cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computer Science Education Past and Radical Changes for Future

In this chapter, we will first look at the last four decades of computer science education and note some trends that have occurred. From this base, we will consider several directions in which computer science education appears headed. What will it be like to be a student in computer science?
Lessons learned by features of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and its tumor microenvironment

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a notoriously treatment resistant malignancy with high rates of mortality (1). While complete surgical resection is the only current option for cure, chemotherapy remains the bedrock for disease management across all disease presentations (1-3). The molecular profiles of individual cancers can be utilized to direct therapeutic selection and improve survival, such as hormonal therapy for breast cancer or checkpoint inhibitors in microsatellite instability high colon cancers (4,5). Unfortunately, current oncologic guidelines fail to account for molecular tumor heterogeneity and patient individuality when selecting therapeutic regimens for PDAC.
Policy learning in collaborative environmental governance processes

Collaborative governance processes have become a popular mechanism for addressing complex environmental problems. Their success is premised, in part, on the assumption that they promote learning am...
The Elusive 5′-Deoxyadenosyl Radical: Captured and Characterized by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance and Electron Nuclear Double Resonance Spectroscopies

The 5′-deoxyadenosyl radical (5′-dAdo·) abstracts a substrate H atom as the first step in radical-based transformations catalyzed by adenosylcobalamin-dependent and radical S-adenosyl-l-methionine ...
Multiscale models of infection

Summary Bacterial and viral pathogens affect the homeostasis of their hosts in complex and oftentimes unintuitive ways. Mechanistic insights into these host–pathogen interactions may one day allow us to discover more effective antimicrobials and antiviral therapies. The mechanisms that affect overall infection outcomes in the tissue and organ scales are often dictated by behaviors at the cellular and subcellular scales, such as cell metabolism, reproduction, aggregation, and survival. Computational modeling allows us to determine these large-scale outcomes by modeling smaller-scale phenomena, and this field of “multiscale computational modeling” has recently seen tremendous growth and innovation. In this article, we review recent studies of multiscale computational modeling of infection and their impact on the mechanistic understanding of host–pathogen interactions toward developing better therapies and multiscale modeling frameworks.
Perceptual Anticipation in a Shoot/Don’t Shoot Task:

Signal Detection Theory (SDT) has been applied to examine expertise-related differences in perceptual judgments of deceptive and non-deceptive movements in sport (e.g., handball, soccer). Deceptive...
A novel orthotopic murine model of neuroendocrine bladder cancer: Insights into the phenotypic plasticity of small cell bladder cancer (SCBC).

571Background: SCBC is an aggressive subtype of bladder cancer with high metastatic potential and few effective treatment options. We developed an orthotopic mouse model of SCBC to understand the d...
Chapter 12 – Elastomer Blends

This chapter reviews the formulation and use of elastomer blends: miscible blends, which are widely used but usually not recognized because analytical separation of the vulcanized elastomer is experimentally difficult; and immiscible blends, which require excellent phase dispersion and interfacial adhesion typical of all polymer blends.
Genetic and Environmental Influences on Stressful Life Events and their Associations with Executive Functions in Young Adulthood: A Longitudinal Twin Analysis

Although stress is frequently considered an environmental factor, dependent stressful life events (SLEs)––stressors that result from one’s actions or behaviors––may in fact be evoked by a genetic liability. It has been suggested that dependent SLEs may be partially caused by poor executive function (EFs), higher-level cognitive abilities that enable individuals to implement goal-directed behavior. We investigated the possibility of genetic and environmental overlap between SLEs and EFs in a longitudinal twin study. We found high genetic stability in the number of dependent SLEs from age 23 to age 29, suggesting that the number of dependent stressors show persistence across time due to their genetic etiology. In addition, there was a nominally significant negative genetic correlation between a Common EF latent factor and dependent SLEs at age 23. The genetic stability of dependent SLEs and association with Common EF provides insight into how some behaviors may lead to persistent stress.
The “Double hit”: Free tissue transfer is optimal in comorbid population with irradiated wounds for successful limb salvage

Summary Background Radiation therapy causes histopathologic changes in tissues, including fibrosis, loss of tissue planes, and vascular damage, which can lead to chronic wound formation. Patients with nonhealing, irradiated wounds and comorbidities that affect microvasculature suffer a "double hit", which leads to delayed wound healing. Local wound care and grafts are commonly insufficient. In this study, we evaluated limb salvage outcomes and long-term complications after free tissue transfer (FTT) in patients with chronic, irradiated leg wounds. Methods We retrospectively reviewed patients with irradiated lower extremity wounds who underwent FTT from 2012 to 2017. Primary outcomes included limb salvage, ambulation, and overall flap success. Reconstruction involved complete excision of irradiated tissue and coverage with well-vascularized tissue. Results Seven free flaps in six patients were identified. Average age was 68.4 years and average BMI was 27.8 kg/m2. Comorbid conditions included hypertension (57.1%), peripheral vascular disease (57.1%), underlying hypercoagulability (42.9%), diabetes (14.3%), and tobacco use (14.3%). Wounds were present for an average of 25.5 months prior to FTT. Donor sites included anterolateral thigh (71.4%), vastus lateralis (14.3%), and latissimus dorsi (14.3%). Overall flap success rate was 100% with one patient requiring reoperation for dehiscence. Limb salvage rate was 85.7% with one patient undergoing elective amputation due to pain. All patients could ambulate (one used a prosthesis) at a mean follow-up time of 1.4 years. Conclusions Radiation therapy in a comorbid population often leads to the formation of chronic nonhealing wounds. We advocate for earlier consideration of FTT to provide healthy vascularized tissues, thereby avoiding prolonged wound care and patient burden. Successful limb salvage outcomes can be achieved.
Variations on pre-imaging protocols for 18F-FDG imaging of Nu-Nu athymic mice

