cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simulated interannual variability of the Greenland Sea deep water formation and its connection to surface forcing

A fully prognostic Arctic ice-ocean model is used to study the interannual variability of deepwater formation in the Greenland Sea Gyre based on the simulations for the Arctic ice-ocean system for the period 1955 and 1960 - 1985. The model uses monthly climatology for thermodynamic forcing components (such as air temperature and cloudiness), together with constant annual net precipitation and river runoff. The daily wind forcing is derived from analyzed sea level air pressures from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). In summary, the model shows that the occurence of deep convection in the Greenland Sea Gyre is controlled by the extensive Fram Strait ice export and/or local wind conditions in the Greenland Sea. In the latter case the weakening of the local wind curl allows the Polar Front to move eastward. The movement of the Polar Front causes adverse ice conditions, often together with much larger than normal ice export from the Arctic, such as in 1968, which can block convection in the gyre. The density difference between upper and lower layers is investigated as an indication of water mass formation through convection, occurring as strong diffusion in the model. The model-simulated density difference between the average top 100 m and deep levels reveals that the period 1960 - 1985 had only a few distinct years with weak stratification, and, especially, the model predicts no deep convection since the nid-1970s. The common factor for the years of the weakest decrease of the model-predicted heat content of the upper 2000 m which can, to a high degree, be explained by local heat loss.
Potential Absorptive Capacity of State IT Departments: A Comparison of Perceptions of CIOs and IT Managers

Public sector information technology (IT) departments are facing a myriad of challenges (e.g., budget cuts, service expansions, and political turmoil) in addition to the constant and rapid technological changes facing private sector firms. One way to meet these challenges may be through the development of the organization's absorptive capacity. Absorptive capacity refers to an organization's ability to recognize the value of new information, assimilate it, and use it to address organizational challenges associated with external change [6]. Few researchers have focused on absorptive capacity in public sector organizations. The purpose of this research is to ascertain how state IT departments, specifically Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and IT managers, view their external environment and their departments' ability to absorb new information. The findings are derived from a national survey of state IT departments in the United States and indicate that for CIOs and IT managers the external environment and ...
Numerical studies of deuterium-tritium ignition in impact-fusion targets

A numerical one-dimensional solution of the Euler equations for an imploding spherical tungsten shell with internal deuterium-tritium gas is applied to study impact-fusion dynamics with parameters of fusion-reactor relevance. Thermal conduction and radiative energy loss by the plasma are taken into account, as is heating by fusion-generated alpha particles. A variety of target sizes and impact velocities are examined, and scaling laws for fusion yields are deduced which define possible parameters for conceptual commercial impact-fusion power reactors. It is found that shell energies and velocities of about 30 MJ and 110 km/s would be satisfactory. A potential commercial impact-fusion reactor based on such parameters is discussed. >
A “Dollar-a-Year Man” in Government: George N. Peek and the War Industries Board

In the rush to gear-up the American economy during World War I, what role did those business executives who were recruited into government service play? This study of a notable example of the “dollar-a-year man” suggests that a reciprocal learning experience on the part of both business and government was the result.
Performance of Micro-Modem PSK signaling under variable conditions during the 2008 RACE and SPACE experiments

During the ONR-funded acoustic communications experiments conducted in Rhode Island and Massachusetts in 2008 more than ten investigators participated with new signals and receivers with the intent of establishing performance for next-generation acoustic communications systems. In addition to testing these new approaches, the signals developed and used for the WHOI Micro-Modem over the past ten years were also transmitted and collected. These signals serve as a benchmark for the current generation of multi-channel algorithms that use a decision-feedback equalizer with least-mean squares adaptation which can run in real-time on a low-power DSP. Performance was tested using a QPSK signal with 5 kHz bandwidth and error-correction coding that results in approximately 5000 bps burst throughput in the actual modem.
Decentralized electricity market price dynamics

The fundamental Walrasian model of resource allocations can be replaced by a decentralized dynamical model. In a decentralized dynamic model, price plays the role of control and coordination of players' actions. Economic market dynamics is commonly studied from the stability viewpoint. Market price over a period of time is determined by the interaction of the market supply and market demand. Movements between equilibrium must be explained utilizing comparative static analysis. But, when time is explicit in the system, dynamic analysis must replace the latter method. The ability of the system to successfully navigate between points of equilibrium is known as dynamic stability. In this document, price market dynamics is emphasized as the bidding iterative process associated to each trading period. Additional properties can be studied under the dynamic framework in order to achieve market efficiency. Controllability, observability, and reachability may help to monitor market dynamics. Market monitoring covers financial and physical market activities. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate the market dynamics properties. Finally, some related issues are discussed and conclusions are presented.
Shape representation in V4: Investigating position-specific tuning for boundary conformation with the standard model of object recognition

