cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Personal genome testing in medical education: student experiences with genotyping in the classroom.

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) personal genotyping services are beginning to be adoptedby educational institutions as pedagogical tools for learning about humangenetics. However, there is little known about student reactions to such testing.This study investigated student experiences and attitudes towards DTC personalgenome testing. Individual interviews were conducted with students who chose to undergo personalgenotyping in the context of an elective genetics course. Ten medical and graduatestudents were interviewed before genotyping occurred, and at 2 weeks and 6 monthsafter receiving their genotype results. Qualitative analysis of interviewtranscripts assessed the expectations and experiences of students who underwentpersonal genotyping, how they interpreted and applied their results; how thetesting affected the quality of their learning during the course, and what weretheir perceived needs for support. Students stated that personal genotyping enhanced their engagement with the coursecontent. Although students expressed skepticism over the clinical utility of sometest results, they expressed significant enthusiasm immediately after receivingtheir personal genetic analysis, and were particularly interested in results suchas drug response and carrier testing. However, few reported making behavioralchanges or following up on specific results through a healthcare provider.Students did not report utilizing genetic counseling, despite feeling stronglythat the 'general public' would need these services. In follow-up interviews,students exhibited poor recall on details of the consent and biobankingagreements, but expressed little regret over their decision to undergo genotyping.Students reported mining their raw genetic data, and conveyed a need for furtherconsultation support in their exploration of genetic variants. Personal genotyping may improve students' self-reported motivation and engagementwith course material. However, consultative support that is different fromtraditional genetic counseling will be necessary to support students. Beforeincorporating personal genotyping into coursework, institutions should leadmulti-disciplinary discussion to anticipate issues and incorporate teachingmechanisms that engage the ethical, legal, and social implications of personalgenotyping, including addressing those found in this study, to go beyond what isoffered by commercial providers.
Neuromuscular Blocking Drugs and the Critical Care Patient

Summary As the management of critically ill and emergency patients intensifies and veterinary surgical procedures become more complex, more sophisticated methods of support are becoming necessary. Emergency and critical care patients are excellent candidates for the use of neuromuscular blocking drugs. The main advantage of the current generation of neuromuscular blocking drugs compared to earlier agents is that they provide muscle relaxation with little or no cardiovascular effects. The pharmacology and physiology of neuromuscular blocking drugs are discussed, and their use is described with specific references to critical care patients. Monitoring techniques are described and reversal of neuromuscular blockade as well as potential side effects and adverse reactions arediscussed.
A polarization-independent and contrast-ratio-enhancing module for all-optical wavelength shifting using SOA's

We demonstrate a polarization-independent and contrast-ratio-enhancing all-optical wavelength shifting module using polarization-dependent SOA's. When comparing our robust module to a single polarization-dependent SOA wavelength shifter, we reduce the polarization dependence from 3.5-0.5 dB and the contrast-ratio-induced power penalty from 5-1.5 dB when upshifting over 19 nm at 1 Gb/s.
Pathologic quiz case: male with deterioration of mental status.

62-year-old white man presented with a 3-year history of progressive mental decline, including deterioration in memory and speech. He also experienced gait abnormalities and dysphagia. He had a family history significant for several relatives who had similar problems, some of whom died secondary to this condition. The patient had no significant past medical history and had been otherwise healthy. A neurologic examination was significant for decreased short-term memory, slurred speech, and a left peripheral VIIth nerve palsy. Magnetic resonance imaging showed diffuse, multicentric cerebral white matter enhancement, most prominently noted in both temporal lobes (Figure 1). He underwent an excision of a portion of the anterior temporal lobe and inferior temporal gyrus. The patient tolerated the procedure well and was treated postoperatively with antibiot
QMS: Evaluating the Side-Channel Resistance of Masked Software from Source Code

Many commercial systems in the embedded space have shown weakness against power analysis based side-channel attacks in recent years. Designing countermeasures to defend against such attacks is both labor intensive and error prone. Furthermore, there is a lack of formal methods for quantifying the actual strength of a countermeasure implementation. Security design errors may therefore go undetected until the side-channel leakage is physically measured and evaluated. We show a better solution based on static analysis of C source code. We introduce the new notion of Quantitative Masking Strength (QMS) to estimate the amount of information leakage from software through side channels. The QMS can be automatically computed from the source code of a countermeasure implementation. Our experiments, based on side-channel measurement on real devices, show that the QMS accurately quantifies the side-channel resistance of the software implementation.
Simulation-based analysis of train controls under various track alignments

This study develops a time-driven train performance simulation (TPS) model consisting of train traction module, track alignment module, and train control module, which is applied to emulate the movement of a train, calculate energy consumption, and estimate travel time, considering various vertical track alignments and operational controls. A numerical example is given in this study to demonstrate the features of the developed TPS, such as generating time varying operational measures (e.g., the tractive effort, resistance, acceleration rate, speed, and energy consumption, etc.) and calculating energy consumption and travel time. The most energy efficient train control, or called “golden run,” associated with various track alignments, speed limits, and schedule adherence are identified, while the impact of coasting locations to travel time and energy consumption is also assessed. A sensitivity analysis is conducted, and the relationship between model parameters and control variables are discussed.
Mitochondrial DNA ligases of Trypanosoma brucei.

