cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using a Unit Assessment Tool to Optimize Patient Flow and Staffing in a Community Hospital

Article-at-a-Glance Background Hospital environments are too often characterized by delays for patients receiving diagnostic testing and prolonged waiting times to complete needed therapy. Frequently there is confusion in scheduling, related at least in part to the complex interplay of clinical acuity and highly individualized care. Luther Midelfort recently began to change the process of patient flow to improve access to care, optimize outcomes by enabling timely intervention, and decrease the wasting of resources. Unit assessment tool The hospital developed a unit assessment tool based on the traffic light concept, which consisted of an assessment of current capacity and a graded, color-coded "workload tolerance" for each hospital unit. Each unit can instantly update its own status and query those of other work environments in the hospital. Experience with the unit assessment tool For most of the January–July 2001 period, there was generally a progressive decrease in the percentage of time that the units were coded as red (unit closed to new admissions), with concurrent increases in the percentage of time that the units were coded as green (unit open). Use of the tool appears to have contributed to a dramatic increase in staff satisfaction. Summary and conclusions The key to regulating patient flow has been to adopt a nursing-initiated capping trust policy whereby nurses are given the authority to limit new admissions. Initiatives are now under way to provide different units with novel models of resource sharing, ranging from flexible housekeeping to "flying nurse squads" to assist units that have become red.
Five non-volatile memristor enigmas solved

Numerous publications on non-volatile memristors made from disparate materials (from inorganic to organic) share many qualitatively similar memory switching and unique v–i phenomena that have hitherto defied a unified physical explanation. This paper selects five, among many, such unexplained mysteries and presents rigorous mathematical proof of the nonlinear dynamical mechanisms responsible for these mysteries. Since no quantum mechanical or chemical concepts are invoked, our resolution of these enigmas does not depend on the material or structure of the memristors.
CHAPTER 31 – Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Regulation of Gonadotropin Biosynthesis and Secretion

This chapter focuses on gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) regulation of gonadotropin biosynthesis and secretion. GnRH is secreted from the hypothalamus in a pulsatile fashion, and pulsatile GnRH stimulates luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) biosynthesis and secretion. Agonist occupancy of plasma membrane GnRH receptors is required to stimulate LH release. GnRH regulates gonadotropin release by means of the rapid increase in [Ca 2+ ] i after its binding to the GnRH receptor (GnRHR). Through G protein–coupled signal transduction, GnRH binding rapidly activates phospholipase C (PLC), and PLC produces 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP 3 ) and 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG) from phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP 2 ), which in turn rapidly mobilizes transient intracellular Ca 2+ to trigger a burst initiation of exocytosis, causing rapid LH secretion within 10 seconds and lasting for 100 seconds. Besides stimulating the acute release of gonadotropins, GnRH regulates long-term maintenance of pituitary responsiveness to the hormone. The pulse pattern of GnRH administration to the pituitary is a critical determinant of gonadotropin release over periods of time.
A study in parallel computation : the traveling salesman problem

Abstract : The Traveling Salesman Problem is solved on the Cm*, a multiprocessor system, using two implementations based on a branch and bound algorithm. One of these implementations is synchronous and has a granularity that increases wit the degree of parallelism, while the other is asynchronous and has a constant granularity. With increasing degree of parallelism, the first implementation requires increasing amount of computation to solve the problem, leading to a speedup that saturates at a low value. The second implementation requires nearly the same amount computation at all degrees of parallelism and has reasonable speedup characteristic. The difference between the speedup of this implementation and linear speedup is attributed to processors idling because of resource contention.
Acercamiento a la historia de las mentalidades

Desandar los pasos de la historia de las mentalidades no es cosa novedosa. Autores como Carlos Antonio Aguirre Rojas (1999) y Philippe Aries (1988) lo han hecho de manera magistral. Sus textos, a traves del analisis y la critica, reconstruyen el mapa global de lo que es concebido como la historia de las mentalidades desde la epoca de sus padres fundadores hasta su estado actual; y, de manera general, constituyen aportaciones teoricas a la historiografia contemporanea. Estas paginas, nutridas de estas dos fuentes bibliograficas, son un esfuerzo por resenar las principales caracteristicas del itinerario global de la historia de las mentalidades y su objeto de estudio.
Readmission to a different hospital following acute stroke is associated with worse outcomes.

