cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thrombelastographic study of 76 patients on long-term anticoagulant therapy with coumarin-type drugs.

Abstract Coumarin-type anticoagulant agents have been in use for about 20 years, and their effect is primarily intended to be prophylactic in forestalling extension of existing clots and in preventing new thrombosis. The clinical “end point” in judging the effectiveness of such therapy must lie in the observation of whether there is recurrent thromboembolic disease. If one can accept the fact that the over-all clotting tendency as measured with the thrombelastograph bears a direct relationship to in vivo coagulability, then the system of controlled artefacts known as the “prothrombin time” should be used as a control measure only if it varies with some sort of direct relationship to the thrombelastographic pattern in the individual patient. In this case, the “therapeutic range” could be accurately determined for maintenance of that given patient by the “prothrombin time” alone. A natural extension of this study will be a long-term follow-up of that group of patients who are judged to be “not protected” for comparison with those considered to be in the “ideal range,” in order to record the incidence of recurrent thromboembolic disease. This would be the application of the only clinical “end point” to the “test tube” phenomena. In all other published studies wishing to disclaim the value of anticoagulant therapy, patients are listed either as being “anticoagulated” or “not treated.” These studies using thrombelastography would indicate that at least 46 per cent of the patients in the “anticoagulated” group would more properly be placed in the “untreated” group. In other words, it would seem that any statistical evaluation of what happens to patients on or off anticoagulant therapy would necessarily require a much more critical definition of what induced coagulation defects are expected to be measured in vitro.
The Invention of Brownstone Brooklyn: Gentrification and the Search for Authenticity in Postwar New York by Suleiman Osman

Suleiman Osman, The Invention of Brownstone Brooklyn: Gentrification and the Search for Authenticity in Postwar New York (New York: Oxford University Press, 2011).The Invention of Brownstone Brookl...
From the Red Core to the Black Sky: Corporate Crime in the Transnational Matrix

Popular culture has presented a series of what Harlan Ellison might call "dangerous visions" wherein man's creations become his master. This trope is as old as speculative fiction, but The Matrix adds a new twist in that machines are able to project an alternate reality that hides the role reversal between the creators and the created. The marketocracy, government by transnational corporations, has projected just such an alternate reality, rendering the power of nation-states and the people they represent illusory. The problems become whether individuals and nation-states need to take the red pill and what that would mean for criminal justice policy.
A distributed computation scheme for real-time control and estimation of PDEs

Real-time estimation/control of Partial Differential Equation (PDE) systems, especially for large-scale applications, generally involves high computational burdens. In this paper, we propose a distributed computation scheme, which can leverage available and otherwise idle computing resources to cooperatively solve the high-dimensional controller/estimator implementations for fine-grained management of such PDE systems. Such a real-time distributed computation scheme requires communication among the computing resources which is subject to uncertainties due to imperfections of the communication network. Given this scenario, the proposed approach: 1) includes a modeling framework in the controller/estimator implementation that explicitly addresses network uncertainties, 2) uses a diagonalization-based scheme where the approximated ODE form is transformed into the diagonal form before implementation in order to minimize the communication requirement, and 3) includes a filtering solution to suppress the effect of communication uncertainties. The proposed scheme is illustrated via a real-time state estimation of individual battery cells in vehicle battery packs using a network of vehicular computing units. Simulation results are included to illustrate the effectiveness of the scheme.
Evaluating survey instruments and methods in a steep channel

Abstract Methods for surveying and analyzing channel bed topography commonly lack a rigorous characterization of their appropriateness for project objectives. We compare four survey methods: a hand level, two different methods of surveying with a laser rangefinder, and a real-time kinematic GNSS (RTK-GNSS) to explore their accuracy in determining channel bed slope and roughness for a study reach in a small, dry, steep channel. Additionally, we evaluate the variability among four operators for each survey technique. Two methods of calculating reach slope were computed: a regression on the channel profile and a calculation using only survey endpoints. Using data from the RTK-GNSS as our accuracy reference, the hand level and two-person laser rangefinder surveying systems performed with high accuracy (
The constant mediation of resentment and retaliation

This article calls for moral choices and political action to escape the trap of the duality of aggression and resistance, of domination and liberation. Conflict is a permanent feature of human relationships, but violence is not only unproductive in resolving conflict, but can be rendered unnecessary by developing normative resources and institutional mechanisms for mediating conflict. Taking self-determination as a core human value and political reality in today’s globalized world, this article argues that we should reconceive realpolitik to escape the trap by acknowledging the moral choices of others, and striving to be persuasive about our moral choices and political actions. Persuasion, and not violence, provides sustainable mediation of conflict. The article concludes with a brief discussion of the possibilities of mediation of the trap of resentment and retaliation in Dar Fur, Sudan, through multilayered strategies from immediate and short- to long-term action by local, regional and global actors.
Protoplast Isolation and Fusion