1610 Objectives: To consistently obtain high quality 18F-FDG PET images in nude mice. The nu-nu athymic nude mouse is a standard animal model for oncology and basic science research. In an effort to utilize noninvasive PET imaging to monitor tumor development and/or response to therapy the highest quality and lowest variability images are essential. The role of pre-imaging protocols and their subsequent effect on image quality is examined. Methods: To study the effect of ambient temperature on image quality, four warming protocols were utilized. Four, eight week old female nu-nu athymic mice were individually housed in cages prior to imaging at room temperature (22 degree C), or pre-warmed at 28 degrees C for 1 hour, 4 hours, or 24 hours. The mice were injected via tail vein with an average dose of 300μCi 18F-FDG in 0.15 cc. Following a 30 minute uptake period, PET imaging was acquired dynamically for 3 contiguous 5 minute frames using a Philips Mosaic Animal PET Imaging System. Results: The 0.5 mm reconstructed pixel, 15 minute summed images were visually compared and quantitatively assessed using ROIs of brown fat to muscle ratios. The brown fat uptake was significantly reduced using extended warming. Conclusions: Using a pre-imaging warming protocol improves FDG images. Based on image quality and experimental convenience, the 4 hour pre-warming protocol proved to be optimal. Research Support (if any): NIH 1 P20 CA91709
Securing Remote Access Networks Using Malware Detection Tools for Industrial Control Systems

With their role as an integral part of its infrastructure, Industrial Control Systems (ICS) are a vital part of every nation's industrial development drive. Despite several significant advancements - such as controlled-environment agriculture, automated train systems, and smart homes, achieved in critical infrastructure sectors through the integration of Information Systems (IS) and remote capabilities with ICS, the fact remains that these advancements have introduced vulnerabilities that were previously either nonexistent or negligible, one being Remote Access Trojans (RATs). Present RAT detection methods either focus on monitoring network traffic or studying event logs on host systems. This research's objective is the detection of RATs by comparing actual utilized system capacity to reported utilized system capacity. To achieve the research objective, open-source RAT detection methods were identified and analyzed, a GAP-analysis approach was used to identify the deficiencies of each method, after which control algorithms were developed into source code for the solution.
Critical appraisal of the contemporary use of atherectomy to treat femoropopliteal atherosclerotic disease.

Abstract Objective Atherectomy has become increasingly used as an endovascular treatment of lower extremity atherosclerotic disease in the United States. However, concerns and controversies about its indications and outcomes exist. The goal of the present systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the outcomes and complications related to atherectomy to treat femoropopliteal atherosclerotic disease. Methods A systematic review in accordance with the recommendations from the PRISMA (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses) statement was performed. Four major scientific repositories (MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Thompson Web of Sciences) were queried from their inception to April 5, 2020. We reviewed and entered the data in a dedicated dataset. The outcomes included the patency rates, clinical and hemodynamic improvement, and morbidity and mortality associated with atherectomy interventions. Results Twenty-four studies encompassing 1900 patients met the inclusion criteria for the present study. Of the 1900 patients, 74.3% had presented with Rutherford class 1 to 3 and 25.7% presented with Rutherford class 4 to 6; 1445 patients had undergone atherectomy, and 455 patients had been treated without atherectomy. The atherectomy group had undergone directional atherectomy (n = 851), rotational atherectomy (n = 851), laser atherectomy (n = 201), and orbital atherectomy (n = 78). Most of these patients had also received adjunct treatments, which varied across the studies and included a combination of stenting, balloon angioplasty, or drug-coated balloon angioplasty. Technical success was achieved in 92.3% of the cases. Distal embolization, vessel perforation, and dissection occurred in 3.4%, 1.9%, and 4% of the cases, respectively. The initial patency was 95.4%. At the 12-month median follow-up, the primary patency was 72.6%. The ankle brachial index had improved from a preoperative mean of 0.6 to a postoperative mean of 0.84. The incidence of major amputation and mortality during the follow-up period was 2.2% and 3.4%, respectively. Conclusions The results from our review of the reported data suggest that femoropopliteal atherectomy can be completed safely, modestly improving the ankle brachial index and maintaining the 1-year patency in nearly three of four patients. However, these findings were based on heterogeneous studies that skewed the generalizable conclusions about atherectomy's efficacy. Atherectomy places a high cost burden on the healthcare system and is used in the United States at a higher rate than in other countries. Our review of the literature did not demonstrate clear atherectomy superiority to alternatives that would warrant the pervasive and increasing use of this costly technology. Future work should focus on developing high-quality randomized controlled trials to determine the specific patient and lesion characteristics for which atherectomy can add value.
Sufism and Jungian Psychology: Ways of Knowing and Being