Objective There is a high risk of readmission within 30 days of index acute ischemic stroke (AIS), but effect of readmission to a different hospital is not known. We performed a retrospective cohort study to assess our hypothesis that 30-day readmission outcomes after AIS are worse for those readmitted to another hospital vs the discharging hospital. Methods We utilized the 2013 Nationwide Readmissions Database to identify patients with index stroke admissions with ICD-9-CM codes. We identified all-cause readmissions with Clinical Classification Software. Outcomes included length of stay (LOS), total charges of hospitalization, and in-hospital mortality during 30-day readmission. Using linear and logistic regression, outcomes were compared in those readmitted to another hospital vs the discharging hospital. Results There were 194,549 patients included, with an average age of 80.0 ± 14.0 years; 51.2% were female; 24,545 were readmitted within 30 days, and 7,274 (29.6%) to a different hospital. Readmission to a different hospital was associated with an increased LOS of 1.0 days (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.7–1.2, p Conclusions Readmission to another hospital within 30 days of AIS index admission was independently associated with longer LOS, increased total charges, and greater in-hospital mortality compared to readmission to the same hospital.
State-Level Variations in the Utilization of Lung Cancer Screening Among Medicare Fee-for-Service Beneficiaries: An Analysis of the 2015 to 2017 Physician and Other Supplier Data

Background Lung cancer screening (LCS) is an important secondary prevention measure to reduce lung cancer mortality. The goal of this study was to assess state-level variations in LCS among the US elderly during the first 3 years since Medicare began its LCS reimbursement policy in 2015. Methods This ecological study examined the relations between LCS utilization density, defined as the number of low-dose CT (LDCT) or shared decision-making and counseling (SDMC) services per 1,000 Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries derived from the Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data: Physician and Other Supplier public use file, and state-level factors from several publicly available data sources. The study included Kruskal-Wallis tests and a cluster analysis. Results In 2017, the median utilization density per 1,000 Medicare FFS beneficiaries was 3.32 for LDCT and 0.46 for SDMC, which was 24 and 13 times the 2015 level, respectively. From 2015 to 2017, the total number of unique providers billed for LCS increased from 222 to 3,444 for LDCT imaging and from 20 to 523 for SDMC. Higher utilizations for both LDCT and SDMC services tended to concentrate in the northeastern and upper Midwest states than in the southwest states. The cluster of states with high utilization density did not include those states with the most lung cancer mortality and/or smoking prevalence. Conclusions A steady increase was noted in LCS utilization since Medicare began its reimbursement policy. The utilization and its growth varied across the United States and differed between LDCT imaging and SDMC, indicating large growth potentials for LCS and for states with high lung cancer mortality and smoking prevalence.
Differences In Starting Pay For Male And Female Physicians Persist; Explanations For The Gender Gap Remain Elusive

A large literature has documented differences in salary between male and female physicians. While few observers doubt that women earn less, on average, than men do, the extent to which certain factors contribute to the salary difference remains a topic of considerable debate. Using ordinary least squares regression and Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition models for new physicians who accepted positions in patient care for the years 1999-2017, we examined how the gender gap in total starting pay evolved and the extent to which preferences in work-life balance factors affect the gap. We found that the physician earnings gap between men and women persisted over the study period. Interestingly, despite important gender differences in preferences for control over work-life balance, such factors had virtually no ability to explain the gender difference in salary. The implication is that there remain unmeasured factors that result in a large pay gap between men and women.
Screening of lactic acid bacteria producing folate and their potential use as adjunct cultures for cheese bio-enrichment.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) can be used to increase the folate in foods by in situ fortification. Seventy LAB were screened for their ability to produce folate during growth in de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe/M17 broth. Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus lactis were able to synthetize folates in the medium, even if to a different extent. The 47 folate-producing strains were further analyzed by microbiological assay, for total, extra and intracellular folate. Enterococcus faecium VC223 and E. lactis BT161 were able to produce in cultural medium 123,625.74 ± 8.00 ng/ml and 384.22 ± 5.00 ng/ml of folate, respectively. Five strains were further examined for their ability to synthesize folate in cheese. The folate content increased with ripening up to by 54% after 30 d when L. casei VC199 was used and up to 108% and 113% after 60 d, with L. paracasei SE160 and E. lactis BT161 respectively exceeding 100 ng/100g. Results encourage the use of specific LAB to obtain natural folate bio-enriched dairy products improving folate intake.
Advanced Techniques for Endoscopic Intracerebral Hemorrhage Evacuation: A Technical Report With Case Examples.