The focus of these exercises will be to examine the various procedures of protoplast isolation. Protoplasts can be used for plant transformation, assay of gene expression, study of basic cell biology and response to stress, and a variety of other tasks. Two basic methods of protoplast isolation will be examined and applied to a variety of plant species including tobacco, rice, wheat, oak, arabidopsis, cotton, and African violet. In addition, techniques for vital staining and protoplast fusion will be examined. To facilitate quantitative studies, a method to determine the yield of a protoplast isolation will be discussed. Because the procedure of protoplast isolation is so sensitive to the particular plant and tissue type used as stock for isolation, a brief guide is provided to the development of a customized protocol.
Quellen zu Goethes Lila und Triumph der Empfindsamkeit

(1944). Quellen zu Goethes Lila und Triumph der Empfindsamkeit. The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory: Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 36-47.
Use of Oral Anticoagulant Therapy in Older Adults with Atrial Fibrillation After Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Objectives To explore barriers to anticoagulation in older adults with atrial fibrillation (AF) at high risk of stroke and to identify opportunities for interventions that might increase use of oral anticoagulants (OACs). Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Two large community-based AF cohorts. Participants Individuals with ischemic stroke surviving hospitalization (N = 1,405, mean age 79). Measurements Using structured chart review, reasons for nonuse of OAC were identified, and 1-year poststroke survival was assessed. Logistic regression was used to identify correlates of OAC nonuse. Results Median CHA2DS2-VASc score was 5, yet 44% of participants were not prescribed an OAC at discharge. The most-frequent (nonmutually exclusive) physician reasons for not prescribing OAC included fall risk (26.7%), poor prognosis (19.3%), bleeding history (17.1%), participant or family refusal (14.9%), older age (11.0%), and dementia (9.4%). Older age (odds ratio (OR) = 8.96, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 5.01–16.04 for aged ≥85 vs <65) and disability (OR = 12.58, 95% CI = 5.82–27.21 for severe vs no deficit) were the most-important independent predictors of nonuse of OACs. By 1 year, 42.5% of those not receiving an OAC at discharge had died, versus 19.1% of those receiving an OAC (P < .001), far higher than recurrent stroke rates. Conclusion Despite very high stroke risk, more than 40% of participants were not discharged with an OAC. Dominant reasons included fall risk, poor prognosis, older age, and dementia. These individuals’ high 1-year mortality rate confirmed their high level of comorbidity. To improve anticoagulation decisions and outcomes in this population, future research should focus on strategies to mitigate fall risk, improve assessment of risks and benefits of anticoagulation in individuals with AF, and determine whether newer anticoagulants are safer in complex elderly and frail individuals.
Anti-Origenist Redaction in the Fragments of the Gospel of Truth (NHC XII,2): Theological Controversy and the Transmission of Early Christian Literature

Ancient polemicists claim that apocryphal texts contributed to the enduring popularity of the Origenist “heresy” in fourth- and fifth-century Egypt. The anchorite Sopatrus associates “apocryphal literature” with “discussions about the image,” shorthand for Origenist debates over the loss of the image of God in humanity, and urges his hearers to avoid both apocryphal books and the theological controversy they incite. In his festal letter of 401 CE, the archbishop Theophilus of Alexandria rails against Origenist teaching and urges Christians throughout Egypt to reject “Origen's evils” and disregard “Scriptures called ‘apocrypha.’” Shenoute's association of Origenist themes with “apocryphal books” in I Am Amazed demonstrates that non-canonical writings continued to occupy a central position in Origenist theological debates well into the fifth century.
The distribution of echinostome parasites in ponds and implications for larval anuran survival.

Parasites can influence host population dynamics, community composition and evolution. Prediction of these effects, however, requires an understanding of the influence of ecological context on parasite distributions and the consequences of infection for host fitness. We address these issues with an amphibian – trematode (Digenea: Echinostomatidae) host–parasite system. We initially performed a field survey of trematode infection in first (snail) and second (larval green frog, Rana clamitans) intermediate hosts over 5 years across a landscape of 23 ponds in southeastern Michigan. We then combined this study with a tadpole enclosure experiment in eight ponds. We found echinostomes in all ponds during the survey, although infection levels in both snails and amphibians differed across ponds and years. Echinostome prevalence (proportion of hosts infected) in snails also changed seasonally depending on host species, and abundance (parasites per host) in tadpoles depended on host size and prevalence in snails. The enclosure experiment demonstrated that infection varied at sites within ponds, and tadpole survival was lower in enclosures with higher echinostome abundance. The observed effects enhance our ability to predict when and where host–parasite interactions will occur and the potential fitness consequences of infection, with implications for population and community dynamics, evolution and conservation.
Superadditivity of the Classical Capacity with Limited Entanglement Assistance

