cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On Floating Cats, Good Boys, and Shapeshifting Zookeepers: Animals in Night Vale

Night Vale is full of conspiracies, scientists, monsters, gods, and the people who live in the tiny city under lane 5 of the Desert Flower Bowling Alley and Arcade Fun Complex. However, the city is also full of more familiar animals like deer, dogs, cats, and zoo animals. As is typical of Night Vale, much of the time these animals are strangely different than those we know. They may have spines, venom sacs, or float four feet above the ground. But other times, despite their weirdness, they are presented in such a way that they conform to the attitudes and prejudices that animal scientists are all too familiar with. As one of these animal scientists, I will take a look at the furred and clawed denizens of Night Vale and pick apart the weird, the not-so-weird, and the downright normal in their characters.
Effect of superamphiphobic macrotextures on dynamics of viscous liquid droplets

The ability of hydrophobic surfaces to repel impinging liquid droplets is important in applications ranging from self-cleaning of solar panels to avoiding ice formation in freezing rain environments. In quest of maximizing water repellency, modification of droplet dynamics and subsequent reduction of contact time have been achieved by incorporating macrotexture on the superhydrophobic surfaces. However, the dynamics of low temperature water, and other viscous liquid droplets impacting anti-wetting surfaces with macrotextures is not well explored. Here, we investigate the effect of viscosity on the bouncing dynamics of liquid droplets impacting macrotextured superamphiphobic surfaces using various glycerol-water mixtures as model liquids at different impacting conditions. We demonstrate that the changes of reduction in contact times by macrotextures due to the increasing viscosity are in opposite trends at low and at high impact velocities. Since macrotexture executes substantial contact time reduction for the droplets which exhibit splitting after the impact, a preliminary model for predicting the minimum impact velocity to observe droplet splitting by macrotexture is proposed considering the important parameters of an impinging droplet along with the surface characteristics and the macrotexture size. This work aims to provide an insight on several possible outcomes of viscous droplets impacting on the macrotextured surfaces and a model that will help to design the desired superamphiphobic surfaces capable of exhibiting reduced contact time and enhanced repellency of low-temperature water droplets (such as freezing rain) and other viscous liquids (such as oils) under different impacting conditions.
Chapter 31 – Family Polyomaviridae

Polyomaviruses (PyV) are unenveloped DNA viruses with T=7 icosahedral symmetry and a diameter of ~45 nm. PyV genomes are covalently closed double- stranded DNA (~5000 bp) associated with histones. A few PyVs are cause with disease, but historically they were studied as models for understanding the processes of DNA replication, transcription, cell cycle control, and cell transformation. PyVs tumor (T) antigens are transforming proteins due to their ability to bind and inactivate pRB family members and p53. Most humans are infected with PyVs and these seldom cause disease in immunocompetent individuals. Increased use of immunosuppressive drugs has lead to increased reports of PyV-associated disease.
Priestly Aesthetics: Disability and Bodily Difference in Leviticus 21:

Leviticus 21:16–23 forbids priests with a wide range of disabilities from offering sacrifice at the altar, a ritual act that Leviticus considers the most sacred responsibility of the priesthood. Th...
Generalized PCA Fusion for Improved Radar Human Motion Recognition

Radar for indoor monitoring is an emerging area of research and development, covering and supporting different health and wellbeing applications of smart homes, assisted living, and medical diagnosis. Different human motion articulations present themselves more vividly in certain joint-variables data domains, most notably, time-frequency (TF) and range vs slow time. In this paper, we present a human motion data-driven classifier that utilizes both domains through a feature fusion approach. With data in each domain considered as an image, the features are extracted from lower dimension projections. These projections recognize the correlations across each image dimension, and are pursued using the generalized principal component analysis (GPCA). It is shown, through the confusion matrices, that feature fusion provides improved classification performance of human daily activities over the case where only the features of either domain are considered.
Improving personalized prediction of cancer prognoses with clonal evolution models