The mitochondrial DNA of Trypanosoma brucei, termed kinetoplast DNA or kDNA, consists of thousands of minicircles and a small number of maxicircles catenated into a single network organized as a nucleoprotein disk at the base of the flagellum. Minicircles are replicated free of the network but still contain nicks and gaps after rejoining to the network. Covalent closure of remaining discontinuities in newly replicated minicircles after their rejoining to the network is delayed until all minicircles have been replicated. The DNA ligase involved in this terminal step in minicircle replication has not been identified. A search of kinetoplastid genome databases has identified two putative DNA ligase genes in tandem. These genes (LIG kα and LIG kβ) are highly diverged from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA ligase genes of higher eukaryotes. Expression of epitope-tagged versions of these genes shows that both LIG kα and LIG kβ are mitochondrial DNA ligases. Epitope-tagged LIG kα localizes throughout the kDNA, whereas LIG kβ shows an antipodal localization close to, but not overlapping, that of topoisomerase II, suggesting that these proteins may be contained in distinct structures or protein complexes. Knockdown of the LIG kα mRNA by RNA interference led to a cessation of the release of minicircles from the network and resulted in a reduction in size of the kDNA networks and rapid loss of the kDNA from the cell. Closely related pairs of mitochondrial DNA ligase genes were also identified in Leishmania major and Crithidia fasciculata.
MODEL FOR AQUEOUS SOLVATION BASED ON CLASS IV ATOMIC CHARGES AND FIRST SOLVATION SHELL EFFECTS

We present a new set of geometry-based functional forms for parametrizing effective Coulomb radii and atomic surface tensions of organic solutes in water. In particular, the radii and surface tensions depend in some cases on distances to nearby atoms. Combining the surface tensions with electrostatic effects included in a Fock operator by the generalized Born model enables one to calculate free energies of solvation, and experimental free energies of solvation are used to parametrize the theory for water. Atomic charges are obtained by both the AM1-CM1A and PM3-CM1P class IV charge models, which yield similar results, and hence the same radii and surface tensions are used with both charge models. We considered 215 neutral solutes containing H, C, N, O, F, S, Cl, Br, and I and encompassing a very wide variety of organic functional groups, and we obtained a mean unsigned error in the free energy of hydration of 0.50 kcal/mol using CM1A charges and 0.44 kcal/mol using CM1P charges. The predicted solvation en...
SPONTANEOUS FORMATION OF MULTIARMED SPIRAL WAVES IN VARIOUS SIMPLE MODELS OF WEAKLY EXCITABLE MEDIA

We investigate a spontaneous formation of stable multiarmed spirals in two-dimensional excitable media, an effect observed in various biological and chemical systems. A previous study based on FitzHugh–Nagumo-type Pushchino model reported a robust effect of stable two- and three-armed spiral formation from nearby vortices, when the spirals rotate around unexcited cores, i.e. when excitability of the medium is low. In this study, we used a powerful parallel computer cluster to perform an extensive parameter search in two other widely used FitzHugh–Nagumo-type models, as well as in the two-component Oregonator model. We observed formation of stable n-armed spirals, with 2 ≤ n ≤ 10, whenever the excitability of the medium was sufficiently low. Thus, we conclude that the formation and persistence of stable multiarmed spirals (MAS) is not an artifact of one particular model, but, rather, it is an amazing higher-level self-organization property of a generic weakly excitable medium. We also establish quantitatively that such multiarmed spirals serve as high-frequency wave sources — a finding that has a direct relevance to cardiac defibrillation research.
Children's competitive peer aggression during reward and punishment

Behavior-disordered children (N = 65) competed with a presumed unknown peer on consecutive administrations of an analogue aggression task of instrumental aggression (blocking the opponent's game) and hostile aggression (sending the opponent a noise). The first administration as a reward-only, nonpunishment condition. The second administration contained both reward and punishment conditions. Results indicated clear differences on aggressive responding during conditions of reward and punishment. Significant correlations were found between instrumental aggression during reward across the two administrations, whereas correlations between aggression during reward and aggression during punishment were nonsignificant, Teacher ratings of Covert-Proactive Aggression correlated with analogue task instrumental aggression but not with hostile aggression on both administrations. Aggression during punishment was significantly correlated with Continuous Performance Test inattention and impulsivity scores, suggesting that impulsivity and inattention may play an important role in children's ability to inhibit aggression during cues for punishment. These data indicate the utility of a laboratory analogue procedure to assess conditions associated with childhood aggression and to further our understanding of childhood aggression subtypes.
MHC-based diagnostics and therapeutics - clinical applications for disease-linked genes.