Abstract : The computational processes in the intermediate stages of the ventral pathway responsible for visual object recognition are not well understood. A recent physiological study by A. Pasupathy and C. Connor in intermediate area V4 using contour stimuli, proposes that a population of V4 neurons display object-centered, position-specific curvature tuning. The standard model of object recognition, a recently developed model to account for recognition properties of IT cells (extending classical suggestions by Hubel, Wiesel and others), is used here to model the response of the V4 cells described in Pasupathy and Connor. Our results show that a feedforward, network level mechanism can exhibit selectivity and invariance properties that correspond to the responses of the V4 cells. These results suggest how object-centered, position-specific curvature tuning of V4 cells may arise from combinations of complex V1 cell responses. Furthermore, the model makes predictions about the responses of the same V4 cells studied by Pasupathy and Connor to novel gray level patterns, such as gratings and natural images. These predictions suggest specific experiments to further explore shape representation in V4.
Erv25p, a Component of COPII-coated Vesicles, Forms a Complex with Emp24p That Is Required for Efficient Endoplasmic Reticulum to Golgi Transport

Abstract COPII-coated endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-derived transport vesicles contain a distinct set of membrane-bound polypeptides. We have obtained the NH2-terminal amino acid sequence of polypeptide constituents found on purified vesicles and in this report investigate the 24- and 25-kDa species. The 24-kDa protein is identical to Emp24p, a type I transmembrane protein that is required for transport of a subset of secretory proteins from the ER to the Golgi complex (Schimmoller, F., Singer-Kruger, B., Schroder, S., Kruger, U., Barlowe, C., and Riezman, H. (1995) EMBO J. 14, 1329-1339). The 25-kDa protein, termed Erv25p (ER vesicle protein of 25 kDa), corresponds to an open reading frame found on chromosome XIII of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Erv25p shares overall sequence identity with Emp24p, but the two proteins are not functionally interchangeable. Antibodies directed against Erv25p reveal that Emp24p and Erv25p depend on each other for stability and form a protein complex that can be isolated after chemical cross-linking. Yeast strains lacking Erv25p (erv25Δ) are viable and display the same selective defect in transport of secretory proteins from the ER to Golgi complex as an emp24Δ strain. A cell-free assay that measures vesicle formation from ER membranes demonstrates that Erv25p and Emp24p are incorporated equally into ER-derived vesicles when COPII-coated budding is reconstituted. Vesicle formation from an erv25Δ strain, an emp24Δ strain and a double erv25Δ emp24Δ strain proceed at wild-type levels; however, incorporation of the Erv25p or the Emp24p protein into COPII-coated vesicles requires expression of both subunits. A potential model for transport of the Erv25p-Emp24p complex between the ER and Golgi compartments is discussed.
Juvenile Female Arrests

Abstract This paper elaborates on feminist theory using Emerson's (1983) notion of holistic effects. We propose that the processing of juvenile female status offenders may vary systematically with the level of sex crimes in a community. This hypothesis is tested using a time series analysis of monthly status arrests in a Midwestern city. Our models indicate a significant increase in female status arrests at one “intervention” point, but no changes were found for male status arrest levels. We conclude that heterogeneity of processing of female offenders within single jurisdictions is an important avenue for future theoretical and empirical exploration.
Bistatic GPS signal reflections at various polarizations from rough land surface with moisture content

Bistatic L-band GPS systems operating from airborne or space-borne platforms received an interest for their advantages in remote sensing of land and ocean surfaces. Currently, researchers use the GPS signal for bistatic ocean scatterometry and wind retrieval. Extending this method also toward remote sensing of soil moisture is natural, since soil reflectivity at the GPS frequency is sensitive to moisture content. The authors show that the ratio of GPS reflected signals having a different polarization state can be useful measurable characteristics for soil moisture. They present results of GPS signal modeling that illustrate regimes most convenient for soil moisture retrieval.
Morphine Administration Alters the Profile of Hippocampal Postsynaptic Density-associated Proteins A Proteomics Study Focusing on Endocytic Proteins

Numerous studies have shown that drugs of abuse induce changes in protein expression in the brain that are thought to play a role in synaptic plasticity. Drug-induced plasticity can be mediated by changes at the synapse and more specifically at the postsynaptic density (PSD), which receives and transduces synaptic information. To date, the majority of studies examining synaptic protein profiles have focused on identifying the synaptic proteome. Only a handful of studies have examined the changes in synaptic profile by drug administration. We applied a quantitative proteomics analysis technique with the cleavable ICAT reagent to quantitate relative changes in protein levels of the hippocampal PSD in response to morphine administration. We identified a total of 102 proteins in the mouse hippocampal PSD. The majority of these were signaling, trafficking, and cytoskeletal proteins involved in synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory. Among the proteins whose levels were found to be altered by morphine administration, clathrin levels were increased to the largest extent. Immunoblotting and electron microscopy studies showed that this increase was localized to the PSD. Morphine treatment was also found to lead to a local increase in two other components of the endocytic machinery, dynamin and AP-2, suggesting a critical involvement of the endocytic machinery in the modulatory effects of morphine. Because alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors are thought to undergo clathrin-mediated endocytosis, we examined the effect of morphine administration on the association of the AMPA receptor subunit, GluR1, with clathrin. We found a substantial decrease in the levels of GluR1 associated with clathrin. Taken together, these results suggest that, by causing a redistribution of endocytic proteins at the synapse, morphine modulates synaptic plasticity at hippocampal glutamatergic synapses.
Prefab: implementing advanced behaviors using pixel-based reverse engineering of interface structure