Finding the optimal encoding strategies can be challenging for communication using quantum channels, as classical and quantum capacities may be superadditive. Entanglement assistance can often simplify this task, as the entanglement-assisted classical capacity for any channel is additive, making entanglement across channel uses unnecessary. If the entanglement assistance is limited, the picture is much more unclear. Suppose the classical capacity is superadditive, then the classical capacity with limited entanglement assistance could retain superadditivity by continuity arguments. If the classical capacity is additive, it is unknown if superadditivity can still be developed with limited entanglement assistance. We show this is possible, by providing an example. We construct a channel for which the classical capacity is additive, but that with limited entanglement assistance can be superadditive. This shows entanglement plays a weird role in communication, and we still understand very little about it.
Niacin and heart disease prevention: Engraving its tombstone is a mistake

Abstract Niacin (nicotinic acid) has been used for primary and secondary coronary heart disease prevention for over 40 years. Until recently clinical trials incorporating niacin as part of an intervention strategy consistently demonstrated reduction in clinical events and lesion improvement, including ≥6% absolute mortality reduction. Two large clinical event trials in 2011 (Atherothrombosis Intervention in Metabolic Syndrome With Low HDL/High Triglycerides and Impact on Global Health Outcomes) and 2014 (Heart Protection Study 2–Treatment of HDL to Reduce the Incidence of Vascular Events) concluded that niacin added to statin therapy did not provide clinical event benefit over statin alone. This has prompted some individuals to call for an end to the use of niacin in statin-treated patients and the US Food and Drug Administration to halt marketing of statin/niacin combination tablets. There are significant differences between the earlier clinical trials that revealed cardiovascular benefit of niacin and the 2 trials that failed to demonstrate a benefit. These differences include dyslipidemia types, niacin formulation, dosing, and timing. In general, the patient population that benefits the most from incorporating niacin in their treatment regimen can be defined by elevations in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides, and reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The niacin formulation and dose should be capable of achieving adequate lipoprotein change. Mealtime dosing of niacin, as opposed to bedtime dosing, may avoid a counter-regulatory hormone response, including catecholamines, because of altered fuel supply potentially leading to unexpected cardiovascular outcomes.
Caught in the Web: Research and Criticism of Internet Abuse with Application to College Students

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews research on Internet abuse, as well as other relevant research, to summarize and highlight trends and differences across studies. It first documents the incidents and demographic differences found in online and offline studies of Internet abuse, and explores characteristics of the Internet and of those who abuse it. Alternative explanations for Internet abuse are also discussed. The chapter explores the impact of Internet abuse on the lives of college students. Internet abuse studies have been conducted in both offline and online settings. Offline studies have consisted of surveys of college students in the United States, Europe, and Taiwan. In two studies, participants self identified themselves as “Internet addicts” or “psychologically dependent” on the Internet. In the rest of the studies, Internet abuse is defined by the impact of Internet use on users' lives
‘Sister’ and ‘brother’ schools, women and men: gender, power and inequality in a women’s college space

While current debates assess the continued relevancy of women’s colleges in the US, no research has explored how an ongoing relationship with a ‘brother school’—a previously (or sometimes currently...
Resisting Jim Crow Colonialism: Black Christianity and the International Roots of the Civil Rights Movement

This chapter identifies a network of black Christian activists and intellectuals who looked abroad, even to other religious traditions, for ideas and practices that could transform American democracy. Their connections with independence and anticolonial leaders throughout Asia and Africa demonstrate how the U.S. civil rights movement was part of a global wave of anticolonial movements. The essay examines three episodes of this larger history: Howard Thurman’s visit to South Asia in 1935–1936; Pauli Murray’s use of satyagraha to protest her arrest on a bus in 1940; and Bayard Rustin’s engagement with nonviolence and anticolonialism in West Africa in the early 1950s. Their intellectual and activist labors challenged American democracy and American Christianity to embody the racial egalitarianism they believed each promised.
Data-Driven Non-Line-of-Sight Imaging With A Traditional Camera

Non-line-of-right (NLOS) imaging has recently been demonstrated using traditional cameras. Here we present a data-driven technique for NLOS imaging. We experimentally analyze the role of scene geometry and clutter on reconstruction quality.
Endothelial Transcriptional Networks in the Control of Angiogenesis: the ETS Factor