Abstract Human diseases frequently occur in discrete, genetically susceptible groups rather than being distributed randomly in the population. As discussed at a recent symposium**The symposium ‘MHC-based Therapeutics in Immunological Disorders' was part of The American Association of Immunologists Meeting and was held in San Francisco, CA, USA, on 21 April 1998. one set of well-known disease-linked genes, the major histocompatibility complex, are leading the way into the clinic.
Health Promotion: Integrating Organizational Change and Student Learning Strategies

The background and conceptual support for a model for planned change in schools are presented to facilitate the adoption, implementation, and maintenance of health promotion innovations. The model proposes four phases of change: (1) institutional commitment, (2) alterations in policies and practices, (3) alterations in roles and actions of staff, and (4) student learning activities. The model can be applied to influ ence organizational change in multiple components of the school health program to predispose, enable, and reinforce student health behavior.
Instability due to viscosity stratification

The principal aim of this paper is to show that the variation of viscosity in a fluid can cause instability. Plane Couette-Poiseuille flow of two superposed layers of fluids of different viscosities between two horizontal plates is considered, and it is found that both plane Poiseuille flow and plane Couette flow can be unstable, however small the Reynolds number is. The unstable modes are in the neighbourhood of a hidden neutral mode for the case of a single fluid, which is entirely ignored in the usual theory of hydrodynamic stability, and are brought out by the viscosity stratification.
Sensitivity of wireless network simulations to a two-state Markov model channel approximation

In this paper, we investigate the appropriateness of wireless network simulations that employ a two-state Markov model to approximate a flat Rayleigh fading channel. Our approach first analyzes the statistical similarities and differences between block error processes generated by 1) an 802.11b defined communication scheme in the presence of flat Rayleigh fading and 2) a representative two-state Markov model. It is shown that, at low SNR, the Markov model does not generate an adequate frame error process. Furthermore, we quantify the effects of said statistical deviations through ns2 network simulations. This work further advances the understanding of the appropriate, and inappropriate, environments under which the two-state Markov model is a suitable approximation of a fading channel.
Multicasting in ad hoc networks in the context of multiple channels and multiple interfaces

Multicast routing protocols based on shared trees employ one or more rendezvous points (usually called cores) for coordination. To address fault tolerance in case of core failure, multiple cores can be deployed. The location of cores is crucial for the performance of the protocol. In this context, the problem of finding the location for the cores is similar to the (k, r)-predominating set problem, (k, r)-DS, in graph theory. That is, (k, r)-DS is defined as the problem of selecting a subset of nodes D such that the remaining nodes are within distance r from at least k nodes in D. In mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), finding the location of cores should be computed distributively, because the topology may change frequently. We present a distributed solution to the (k, r)-DS problem, named DKR, which is used for core selection in a novel multicast protocol named core hierarchical election for multicasting in ad hoc networks (CHEMA). CHEMA is designed to operate in the context of multiple channels and multiple interfaces. One interface is dedicated for the communication among cores and members, using a non-interfering channel. The performance of CHEMA is compared against one of the best performing multicast protocols to date. CHEMA is shown to perform better in all scenarios considered
Determinants of survival in parotid gland carcinoma: a population-based study.

Abstract Purpose To determine survival and factors influencing survival for parotid gland cancer. Methods Cases of parotid gland malignancy were extracted from the SEER database for 1988 to 1998. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was conducted for the most common tumor histologies. Cox proportional hazards modeling was conducted to determine the influence of age, gender, histopathology, grade, size, regional modal status, extraglandular extension, and radiation therapy on survival. Subset analysis was conducted for mucoepidermoid carcinoma according to grade. Results Nine hundred three patients were identified with a mean age of 59.2 years. Mean follow-up was 51.8 months. Mean 5-year and 10-year actuarial survivals for the entire cohort were 87.8 months, 66.6% and 49.7%, respectively. Mean tumor size at diagnosis was 2.7 cm; 38.0% of patients had extraglandular extension of the tumor, 26.8% of patients had positive nodal disease, and 59.4% of patients received radiation therapy. Tumor histology did predict survival, with squamous cell carcinoma and acinar cell carcinoma exhibiting the poorest and best survivals, respectively. Stratified Cox proportional hazards modeling revealed that increasing age, tumor size, grade, extraglandular extension, and nodal positivity significantly negatively influenced survival (all P ≤ .001); radiation therapy conferred a survival benefit (P = .090), whereas gender did not significantly affect survival. Increasing tumor grade, nodal disease, and extraglandular extension carried particularly high hazards ratios. Conclusions Survival in parotid gland malignancy is influenced by multiple factors. Patients with multiple poor prognostic features such as extraglandular extension, aggressive tumor histologies, and nodal disease will exhibit poorer survivals and may be candidates for more aggressive treatment protocols.
Pasteurization of pickled asparagus using 915 MHz microwaves.