Background Multiple surgical techniques to perform minimally invasive intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) evacuation are currently under investigation. The use of an adjunctive aspiration device permits controlled suction through an endoscope, minimizing collateral damage from the access tract. As with increased experience with any new procedure, performance of endoscopic minimally invasive ICH evacuation requires development of a unique set of operative tenets and techniques. Objective To describe operative nuances of endoscopic minimally invasive ICH evacuation developed at a single center over an experience of 80 procedures. Methods Endoscopic minimally invasive ICH evacuation was performed on 79 consecutive eligible patients who presented a single Health System between March 2016 and May 2018. We summarize 4 core operative tenets and 4 main techniques used in 80 procedures. Results A total of 80 endoscopic minimally invasive ICH evacuations were performed utilizing the described surgical techniques. The average preoperative and postoperative volumes were 49.5 mL (standard deviation [SD] 31.1 mL, interquartile range [IQR] 30.2) and 5.4 mL (SD 9.6, mL IQR 5.1), respectively, with an average evacuation rate of 88.7%. All cause 30-d mortality was 8.9%. Conclusion As experience builds with endoscopic minimally invasive ICH evacuation, academic discussion of specific surgical techniques will be critical to maximizing its safety and efficacy.
Radiation effects on lithium CFX batteries for future spacecraft and landers

Abstract Future landers to the moons of the outer planets could be powered by higher specific energy primary batteries. Batteries based on lithium carbon monofluoride (Li/CFX) provide ~50% higher specific energy than heritage cells (Li/SO2 or Li/SOCl2) in relevant conditions. Radiation tolerance is a major concern due to the high radiation environment surrounding Jupiter and its moons. Gamma radiation exposure may also become the sterilization (a critical step for any lander to planetary bodies where life may survive) technique of choice because the alternative thermal technique (prolonged exposure to high temperature) results in significant capacity loss for Li/CFX cells. Several D-sized Li/CFX and Li/CFX-MnO2 cells have been exposed to gamma radiation from a60Co source. The energy and capacity of the cells decreased by less than 2% following radiation and trends regarding the open circuit voltage and impedance spectroscopy are reported. To better understand the effects of radiation, samples of individual materials have been exposed to radiation as well as three-electrode cylindrical Li/CFx cells. These component-level tests, along with the experimental cell tests, reveal that the electrolyte/electrode interaction in a full cell is the likely cause of increased impedance and decreased energy/capacity, following exposure to ionizing radiation.
Friendship versus Faith: How Latter-day Saint College Students Manage the Conflicts between Their Beliefs about Homosexuality and Their Friendships with Gay and Lesbian Persons

In this article, we investigate the experiences of Latter-day Saint college students as they navigate and negotiate the complexities associated with maintaining their beliefs about homosexuality wh...
Clinical pointers from developing self-awareness.

Seven typical developmental steps are described as cardinal changes leading children from implicit embodied self-awareness at birth, self-consciousness by 2 years, and the adoption of an ethical stance toward others by the preschool years (3-5y). This development may be a useful benchmark for clinicians. In this review, some clinical pointers are outlined in relation to each developmental step, but with a particular focus on the testing of self-awareness in children with developmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, and intellectual disability. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: There are seven major steps in early self and social awareness. Clinical pointers related to each of the seven steps are provided.
Extreme Phenotype Sampling Improves LASSO and Random Forest Marker Selection for Complex Traits

Most attempts to fit a supervised machine learning (ML) model in bioinformatics try to predict the full range of trait or response values. While such prediction tasks effectively capture the entire phenotypic range of the samples, they are cost prohibitive and can be statistically underpowered for detection of rare variants. In a study design known as extreme phenotype sampling (EPS), samples are selected from the two extremes of the phenotypic distribution. This approach is costcutting, by reducing genotyping/sequencing costs, as well as capable of increasing statistical power. Although combining EPS with ML algorithms has the potential to enhance association studies by improving their computational efficiency, EPS-ML approaches have seen limited use. In this paper we demonstrate an efficient and effective approach to leverage the EPS study design using LASSO regression and random forests, two commonly used ML algorithms within the broader bioinformatics community. We analyze two distinct data sets: leaf expression values generated from black cottonwood and malaria parasite transcriptome data collected from patients. We demonstrate that focusing only on the phenotypic extremes of these sample sets (by forming binary classes) can select more biologically meaningful features than using the full range. This approach will be useful to investigators when examining complex or novel traits. It is particularly well-suited to RNA-seq data where investigators often want to narrow attention to a small number of candidate transcripts out of a large initial pool. Our approach intentionally leverages existing software with efficient implementations to enable future applications of EPS-ML. 1
Talking the talk: Considering forced language-switching in the workplace

Abstract In the modern global workplace, bilingual employees who speak a language in addition to the primary workplace language sometimes must switch between languages to bridge workplace language boundaries. This forced switching between languages often occurs without the bilingual employee getting credit, recognition, or training to do so. There is growing interest in language issues in business scholarship, however, prior work generally focused on language management strategies or singular foreign language use. The experiences of workers who must engage in multi-language use, particularly those forced to switch between languages, and implications for employers remain largely unexplored. Cognitive and emotional outcomes associated with the activity of switching between languages, both forced and voluntary, have been researched in fields such as experimental psychology, cognitive science, and applied linguistics. In the current paper, we integrate and apply this existing research in the context of the multilingual workplace. We present a novel, comprehensive theoretical model incorporating current findings from multiple fields and framing it within the theoretical foundation of Social Cognitive Theory. Finally, we discuss the implications of interdisciplinary findings regarding forced language-switching for the fields of human resources management and organizational behavior and suggest directions for future research.
Circulating Tumor Cell Genomic Evolution and Hormone Therapy Outcomes in Men with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