Abstract Cancer occurs via an accumulation of somatic genomic alterations in a process of clonal evolution. There has been intensive study of potential causal mutations driving cancer development and progression. However, much recent evidence suggests that tumor evolution is normally driven by a variety of mechanisms of somatic hypermutability, known as mutator phenotypes, which act in different combinations or degrees in different cancers. Here we explore the question of how and to which degree different mutator phenotypes act in a cancer predict its future progression. We develop a computational paradigm using evolutionary tree inference (tumor phylogeny) algorithms to derive features quantifying single-tumor mutational preferences, followed by a machine learning frame-work to identify key features predictive of progression. We build phylogenies tracing the evolution of subclones of cells in tumor tissues using a variety of somatic genomic alterations, including single nucleotide variations, copy number alterations, and structural variations. We demonstrate that mutation preference features derived from the phylogenies are predictive of clinical outcomes of cancer progression – overall survival and disease-free survival – based on the analyses on breast invasive carcinoma, lung adenocarcinoma, and lung squamous cell carcinoma. We further show that mutational phenotypes have predictive power even after accounting for traditional clinical and driver-centric predictors of progression. These results confirm the power of mutational phenotypes as an independent class of predictive biomarkers and suggest a strategy for enhancing the predictive power of conventional clinical or driver-centric genomic features.
Governance of Corporate Insider Equity Trades

Corporate executives receive a considerable portion of their compensation in the form of equity and, from time to time, sell a portion of their holdings in the open market. Executives nearly always have access to nonpublic information about the company, and routinely have an information advantage over public shareholders. Federal securities laws prohibit executives from trading on material nonpublic information about their company, and companies develop an Insider Trading Policy (ITP) to ensure executives comply with applicable rules. In this Closer Look we examine the potential shortcomings of existing governance practices as illustrated by four examples that suggest significant room for improvement. We ask: • Should an ITP go beyond legal requirements to minimize the risk of negative public perception from trades that might otherwise appear suspicious? • Why don’t all companies make the terms of their ITP public? • Why don’t more companies require the strictest standards, such as pre-approval by the general counsel and mandatory use of 10b5-1 plans? • Does the board review trades by insiders on a regular basis? What conversation, if any, takes place between executives and the board around large, single-event sales?
Ulnar Tunnel Syndrome (Guyon Canal)

Ulnar nerve entrapment at the wrist, commonly referred to as ulnar tunnel syndrome, has a variable presentation due to the intricate anatomy of the ulnar nerve as it courses through the distal ulnar tunnel, or Guyon’s canal. Having a fundamental understanding of the anatomy of the ulnar nerve at this level will allow the clinician to better diagnose the site of compression. Common etiologies include space-occupying lesions, acute and repetitive trauma, vascular, endocrine and anatomic anomalies. A detailed patient history can be very helpful in eliciting the proper diagnosis. Similarly, a thorough physical exam, including motor, sensory and vascular evaluations, assist in the diagnosis of ulnar tunnel syndrome. Electrodiagnostic and advanced imaging studies can also be helpful in confirming the diagnosis and defining the pathologic lesion responsible for compression. Treatment consists first of nonsurgical management; however surgical decompression may be warranted for failure of nonsurgical treatment or for persistent and/or worsening symptoms.
Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion: Comparison of Isthmic Versus Degenerative Spondylolisthesis.

ABSTRACT Background: Minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS TLIF) is a common surgical procedure for treatment of degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS) but remains controversial for treatment of isthmic spondylolisthesis (IS). Few studies have compared IS and DS outcomes after MIS TLIF. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to compare outcomes of patients with IS and DS after MIS TLIF. Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis was performed on a prospectively maintained database of patients who underwent a primary, 1-level MIS TLIF for grade I or II IS or DS. Grade I and II DS and grade I IS patients were treated with MIS TLIF via a unilateral tubular approach, whereas the grade II IS patients were treated via a bilateral tubular approach. Differences in patient demographics and preoperative characteristics were assessed using independent sample t tests and χ2 tests. The type of spondylolisthesis and its effect on postoperative outcomes was analyzed using Poisson regression with robust error variance (binary outcomes) or linear regression (continuous outcomes) adjusted for preoperative characteristics. Subgroup analysis comparing grade I IS versus DS and grade II IS versus DS was performed. Results: A total of 223 patients were included (IS: 62 [27.8%]; DS: 161 [72.2%]). IS patients were younger (P Conclusions: Despite being younger and having a lower comorbidity burden than the DS cohort, similar outcomes were observed after MIS TLIF for IS patients. Level of Evidence: 3. Clinical Relevance: These results suggest MIS TLIF is an appropriate treatment option for IS patients despite the increased instability inherent with IS.
Near-infrared Fluorescence Imaging of Ureters With Intravenous Indocyanine Green During Radical Cystectomy to Prevent Ureteroenteric Anastomotic Strictures.