Current chasms between applications implemented with different user interface toolkits make it difficult to implement and explore potentially important interaction techniques in new and existing applications, limiting the progress and impact of human-computer interaction research. We examine an approach based in the single most common characteristic of all graphical user interface toolkits, that they ultimately paint pixels to a display. We present Prefab, a system for implementing advanced behaviors through the reverse engineering of the pixels in graphical interfaces. Informed by how user interface toolkits paint interfaces, Prefab features a separation of the modeling of widget layout from the recognition of widget appearance. We validate Prefab in implementations of three applications: target-aware pointing techniques, Phosphor transitions, and Side Views parameter spectrums. Working only from pixels, we demonstrate a single implementation of these enhancements in complex existing applications created in different user interface toolkits running on different windowing systems.
Late sequelae of pulmonary tuberculosis

An 82-year-old Persian woman, with a history of pulmonary tuberculosis as a child, presented with gradual increasing dyspnoea. Her arterial blood gas showed severe respiratory acidosis and she was intubated. Her chest x-ray revealed a significant calcification encasing the majority of the left lung with a predilection towards the lung apex and pleural thickening which was redemonstrated on a subsequent chest CT (figures 1 and 2). She had normal renal function. Serum calcium and phosphorus were normal and she had …
Effects of Hyperchloremic Acidosis on Arterial Pressure and Circulating Inflammatory Molecules in Experimental Sepsis

Study objective: To determine the effects of hyperchloremic acidosis, induced by dilute HCl infusion, on BP and circulating inflammatory mediators in an experimental model of severe sepsis in the rat. Design: Randomized, open-label, controlled experiment. Setting: University research laboratory. Participants: Twenty-four adult, male, Sprague-Dawley rats. Intervention: Eighteen hours after inducing lethal sepsis by cecal ligation and puncture, animals were randomized and classified into three groups. In groups 2 and 3, we began an IV infusion of 0.1 N HCl to reduce the standard base excess (SBE) by 5 to 10 mEq/L and 10 to 15 mEq/L, respectively. In group 1, we infused a similar volume of lactated Ringer solution. In all groups, infusions were continued fo r8ho runtil the animals died. Measurements: We measured mean arterial pressure (MAP), arterial blood gases, electrolytes, plasma nitrate/nitrite, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-10 levels at 0 h, 3h , 6h , and 8h . Results: MAP remained stable in group 1 but decreased in groups 2 and 3 (p < 0.001), such that at 8 h MAP was much higher in group 1 (94 9.2 mm Hg) [ SD] compared to either group 2 (71.6 20.1 mm Hg) or group 3 (49.4 33.2 mm Hg) [p 0.01]. This change in MAP correlated with the increase in plasma Cl (R 2 0.50, p < 0.0001) and less well with the decrease in pH (R 2 0.24, p < 0.001). Afte r6ho facidosis, plasma nitrite levels were significantly higher in group 2 animals compared to either group 1 or group 3 animals (p < 0.05). Plasma TNF-, IL-6, or IL-10 levels were not significantly different from control animals. Conclusion: Moderate acidosis (SBE of 5 to 10 mEq/L), induced by HCl infusion, worsened BP and increased plasma nitrate/nitrite levels but had no effect on circulating cytokines in septic rats. However, severe acidosis (SBE of 10 to 15 mEq/L), while still causing hypotension, did not affect plasma nitrate/nitrite levels. (CHEST 2004; 125:243–248)
Harnessing the Diaspora: Dual Citizenship, Migrant Return Remittances

Political rights provided to immigrants by host countries have received much attention in the literature. Less attention, however, has been paid to the extension of extraterritorial rights by home ...
Sieves and Fossils: Effects of Mesh Size on Paleontological Patterns

Abstract Bulk samples are among the foremost sources of quantitative data retrieved from the fossil record. However, such samples are not sieved in a uniform way, even among research projects with a very similar research focus. Several studies recently have demonstrated the sensitivity of paleontological patterns to changes in sieve size and underscored the importance of controlling for mesh size in paleontological analyses. Building on previous work, this study exploits a large dataset of Miocene mollusks that is fortuitously suitable for exploring the effect of mesh size: dimensions of each fossil were measured, all samples were acquired with fine screens (≤1 mm mesh), and data for numerous paleoecological and taphonomic variables were obtained for each specimen. This large dataset was sieved artificially (i.e., subsampled in computer simulations) to explore the effects of mesh size. The results show that paleontological variables, from taphonomic and paleoecological parameters to diversity indices, can...
A Step by Step Guide to Louisiana's Choice of Law Provisions on Marital Property