This chapter introduces the teachings of theoretical Sufism vis-a-vis Jungian psychology. Many religious scholars versed in Islamic psychology believe that Sufism differs from the major branches of the Islamic faith, such as jurisprudence or philosophy, because it stresses on ma’rifa—a direct mode of knowing the world, the human soul, and God. Similarly, Jungian psychology, which places great emphasis on knowing the personal shadow to the archetypal or transpersonal aspect of the psyche, has been dismissed by the scientific community and traditionalists. This chapter illustrates the Sufi path to spirituality using a Jungian approach. Identifying parallels and outlining the soul’s journey, the discussion draws similitudes from the inverse relationship of the Sufi notion of the soul’s descent (tanzih) and ascent (tashbih) to Jung’s model of the individuation process. This interdisciplinary framework is not only significant to the contemporary understanding of Sufism, the esoteric dimension of Islam, but also contributes to the expansion of Jungian psychology.
Use of indocyanine green for sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with iodine or contrast allergy

Objectives: To describe the incidence of adverse reactions to indocyanine green (ICG) administered during sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy for endometrial cancer. Methods: All patients who underwent surgery for endometrial cancer with SLN biopsy using ICG from 1/2017 to 8/2020 were identified utilizing a single-institution prospective database. Patients with an ICG, iodine, or contrast allergy documented in the medical record were identified. Surgical adverse events (SAEs) related to the procedure and documented in the medical record were identified. Results: 1415 patients met the inclusion criteria and were evaluated. Sixty-seven patients (4.7%) had either an iodine or contrast allergy. No patients had a documented ICG allergy. Among patients with an iodine or contrast allergy, 65 (97%) were premedicated prior to ICG administration: 27 patients (40%) received 50 mg of diphenhydramine IV with either 100 mg hydrocortisone IV or 4 mg dexamethasone IV and 38 patients (57%) received either 100 mg hydrocortisone IV or 4 mg dexamethasone IV only. One hundred five patients (7.4%) experienced a total of 116 SAEs. Among these, 3 patients potentially had allergic SAEs that could have been attributed to ICG administration - laryngospasm, apnea, and a vasovagal response. After thorough chart review of the timing of ICG administration and onset of these SAEs, the likelihood these SAEs were due to ICG was very low (Table 1). No patients were noted to have experienced an anaphylactic response after ICG administration. Download : Download high-res image (267KB) Download : Download full-size image Conclusions: There were no anaphylactic reactions to ICG administration during 1415 consecutive SLN biopsies for endometrial cancer, even among patients with an iodine or contrast allergy. Of 3 notable SAEs, none were deemed related to ICG administration. Further studies are necessary to determine the safety of ICG use in patients with ICG, iodine, or contrast allergy and to identify alternative agents in this population. Premedication with diphenhydramine and hydrocortisone prior to SLN biopsy is a reasonable strategy in patients with ICG, iodine, or contrast allergy.
The great American housing bubble: What went wrong and how we can protect ourselves in the future, by Adam Levitin and Susan Wachter: Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press, 2020

Adam Levitin and Susan Wachter set a lofty goal for themselves. In their book, they seek to provide “the definitive account of the creation and collapse of the Great American Housing Bubble and to ...
A Log Logistic Survival Model Applied to Hypobaric Decompression Sickness

Decompression sickness (DCS) is a complex, multivariable problem. A mathematical description or model of the likelihood of DCS requires a large amount of quality research data, ideas on how to define a decompression dose using physical and physiological variables, and an appropriate analytical approach. It also requires a high-performance computer with specialized software. I have used published DCS data to develop my decompression doses, which are variants of equilibrium expressions for evolved gas plus other explanatory variables. My analytical approach is survival analysis, where the time of DCS occurrence is modeled. My conclusions can be applied to simple hypobaric decompressions - ascents lasting from 5 to 30 minutes - and, after minutes to hours, to denitrogenation (prebreathing). They are also applicable to long or short exposures, and can be used whether the sufferer of DCS is at rest or exercising at altitude. Ultimately I would like my models to be applied to astronauts to reduce the risk of DCS during spacewalks, as well as to future spaceflight crews on the Moon and Mars.
Advection, dispersion, and filtration of fine particles within emergent vegetation of the Florida Everglades