Asparagus spears are sensitive to thermal treatments. Lengthy pasteurization at elevated temperatures may cause severe thermal degradation. In this research we explored the application of short-time microwave pasteurization for pickled asparagus in glass bottles and studied the effect of this process on the textural quality of the products in comparison with the conventional hot-water pasteurization method. A pilot-scale 915 MHz microwave system was used in this study for heating pickled asparagus in 1.8 kg (64 oz) glass bottles to 88°C. Heating uniformity was determined using fiber optical temperature sensors. The textural quality of asparagus was evaluated in shear tests and the C-value was used to assess the impact of different processes. Pasteurization of pickled asparagus using 915 MHz microwaves resulted in a uniform heating and it reduced process time by at least one-half compared to water-bath heating. Microwave pasteurization markedly reduced thermal degradation of asparagus.
A Method for Estimating Particle Fall Velocities from Vertically Pointing Doppler Radar

Abstract A method is presented that estimates particle fall velocities from Doppler velocity and reflectivity measurements taken with a vertically pointing Doppler radar. The method is applicable to uniform, stratified clouds and is applied here to cirrus clouds. A unique aspect of the technique consists of partitioning the Doppler velocities into discrete cloud height and cloud reflectivity bins prior to temporal averaging. The first step of the method is to temporally average the partitioned Doppler velocities over an hour or two to remove the effects of small-scale vertical air motions. This establishes relationships between particle fall velocity and radar reflectivity at various levels within the cloud. Comparisons with aircraft in situ observations from other experiments show consistency with the remote-sensing observations. These results suggest that particle fall speeds can be determined to within 5–10 cm s−1 by means of this technique.
Sturm-Liouville boundary value problems

In Section 5.5 we described the remarkable result that an arbitrary piecewise differentiable function f(x) could be expanded in either a pure sine series of the form $$f\left( x \right) = \sum\limits_{n = 1}^\infty{{b_n}\sin \frac{{n\pi x}}{l}} $$ (1) or a pure cosine series of the form $$f\left( x \right) = \frac{{{a^0}}}{2}\sum\limits_{n = 1}^\infty{{a_n}\cos \frac{{n\pi x}}{l}} $$ (2) on the interval 0 < x < l. We were led to the trigonometric functions appearing in the series (1) and (2) by considering the 2 point boundary value problems $$y'' + \lambda y = 0,y\left( 0 \right) = 0,y\left( l \right) = 0,$$ (3) and $$y'' + \lambda y = 0,y'\left( 0 \right) = 0,y'\left( l \right) = 0.$$ (4) Recall that Equations (3) and (4) have nontrivial solutions $${y_n}\left( x \right) = c\sin \frac{{n\pi x}}{l}and{\kern 1pt} {y_n}\left( x \right) = c\cos \frac{{n\pi x}}{l},$$ respectively, only if λ = λn = n2π2/l2. These special values of λ were called eigenvalues, and the corresponding solutions were called eigenfunctions.
Phylogenetically structured traits in root systems influence arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization in woody angiosperms

There is little quantitative information about the relationship between root traits and the extent of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonization. We expected that ancestral species with thick roots will maximize AMF habitat by maintaining similar root traits across root orders (i.e., high root trait integration), whereas more derived species are expected to display a sharp transition from acquisition to structural roots. Moreover, we hypothesized that interspecific morphological differences rather than soil conditions will be the main driver of AMF colonization. We analyzed 14 root morphological and chemical traits and AMF colonization rates for the first three root orders of 34 temperate tree species grown in two common gardens. We also collected associated soil to measure the effect of soil conditions on AMF colonization. Thick-root magnoliids showed less variation in root traits along root orders than more-derived angiosperm groups. Variation in stele:root diameter ratio was the best indicator of AMF colonization within and across root orders. Root functional traits rather than soil conditions largely explained the variation in AMF colonization among species. Not only the traits of first order but the entire structuring of the root system varied among plant lineages, suggesting alternative evolutionary strategies of resource acquisition. Understanding evolutionary pathways in belowground organs could open new avenues to understand tree species influence on soil carbon and nutrient cycling.
Simultaneous determination of heavy metals in cosmetics by using electronic temperature control heating plate digestion