Abstract Objective To determine whether intraoperative near-infrared fluorescence imaging of the distal ureter using intravenous indocyanine green (ICG) could provide assessment of vascular adequacy and potentially decrease the risk of ureteroenteric anastomotic stricture (UAS). Methods A retrospective chart review was performed of all patients undergoing open radical cystectomy by a single surgeon over a 2-year period. Patients were divided into ICG and non-ICG cohorts based on utilization of ICG. For the ICG group, adequacy of ureteral perfusion was based on visual inspection and the ureter was cut back proximally accordingly prior to anastomosis. Follow-up encounters were reviewed to determine development of benign UAS. Results A total of 30 and 31 patients were in the non-ICG and ICG cohorts, respectively. There were no differences in baseline demographic and operative data including operative time. Median follow-up was 23.2 months (interquartile range [IQR] 7-29.3) in the non-ICG group compared to 15.8 months (IQR 12.2-18.1) in the ICG group. In the non-ICG cohort, 5 of 30 (16.7%) patients were diagnosed with UAS compared to 1 of 31 (3.2%) in the ICG cohort. The median time to stricture formation for non-ICG cohort was 5.7 months (IQR 3.6-6.6) compared to 7.5 months in the ICG cohort. Conclusion The use of near-infrared fluorescence imaging with intravenous ICG to assess ureteral vascularity prior to ureteroenteric anastomosis may reduce the risk of UAS.
Thoughts on Writing for Review: An NSF Program Officer’s Perspective

This is an invited Account and Perspective, providing observations and advice derived from a 40-year academic career that has included over 14 years' service as a program officer at the National Sc...
One Step to Efficient Synthetic Data.

We propose a general method of producing synthetic data, which is widely applicable for parametric models, has asymptotically efficient summary statistics, and is both easily implemented and highly computationally efficient. Our approach allows for the construction of both partially synthetic datasets, which preserve the summary statistics without formal privacy methods, as well as fully synthetic data which satisfy the strong guarantee of differential privacy (DP), both with asymptotically efficient summary statistics. While our theory deals with asymptotics, we demonstrate through simulations that our approach offers high utility in small samples as well. In particular we 1) apply our method to the Burr distribution, evaluating the parameter estimates as well as distributional properties with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, 2) demonstrate the performance of our mechanism on a log-linear model based on a car accident dataset, and 3) produce DP synthetic data for the beta distribution using a customized Laplace mechanism.
Supraventricular tachycardia in pregnancy

Abstract Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) can occur in pregnant women with or without structural heart disease. SVT remains uncommon in pregnancy, and atrial fibrillation is now the most frequent supraventricular arrhythmia in pregnancy. Maternal physiologic changes such as increased intravascular volume can predispose to SVT and other arrhythmias in pregnancy. Although considered benign, SVT can be associated with adverse maternal and fetal outcome, especially among those with pre-existing structural heart disease. The clinical evaluation of SVT in pregnancy includes detailed history and physical examination. Important investigations include 12 lead ECG during SVT and sinus rhythm and echocardiography. The general management centers on arrhythmia avoidance during pregnancy by ablation of known SVT before pregnancy and involving a multidisciplinary care team for patients presenting 1st time during pregnancy. Acute management of SVT includes vagal maneuvers, pharmacotherapy and cardioversion for patients with hemodynamically unstable SVT. Chronic management includes pharmacotherapy with AV nodal blocking agents, anti-arrhythmic therapy, or catheter ablation in tertiary care centers after extensive consideration of risks and benefits to the mother and the fetus.
Web Conferencing Facilitation Within Problem-Based Learning Biomedical Engineering Courses

Problem-based learning (PBL) has been effectively used within BME education, though there are several challenges in its implementation within courses with larger enrollments. Furthermore, the sudden transition to online learning from the COVID-19 pandemic introduced additional challenges in creating a similar PBL experience in an online environment. Online constrained PBL was implemented through asynchronous modules and synchronous web conferencing with rotating facilitators. Overall, facilitators perceived web conferencing facilitation to be similar to in-person, but noted that students were more easily “hidden” or distracted. Students did not comment on web conferencing facilitation specifically, but indicated the transition to online PBL was smooth. Course instructors identified that a fully synchronous delivery as well as modifications of Group Meeting Minutes assignments as potential modifications for future offerings. Future work will aim to address the perceptions and effectiveness of web conferencing facilitation for PBL courses within an undergraduate BME curriculum, as web conferencing could prove to be another significant breakthrough in addressing challenges of problem-based learning courses.
A Reconfigurable Passive Voltage Multiplier for Wireless Mobile IoT Applications