[1] The movement of particulate matter within wetland surface waters affects nutrient cycling, contaminant mobility, and the evolution of the wetland landscape. Despite the importance of particle transport in influencing wetland form and function, there are few data sets that illuminate, in a quantitative way, the transport behavior of particulate matter within surface waters containing emergent vegetation. We report observations from experiments on the transport of 1 mm latex microspheres at a wetland field site located in Water Conservation Area 3A of the Florida Everglades. The experiments involved line source injections of particles inside two 4.8-m-long surface water flumes constructed within a transition zone between an Eleocharis slough and Cladium jamaicense ridge and within a Cladium jamaicense ridge. We compared the measurements of particle transport to calculations of two-dimensional advection-dispersion model that accounted for a linear increase in water velocities with elevation above the ground surface. The results of this analysis revealed that particle spreading by longitudinal and vertical dispersion was substantially greater in the ridge than within the transition zone and that particle capture by aquatic vegetation lowered surface water particle concentrations and, at least for the timescale of our experiments, could be represented as an irreversible, first-order kinetics process. We found generally good agreement between our field-based estimates of particle dispersion and water velocity and estimates determined from published theory, suggesting that the advective-dispersive transport of particulate matter within complex wetland environments can be approximated on the basis of measurable properties of the flow and aquatic vegetation.
Electrophysiological mechanisms of cocaine-induced cardiac arrest: A possible cause of sudden cardiac death

The hypothesis that cocaine intoxication results in cardiac arrest by producing a block of the propagation of the action potential, without loss of pacemaker function, was tested in rat cardiac tissues. In spontaneously active sinoatrial preparations, cocaine exerted a dose-dependent negative chronotropic action, which was not modified by atropine or propranolol. Sinus node arrest was never observed. Instead, cocaine produced sinoatrial block. The mechanism of this block involved a fall in the resting potential and a decrease in the amplitude and Vmax of phase 0 of the action potential of atrial fibers. In sinoatrial preparations and papillary muscles driven at 5 Hz., cocaine depressed the resting potential, the total amplitude, the overshoot of the action potential, and the Vmax of phase 0. Cocaine had a biphasic effect on the atrial action potential duration. The initial shortening was muscarinic. The prolongation was alpha-adrenergic mediated and probably the result of the inhibition of the transient outward current Ito. In papillary muscles, only the prolongation of the action potential occurred. In conclusion, the electrophysiological actions of cocaine can explain cardiac sudden death. The fall in the resting potential associated with the decrease in the amplitude of the action potential of contractile fibers will result in a block of the propagation of the action potential. Quiescence of the contractile fibers will occur while the sinus node is still generating action potentials at a rate compatible with life.
Stochastic simulation and spatial estimation with multiple data types using artificial neural networks

[1] A novel data-driven artificial neural network (ANN) that quantitatively combines large numbers of multiple types of soft data is presented for performing stochastic simulation and/or spatial estimation. A counterpropagation ANN is extended with a radial basis function to estimate parameter fields that reproduce the spatial structure exhibited in autocorrelated parameters. Applications involve using three geophysical properties measured on a slab of Berea sandstone and the delineation of landfill leachate at a site in the Netherlands using electrical formation conductivity as our primary variable and six types of secondary data (e.g., hydrochemistry, archaea, and bacteria). The ANN estimation fields are statistically similar to geostatistical methods (indicator simulation and cokriging) and reference fields (when available). The method is a nonparametric clustering/classification algorithm that can assimilate significant amounts of disparate data types with both continuous and categorical responses without the computational burden associated with the construction of positive definite covariance and cross-covariance matrices. The combination of simplicity and computational speed makes the method ideally suited for environmental subsurface characterization and other Earth science applications with spatially autocorrelated variables.
Chemical Agents in Cigarette Smoke

The sections in this article are: 1 Smoking 1.1 Variations in Smoke Composition and Smoking 1.2 Sidestream Smoke Inhalation 2 Oxides of Nitrogen and Reaction Products 3 Other Compounds Containing Nitrogen 3.1 Amines 3.2 Nitrites 3.3 Alkaloids 3.4 Heterocyclics 4 Compounds Containing Oxygen and Sulfur 4.1 Alcohols 4.2 Phenols 4.3 Carbonyl Compounds 4.4 Acids 4.5 Heterocyclics 4.6 Compounds Containing Sulfur 5 Hydrocarbons 5.1 Alkanes, Alkenes, Alkines, and Simple Aromatics 5.2 Poly cyclic Aromatics 6 Effects of Soil Composition or Agricultural Practices on Smoke Composition 6.1 Trace Elements 6.2 Organic Pesticides 7 Biological Contaminants and their Toxic Metabolites in Smoke 7.1 Fungi 7.2 Viruses 8 Summary: The More Hazardous Substances in Smoke
Platelet enumeration in the neonatal period.