This article discusses the scope of Louisiana's matrimonial regimes provisions, the overall approach to choice of law taken by the Louisiana conflicts legislation, and the role of party autonomy in the choice of law process. It also analyzes Louisiana's conflicts provisions on marital property, considering both the provisions for movables and the provisions for immovables. It concludes by exploring the thorny choice of law problems that occur when spouses have different domiciles and proposes as a solution an amendment to Louisiana Civil Code article 3526 and offers some conclusions about Louisiana's choice of law provisions on marital property.
Conjuring the Colonizer: Alternative Readings of Magic Realism in Sherman Alexie’s Reservation Blues

Sherman Alexie’s Reservation Blues has inspired both admiration and castigation.1 Critics such as Stephen Evans, Adrian C. Louis, Joseph Coulombe, and James Cox have praised Alexie’s satiric upending of stereotypes about Native Americans, claiming that Alexie’s work “uses stereotypes . . . of the . . . Indian, in new and entirely moral and ethical ways.”2 Other critics such as Gloria Bird, Elizabeth Cook-Lynn, Kenneth Lincoln, and Louis Owens have argued instead that Alexie’s work “simply reinforces all of the stereotypes desired by white readers [of] . . . absurd and aimless Indians.”3 Yet in his review of the positive and negative scholarship on Alexie, Evans insists that Alexie is “a consciously moral satirist” and not a “cultural traitor.” I would like to contribute to this debate by suggesting a further reason to see Alexie’s work as subversive rather than complicit. In contrast to quite a bit of “multicultural lit,” Alexie’s Reservation Blues does not associate magic with Indian culture so much as with white culture. Much of Reservation Blues turns expected magical tropes on their heads with American Indians presented as the antithesis of magic and the embodiment of rationality. Whether intentionally or not, Alexie confronts stereotypes with their opposites. The text thus inheres magic in the Western rather than in the indigenous, articulating the material struggle at the heart of the colonial relationship.
Abstract W P116: Cerebrovascular and Alzheimer’s Pathologies Combined in Mouse Models of Mixed Dementia Alter the Progression of Memory Impairment and Disease

Dementia is most often attributed to Alzheimer’s disease (~70%) or vascular dementia (~17%), yet 20-50% of dementia cases share aspects of both. Better understanding of dementias within this spectrum can improve diagnosis, inform interpretation of clinical data confounded by co-morbidity, and direct therapeutic approaches. We hypothesized that combined pathologies alter the time-course of memory impairment and the expression of primary disease pathology. We compared and combined aspects of cerebrovascular disease (chronic cerebral hypoperfusion) and Alzheimer’s disease (transgene-driven tau or amyloid pathology). We induced chronic cerebral hypoperfusion by wrapping each common carotid artery with a microcoil that remains in situ and reduces cerebral blood flow to approximately 80%; a procedure called bilateral carotid artery stenosis (BCAS). To create conditions of mixed dementia, we performed BCAS in two transgenic models of Alzheimer’s pathology; the rTg4510 which overexpresses mutant human tau, and APP/PS1 that develops s-amyloid pathology. Transgenic mice and their wildtype littermates received BCAS or sham surgeries near the onset of pathology survived 1 or 6 months, or during advanced pathology and survived 1 month. This generated 12 experimental groups (n of 4-11 each). We evaluated spatial memory impairment, neuroimmune phenotype, white matter integrity, tau pathology and s-amyloid pathology. The progression of memory impairment and disease pathology is altered in the mixed dementia models, and these changes are relative to the age of onset and duration of hypoperfusion. For example, hypoperfusion has a larger impact on spatial memory impairment in aged APP/PS1 mice. Additionally, BCAS reduced the expression of CD86, an immune marker associated with a de-activated immune state, only in rTg4510 mice. These findings highlight changes in the time-course of cognitive impairment and pathology that might be expected in the substantial clinical population with co-morbid vascular and Alzheimer’s dementias.
Carbon-Promoted in Situ Evolution of Cu Nanoclusters Influencing Eu3+ Photoluminescence in Glass: Bidirectional Energy Transfer

The present work explores the use of carbon powder, recently proposed for producing plasmonic metal nanocomposites, as a means to obtain Eu3+ photoluminescence (PL) enhancements via Cu nanoclusters in glass. Phosphate glasses containing Eu2O3 and CuO were prepared by melting in ambient atmosphere with graphite powder added to the batch materials for the chemical reduction of copper(II). Optical absorption and PL spectroscopy characterizations, including emission decay dynamics, were performed. The data show consistently the effective reduction of Cu2+ ions via carbon during melting which ultimately leads to thermally induced copper particle precipitation. Further, the novel in situ concurrent PL and absorption microspectroscopy technique was employed for the real-time monitoring of the optical properties of the codoped glasses during thermal processing from 470 to 490 °C. Bidirectional energy transfer between europium ions and copper nanoclusters has been manifested through enhancement and quenching regim...
Direct Measurement of Single CdSe Nanowire Extinction Polarization Anisotropies.