Endothelial gene expression is controlled by a few families of transcription factors (TF) which form regulatory networks. Amongst the most important are the ETS factors, a large family of which at least 19 members are expressed in human endothelial cells at some point throughout development. Through interaction with other TF families and co-regulators, ETS factors control most aspects of endothelial biology, from early differentiation in the embryo to homeostasis, angiogenesis and inflammation in the adult. Several ETS family members have been shown to be essential for vascular development and angiogenesis and to regulate processes from cell migration to survival and growth. Amongst the list of ETS targets genes involved in angiogenic pathways are growth factor receptors for vascular endothelial growth factor and angiopoietins. ETS factors also control cell adhesion, matrix remodelling and cytoskeletal dynamics, processes essential for tissue homeostasis, which therefore influence the viability and stability of new vascular networks. Most ETS proteins have been shown to activate transcription; however, a few can also act as transcriptional repressors. Several ETS factors can control the same target genes, raising the question of possible redundancy in the system. Data from a variety of in vivo models are shedding new light on the different roles of ETS factors in vascular development, adult angiogenesis and endothelial homeostasis. In this review some general properties of ETS factors in the endothelium are discussed and then two of the best characterised ETS proteins in endothelial cells, Ets-1 and Erg, which exemplify the complex picture of distinct and overlapping targets and functions, are presented.
Visualizing and Evaluating Interdependent Regional Traffic Congestion and System Resiliency, a Case Study Using Big Data from Probe Vehicles

Big data from probe vehicles is increasingly becoming an important contributor for determining the regional performance of a transportation roadway network. Recent research has applied aggregated speed data from probe vehicles to quantify travel time variations as a result of recurring congestion, incidents, weather events and other non-recurring congestion. Through the establishment of a base travel time for all roadway segments in a region, any increase in travel time characteristics in the regional networks can be quantified temporally and spatially. This characterization is especially important when determining a region’s congestion resiliency, which is being defined as the ability of a roadway network accommodate failures and return to a baseline congestion after a major capacity reduction to the roadway network. This paper demonstrates how aggregated big data on vehicle speeds obtained from regionally deployed probe vehicles could be used to characterize and visualize the interdependent congestion impacts between regions and across roadway types (interstate, arterial, and local). To demonstrate the models and methodologies, an in-depth analysis of the I-276 Bridge closure incident in Burlington County, NJ near Philadelphia, PA was conducted. The bridge was clzosed after a routine inspected identified a crack in one of the structural members. In total, 90 days of data, which included 90-million speed records, were commercially collected for 1765 roadway segments, was analyzed. A novel performance metric was developed to allow an impact analysis by comparing Burlington County to two adjacent counties, Mercer and Camden. The results showed that the bridge closure did have a definitive, quantifiable impact on the primary road network of the adjacent counties. Subsequent analysis identified specific roadways that were most impacted by the closure. Although this research explores historic speed data, the methodologies presented can be applied to real-time speed data to assist in developing efficient traffic operation plans during major incidents, lane closures and weather events.
Cumulative impacts of residential rainwater harvesting on stormwater discharge through a peri-urban drainage network

Green infrastructure and techniques such as rainwater harvesting have been proposed as a means to reduce stormwater discharge in developed areas prone to floods. We examined the effects of rainwater harvesting on discharge cumulatively through the Perdido River drainage network in the US state of Florida, an area prone to routine rainfall-driven nuisance flooding. We considered scenarios where rainwater is stored in parcels with structures that use septic tanks (where tanks are retired and used as cisterns, volume approximately 5.7 cubic meters); and where a similar volume of water is stored at all developed parcels. To evaluate flow reduction through the drainage network, we modeled effects relative to a flow event with a 1.5-year recurrence interval using a spatial GIS-based cumulative-effects model. Our model predicted that retired septic tanks would reduce discharge by more than 10 percent in only a few areas in the study region, almost exclusively in headwater regions and where density of houses using septic tanks is high. Analysis of all developed parcels storing rainwater indicated that discharge in several areas would be reduced by more than 20 percent. Results indicate a spatially variable potential for rainwater harvesting to reduce routine storm discharge. Spatially continuous hydrologic tools such as the one we use here may be especially useful for managers seeking to prioritize limited resources at locations for maximum benefit.
A CUT IN RELATIONALITY: art at the end of the world

One of the ways in which one might chart the force of various forms of posthuman thought is to mark a reversal in the ways we think about relationality. Rather than distinct Cartesian subjects or a...
Towards an Understanding of Participants’ Sustained Participation in Crowdsourcing Contests

This study explores the factors that influence individuals’ sustained participation in crowdsourcing contests. By conducting an empirical study using data from an online crowdsourcing contest platf...
Metal matrix production: Casting of recycled aluminum cans and incorporation of rice husk ash and magnesium:

This research experimented with different aluminum can casting compositions from recycled materials. The objective was to analyze the casting yield and the resulting chemical compositions of the pr...
How repeated exposure to informal science education affects content knowledge of and perspectives on science among incarcerated adults.