Men with circulating tumor cell (CTC) AR-V7–positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) have worse outcomes when treated with enzalutamide/abiraterone. However, most men lack CTC AR-V7 detection, and additional predictive biomarkers are needed. We conducted a retrospective secondary analysis of the prospective PROPHECY trial (NCT02269982) of men with mCRPC undergoing treatment with enzalutamide/abiraterone, analyzing pooled CTC and germline DNA for whole-genome copy-number alterations (CNA) in 73 samples from 48 men over time along with pooled CTC and germline whole-exome sequencing on 22 paired samples before and following progression on androgen receptor (AR) inhibitor therapy to identify somatic genomic alterations associated with acquired resistance. We observed broad interpatient and longitudinal CTC genomic heterogeneity from AR-V7–negative men with mCRPC, including common gains of KDM6A, MYCN, and AR, and loss of ZFHX3, BRCA1, and PTEN. Men who had progression-free survival of ≤3 months despite enzalutamide/abiraterone treatment were more likely to have baseline CTC genomic loss of CHD1, PTEN, PHLPP1, and ZFHX3 and gains of BRCA2, KDM5D, MYCN, and SPARC. After progression on abiraterone/enzalutamide, we observed clonal evolution of CTCs harboring TP53 mutations and gain of ATM, KDM6A, and MYC, and loss of NCOR1, PTEN, RB1, and RUNX2. CTC genomic findings were independently confirmed in a separate cohort of mCRPC men who progressed despite prior treatment with abiraterone/enzalutamide (NCT02204943). Implications: We identified common and reproducible genomic alterations in CTCs from AR-V7–negative mCRPC men associated with poor outcomes during enzalutamide/abiraterone treatment, including CNAs in genes linked to lineage plasticity and epigenetic signaling, DNA repair, AR, TP53/RB1, PTEN, and WNT pathways.
Design and evaluation of mobile monitoring campaigns for air pollution exposure assessment in epidemiologic cohorts

Mobile monitoring makes it possible to estimate the long-term trends of less commonly measured pollutants through the collection of repeated short-term samples. While many different mobile monitoring approaches have been taken, few studies have looked at the importance of study design when the goal is application to epidemiologic cohort studies. Air pollution concentrations include random variability and systematic variability, and we hypothesize that mobile campaigns benefit from temporally balanced designs that randomly sample from all seasons of the year, days of the week, and hours of the day. We carried out a simulation study of fixed-site monitors to better understand the role of short-term mobile monitoring design on the prediction of long-term air pollution exposure surfaces. Specifically, we simulated three archetypal sampling designs using oxides of nitrogen (NOx) monitoring data from 69 California air quality system (AQS) sites: (1) a year-around, Balanced Design, (2) a Rush Hours Design, and (3) a Business Hours Design. We used Monte Carlo resampling to investigate the range of possible outcomes (i.e., the resulting annual average concentration prediction) from each design against the 9truth9, the actual monitoring data. We found that the Balanced Design consistently yielded the most accurate annual averages; Rush Hours and Business Hours Designs generally resulted in comparatively more biased estimates and model predictions. Importantly, the superior performance of the Balanced Design was evident when predictions were evaluated against true concentrations but less detectable when predictions were evaluated against the measurements from the same sampling campaign since these were themselves biased. This result is important since mobile monitoring campaigns that use their own measurements to test the robustness of the results may underestimate the level of bias in their results. Appropriate study design is crucial for mobile monitoring campaigns aiming to assess accurate long-term exposure in epidemiologic cohorts. Campaigns should aim to implement balanced designs that sample during all seasons of the year, days of the week, and all or most hours of the day to produce generally unbiased, long-term averages. Furthermore, differential exposure misclassification could result from unbalanced designs, which may result in misleading health effect estimates in epidemiologic investigations.
Detecting Movement Timing from Primate Intracortical Signals for Brain-machine Interfaces in Dynamic Environment

Decoding movement parameters, such as direction and speed, has been successfully utilized in brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) for closed-loop controlling an actuator to approach static targets. However, to interact with moving objects demands movement in right direction at right time. Unlike decoding motor variables, detecting movement timing is an outlier detection of recorded intracortical signals from unlabeled dataset. Recent neurophysiological studies have suggested that neuronal activity in motor cortex carries information regarding movement timing, allowing us to design a movement timing detector for voluntary control in open-loop BMI. Here, we have tested the performance of four detectors for movement initiation from recorded neuronal dataset as the first step toward a novel decoding module of BMIs in dynamic environment.
Dimensions of depressive symptomatology in mothers derived from factor analyses.