The origin of sizable absorption polarization anisotropies (ρabs) in one-dimensional (1D) semiconductor nanowires (NWs) has been debated. Invoked explanations employ either classical or quantum mechanical origins, where the classical approach suggests dielectric constant mismatches between the NW and its surrounding environment as the predominant source of observed polarization sensitivities. At the same time, the confinement-influenced mixing of states suggests a sizable contribution from polarization-sensitive transition selection rules. Sufficient evidence exists in the literature to support either claim. However, in all cases, these observations stem from excitation polarization anisotropy (ρexc) studies, which only indirectly measure ρabs. In this manuscript, we directly measure the band edge extinction polarization anisotropies (ρext) of individual CdSe NWs using single NW extinction spectroscopy. Observed polarization anisotropies possess distinct spectral features and wavelength dependencies that ...
Syphilitic Lymphadenopathy: Histology and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Status

Few reports on syphilitic lymphadenopathy have appeared in 20 years, and none have compared findings in patients with and without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, despite the recent epidemic spread of syphilis and HIV. Twelve cases of syphilitic lymphadenopathy were studied and grouped according to HIV status. Patients were 21 to 62 years old (median, 29 years); 7 were men, 5 were women. Biopsy sites were cervical (7 cases), inguinal (4), and axillary (1) lymph nodes. All patients had evidence of syphilis. Rapid plasma reagin titers ranged from 1:32 to 1:512. Treponemal hemagglutination was positive in all cases tested. Spirochetes were found with Steiner staining in 2 cases. HIV testing was positive in 4, negative in 2, and unknown in 6 cases. Lymph nodes were enlarged and often fragmented due to capsular fibrosis and chronic inflammation, with focal obliteration of the subcapsular sinus. Follicular and interfollicular hyperplasia was seen in all cases and was usually marked, with prominent vascular proliferation, plasma cells, immuno-blasts, histiocytes, and occasional neutrophils. Follicle lysis and granulomas suggestive of unconfirmed toxoplasmosis were each seen in 1 case, and Kaposi sarcoma in 2, all in HIV-positive patients. Lymphoplasmacytic infiltration was marked, especially in interfollicular areas, with peri-vascular plasma cell cuffing in all cases and obliterative endarteritis in about half (7 of 12, 56%). Immunostaining for CD45RO (UCHL-1), CD20 (L26), kappa, lambda, and CD68 (Kp-1) revealed a mixed population of T cells, polyclonal B cells, and interfollicular histiocytes. Distribution of T and B cells (immunoarchitecture) was essentially normal and similar in all cases, regardless of HIV status. Syphilis produces essentially identical findings in lymph nodes in both HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients. The morphologic findings described should prompt evaluation for infection with Treponema pallidum and, in light of the current epidemic, HIV.
Hypothyroidism in Pancreatic Cancer: Role of Exogenous Thyroid Hormone in Tumor Invasion—Preliminary Observations

According to the epidemiological studies, about 4.4% of American general elderly population has a pronounced hypothyroidism and relies on thyroid hormone supplements daily. The prevalence of hypothyroidism in our patients with pancreatic cancer was much higher, 14.1%. A retrospective analysis was performed on patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple procedure) or distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy (DPS) at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, from 2005 to 2012. The diagnosis of hypothyroidism was correlated with clinicopathologic parameters including tumor stage, grade, and survival. To further understand how thyroid hormone affects pancreatic cancer behavior, functional studies including wound-induced cell migration, proliferation, and invasion were performed on pancreatic cancer cell lines, MiaPaCa-2 and AsPC-1. We found that hypothyroid patients taking exogenous thyroid hormone were more than three times likely to have perineural invasion, and about twice as likely to have higher T stage, nodal spread, and overall poorer prognostic stage (P < 0.05). Pancreatic cancer cell line studies demonstrated that exogenous thyroid hormone treatment increased cell proliferation, migration, and invasion (P < 0.05). We conclude that exogenous thyroid hormone may contribute to the progression of pancreatic cancer.
Dependable and Efficient Clinical Utility of Target Capture-Based Deep Sequencing in Molecular Diagnosis of Retinitis Pigmentosa

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to establish a fully validated, high-throughput next-generation sequencing (NGS) approach for comprehensive, cost-effective, clinical molecular diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa (RP). METHODS Target sequences of a panel of 66 genes known to cause all nonsyndromic and a few syndromic forms of RP were enriched by using custom-designed probe hybridization. A total of 939 coding exons and 20 bp of their flanking intron regions with a total of 202,800 bp of target sequences were captured, followed by massively parallel sequencing (MPS) on the Illumina HiSeq2000 device. RESULTS Twelve samples with known mutations were used for test validation. We achieved an average sequence depth of ∼1000× per base. Exons with <20× insufficient coverage were completed by PCR/Sanger sequencing to ensure 100% coverage. We analyzed DNA from 65 unrelated RP patients and detected deleterious mutations in 53 patients with a diagnostic yield of ∼82%. CONCLUSIONS Clinical validation and consistently deep coverage of individual exons allow for the accurate identification of all types of mutations including point mutations, exonic deletions, and large insertions. Our comprehensive MPS approach greatly improves diagnostic acumen for RP in a cost- and time-efficient manner.
Operating room design at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Cardiothoracic surgery unit.