Over two million men, women, and youth are incarcerated in the United States. This large and ethnically diverse population has, in general, more limited exposure to education, particularly in scientific fields, than the general public. Formal educational programs for the incarcerated can be expensive and logistically difficult to initiate and maintain, but informal science education (ISE) approaches have the potential to significantly improve inmates’ view of science and of themselves as science learners. However, “dosage effects”—how repeated exposure to educational experiences may affect listeners–are poorly documented. In this study, we evaluated the longitudinal effects of an ISE program in Utah, which provided a monthly lecture series delivered by academic scientists on a range of science topics. Science content knowledge, self-perception as a science learner, interest in science, and a desire to seek out more scientific information all significantly improved for inmates attending lectures. We also found that seeing a greater number of lectures is positively associated with a desire to seek out additional information. We documented an inverse relationship between education background and the increase in a desire to learn more, suggesting that those with more limited exposure to science manifest the greatest increase in seeking out more information. These results suggest that ISE for the incarcerated significantly improves their knowledge of, and relationship with, science; that some of these effects carry over across months or years; and that ISE programs can have the largest impact by focusing on those with more limited prior exposure to science.
Fearing Brexit: The Changing Face of Europeanization in the Borderlands of Northern Ireland

In the United Kingdom’s “Brexit” referendum in 2016 the majority of votes cast in Northern Ireland were in favor of the UK staying a member state of the European Union. This support was strong, and remains so, in the Northern Ireland borderlands, where ethnographic research shows particularly widespread identification with Europe among Irish nationalists. This article explores ways that Northern Ireland borderlanders see their relatively strong association with the Europe of the EU within the context of the Brexit process that has engulfed all of the people of the British and Irish isles since 2016. Borderlanders fear that Brexit may bring back a “hard border,” which would subvert over twenty years of peace, reconciliation and cross-border economic and political development.
Integrating Affordable Housing with Transit: Where are the Transit Deserts?

This study analyzed transit deserts in Seattle using spatial principal component analysis. We ranked factors related to transit deserts and incorporated the spatial and temporal features of transit services. We found that transit access was the main factor that contributed to transit deserts. We identified clustered and scattered transit deserts. The clustered ones were in dense areas outside of transit corridors, and the scattered ones were located across low-density areas. These findings imply that transit planning and affordable housing should be integrated, and that micro-transit can fulfill the mobility needs of people living in transit deserts.
Vitamin D as a modifier of genomic function and phenotypic expression during pregnancy

Abstract At no other time during the lifespan is vitamin D status more important than during pregnancy, affecting not only the mother but her growing fetus, and later, her growing infant. While there has been considerable controversy surrounding the daily requirement of vitamin D and what constitutes sufficiency during these critical periods, there is mounting evidence of the importance of vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy to achieve a total circulating 25(OH)D concentration of a least 40 ng/mL, the point at which the conversion of 25(OH)D, the prehormone, to 1,25(OH)2D, the active hormone, is optimized and associated with a lower risk of comorbidities of pregnancy and better outcomes. Past data suggesting that vitamin D is a teratogenic compound are completely unfounded at the physiologic doses reviewed in this chapter. As has been shown, significant amounts of vitamin D—whether their source is sunlight or supplement—are required during pregnancy to protect the mother and fetus and impart genomic imprinting on the fetus to ensure long-term health. With enhanced knowledge about vitamin D's role as a preprohormone, it is clear that recommendations about supplementation must mirror what is clinically relevant and evidence-based. Future research that focuses on the critical period(s) leading up to conception and during pregnancy to correct deficiency or maintain optimal vitamin D status remains to be studied. In addition, what effects vitamin D has on genetic signatures that minimize the risk of adverse outcomes, such as preterm birth, asthma, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes, to the mother and her developing fetus are being elucidated. Clearly, while there is much more research that needs to be performed, our understanding of vitamin D requirements during pregnancy has advanced significantly during the last few decades.
Genetic Liability to Cannabis Use Disorder and COVID-19 Hospitalization

Behavioral and life style factors plausibly play a role in likelihood of being hospitalized for COVID-19. Genetic vulnerability to hospitalization after SARS-CoV2 infection may partially relate to comorbid behavioral risk factors, especially the use of combustible psychoactive substances. Paralleling the COVID-19 crisis has been increasingly permissive laws for recreational cannabis use. Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) is a psychiatric disorder that is heritable and genetically correlated with respiratory disease, independent of tobacco smoking. By leveraging genome-wide association summary statistics of CUD and COVID-19, we find that at least 1/3 rd of the genetic vulnerability to COVID-19 overlaps with genomic liability to CUD (rg=.34, p=0.0003). Genetic causality as a potential mechanism of risk could not be excluded. The association between CUD and COVID-19 remained when accounting for genetics of trying marijuana, tobacco smoking (ever smoking regularly, cigarettes per day, smoking cessation, age of smoking initiation), BMI, fasting glucose, forced expiration volume, education attainment, and Townsend deprivation index. Heavy problematic cannabis use may increase chances of hospitalization due to COVID-19 respiratory complications. Curbing excessive cannabis use may be an essential strategy in COVID-19 mitigation.
Characterization of Transient-Large-Amplitude Geomagnetic Perturbation Events