Two hundred four platelet counts for 105 infants between birth and 4 days of life were determined by phase microscopy. Resuits were analyzed for sex, race, weight and age, without any significant difference in counts being found. No significant trend (increase or decrease of the platelet count) during the period of study was demonstrated. The platelet count as determined by phase microscopy for the normal neonate during the first 4 days of life is 200,000 ± 100,000/mm3.
Quantum Kac-Moody Algebras and Vertex Representations

We introduce an affinization of the quantum Kac-Moody algebra associated to a symmet- ric generalized Cartan matrix. Based on the affinization, we construct a representation of the quantum Kac-Moody algebra by vertex operators from bosonic fields. We also obtain a combinatorial identity about Hall-Littlewood polynomials. Mathematics Subject Classifications ( 1991): Primary: 17Bxx; Secondary: 05Exx.
Scenario Planning for Urban Planners: Toward a Practitioner's Guide

Problem, research strategy, and findings: Scenario planning has promise as a planning tool when compared with more common approaches, yet planners have had limited success with scenario planning in part because of the complexities of the scenario-planning process itself. We address these issues by constructing the key building blocks of a scenario process for public sector planners. We review and synthesize 63 articles and 25 projects from 2004 to 2014 to construct a planning typology with nine components that capture the important variations in scenario projects, such as the project scope, desired outcomes, and the types of scenario construction and evaluation tools used by planners. Although the typology is based only on a select set of projects from the industrialized world in English, we nevertheless further use our review and synthesis to characterize the key subcomponents or possibilities within each component and discuss the overlaps and connections among them. We then use the typology to code a su...
International Service-Learning Partnerships: Lessons of Successes and Challenges that Defy Simple Categorizationitle

Forming partnerships beyond academia can be an effective method for universities to offer students unique educational experiences, including in the form of experiential, service-based, and/or immersion learning. Although the incidence of such partnerships appears to be increasing significantly, scholarly analysis focusing upon them has not kept pace. What scholarly work does exist frequently focuses on success stories, yet this renders an incomplete overall picture, as the introduction of change to any established (educational) model will introduce the possibility for multiple challenges, and there is a great deal of value not only in presenting and discussing these challenges, but in the opportunity to learn from them. This article contributes to the body of literature on such partnerships by discussing the potential for both added value and challenges that partnerships introduce to many different educational approaches and contexts. It presents an in-depth case study of a multi-semester, project-focused, team-based course that formed and relied upon outside-of-academia partnerships in order to realize an experiential, service-based learning, international immersion experience for the students. Over the course of nearly two years, the partnerships proved to be enabling, rewarding, and challenging—not fitting neatly into any particular category. The article concludes with lessons learned from the experience with broader implications for future, like-minded endeavors.
Physical and predictive models of ultra thin oxide reliability in CMOS devices and circuits

This paper reviews the physics and statistics of dielectric wearout and breakdown in ultra thin SiO/sub 2/-based CMOS gate dielectrics. Electrons or holes tunneling through gate oxide generate defects until a critical density is reached and the oxide breaks down. Critical defect density is explained by defect percolation path formation across the oxide; <1% of these paths lead to destructive breakdown, and the microscopic nature of the defects is not known. Defect generation rate decreases approximately exponentially with supply voltage, below a threshold voltage of about 5 V for hot electron induced hydrogen release, but tunnel current increases exponentially with decreasing oxide thickness, giving decreasing time-to-breakdown and a lower reliability margin as device dimensions are scaled. Estimating dielectric reliability requires extrapolation from measurement conditions to operational conditions. Due to the lower reliability margin, it is imperative to reduce extrapolation error. Long term stress experiments are used to measure ultra thin dielectric film wearout and breakdown as close as possible to operating conditions, and have revealed the voltage dependence of the defect generation rate and critical defect density, allowing better time-to-breakdown voltage dependence modeling. Such measurements are used to guide pre-manufacturing technology development. We discuss electrical conduction through a breakdown spot, and the effect of oxide breakdown on device and circuit performance. In some cases, oxide breakdown does not lead to immediate circuit failure, and a quantitative methodology to predict circuit reliability must be developed.
Coercion by an other name

Indirect attempts to guide our choices and behaviour are undermining the very core of democracy
Foreign investment in Russia: The case of the oil industry

THE RUSSIAN OIL INDUSTRY is in desperate need of investment. Output has fallen by over 45% since the peak year of 1987, and could fall still further if major financial commitments are not forthcoming. Domestic firms, starved of cash, and often lacking the appropriate technology and expertise, are unlikely, however, to be able to turn the industry around by themselves. Instead they will need to enter into partnerships with Western oil companies, which, attracted by Russia's skilled labour force, its relatively low production costs, and, above all, its huge reserves of oil, are ready to make major investments. It is widely accepted that such co-operation could benefit both sides. Projects could generate enough revenue to compensate both the foreign oil companies and their local partners, in the form of profits, and the Russian government, through tax revenues. Increased exports would improve Russia's trade balance and make it more able to service its foreign debt; the additional tax receipts would help to balance the state budget, and facilitate macroeconomic stabilisation. Furthermore, Russian equipment suppliers would receive additional orders, employment would be created for Russian workers, and the local economies of the oil-producing regions would benefit generally from large inflows of foreign money. Western energy consumers and governments would gain too, from added insurance against any future tightening of world oil markets and higher world prices. Yet, despite all these benefits, very little investment has actually taken place. By the summer of 1995 no more than $1-2
Optofluidic jet waveguide for laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy

An optofluidic water-jet waveguide on chip for fluorescence analysis is presented. A high-speed water stream produced by means of a microchannel acts at the same time as the solution to analyze and as the collecting optical waveguide. The absence of solid walls and the very optically smooth surface of the liquid stream permits a strong increase of the signal-to-noise ratio. The device layout allows a self-alignment direct coupling of a water-jet waveguide with a multimode optical fiber connected to the detector. The performances of the integrated system are tested on Cy5 water solutions. For a 4.5 mm long water-jet waveguide, the measured limit of detection (LOD) is 2.56 nM and filter-free detection is possible with an LOD of 6.11 nM.
Discovering Next Generation Product Innovations by Identifying Lead User Preferences Expressed Through Large Scale Social Media Data

An innovative consumer (a.k.a. a lead user) is a consumer of a product that faces needs unknown to the public. Innovative consumers play important roles in the product development process as their ideas tend to be innovatively unique and can be potentially useful for development of next generation, innovative products that better satisfy the market needs. Oftentimes, consumers portray their usage experience and opinions about products and product features through social networks such as Twitter and Facebook, making social media a viable, rich in information, and large-scale source for mining product related information. The authors of this work propose a data mining methodology to automatically identify innovative consumers from a heterogeneous pool of social media users. Specifically, a mathematical model is proposed to identify latent features (product features unknown to the public) from social media data. These latent features then serve as the key to discover innovative users from the ever increasing pool of social media users. A real-world case study, which identifies smartphone lead users in the pool of Twitter users, illustrates promising success of the proposed models.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Immune responses to third stage larvae of Onchocerca volvulus in interferon-gamma and interleukin-4 knockout mice

To shed clarity on the dichotomy of reported results relative to the significance of T helper-1 vs T helper-2 immune responses in onchocerciasis, we compared the survivability of Onchocerca volvulus third-stage larvae (L3) in immunized mice that had either a targeted disruption of the Interleukin-4 or Interferon-gamma gene. Treatment groups consisted of control mice and mice immunized with irradiated O. volvulus L3. All mice were challenged with diffusion chambers containing viable L3. Vaccinated IL-4-/- were unable to kill this larval target. In contrast, vaccinated INF-gamma-/- and C57BL/6 mice, exhibited high levels of killing, had elevated levels of IL-4 and significantly greater numbers of eosinophils in their diffusion chambers than the IL-4-/-. Whereas, levels of IFN-gamma in all three groups of immunized mice were equivalent to those of control mice, levels of IL-5 were elevated, even in the IL-4-/-, indicating that cytokines other than IL-4 were involved in its production. The protective immune response to third-stage larvae of O. volvulus in mice vaccinated with irradiated larvae has an absolute IL-4 requirement.
An extensible six-step methodology to automatically generate fuzzy DSSs for diagnostic applications

Background The diagnosis of many diseases can be often formulated as a decision problem; uncertainty affects these problems so that many computerized Diagnostic Decision Support Systems (in the following, DDSSs) have been developed to aid the physician in interpreting clinical data and thus to improve the quality of the whole process. Fuzzy logic, a well established attempt at the formalization and mechanization of human capabilities in reasoning and deciding with noisy information, can be profitably used. Recently, we informally proposed a general methodology to automatically build DDSSs on the top of fuzzy knowledge extracted from data.
Microtubules in cardiac toxicity and disease.

Microtubules (MTs) are dynamic, cytoskeletal fibers that are found in every eukaryotic cell type. MTs serve a wide range of functions, including cell division, membrane and vesicle transport, and motility. As such, MTs play pivotal roles in cardiac development and function. Agents that disrupt normal MT function, including such therapeutic agents as vincristine and paclitaxel, have also been shown to affect essential cardiac activities such as sarcomere mechanics, beat rate, and the secretion of important molecules (e.g., atrial natriuretic factor). Disease states that lead to either ischemia- or pressureoverload-induced cardiac hypertrophy also alter the microtubule cytoskeleton in several ways. A fuller understanding of the contributions of MTs to cardiac development and function will be necessary to minimize the deleterious, side effects of the therapeutic application of MT-disrupting drugs. This review summarizes current hypotheses and experimental results that demonstrate the central role of MTs in heart cell function and disease.
Inhibition of NF-κB by IκB prevents cytokine-induced NO production and promotes enterocyte apoptosis in vitro