The cardiothoracic operating room (OR) suite in The Cleveland Clinic Foundation is part of a complete cardiac unit. A catheterization laboratory and coronary intensive care unit (ICU) are below the OR level, and the postoperative ICU is directly above the O R level. Cardiology and postoperative wards are on other levels of the same building. The design of the OR is related in part to the function of the entire facility. The authors used fixed locations in the OR for surgical and anesthesia equipment. Thus, standard equipment is built-in and floor space is put to better use. Also, specially designed fixtures for infusion equipment are employed to facilitate both intraoperative management and patient transport between the OR and the ICU.
Function of Polycomb repressive complexes in stem cells

Stem cells are unique cell populations identified in a variety of normal tissues and some cancers. Maintenance of stem cell pools is essential for normal development, tissue homeostasis, and tumorigenesis. Recent studies have revealed that Polycomb repressive complexes (PRCs) play a central role in maintaining stem cells by repressing cellular senescence and differentiation. Here, we will review recent findings on dynamic composition of PRC complexes and sub-complexes, how PRCs are recruited to chromatin, and their functional roles in maintaining self-renewal of stem cells. Furthermore, we will discuss how PRCs, CpG islands (CGIs), the INK4A/ARF/INK4B locus, and developmental genes form a hierarchical regulatory axis that is utilized by a variety of stem cells to maintain their self-renewal and identities.
Restoring the Invisible Details in Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy Images

Automated image restoration in microscopy, especially in Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) imaging modality, has attracted increasing attention since it greatly facilitates living cell analysis. Previous work is able to restore the nuclei of living cells, but it is very challenging to reconstruct the unnoticeable cytoplasm details in DIC images. In this paper, we propose to extract the tiny movement information of living cells in DIC images and reveal the hidden details in DIC images by magnifying the cell’s motion as well as attenuating the intensity variation from the background. From our restored images, we can clearly observe the previously-invisible details in DIC images. Experiments on two DIC image datasets demonstrate that the motion-based restoration method can reveal the hidden details of living cells, providing promising results on facilitating cell shape and behavior analysis.
The Importance of Local Control in the Treatment of Prostatic Cancer

AbstractIn a retrospective analysis of 946 patients with prostatic carcinoma treated with external beam radiotherapy between 1958 and 1989 at Stanford University Hospital the 15-year actuarial clinical local control rate was 77.8 ± 3.3% for Stanford stage T1, 61.3 ± 4.4% for stage T2 and 64.9 ± 4.8% for stage T3 disease. Overall, there was improvement in disease-specific survival without a significant alteration in survival in patients who achieved clinical local control. For the 50 Stanford stage T1 cases with local control on clinical examination and a positive post-treatment biopsy a decrease in disease-specific survival was observed. There was no difference in disease-specific survival for comparable stage T2 or T3 cases. In an analysis of patients who underwent ultrasound guided prostatic biopsy performed after irradiation the trend of prostate specific antigen was more important than biopsy results in predicting which patients would have relapse.
Delayed Feedback Asymptotic Stabilization of Rigid Body Attitude Motion for Large Rotations

Abstract The delayed feedback control of rigid body attitude motion is addressed where there is an unknown time delay in the feedback measurement. The attitude motion is described on the tangent bundle TSO(3) to globally and uniquely represent the orientation of the rigid body, while a continuous nonlinear delayed feedback control law is proposed for local asymptotic stabilization on TSO(3). For this purpose, we introduce a notion based on the Lyapunov technique, which combines the Morse-Lyapunov method with Lyapunov-Krasovskii technique to yield a suitable Morse-Lyapunov-Krasovskii (M-L–K) functional, from which the stability conditions and proper control gain matrices are obtained in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Simulations illustrate the performance of the proposed control scheme.
Rapid Separation of Peptides and Amino Acids in Glass Microchips by Reversed-Phase Electrochromatography

We have developed microfabricated glass chips for reversed-phase separation followed by laser-induced fluorescence detection of peptides and amino acids. Hydrophobic acrylate-based porous polymer monoliths were cast in the channels by photopolymerization. Use of UV-light for initiation of polymerization allows for selective patterning of stationary phase in the channels for optimal design of injection and detection regions. Charged functionalities such as either sulfonic acids or quaternary amines were incorporated during polymerization for generation of electroosmotic flow. These monoliths can be cast in situ in less than 10 minutes, are very reproducible with respect to separation characteristics, and allow easy manipulation of separation parameters such as charge, hydrophobicity, and pore size. Moreover, the solvent used to cast the polymer is chosen so as to allow electroosmotic flow to flush the channels thereby obviating any need for application of high pressures for conditioning. Rapid (50 seconds) and efficient (up to 600,000 plates/m) separations of peptides and amino acids were achieved in the microchip.
Amphibians and Reptiles from Reserva Natural Absoluta Cabo Blanco, province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica

A survey of the amphibians and reptiles of Reserva Natural Absoluta Cabo Blanco (RNACB), Puntarenas, Costa Rica was conducted from May to August 2003. Thirteen amphibian and 19 reptile species were found within the RNACB boundaries. Twenty-two of these species were not previously recorded from the lower Nicoya Peninsula and for seven, this locality represents the southernmost extension of their range. One additional amphibian and three reptile species are known from the area based on literature review and examination of museum collections. However, interviews with locals indicate that up to nine other reptile species could be present in the reserve. I observed all but one amphibian species at Laguna Balsitas and at least eight species utilize the lagoon for reproduction. The lagoon is also notable for its population of Kinosternon scorpioides. This study will provide a baseline for further research in the reserve.
SOME BORSUK-ULAM TYPE THEOREMS

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the generalizations of the classical Borsuk–Ulam theorem. For any map f : S n →R n there is an xɛ S n with f(x) =f (–x). This was proved in 1933 by Borsuk. Then Bourgin took up the question of the dimension of the set of points x with f(x) =f (–x) , and in 1955 Bourgin and independently Yang proved that for any map f : S k →R k there is an { xɛ S n \ f(x) =f (–x) } is at least n–k.
Cognitive Interviewing for Item Development: Validity Evidence Based on Content and Response Processes.

ABSTRACTCognitive interviewing (CI) is a method to identify sources of confusion in assessment items and to assess validity evidence on the basis of content and response processes. We introduce readers to CI and describe a process for conducting such interviews and analyzing the results. Recommendations for best practice are provided.
Can Capitalist Modes of Production Be Biophysically Sustainable

Environmental economics rooted in the neoclassical paradigm is ineffective and problematic. Viewing environmental degradation as simply a market failure has a distributional effect which disproportionately harms those with lower incomes and causes inequality. The mainstream anthropocentric approach, such as environmental valuation based on cost-benefit analysis and willingness to pay models, is unlikely to assess the intrinsic value of nature, but reflects only nature’s perceived market value. This chapter offers an alternative to the mainstream paradigm. The author examines the heterodox approaches to the environment for their compatibility with a truly sustainable development path. The chapter begins by looking at the similarities and differences between Post Keynesian (PK), institutional economics (IE), and ecological economics (EE) and the efforts that have been put forward to bridge the differences. The second section provides an analysis of why a capitalist mode of production might not be compatible with these alternative approaches. The third section introduces philosophical paradigms of other socioeconomic forms that could be more consistent with sustainable development. The last section presents conclusions and recommendations.
Exploration of Factors Affecting the Added Value of Test Subscores

Recently, interest in test subscore reporting for diagnosis purposes has been growing rapidly. The two simulation studies here examined factors (sample size, number of subscales, correlation betwee...
Endocrine disruptors - putting the mechanistic cart before the phenomenological horse.

Despite incontrovertible evidence of the harmful effects of endocrine disruptors, a sound public health policy is still absent. Meanwhile, the press has revealed the hindering role of industry lobbyists and conflicts of interest among members of the regulatory bodies. Here, we identify another hindrance; one that stems from current experimental research practices.
Nicotine dependence predicts cannabis use disorder symptoms among adolescents and young adults

Abstract Purpose We evaluate if cigarette smoking and/or nicotine dependence predicts cannabis use disorder symptoms among adolescent and young adult cannabis users and whether the relationships differ based on frequency of cannabis use. Methods Data were drawn from seven annual surveys of the NSDUH to include adolescents and young adults (age 12–21) who reported using cannabis at least once in the past 30 days (n = 21,928). Cannabis use frequency trends in the association between cigarette smoking, nicotine dependence and cannabis use disorder symptoms were assessed using Varying Coefficient Models (VCM’s). Results Over half of current cannabis users also smoked cigarettes in the past 30 days (54.7% SE 0.48). Cigarette smoking in the past 30 days was associated with earlier onset of cannabis use, more frequent cannabis use and a larger number of cannabis use disorder symptoms compared to those who did not smoke cigarettes. After statistical control for socio-demographic characteristics and other substance use behaviors, nicotine dependence but not cigarette smoking quantity or frequency was positively and significantly associated with each of the cannabis use disorder symptoms as well as the total number of cannabis symptoms endorsed. Higher nicotine dependence scores were consistently associated with the cannabis use disorder symptoms across all levels of cannabis use from 1 day used (past month) to daily cannabis use, though the relationship was strongest among infrequent cannabis users. Conclusion Prevention and treatment efforts should consider cigarette smoking comorbidity when addressing the increasing proportion of the US population that uses cannabis.
Fractal Methods in Self-Potential Signals Measured in Seismic Areas