We present a characterization of transient-large-amplitude (TLA) geomagnetic disturbances that occurred at six stations of the Magnetometer Array for Cusp and Cleft Studies throughout 2015. TLA eve...
A multiscale model for multiple platelet aggregation in shear flow

We developed a multiscale model for simulating aggregation of multiple, free-flowing platelets in low-intermediate shear viscous flow, in which aggregation is mediated by the interaction of αIIbβ3 receptors on the platelet membrane and fibrinogen (Fg). This multiscale model uses coarse grained molecular dynamics (CGMD) for platelets at the microscales and dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) for the shear flow at the macroscales, employing our hybrid aggregation force field for modeling molecular level receptor ligand bonds. We define an aggregation tensor and use it to quantify the molecular level contact characteristics between platelets in an aggregate. We perform numerical studies under different flow conditions for platelet doublets and triplets and evaluate the contact area, detaching force and minimum distance between different pairs of platelets in an aggregate. We also present the dynamics of applied stress and velocity magnitude distributions on the platelet membrane during aggregation and quantify the increase in stress in the contact region under different flow conditions. Integrating the knowledge from our previously validated models, together with new aggregation scenarios, our model can dynamically quantify aggregation characteristics and map stress and velocity distribution on the platelet membrane which are difficult to measure in vitro, thus providing an insight into mechanotransduction bond formation response of platelets to flow-induced shear stresses. This modeling framework, together with the tensor method for quantifying inter-platelet contact, can be extended to simulate and analyze larger aggregates and their adhesive properties.
DNA-based ribonuclease detection assays

Ribonucleases are useful as biomarkers and can be the source of contamination in laboratory samples, making ribonuclease detection assays important in life sciences research. With recent developments in DNA-based biosensing, several new techniques are being developed to detect ribonucleases. This review discusses some of these methods, specifically those that utilize G-quadruplex DNA structures, DNA-nanoparticle conjugates and DNA nanostructures, and the advantages and challenges associated with them.
Diversification of small RNA pathways underlies germline RNAi incompetence in wild C. elegans strains

The discovery that experimental delivery of dsRNA can induce gene silencing at target genes revolutionized genetics research, by both uncovering essential biological processes and creating new tools for developmental geneticists. However, wild-type C. elegans strains vary dramatically in their response to exogenous RNAi, challenging our characterization of RNAi in the lab relative to its activity and significance in nature. Here, we investigate why some strains fail to mount a robust RNAi response to germline targets. We observe diversity in mechanism: in some strains, the response is stochastic, either on or off among individuals, while in others the response is consistent but delayed. Increased activity of the Argonaute PPW-1, which is required for germline RNAi in the laboratory strain N2, rescues the response in some strains, but dampens it further in others. Across strains, we observe variability in expression of known RNAi genes and strain-specific instances of pseudogenization and allelic divergence. Our results support the conclusions that Argonautes share overlapping functions, that germline RNAi incompetence is strain-specific but likely caused by genetic variants at common genes, and that RNAi pathways are evolving rapidly and dynamically. This work expands our understanding of RNAi by identifying conserved and variable pathway components, and it offers new access into characterizing gene function, identifying pathway interactions, and elucidating the biological significance of RNAi.
Photophysics and solar cell application of a benzodithiophene conjugated polymer containing cyclometalated platinum units

Abstract Cyclometalated platinum(II) chromophores were combined with benzodithiophene (BDT) units to form a conjugated molecule and polymer in order to ascertain their photophysical and electrochemical properties, as well as their potential for use in bulk heterojunction organic solar cells. Weak fluorescence and room temperature phosphorescence were observed for both the small molecule model complex and polymer, leading to the assumption that the presence of platinum metal centers serves to enhance intersystem crossing (ISC). Nanosecond and picosecond transient absorption spectroscopy were employed to study the excited state dynamics which revealed ISC rates of the polymers (3 × 1012 s−1) is faster than that of the model (2.5 × 1011 s−1). These fast ISC rates ensure a high population of triplet excited states, which was confirmed by singlet oxygen sensitization measurements. A laser power dependence of the triplet yield was observed to be more pronounced for the polymer, likely due to triplet-triplet annihilation within single polymer chains. Unfortunately, energy level estimations from electrochemistry and emission spectra placed the triplet state at or below the energy of the charge transfer state to PCB71M acceptor. Organic solar cells were constructed using the model or polymer as donor in conjunction with PC71BM as acceptor. The polymer donor provided the higher photocurrent efficiency at just over 1% in a non-optimized device.
Detection sensitivity comparison of centrifugally tensioned metastable fluid detector vs Ludlum-42-49B™ for shielded & unshielded neutron source configurations