Objective:To establish a method for simultaneous determination of arsenic,mercury,lead and cadmium in cosmetics by using the electronic temperature control heating plate digestion.Methods:The sample placed in Teflon tank,by adding hydrogen peroxide and nitric acid,and using electronic temperature control heating plate digest samples.Using flame atomic absorption spectrometry determine lead and cadmium in cosmetics and using hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry determine mercury and arsenic in cosmetics.Results:The optimal digestion conditions are 2 ml hydrogen peroxide and 5 ml nitric acid in 0.5 g sample at 100℃ digestion 2 hours and removing nitrogen for 1 hour.The average recoveries were 95.9%~105.9%,and the various types of samples of relative standard deviation were 1.4%~7.0%.Conclusion:This method is of good accuracy and high precision.It can be used in a large number of analysis for arsenic,mercury,lead and cadmium in cosmetics.
Antibody level against Neisseria meningitidis serogroups W135 and Y among healthy population in Zhuji,Zhejiang

Objective To understand the natural infection status of Neisseria meningitidis serogroups W135 and Y among healthy population and provide evidence for the prevention and control of epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis.Methods From October 2011 to March 2012. a total of 1084 healthy people aged 0-74 years were selected trough agestratified random sampling. Blood samples were taken from them to detect IgG level of N. meningitidis W135 and Y with ELISA. Results The detection rate of antibody to W135 was 25. 65%,the proportion of people with protective antibody level was 11. 81% and the antibody geometric mean concentration( GMC) was 1. 49 μg / ml. The difference in antibody positive rate in different age group had statistical significance( χ2= 66. 973,P 0. 01). The positive rate in age group 30-39 years was highest( 39. 66%). The detection rate of antibody to Y was 10. 98%. The proportion of people with protective antibody level was 6. 55% and the antibody GMC was 1. 32 μg / ml. The difference in antibody positive rate in different age group had statistical significance( χ2= 27. 832,P 0. 01). The positive rate in age group 20-29years was highest( 17. 21%). Conclusion People are usually susceptible to N. meningitidis W135 and Y. It is necessary to strengthen the surveillance of N. meningitidis to prevent the outbreak of W135 or Y serogroup.
Complex Perturbation Method for Sensitivity Analysis of Nonlinear Trusses

AbstractA numerical method based on complex analysis is presented for obtaining response sensitivities of three-dimensional (3D) trusses with geometrical and material nonlinearities. To this end, a complex perturbation method for sensitivity analysis is proposed that can be used in conjunction with the finite-element method. Performance of the complex perturbation method is demonstrated by evaluating response sensitivities of linear elastic, hyperelastic, and hyperelastic-plastic 3D trusses. To validate the method, the sensitivity data obtained from the complex perturbation method are compared with analytical sensitivity data and the central difference method. Advantages and limitations of complex perturbation method are discussed, and it is shown that the complex perturbation method can be used to obtain sensitivity data of analytical quality.
Calcium isotopic compositions of chondrites

Abstract We report mass-dependent and mass-independent Ca isotopic variations in nine chondrites from three groups: carbonaceous, ordinary and enstatite chondrites. There is about 0.25‰ per amu, i.e., ∼1‰ in 44Ca/40Ca, variation in chondrites: carbonaceous chondrites have the lightest Ca isotopes, enstatite chondrites have modeled bulk Earth like Ca isotopes, and ordinary chondrites are in between. The correlations between mass-dependent Ca isotopic variation and chemical variations in chondrites may reflect variable contributions from different endmembers, including refractory inclusions, in different chondrite groups. In detail, enstatite chondrites and the Earth share similar isotopic characteristics, but are very different in chemical compositions. At the ±1 and ±2 e-unit levels, respectively, there is no measurable 40Ca or 43Ca anomaly in bulk chondrites. Carbonaceous chondrites show several e-units of 48Ca excess. That is, Ca exhibits both mass-dependent and mass-independent isotopic variations in chondrites, similar to O isotopes. The 48Ca anomaly in bulk chondrites is positively correlated with 50Ti anomaly, but does not form simple correlation with 54Cr anomaly, implying multiple supernova sources for these neutron-rich isotopes in the Solar System. Finally, all meteorites with negative Δ17O have either 48Ca deficits (differentiated meteorites) or 48Ca excess (carbonaceous chondrites), implying that the Sun with a very negative Δ17O is probably also characterized by 48Ca anomaly compared to the Earth. CAIs cannot be taken as representative of the initial isotopic compositions of refractory elements like Ca for the Earth–Moon system.
MODERN LANGUAGE TRAINING METHODS AND THEIR APPLICATION IN CZECH AND SLOVAK BUSINESSES: A LITERATURE REVIEW

This literature review outlines modern language-teaching methods used in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It attempts to identify the current level of English proficiency in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. In addition, it aims to summarize modern methods of language teaching that became available with advent of information technologies. The review has three major parts. The first part examines the current level of English proficiency in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The second part describes the commonly recognized language proficiency levels established by the Council of Europe. The last part of the review introduces some of the most recent language-training methods that have become widely available due to the development of IT in the last few years. The conclusion includes recommendations about the use of IT for language training. This paper provides an overview of the subject, focusing mainly on readers who are either new to the topic or looking for a simple overview of the present situation. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the Czech Republic and Slovakia have an average level of English proficiency and at least nine modern teaching methods can be used to improve an individual’s language skills.
The relationship of respiratory infections in early childhood to the occurrence of increased levels of bronchial responsiveness and atopy.