Nuclear factor-kappaB (N-kappaB) plays a key role in gut inflammation. NF-kappaB up-regulates proinflammatory genes encoding cytokines, adhesion molecules, and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). However, NF-kappaB has also been shown to up-regulate protective or anti-apoptotic factors. We utilized an adenoviral vector carrying a super-repressor form of the inhibitor of NF-kappaB, IkappaB, to examine the effects of NF-kappaB inhibition on cytokine-induced nitric oxide production and apoptosis in rat small intestinal epithelial cells (IEC-6). Chemical inhibitors of NF-kappaB, including pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), tosyl-lysine-chloromethylketone (TLCK), genistein, and N-acetyl-leu-leu-norleucinal (n-LLnL) were also utilized. Treatment of AdIkappaB-transfected cells with cytomix [1000 U/mL IFN-gamma, 1 nM IL-1beta, and 10 ng/mL tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha)] or TNFalpha-containing cytokine combinations resulted in inhibition of cytokine-induced nitrite production and a marked increase in apoptosis compared to control cells. Apoptosis occurred independently of nitric oxide (NO) production since exogenous sources of NO did not inhibit apoptosis. Inducible NOS and clAP were down-regulated in AdIkappaB-transfected cells treated with cytomix. TLCK and LLnL treatment also induced apoptosis in cytomix-treated cells, while PDTC and genistein did not. Thus, although NF-kappaB up-regulates various pro-inflammatory genes, it may also have protective or anti-apoptotic effects in enterocytes. NF-kappaB appears necessary for upregulating cIAP in IEC-6 cells upon cytokine exposure.
Age-related differences in endogenous pain modulation: a comparison of diffuse noxious inhibitory controls in healthy older and younger adults

Despite decades of research, hundreds of studies, and a number of recent reviews, the effects of aging on the experience of pain remain poorly understood. Many prior investigators have reported increases in persistent pain conditions and diminished tolerance for certain types of laboratory-induced pain among the elderly. While explanations for these effects often propose senescent decrements in endogenous analgesic systems as a possible contributory mechanism, almost no direct empirical evidence for this hypothesis has yet emerged in human studies. The present investigation was designed to evaluate the existence and nature of these putative age-related differences in endogenous pain inhibition. Groups of healthy younger (n=45, mean age=21.6 years, range=18-25) and older (n=48, mean age=63.1 years, range=55-67) adults participated in a controlled, two-session laboratory assessment of diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC), a measure of endogenous pain inhibition. In this study, we examined age differences in the effects of concurrent cold pain on ratings of heterotopically presented repetitive noxious thermal stimuli. Interestingly, older adults demonstrated facilitation rather than inhibition of thermal pain during concurrent noxious cold stimulation while younger adults demonstrated some expected DNIC effects (i.e. a reduction in thermal pain ratings during heterotopic stimulation with noxious cold). Collectively, the findings of the present study suggest age-associated decrements in at least one form of endogenous analgesic response. If replicated, such findings of reduced pain-modulatory capacity in the elderly may partially explain age-related differences in the prevalence, severity, and impact of chronic pain.
Phase diagram of the one-dimensional t-J model from variational theory.

We study a class of variational wave functions for strongly interacting one-dimensional lattice fermions in which correlations among the particles are specified by a single variational parameter. We find that the wave functions describe the ground-state properties of the one-dimensional t-J model remarkably well over the entire phase diagram in which interaction strength and density are varied. Specifically the wave function describes a Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid at low J/t, a phase-separated state at large J/t, and a stable state with infinite compressibility between these phases at low densities.
Stem Morphological and Cell Wall Traits Associated with Divergent In Vitro Neutral Detergent Fiber Digestibility in Alfalfa Clones

Poor cell wall digestibility of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) stems limitsavailableenergytoruminants.Thisstudycomparedalfalfaclones identified as either low or high rapid (16 h), or low or high potential (96 h) stem in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility (IVNDFD) for stem detergent fiber, cell wall, and morphology traits. Clones were established in replicated field plots at two sites in Minnesota during 2001 and harvested twice (primary spring growth and first summer regrowth) in the two following years. Presence of flowers, stem length, internode number, mean internode length, and number of elongating internodes was determined on 10 stems from each plot at every harvest. Herbage was dried and the stem fraction was analyzed for 16- and 96-h IVNDFD, detergent fiber components, and cell wall concentration and composition (Klason lignin, individual neutral sugars, and total uronic acids). Stem neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and cell wall concentration were lower for the high rapid than low rapid IVNDFD clones, but the high and low potential IVNDFD clonal groups did not differ. Lignin and pectin concentrations of the cell wall were lower and higher, respectively, for both high IVNDFD groups than their corresponding low groups. The low rapid and high potential IVNDFD groups had longer stem and internode lengths than their corresponding groups.
Dr. Geneva Gay: Multicultural Education for All Disciplines.

ABSTRACT This feature is an interview of Professor Geneva Gay, a leader and expert in multicultural education, especially multicultural curriculum. She graciously consented to a telephone interview, which was recorded. The interview was then transcribed by a professional; this feature is the result of that interview.
Theoretical analysis of adsorption thermodynamics for hydrophobic peptide residues on SAM surfaces of varying functionality