PURPOSE Subtypes of depression have been under studied in women during the peripartum period and the year after childbirth and delivery. Due to heterogeneity of depression, researchers have attempted to identify phenotypes of maternal and postpartum depression based on key symptoms that may represent underlying genes and biological etiology (Leuchter et al. Dialog Clinic Neurosci 16(4):525, 2014). METHODS The current study collected self-report data from 587 women and utilized exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) to identify subtypes of depression symptoms across two measures. RESULTS Findings of the study showed that: (1) using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS), a five-factor solution best fit the data in our sample of mothers with infants aged 4-14 months. The factors included: anxiety/thought disorder; cognitive depression; suicide; somatic/neurovegetative; and sleep [χ2 (454, N = 587) = 1102.61, p < 0.001, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.93, Tucker Lewis index (TLI) = 0.92, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.05]; and (2) the following factors significantly positively predicted interview-based diagnosis of depression: cognitive symptoms of depression and sleep [χ2 (482, N = 587) = 1170.40, p < 0.001, TLI = 0.91, CFI = 0.93, RMSEA = 0.05]. CONCLUSIONS Future research could assess the clinical benefits of screening for maternal mood disorders.
Neuregulin-1β Alters the Context-dependent Production of Immunomodulatory Factors in Human Ventricular Fibroblasts

Neuregulin-1β (NRG-1β) is a growth and survival factor critical for cardiac development and repair. We recently showed that NRG-1β reduces cardiac fibrosis in infarcted swine and reduces basal and ...
Rearrangements of Organoaluminum Compounds and Their Group III Analogs

Publisher Summary The chapter focuses on the systems that involve a group III metal bound to various organic ligands and deals principally with simple exchange processes and also includes some discussion of the more complex rearrangements, especially those in which multiple bonds are involved. Rearrangement and exchange reactions of main group organometallic compounds offer a rich variety of processes important both to the inorganic and organic chemist. These processes have provided examples of electrophilic substitution, electron transfer, and of concerted multicenter processes, all of which are of both theoretical and practical importance. In the case involving the Ph 2 N bridge, it is seen that complete dissociation of this molecule does not occur until elevated temperatures are reached. This suggests that alternative mechanisms for reaction will be required for this type of system. These might include partial dissociation, formation of a 5 or 6 coordinate metal atoms, or a radical, or even an ionic path. The chapter discusses various exchange processes involving dissociated species such as alkylaluminum exchange reactions and main group metal-transition metal bonded compounds. The dissociation of dimmers occurs as the rate-determining step in many of the simple alkyl exchange processes. However, if a base is present forming the group III adduct or as the solvent, then, the group III species is present as a monomer, but is prevented from reacting by formation of a complex.
A Photometric Method to Search for Be Stars in Open Clusters

We describe a technique to identify Be stars in open clusters using Stromgren b, y, and narrowband Hα photometry. We first identify the B-type stars of the cluster using a theoretical isochrone fit to the (b - y, y) color-magnitude diagram. The strongest Be stars are easily identified in a (b - y, y - Hα) color-color diagram, but those with weaker Hα emission (classified as possible Be star detections) may be confused with evolved or foreground stars. Here we present such photometry plus Hα spectroscopy of members of the cluster NGC 3766 to demonstrate the accuracy of our technique. Statistical results on the relative numbers of Be and B-type stars in additional clusters will be presented in a future paper.
Untangling the Web: How Courts Should Respond to Juries Using the Internet for Research

During trials jurors are increasingly using cell phones and other devices capable of accessing the Internet. Courts are responding by amending court rules to explicitly ban these devices. This Article identifies weaknesses in the arguments against allowing jurors to conduct outside research, including Internet research, during civil trials. This Article reviews the current justifications for prohibiting jurors from accessing outside information during trial and concludes these justifications do not outweigh the need to give jurors the tools necessary for evaluating the issues arising during increasingly complex trials. In particular, a review of the scientific literature on the effects of outside information and pre-trial publicity on jury decision-making shows that some concerns about outside Internet research may be unwarranted. The Article also discusses how the concerns raised by Internet research are similar to the issues involving outside research through traditional print sources such as newspapers, statutes, and encyclopedias.
Software defined radio for small satellites