We assessed the relationship of antecedent acute respiratory illness to the occurrence of airway responsiveness and atopy in a population-based cohort of 194 children 12 to 16 yr of age from East Boston, Massachusetts. A history of croup or bronchiolitis as reported by their parents was determined at study onset when the children were 5 to 9 yr of age. During the second and third years of the study, acute respiratory illness was assessed. Five years after the prospective respiratory illness assessment, airway responsiveness was evaluated with eucapneic hyperpnea to subfreezing air, and atopy was evaluated with skin tests to 4 environmental antigens. Both a prior history of croup of bronchiolitis (OR = 2.29, p = 0.04) and greater than 2 acute lower respiratory illnesses (OR = 3.72, p = 0.012) were associated with increased levels of airway responsiveness. Neither index of respiratory illness experience was related to the presence of atopy. However, maternal cigarette smoking was significantly associated wi...
Approaching Some Problems in Finite Geometry Through Algebraic Geometry

In the study of finite geometries one often requires knowledge of the ranks of related (0,1)-incidence matrices. We describe some of the combinatorial questions in finite geometry for which formulas for these ranks are useful; and we describe methods from algebraic geometry that are useful in obtaining such rank formulas.
Role of tissue expansion in abdominal wall reconstruction: A systematic evidence-based review

Summary Background Tissue expanders (TEs) can be used to assist primary closure of complicated hernias and large abdominal wall defects. However, there is no consensus regarding the optimal technique, use, or associated risk of TE in abdominal wall reconstruction. Methods A systematic search of PubMed and Embase databases was conducted to identify articles reporting abdominal wall reconstruction with TE techniques. English articles published between 1980 and 2016 were included on the basis of the following inclusion criteria: two-stage TE surgical technique, >3 cases, reporting of postoperative complications, hernia recurrence, and patient-based clinical data. Results Fourteen studies containing 103 patients (85 adults and 18 children) were identified for analysis. Most patients presented with a skin-grafted ventral hernia (n = 86). The etiology of the hernia was from trauma or prior abdominal surgery. The remaining patients had TE placed before organ transplantation (n = 12) or for congenital abdominal wall defects (n = 5). The location for expander placement was subcutaneous (n = 74), between the internal and external obliques (n = 26), posterior to the rectus sheath (n = 2), and intra-peritoneal (n = 1). Postoperative infections and implant-related problems were the most commonly reported complications after Stage I. The most common complication after Stage II was recurrent hernia, which was observed in 12 patients (11.7%). Five patients with TE died. Complications and mortality were more prevalent in children, immunosuppressed patients, and those with chronic illnesses. Conclusions Tissue expansion for abdominal wall reconstruction can be successfully used for a variety of carefully selected patients with an acceptable complication and risk profile.
Integrated Behavioral Health in Public Health Care Contexts: Community Health and Mental Health Safety Net Systems

With growing research-based evidence of clinical and cost improvements, the integration of behavioral health and primary care in the safety net public health care system is moving from the realm of early adopters and program innovators to the mainstream. This chapter is designed to provide readers with useable information on behavioral health care integration in the safety net health care system, the characteristics of people who depend upon that system, and the elements of workable integrated care models that can be brought to scale. The chapter reviews the clinical, delivery system, and cost outcomes associated with fragmented, siloed care versus integrated care. The chapter outlines the history of safety net care systems and the divergent legislative, financing and regulatory factors that established and preserved separation between community health centers and community behavioral health organizations. Recent public policy initiatives that promote care integration and adoption of integrated behavioral health care models in public health settings are discussed. Five case examples were drawn from the ranks of federally qualified community health centers and community behavioral health organizations to illustrate the opportunities and challenges in adoption of integrated care in the safety net. Essential components of sustainable integrated care initiatives are analyzed and include: organization and governance, organizational and staff culture, clinical systems and protocols, practice management and financial systems, and practice-based quality improvement and evaluation.
Women's Leadership in the ACR, 2001-2015