Abstract This paper presents results of neutron detection sensitivity between a ∼ 2.5 kg, non-borated Centrifugally Tensioned Metastable Fluid Detector (CTMFD) as compared to a commercial state of the art moderated, 4.5 kg He-3 based Ludlum (42-49B™) neutron detector of similar form factor. The study used: a collimated 1 Ci plutonium-beryllium (α, n) neutron source emitting 2.2 × 106 n/s. Water, concrete and lead shielding materials of thicknesses ranging from none to up to 0.3 m were used. The CTMFD as deployed was configured for detection of fast energy neutrons. Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport (MCNP) code-based simulations were conducted to account for 3-D effects and for computing cpm/mrem/h sensitivity estimates. At 0.6 MPa (6 bar) negative pressure (Pneg) state, and without benefiting from detecting epithermal neutrons, the CTMFD was found to offer up to ∼5 + times higher cpm/mrem/h sensitivity vs the Ludlum-42-49B. At Pneg ∼ 1.1 MPa (11 bar) the gain exponentially rises to ∼100× higher for the CTMFD vs Ludlum-42-49B.
An Interview with Dr. William Grabe

Editorial Board members Kristen di Gennaro and Rebekah Johnson recently had the pleasure of speaking extensively with Dr. William Grabe, the guest speaker at the 2006 APPLE Lecture sponsored by the Programs in TESOL and Applied Linguistics at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Improving Graphplan's search with EBL & DDB techniques

I highlight some inefficiencies of Graphplan's backward search algorithm, and describe how these can be eliminated by adding explanation-based learning and dependency-directed backtracking capabilities to Graphplan. I will then demonstrate the effectiveness of these augmentations by describing results of empirical studies that show dramatic improvements in run-time (w 100× speedups) as well as solvability-horizons on benchmark problems across seven different domains.
Human surfactant proteins A1 and A2 are differentially regulated during development and by soluble factors

An RT-PCR method for the relative quantitation of the mRNAs for human surfactant protein (SP) A1 and SP-A2 was developed, verified, and then utilized to determine the relative levels of these mRNAs...
Harden Security of High‐Risk and Critical Supply Chains

This article focuses on the security risk in the container supply chain. It provides an overview of the technical and policy initiatives that are being implemented by international organizations, governments, and the private sector to enhance security in the container supply chain. Keywords: container; supply chain; port security
Association between psoriasis and viral infections in the United States: focusing on hepatitis B, hepatitis C and human immunodeficiency virus.

Background No published data in the U.S. population regarding an association between viral infections and psoriasis are currently available. Assessment of infection and immunosuppression risk is critical in managing psoriasis patients. Objectives To examine the association between psoriasis and viral infections including hepatitis B, hepatitis C and human immunodeficiency viral infections in the general U.S. population. Methods Population data representative of the U.S. cohort were analysed from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2003–2006. Hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and human immunodeficiency antibodies status were ascertained from laboratory evaluations. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the associations between psoriasis and these viral infections. Results Among 6532 participants aged 20–59 years who provided responses to their psoriasis status, 162 patients reported having psoriasis. Based on multivariate regression analyses, psoriasis was not significantly associated with positive serology for hepatitis B core [odds ratio (OR), 0.83; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.32–2.17; P = 0.7060], hepatitis B surface [OR, 7.89; CI, 0.52–119; P = 0.1355], hepatitis C [OR, 0.24; CI, 0.03–2.01; P = 0.1915], or human immunodeficiency virus [OR, 0.73; CI, 0.09–5.93; P = 0.7646] antibodies, after adjusting for age, gender, race and smoking status. Conclusions From the limited sample of the NHANES database on psoriasis and viral infections, psoriasis does not appear to be associated with an increased risk of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or HIV infection in the U.S. population. Epidemiology of these viral infections in psoriasis needs to be continually studied and updated given their importance in management considerations.
Cobaltous Ion Effect on Diauxie

Cobaltous ions extended the duration of the diauxic lag in Escherichia coli K-12. Growth in glucose in the presence of Co++ was necessary for the effect. Medium in which cells had been grown in the presence of Co++ produced an extended lag when inoculated with fresh cells and lactose. Valine was found in this medium. Reversal of the extended lag was brought about by addition of l-isoleucine and related l-amino acids, but not by several metal ions. Cobaltous ion does not inhibit β-galactosidase or the galactoside permease. These results, together with the known growth sensitivity of K-12 to valine, indicate that Co++ disturbs the normal valine-isoleucine balance.
First-Order Learning for Web Mining