Cubesats offer relatively lost-cost access to space. They are actively used for a wide range of scientific studies and technology development efforts. Small size, relatively low available power, and highly constrained cost have typically limited the radios on these satellites to low data rates. In this paper we present our first AeroCube 915 MHz software defined radio based on a Zynq processor and using Lime Micro transceiver developed to address the low-cost constraint while at the same time offering a state-of-the-art communications link. The radio supports a wide range of modulations and powerful error correction code capable of 10 Mbps. The coding and modulation can be adapted in real-time as the range from the ground station to the satellite changes to maximize downlink throughput.
Toward Exact 2 x 2 Hilbert-Schmidt Determinantal Probability Distributions via Mellin Transforms and Other Approaches

We attempt to construct the exact univariate probability distributions for 2 x 2 quantum systems that yield the (balanced) univariate Hilbert-Schmidt determinantal moments , obtained by Slater and Dunkl (J. Phys. A, 45, 095305 [2012]). To begin, we follow--to the extent possible--the Mellin transform-based approach of Penson and Zyczkowski in their study of Fuss-Catalan and Raney distributions (Phys. Rev. E, 83, 061118 [2011]). Further, we approximate the y-intercepts (separability/entanglement boundaries)--at which |rho^{PT}|=0-- of the associated probability distributions based on the (balanced) moments, as well as the previously reported unbalanced determinantal moments , as a function of the seventy-two values of the Dyson-index-like parameter alpha = 1/2 (rebits), 1 (qubits),...,2 (quaterbits),...35.
Assistive visual tools for surgery

This thesis describes efforts towards the development of computational vision tools to assist physicians during surgical procedures. Surgical robotics has come a long way towards improving patient care and enhancing the abilities of the surgeon. It was originally introduced to address the limitations of manual laparoscopy, whereby long rigid tools are being used to perform complicated surgical procedures. However, as we continue to reduce the invasiveness of this hardware and the tools becomes more complicated (e.g., flexible, articulated), intelligent algorithms are necessary to assist the surgeon in both controlling the surgical robot and making it smarter. Tool tracking algorithms are investigated to extract the locations of the surgical tools in both 2-dimensions (for visual servoing of a motorized camera system) and 3-dimensions (for situational awareness, increased patient safety, and virtual measuring capabilities). This work is shown in real surgical scenarios, such as manual human laparoscopies as well as robotic procedures using Intuitive Surgical's da Vinci® robot. Additionally, newer procedural paradigms which reduce the invasiveness of surgical access (e.g., Single-Port Access (SPA), Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES)) require more flexible and dexterous hardware. Vision is used to measure the state of continuum ("snake") robots in order to provide feedback to control systems and be able to perform fully-automated, closed-loop actions (e.g., suturing, biopsies, etc). This work is performed on the Insertable Robotic Effector Platform (IREP), which is a dexterous, 2-arm snake manipulator with a motorized stereo camera system designed for SPA/NOTES procedures.
High cytidine deaminase expression in the liver provides sanctuary for cancer cells from decitabine treatment effects

We document for the first time that sanctuary in an organ which expresses high levels of the enzyme cytidine deaminase (CDA) is a mechanism of cancer cell resistance to cytidine analogues. This mechanism could explain why historically, cytidine analogues have not been successful chemotherapeutics against hepatotropic cancers, despite efficacy in vitro. Importantly, this mechanism of resistance can be readily reversed, without increasing toxicity to sensitive organs, by combining a cytidine analogue with an inhibitor of cytidine deaminase (tetrahydrouridine). Specifically, CDA rapidly metabolizes cytidine analogues into inactive uridine counterparts. Hence, to determine if sheltering/protection of cancer cells in organs which express high levels of CDA (e.g., liver) is a mechanism of resistance, we utilized a murine xenotransplant model of myeloid cancer that is sensitive to epigenetic therapeutic effects of the cytidine analogue decitabine in vitro and hepato-tropic in vivo. Treatment of tumor-bearing mice with decitabine (subcutaneous 0.2mg/kg 2X/week) doubled median survival and significantly decreased extra-hepatic tumor burden, but hepatic tumor burden remained substantial, to which the animals eventually succumbed. Combining a clinically-relevant inhibitor of CDA (tetrahydrouridine) with a lower dose of decitabine (subcutaneous 0.1mg/kg 2X/week) markedly decreased liver tumor burden without blood count or bone marrow evidence of myelotoxicity, and with further improvement in survival. In conclusion, sanctuary in a CDA-rich organ is a mechanism by which otherwise susceptible cancer cells can resist the effects of decitabine epigenetic therapy. This protection can be reversed without increasing myelotoxicity by combining tetrahydrouridine with a lower dose of decitabine.
Manufacturing ownership through process re-engineering

Summary form only given. This paper explains the process being used at the IBM electronic card and test facility in Austin, Texas to gain ownership and commitment through the involvement of manufacturing personnel in process re-engineering. The approach is simple and straight-forward, encompassing shared vision and values, organization, staffing, roles and responsibilities, measurements and the manufacturing process itself. Process results and customer feedback reflect the employees' enthusiastic commitment to quality and customer satisfaction.
Solute transfer between intramolecular polar and non-polar phases as a possible rate-limiting step in chymotrypsin deacylation.