Abstract Purpose To assess the trends of women in voluntary leadership roles in the ACR from 2001 to 2015. Methods Retrospective leadership records from 2001 to 2015 were collected from the ACR Membership Database based on member demographics, gender, and participation in leadership roles at the national and state level. Data were sorted by gender and year to assess the proportion of women in each leadership position relative to total member/representation counts. Results Overall, there were increasing numbers of women represented in ACR leadership. From 2001 to 2015, there were increasing rates of women achieving fellowship in the College (7%-11%), now at parity with male member rates. Representation by women has risen from 7% to 21% for state chapter presidents and from 14% to 18% for state councilors. Comparing rolling 5-year averages from 2001-2005 and 2011-2015 showed statistically significant increases ( P Conclusions Women's participation in ACR leadership has increased significantly at the state level and in fellowship recognition. Although there are increasing numbers of women on the BOC, top positions remain male-dominated at the national level.
Compounds interfering with ovum implantation and development. II. Synthetic estrogens and antiestrogens.

Studies were carried out on a group of synthetic estrogens and antie strogens (clomiphene U-11555A a 23 diphenylindene derivative U-1110 0A a dihydronaphthalene and ORF-3858 2-methyl-3-ethyl-4-phenyl-delta 4-c yclohexenecarboxylic acid) to determine their effects as postcoital contraceptive agents in the rabbit and macaque monkey. Most proved effective with direct action on the implantation site in the rabbit but only ORF-3858 showed no evidence of teratogenicity and was found effective postcoitally in the primate.
Typical and Atypical Granular Cell Tumors of Soft Tissue: A Clinicopathologic Study of 50 Patients.

Objectives Granular cell tumors are rare neoplasms of neural origin. Despite the mesenchymal nature of these tumors, they rarely occur in the soft tissue, and as a result, this subset is not well characterized. We present the largest case series to date comprising 50 patients with benign and atypical soft tissue granular cell tumors in an effort to better define the pathologic features in this subset of lesions. Methods All cases of soft tissue granular cell tumors from the Ohio State Medical Center and the Medical College of Wisconsin over a 10-year period were reviewed for histologic and clinical findings. Results The most common location was the upper extremity. The mean age was 38.6 years, and the mean size of the tumor was 2.1 cm. An infiltrative growth pattern was seen in 58.8% of cases, and positive margins were found in 68.2%. Eleven (21.6%) cases showed evidence of cytologic atypia and fulfilled the criteria for a diagnosis of atypical giant cell tumor. Two of 11 patients with long-term follow-up experienced local recurrence. Conclusions Compared with granular cell tumors overall, the soft tissue subset shows a larger average size and higher propensity for incomplete resections, with atypical features being relatively common. Our findings suggest that soft tissue granular cell tumors may be slightly more aggressive than their dermal or organ-confined counterparts.
Improved Target Acquisition Rates With Feedback Codes

This paper considers the problem of acquiring an unknown target location (among a finite number of locations) via a sequence of measurements, where each measurement consists of simultaneously probing a group of locations. The resulting observation consists of a sum of an indicator of the target's presence in the probed region, and a zero mean Gaussian noise term whose variance is a function of the measurement vector. An equivalence between the target acquisition problem and channel coding over a binary input additive white Gaussian noise (BAWGN) channel with state and feedback is established. Utilizing this information theoretic perspective, a two-stage adaptive target search strategy based on the sorted Posterior Matching channel coding strategy is proposed. Furthermore, using information theoretic converses, the fundamental limits on the target acquisition rate for adaptive and non-adaptive strategies are characterized. As a corollary to the non-asymptotic upper bound of the expected number of measurements under the proposed two-stage strategy, and to non-asymptotic lower bound of the expected number of measurements for optimal non-adaptive search strategy, a lower bound on the adaptivity gain is obtained. The adaptivity gain is further investigated in different asymptotic regimes of interest.
The Law of Large Numbers and the Central Limit Theorem

When pollsters ask a question such as “Do you approve of the job performance of the president?” they usually take large samples. They expect the sample percentage to be close to the population percentage, but they are never certain if their results are accurate. likewise, suppose you toss a coin over and over again and keep track of the percentage of heads obtained along the way. You expect to get heads half of the time, but that doesn’t mean that you’ll get exactly 50 heads in the first 100 tosses. As the number of tosses goes up, you expect the sample percentage to approach 50%, but there will be variability.
A SEER-based multiethnic picture of cholangiocarcinoma in the United States pre and post the advent of gemcitabine/cisplatin.

448Background: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a rare, lethal cancer with five-year survival of less than 10%. Although incidence rates have been increasing in the United States, ethnic variations in s...
Ligand interactions and the protein order-disorder energetic continuum.