Cellular response to an implant is largely controlled by protein adsorption because cells directly interact with the adsorbed protein rather than the implant surface. Protein adsorption will occur when the change in Gibbs free energy (Delta G) of the system decreases during the adsorption process. Electrostatic interactions between charged peptide residues presented by a protein's surface and surface functional groups greatly contribute to the Delta G of protein adsorption. In this study, semiempirical molecular orbital calculations were used to theoretically determine the adsorption enthalpy between charged peptide residues [aspartic acid (-1), glutamic acid (-1), and arginine (+1)] and functionalized SAM surfaces [methyl, hydroxyl, amine (+1), and carboxylic acid (-1)]. Additional enthalpic and entropic contributions attributed to water restructuring effects were then approximated based on literature values for functional group solvation and considered along with the calculated enthalpy values to estimate the change in Delta G for each residue/surface system as a function of surface separation distance. The results predict long-range attraction and repulsion to the opposite and same-charge residue/surface systems, respectively, followed by strong short-range repulsion caused by functional group dehydration. Short-range repulsion alone was predicted for the charged residues on the methyl and hydroxyl surfaces. These results provide a theoretical quantitative description of fundamental mechanisms governing protein adsorption behavior and provide a basis for the development of a knowledge-based surface design approach to control biological response.
A refillable microfabricated drug delivery device for treatment of ocular diseases

An implantable manually-actuated microfabricated drug delivery device was demonstrated as a new approach for delivering therapeutic compounds to ocular tissue in acute in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo studies.
Encoding mechanical design features for recognition via neural nets

Within mechanical computer-aided design (CAD), pattern-recognition techniques are fundamental to feature recognition. The use of neural net software as the pattern-recognition element depends upon encoding schemes which extract critical information from candidate geometric subsets. The trained memory can then determine if a particular candidate geometric subset corresponds to a feature of interest. Successful experiments with particular encoding schemes over a restricted class of features will be presented. Neural nets were chosen with the long-term view toward a feature-recognition architecture where the end-user could customize the domain of features that can be recognized. The training of the neural net memory would be achieved through a graceful graphics interface. Extensive programming and knowledge bases would be avoided. This envisioned architecture will be presented to provide a context for the encoding schemes.
Heat-induced oligomerization of gp96 occurs via a site distinct from substrate binding and is regulated by ATP.

Abstract Gp96 (GRP94) is a dimeric glycoprotein and is the endoplasmic reticulum representative of the hsp90 family of molecular chaperones. In addition to the protein substrates it chaperones, gp96 binds weakly to both peptides and ATP, and has been shown to self-assemble into discrete oligomers upon heat shock at 50 °C, although physiological roles for these phenomena have not been well established. Our studies indicate that gp96 homooligomerizes irreversibly in vitro at temperatures as low as 42 °C and could involve pre-dissociation of dimers to monomers. Oligomerization is inhibited significantly by ATP; hydrolysis is not required, since ADP, ATP-γ-S, and NECA inhibit self-assembly equally well. Peptide ligands do not competitively inhibit gp96 self-assembly and, in fact, bind to all oligomeric species, including the dimer. Together, these findings suggest that (1) heat-enhanced chaperone activity does not reside in oligomers per se, and (2) the regions of gp96 involved in peptide binding and oligomerization are distinct.
The anticonvulsant and behavioral effects of phencyclidine and ketamine following chronic treatment in rats

The effects of chronic phencyclidine (PCP) or ketamine (KET) on their respective acute behavioral and anticonvulsant actions were investigated. Female rats were treated for 15 days with twice daily i.p. injections of saline, 20 mg/kg PCP or 40 mg/kg KET. Subjects treated chronically with PCP were challenged with either 10 mg/kg or 20 mg/kg i.p. PCP, while subjects treated chronically with KET were challenged with 40 mg/kg i.p. KET only. Neither chronic drug treatment induced tolerance to the acute anticonvulsant effect, nor to hyperlocomotion and stereotypy as measured by automated activity monitors. However, evidence of tolerance to the stereotypy induced by acute KET was obtained when an observer-based rating scale was employed. In addition, tolerance occurred to the ataxia induced by KET and the 10 mg/kg, but not 20 mg/kg, dose of PCP. Thus, tolerance occurs to some of the acute behavioral effects of PCP and KET while the anticonvulsant action of these compounds remains unaffected.
Accuracy of core needle biopsy diagnosis in assessing papillary breast lesions: histologic predictors of malignancy

The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of core needle biopsy (CNB) diagnosis of papillary breast lesions and to identify histologic features that can predict malignancy. We retrospectively reviewed 2876 CNB performed at MD Anderson Cancer Center (01/95–08/02) and identified 50 papillary lesions: 30 papillomas, eight atypical papillomas and 12 papillary carcinomas. Histopathological parameters were evaluated and radiographic findings were reviewed. When available, the CNB was compared with the excisional biopsy (EB) material. Carcinoma was confirmed by EB in 11/12 cases and invasion was correctly assessed in 67% of them. In EB, 6/8 (75%) atypical papillomas revealed carcinoma in situ or atypia and the remaining two (25%) were benign, six out of 30 (20%) papillomas had been excised and none had shown atypia; the remaining patients had clinical and radiological follow-up with no evidence of disease progression. We conclude that CNB is effective for assessing papillary breast lesions and that EB is more accurate in determining invasion. Cellular monotony, lack of myoepithelial cells, and cytologic atypia are more accurate predictors of malignancy (P<0.0001) than is the presence of mitoses (P<0.053). A diagnosis of carcinoma or atypical papilloma by CNB should warrant an EB, whereas benign papillomas may be followed if imaging findings are concordant.