Abstract Equations predicting the relative rate of solute transfer from a polar to a non-polar phase and from a non-polar to a polar phase are derived on the basis of a model which assumes that the solute becomes partially dissociated from both phases during transfer. It is further assumed that the rate-limiting step in the deacylation of α-chymotrypsin is a transfer between phases rather than the hydrolysis itself, or alternatively, that the rate of hydrolysis depends on the rate of transfer and the equations are applied to the rates of deacylation of the acetyl through the caproyl derivatives measured by Cane & Wetlaufer (1966) at pH 8 · 1. For a rate-limiting transfer from a non-polar to a polar phase the following relationship would be expected: log (KC) = γ log (PC) + constant; whereas for a transfer from a polar to a non-polar phase: log ( K C ) = γ log ( P C ) + constant ; where K is the first-order constant for deacylation, Ci s the non-polar: polar partition coefficient for the free acid derived from the acyl group, P is the vapor pressure of the free acid, and γ is a fraction between 0 and 1 · 0 which is related to the extent of dissociation of the acid from both phases during transfer. (A γ of 1 · 0 implies complete dissociation from both phases.) Using the benzene: water partition coefficient for C, the rate constants are found to be consistent with a rate-limiting transfer from a polar to a non-polar phase; for the C2 through C4 acids or acyl groups, γ = 0 · 5, whereas for the C5 and C6 groups γ is 0 · 1 to 0 · 2, indicating that a definite change in the mode of transfer occurs between C4 and C5 such that the shorter-chain groups lose contact with the two phases to a greater extent during transfer. Indole is found to increase γ for all derivatives, suggesting that indole tends to pull the two phases apart. Since the experimental procedure used to determine the rates of deacylation would measure the total hydrolysis rather than the release of the free acids from the enzyme, the foregoing deductions would imply that a rate-limiting transfer of the attached acyl group occurs prior to hydrolysis, and that the hydrolysis would ensue relatively rapidly once the configuration of the acyl group had been altered by the transfer. Inasmuch as the acyl groups considered represent poor substrates for chymotrypsin, it is also possible that the hydrolysis rather than the transfer becomes rate-limiting for the good substrates. The increase in the Δ S ∗ for deacylation between C4 and C5 found by Cane & Wetlaufer (1966) as well as the “better binding: better reaction” postulate of Knowles (1965) are considered in light of these findings.
A case for new therapy for diabetes, is it leptin?

Since its discovery, insulin and/or insulin mimetics have been the therapy of choice to alleviate hyperglycemia in patients suffering from either type 1 diabetes (T1D) or type 2 diabetes (T2D). These endeavors, spanning over several decades, however, have also documented the inability of this monotherapy to sustain stable glycemia on a minute-to-minute basis, decelerate the attendant metabolic and neural comorbidities and the impending adverse impact on life span.[1–4] Recent multidisciplinary research devoted to gaining a deeper understanding of the neurobiology of the adipocyte hormone leptin in the integration of energy balance has, quite unexpectedly, not only enforced a re-evaluation of the etiology of diabetes, but also has unraveled potential targets for a novel durable therapy for these two afflictions.[5–8] Additionally in the process, this insight dispelled the long-held but poorly substantiated presumptions by prominent investigators and diabetologists that T1D and T2D are distinct disorders resulting primarily from either a lack of pancreatic insulin in the former or due to development of insulin's ineffectiveness to maintain blood glucose within the physiologic norm in the latter.
Vector Field, Activated Space and Inverse Interaction

Vector Field is a sound installation that offers a meditation on space, light and interactivity. It combines a polyphonic drone with a network of sensors to create a space that is sensitive to disruption. Viewers who break a laser beam cause the installation to fall silent; the work reflects on this tension and the "activated space" it articulates.
The effects of nanoliter ejections of lidocaine into the pontomedullary reticular formation on cortically induced rhythmical jaw movements in the guinea pig.

