6 (7.0) years. Compared with the unscreened participants, those with a negative colonoscopy result had a reduced risk of colorectal cancer and related deaths throughout the more than 12-year follow-up period, and although reductions in risk were attenuated with increasing years of follow-up, there was a 46% lower risk of colorectal cancer (hazard ratio, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.31-0.94) and 88% lower risk of related deaths (hazard ratio, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.02-0.82) at the current guideline-recommended 10-year rescreening interval. Conclusions and Relevance A negative colonoscopy result in average-risk patients was associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer and related deaths for more than 12 years after examination, compared with unscreened patients. Our study findings may be able to inform guidelines for rescreening after a negative colonoscopy result and future studies to evaluate the costs and benefits of earlier vs later rescreening intervals.
Reliability, Measurement Error, and Intra-Individual Difference

Abstract It is shown that the conventional test-retest reliability coefficient is equal to the “true score” variance divided by the total variance. The former is inter-individual variance, measuring true individual differences; the latter is the sum of three components—inter-individual variance, intra-individual variance, and error of measurement. Using typical reaction and movement time data, it was found that the measurement error variance, using the hundredths second timer, was only 3 to 4 percent as large as the intra-individual variance and had little influence on the reliability coefficient. Measurement error is a characteristic of the test; it may or may not be large enough to reduce the reliability coefficient appreciably. Variations between and within individuals characterize behavior, which may or may not be reliable regardless of measurement error.
Population pharmacokinetics of siltuximab: impact of disease state.

To characterize the effects of disease type and clinical characteristics on the pharmacokinetics of siltuximab, an IL-6 inhibiting monoclonal antibody. Siltuximab pharmacokinetic data were combined from seven phase I/II clinical trials. A population pharmacokinetic model was developed to characterize changes in siltuximab disposition with disease type, albumin, liver and renal function, and patient demographics. A total of 7761 concentrations from 460 participants were used in the study. The data were well described by a two-compartment model. Castleman’s disease, healthy volunteer status, albumin, and ALT were independent predictors of clearance. Monte Carlo simulations of the final model for an 11 mg/kg dose resulted in a longer median half-life for healthy volunteers (24.5 days) as compared to Castleman’s disease (19.1 days) and other tumor types (22.2 days). Clearance varied 1.8-fold over the range of albumin values seen in the study (1.5–5.2 g/dL), while ALT resulted in minimal changes in clearance. Albumin and disease state are important factors for siltuximab disposition and will likely need to be considered for dosing in future therapeutic applications.