The self-potential (SP) signals are mainly generated by the streaming potential, which causes a voltage difference when a fluid flows in a porous rock. In seismic focal areas, this effect is strengthened by the increasing accumulation strain, which can produce dilatancy of rocks. Therefore, tectonic processes can be directly revealed by the investigation of the temporal fluctuations of SP signals, which may be useful to monitor and understand complex phenomena related with earthquakes.
Low offspring survival in mountain pine beetle infesting the resistant Great Basin bristlecone pine supports the preference-performance hypothesis

The preference-performance hypothesis states that ovipositing phytophagous insects will select host plants that are well-suited for their offspring and avoid host plants that do not support offspring performance (survival, development and fitness). The mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae), a native insect herbivore in western North America, can successfully attack and reproduce in most species of Pinus throughout its native range. However, mountain pine beetles avoid attacking Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva), despite recent climate-driven increases in mountain pine beetle populations at the high elevations where Great Basin bristlecone pine grows. Low preference for a potential host plant species may not persist if the plant supports favorable insect offspring performance, and Great Basin bristlecone pine suitability for mountain pine beetle offspring performance is unclear. We infested cut bolts of Great Basin bristlecone pine and two susceptible host tree species, limber (P. flexilis) and lodgepole (P. contorta) pines with adult mountain pine beetles and compared offspring performance. To investigate the potential for variation in offspring performance among mountain pine beetles from different areas, we tested beetles from geographically-separated populations within and outside the current range of Great Basin bristlecone pine. Although mountain pine beetles constructed galleries and laid viable eggs in all three tree species, extremely few offspring emerged from Great Basin bristlecone pine, regardless of the beetle population. Our observed low offspring performance in Great Basin bristlecone pine corresponds with previously documented low mountain pine beetle attack preference. A low preference-low performance relationship suggests that Great Basin bristlecone pine resistance to mountain pine beetle is likely to be retained through climate-driven high-elevation mountain pine beetle outbreaks.
Bandwidth-efficient deep learning

Deep learning algorithms are achieving increasingly higher prediction accuracy on many machine learning tasks. However, applying brute-force programming to data demands a huge amount of machine power to perform training and inference, and a huge amount of manpower to design the neural network models, which is inefficient. In this paper, we provide techniques to solve these bottlenecks: saving memory bandwidth for inference by model compression, saving networking bandwidth for training by gradient compression, and saving engineer bandwidth for model design by using AI to automate the design of models.
2-[1-(2-Hy-droxy-4-meth-oxy-phen-yl)ethyl-idene]-N-methyl-hydrazinecarbo-thio-amide.

In the title compound, C11H15N3O2S, the dihedral angle between the mean planes of the benzene ring and hydrazinecarbo­thio­amide group is 9.2 (1)°. An intra­molecular O—H⋯N hydrogen bond is observed, serving to maintain an approximately planar conformation for the molecule. In the crystal, inversion dimers linked by C—H⋯O inter­actions occur. Further C—H⋯O contacts link dimers into (010) chains.
The Mystery of Elasmosaurus platyurus Cope 1868 – Where is the Rest of the Type Specimen?

As originally described by Cope (1868), the type specimen of Elasmosaurus platyurus from western Kansas included more than 100 vertebrae, portions of the skull, and the reasonably complete pectoral and pelvic girdles of what was then the largest known plesiosaur. Within four years of its discovery, however, both of the limb girdles had disappeared with no official explanation. Here we document the events leading up to the loss of important portions of this unique specimen.
VARIATION IN CARDIAC REHABILITATION REFERRALS FOLLOWING CARDIAC INTENSIVE CARE UNIT ADMISSIONS

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) improves mortality, functional status, and rehospitalization rates for patients with cardiac conditions including acute coronary syndromes, heart failure, and post-cardiac surgery; however, CR is underutilized nationally. It is unclear how many qualified patients are
Enabling fast charging of high energy density Li-ion cells with high lithium ion transport electrolytes

Abstract Enabling fast charging capability of high energy density Li-ion cells could dramatically increase the widespread adoption of battery electric vehicles. However, fast charging is limited by Li ion depletion in the electrolyte and increasing Li ion transport from cathode to anode is essential. By evaluating different Li salts in the electrolyte, we find lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LFSI) has both higher conductivity and higher Li ion transference number compared to the traditional LiPF6 salt. In a 12-minute charge, the electrolyte with LiPF6 salt reaches the cut-off voltage rapidly while the one with LiFSI exhibits a longer constant current charge with more capacity achieved. The LiFSI electrolyte also shows better cycling performance and less Li plating after repeated fast charging cycles.
Turtle Feasts and the Commensal Politics of Food: Teasing Out the Flavors of African-American Foodways in New England

This article focuses on four sites in Massachusetts: the eighteenth-century Isaac Royall House in Medford; the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth-century Boston-Higginbotham House on Nantucket; t...
Lingual Pressure Dysfunction Contributes to Reduced Swallowing-Related Quality of Life in Parkinson's Disease

Purpose Dysphagia in Parkinson's disease (PD) is a major cause of depression and reduced quality of life (QOL). PD-related dysphagia often involves lingual dysfunction and weak pressure generation....