Abstract In the ketamine/urethane anesthetized guinea pig, electromyographic (EMG) responses of the anterior digastric muscle were studied when loci within the lower brainstem were microejected with lidocaine (2%) during rhythmical jaw movements (RJMs) evoked by repetitive electrical stimulation of the masticatory area of the cortex. The area investigated was between the trigeminal motor nucleus (Mot V) and the rostral pole of the inferior olive. Microejections of lidocaine, contralateral to the cortical stimulus site, into the ventral-medial portion of Mot V where digastric motoneurons are known to be located, resulted in reduction or complete abolishment of the digastric EMG activity ipsilateral to the ejection with no effective change in mean cycle duration (CD) or mean percent normalized integrated amplitude of the contralateral digastric EMG. Microejections of lidocaine, contralateral to the cortical stimulus site, into the ponto-medullary reticular formation in areas that included portions of the caudal nucleus pontis caudalis (PnC), nucleus gigantocellularis (GC), medial nucleus parvocellularis (PCRt), and dorsal paragigantocellularis (dPGC), in most cases produced abilateral reduction in the mean normalized integrated amplitude and a bilateral increase in the mean cycle duration. In these sites, the bilateral increase in mean cycle duration of digastric EMG bursts was also associated with a significant increase of coefficient of variation in CD. In many cases, microejection of lidocaine completely abolished rhythmical digastric activity, bilaterally. HRP injections into Mot V were performed to determine the locations of trigeminal premotoneurons and their relationship to effective lidocaine sites for rhythmical jaw movement suppression. Retrogradely labeled cells were found mainly in the mesencephalic nucleus of V; trigeminal principal and spinal V sensory nuclei, bilaterally; and within the intermediate and lateral regions of reticular formation,bilaterally. No labeling was found in the medial reticular formation, including the nucleus gigantocellularis and dorsal paragigantocellularis. The results of this study indicate that regions in the lower brainstem, including portions of the nuclei gigantocellularis and dorsal paragigantocellularis, may participate in masticatory timing and pattern formation, lending further support to the previous hypothesis that (1) both GC and dPGC nuclei of the medial reticular formation contain components of the oscillatory network necessary for RJM production; (2) this regiondoes not contain trigeminal premotoneurons, suggesting a segregation between central timing neurons within these regions of brainstem and trigeminal premotoneurons; and (3) ipsilateral cortex activates neurons located contralaterally within the brainstem reticular core which are critical forbilateral digastric EMG activity during cortically induced RJMs.
Treating atopic dermatitis: Safety, efficacy, and patient acceptability of a ceramide hyaluronic acid emollient foam

Advances in current understanding of the pathophysiology of atopic dermatitis have led to improved targeting of the structural deficiencies in atopic skin. Ceramide deficiency appears to be one of the major alterations in atopic dermatitis and the replenishment of this epidermal component through topically applied ceramide based emollients appears to be safe, well tolerated, and effective. Recently a ceramide hyaluronic acid foam has become commercially available and increasing evidence supports its safety and efficacy in patients who suffer from atopic dermatitis.
Crystal structures of DPP-IV (CD26) from rat kidney exhibit flexible accommodation of peptidase-selective inhibitors.

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) belongs to a family of serine peptidases, and due to its indirect regulatory role in plasma glucose modulation, DPP-IV has become an attractive pharmaceutical target for diabetes therapy. DPP-IV inactivates the glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) and several other naturally produced bioactive peptides that contain preferentially a proline or alanine residue in the second amino acid sequence position by cleaving the N-terminal dipeptide. To elucidate the details of the active site for structure-based drug design, we crystallized a natural source preparation of DPP-IV isolated from rat kidney and determined its three-dimensional structure using X-ray diffraction techniques. With a high degree of similarity to structures of human DPP-IV, the active site architecture provides important details for the design of inhibitory compounds, and structures of inhibitor−protein complexes offer detailed insight into three-dimensional structure−activity relationships that include a conformation...
Diagnosis of phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor (mixed connective tissue type) by cytopathology.

Oncogenic osteomalacia (OO) is a rare paraneoplastic condition in which a bone or soft tissue tumor induces biochemical and clinical signs and symptoms of osteomalacia (or rickets) most often by the production of the phosphaturic protein, fibroblast growth factor-23. Phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor, mixed connective tissue type (PMTMCT) is a rare, histologically distinct tumor that represents the most common cause of OO. As the clinical diagnosis of OO is typically suspected on the basis of clinical and biochemical features and the presence of a bone or soft tissue tumor, cytologic examination might potentially provide the necessary pathologic confirmation of OO. In this case of a 46-year-old female with clinical stigmata of OO and a right distal humeral mass, we report that the fine-needle aspiration findings of short, cytologically bland spindled cells embedded in a fine, fibrillary stromal-rich matrix and the presence of osteoclast-type giant cells associated with the stromal matrix provide strong pathological evidence for PMTMCT and assist in pathologically confirming the clinical impression of OO, thus alleviating the need for a more invasive diagnostic surgical procedure Diagn. Cytopathol. 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.