Abstract Intrinsically disordered proteins as computationally predicted account for ∼1/3 of eukaryotic proteomes, are involved in a plethora of biological functions, and have been linked to several human diseases as a result of their dysfunctions. Here, we present a picture wherein an energetic continuum describes protein structural and conformational propensities, ranging from the hyperstable folded proteins on one end to the hyperdestabilized and sometimes functionally disordered proteins on the other. We distinguish between proteins that are folding-competent but disordered because of marginal stability and those that are disordered due mainly to the absence of folding code-completing structure-determining interactions, and postulate that disordered proteins that are unstructured by way of partial population of protein denatured states represent a sizable proportion of the proteome.
Actions and Opportunities

This paper provides an overview of North American efforts to address social and sustainable development in undergraduate biology and teacher education. Progress has been uneven as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) rather than national policy are primarily responsible for infusing sustainability education into all levels of learning. Higher education addresses education for sustainable development (ESD) in several patterns: offering academic programs with sustainability emphases, using ESD as a co-curricular theme, greening of campus and curriculum, creating new courses on sustainability itself, and injecting ESD units or modules into individual courses. U.S. teacher education programs lag in the introduction of ESD topics due to decentralized control over education, existence of few official standards for ESD, and optional national accreditation of teacher education programs (they are state accredited). Changes in pedagogy are needed to facilitate integration of ESD.
Challenges During Cranial Decompression

Decompressive craniectomy can be used as a treatment modality for refractory intracranial hypertension secondary to traumatic and non-traumatic brain injury (non-TBI), as well as for treatment for congenital malformations of the posterior fossa termed: Chiari malformations. The Monro–Kellie hypothesis states that brain, blood, and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) are bound by the skull in a nearly incompressible compartment. There is some degree of capacitance due to the compression of CSF, blood vessels, and an open fontanelle, but, once this capacitance is exhausted and maximal volume reached, intracranial pressure (ICP) increases dramatically. After brain injury, cerebral autoregulation can become “uncoupled” to the metabolic demands of the brain, and alterations in cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) may result in fluctuations of CBF, which can lead to either cerebral oligemia or cerebral hyperemia. Although further studies need to be done to determine “age-appropriate” CPP, common target CPPs are greater than 40–50 mmHg in infants and toddlers, 50–60 mmHg in children, and greater than 60 mmHg in adolescents.
Oligosaccharide chains of glycoproteins.

Glycoproteins are widely distributed in nature, not only in animal cells but also in plants, microorganisms and viruses. Structurally, glycoproteins can be distinguished from other proteins by the presence of sugars covalently linked to the polypeptide backbone. Thus, glycoproteins can be defined as macromolecules having a normal polypeptide backbone that is biosynthesized by the usual protein-synthesizing machinery, and to which carbohydrate moieties have been covalently attached by cotranslational or posttranslational events [1]. Glycoproteins occur in cells in both soluble and membrane-bound forms, and are also found in the intracellular matrix and the extracellular fluid. The intense interest in these molecules is due to the fact that they are involved in diverse biological functions including immunological protection, enzymatic catalysis, hormonal control and storage, blood clotting, ion transport, cell adhesion, molecular recognition, lubrication, structural support and many other functions [2]. A few well-known glycoproteins include immunoglobulins, gonadotropins, ribonucleases, thyroid stimulating hormone, thyroglobulin, antifreeze glycoprotein, mucous glycoproteins, fibronectin and collagen [3].
Thrombin Structural Regions in Determining Bioregulatory Functions

Thrombin (EC 3.4.21.5) is the activation product of its blood-circulating or cellular-sequestered zymogen, prothrombin. Unlike the majority of enzymes and activated proteins of the blood-coagulation, fibrinolytic, and complement systems, thrombin has multiple bioregulatory functions, which are central in hemostasis, wound healing, and perhaps developmental, as well as certain disease processes.1–6
Robust Vehicular Localization and Map Matching in Urban Environments Through IMU, GNSS, and Cellular Signals

A framework for ground vehicle localization that uses cellular signals of opportunity (SOPs), a digital map, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver is developed. This framework aims to enable localization in an urban environment where GNSS signals could be unusable or unreliable. The proposed framework employs an extended Kalman filter (EKF) to fuse pseudorange observables extracted from cellular SOPs, IMU measurements, and GNSS-derived position estimates (when available). The EKF is coupled with a map-matching approach. The framework assumes the positions of the cellular towers to be known, and it estimates the vehicle's states (position, velocity, orientation, and IMU biases) along with the difference between the vehicle-mounted receiver clock error states (bias and drift) and each cellular SOP clock error state. The proposed framework is evaluated experimentally on a ground vehicle navigating in a deep urban area with a limited sky view. Results show a position root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 2.8 m across a 1,380-m trajectory when GNSS signals are available and an RMSE of 3.12 m across the same trajectory when GNSS signals are unavailable for 330 m. Moreover, compared to localization with a loosely coupled GNSS?IMU integrated system, a 22% reduction in the localization error is obtained whenever GNSS signals are available, and an 81% reduction in the localization error is obtained whenever GNSS signals are unavailable.