We present compelling evidence that the World Wide Web is a domain in which applications can benefit from using first-order learning methods, since the graph structure inherent in hypertext naturally lends itself to a relational representation. We demonstrate strong advantages for two applications — learning classifiers for Web pages, and learning rules to discover relations among pages. This research was supported in part by the Darpa HPKB program under contract F30602-97-1-0215.
Predicting Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter Distributions in Coastal Waters

Abstract : It is the long-term goal of this work to evaluate our understanding of CDOM sources and distributions in coastal waters by comparing high-resolution observations with four-dimensional, physical, chemical and biological models of the CDOM fields. 1.) Study freshwater CDOM endmember variability due to watershed and rainfall properties and seasonal cycling in detail in the Neponset sub-watersheds and by monitoring Hudson River (including several tributaries) and Neponset River endmembers. 2.) Use Geographical Information Systems (GIS) approaches to develop a predictive model of CDOM sources from terrestrial watersheds and groundtruth the predictive model in three watersheds of various sizes (Neponset River Watershed, Hudson River Watershed, Mississippi River Watershed). 3.) Compare our high resolution 4-dimensional measurements with the output of existing modeling efforts including Alan Blumberg's New York Harbor model. 4.) Incorporate biological and chemical processes into CDOM models including photochemical and biological modifications to CDOM distributions. 5.) Extend our predictive model to various estuaries to groundtruth the model and identify and quantify the key processes controlling CDOM distributions in coastal waters.
Holistic Pediatrics = Good Medicine

These are somber times for children in the world. Not only the recent shooting in Littleton, Colorado, and the war in Kosovo, but also the worldwide surges of human immunodeficiency virus and tuberculosis and all of the new pathogens emerging in infectious disease, are killing children and creating orphans and producing great challenges for us all. In these somber times, it is good to have friends and to have the support of healers, creative people, innovators, and people who are persistent in enlarging the vision of what is possible to make life better for children. It is good to be with members of the Ambulatory Pediatric Association (APA). Perhaps not surprisingly to those of you familiar with my professional interests, this address covers holistic medicine. This is not anything new to this audience. Holistic medicine is really just good medicine. It means caring for the whole child in the context of that child's values, their family's beliefs, their family system, and their culture in the larger community, and considering a range of therapies based on the evidence of their benefits and cost. This idea is not new; some people might say it started in the APA. Among APA leaders who have inspired me to pursue this area have been Dr Robert Haggerty who coined the term “the new morbidity,” Dr Morris Green who coined the term “contextual pediatrics,” and one of my many mentors, Abe Bergman, who taught me the importance of child advocacy in the political arena as part of holistic medicine. Many other leaders in the APA have also inspired me to consider conditions ranging from depression, addiction, injuries, and violence to literacy, looking at community services, health care financing and health services issues, environmental issues, and using new technologies. Medicine is really just part of the larger …
Features for the identification of mixed excitation in speech analysis

Features for use in a pattern classification scheme to identify simultaneous periodic and noiselike excitation of a segment of speech are examined. Pattern classification techniques have been applied with considerable success to the problem of classifying a speech segment as voiced or unvoiced. The features that have proven adequate for the voiced/unvoiced decision have not sufficed for the three-way voiced/unvoiced/mixed excitation classification. The incorporation of periodicity measures (e.g. from pitch determination algorithms) into such a pattern classification framework are examined. A variety of features which compare periodicity in different bands of the frequency spectrum are presented.
Effects of Gestational Age, Maternal Diabetes, and Intrauterine Growth Retardation on Markers of Fetal Bone Turnover in Amniotic Fluid

Little is known about the dynamics of bone formation and bone resorption in utero, particularly the normal changes that occur throughout gestation and in clinical situations that result in low bone mass at birth. The objectives of this study were to describe the effects of gestational age on markers of fetal bone turnover, and to investigate whether the reported low bone mass at birth in small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants and infants of diabetic mothers (IDMs) was associated with biochemical markers of decreased bone formation or increased bone resorption in utero. Bone formation and resorption were assessed by measurement of carboxyterminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PICP) and cross-linked carboxyterminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP), respectively, in 201 amniotic fluid samples. These markers are by-products of type I collagen formation and degradation, respectively, and have been used in the assessment of bone metabolism ex utero. Both PICP and ICTP concentrations in amniotic fluid were inversely associated with gestational age (P < 0.0001). Amniotic fluid concentrations of PICP increased exponentially in relation to infant birthweight (P = 0.008), and SGA infants had lower amniotic fluid PICP concentrations than controls (P = 0.07). The presence of diabetes in the mother was not associated with alterations in amniotic fluid PICP or ICTP concentrations. Although maturational effects on clearance of bone markers from amniotic fluid cannot be excluded, these data are consistent with a high turnover of bone matrix early in fetal life, and a reduction in bone formation when fetal growth is compromised.