Battery-less wireless systems generate their supply voltage from the incoming RF signal, and need to deal with the problem of generating sufficient voltage level required by their various blocks from weak input signals, while maintaining high efficiency. The presented voltage multiplier seeks to maximize the power conversion efficiency (PCE) by changing the RF-to-DC converter topology in the voltage multiplier based on the incoming signal. Besides topology, the number of stages in the voltage multiplier can change for the desired output DC voltage from the varying RF input signal. A prototype is fabricated in 0.35-μm standard CMOS process, operating at 13.56 MHz with a 2 kΩ load. The core element in the voltage multiplier yields a peak PCE of 76% with the cross-coupled topology at low input power, while the hybrid topology provides 70% PCE at higher input power. This reconfigurable voltage multiplier can be used in RFID or Internet-of-Things (IoT) mobile applications to regulate power against changes in the distance between the power source and the target.
Monocled Cobra (Naja kaouthia) Envenomations Requiring Mechanical Ventilation.

Abstract Background Bites from nonnative snakes are uncommon, accounting for 1.1% of envenomations reported to poison centers between 2015 and 2018. Here we discuss two monocled cobra (Naja kaouthia) envenomations resulting in respiratory failure. Case Reports A 30-year-old man and a 40-year-old man were bitten by their captive monocled cobras. At the first hospital, the first patient was mildly hypotensive, transiently bradycardic, and confused. He was intubated for respiratory distress. He was hypertensive to 211/119 mm Hg upon arrival to the second hospital. In the Emergency Department, cobra antivenom was administered. He was admitted to the medical intensive care unit (MICU) and had an additional bradycardic episode that corrected with atropine. He was extubated after 35 h. He was observed for an additional 9 h prior to going home, where he recovered without incident. The second patient developed abdominal pain, blurry vision, and dyspnea within 90 min of the bite. He was intubated at the first hospital. At the second hospital he received cobra antivenom and was admitted to the MICU. He was extubated after 9 h and discharged the following day with no further symptoms. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? Envenomations after N. kaouthia bites are characterized by local tissue injury and various neurotoxic effects. Nonspecific signs and symptoms are common. Hematologic toxicity and cardiovascular manifestations are uncommon. Antivenom is the specific treatment for snake envenomation, but only certain antivenoms are indicated for N. kaouthia. Cholinesterase inhibitors may reduce toxicity from postsynaptic alpha toxins by increasing acetylcholine concentrations.
Mimético culto: La cordillera de los sueños

Ileana Rodriguez es Humanities Distinguished Professor Emerita de The Ohio State University y Associated Researcher del Instituto de Historia de Nicaragua y Centroamerica (IHNCA). Ha dedicado su investigacion a las intersecciones entre politica y genero masculino/femenino, y a los cruces interdisciplinarios. Sus ultimos libros publicados son: Modalidades de memoria y archivos afectivos: Cine de mujeres en Centroamerica. (2020); La prosa de la contra-insurgencia. ‘Lo politico’ durante la restauracion neoliberal en Nicaragua (2019); y Gender Violence in Failed and Democratic States. Besieging Perverse Masculinities (2016). En su ultimo libro explora la relacion entre imagen y afecto en el cine centroamericano de mujeres. Postula que lo estetico produce solidaridad y que en la lectura del cuerpo mismo de los participantes —y en el estudio de la voz que se quiebra al tornarse gemido y alterar la forma estandar de la sintaxis—, se logra reinstalar la fuerza de los sobrevivientes en los eventos historicos que recuerdan. En este texto, dedicado al ultimo documental de Patricio Guzman “La cordillera de los suenos” (2019), Rodriguez explora el mismo gesto y propone que la belleza fisica del mundo natural es fuente de esperanza para el que las mira y al mismo tiempo es un testimonio mas del hondo afecto de Guzman por su pais, Chile, al que le ha dedicado gran parte de su produccion. En este sentido, vuelve a poner en escena momentos claves de la historia de Chile y la fuerza de la participacion de la ciudadania en hacer su propia historia, aunque aquello pese a los que la quieran olvidar.
Station Correlation Attention Learning for Data-driven Bike Sharing System Usage Prediction

After years of development, bike sharing has been one of the major choices of transportation for urban residents worldwide. However, efficient use of bike sharing resources is challenging due to the unbalanced station-level demands and supplies, which causes the maintenance of the bike sharing systems painstaking. To achieve system efficiency, efforts have been made on accurate prediction of bike traffic (demands/pick-ups and returns/drop-offs). Nonetheless, bike station traffic prediction is difficult due to the spatio-temporal complexity of bike sharing systems. Moreover, such level of prediction over the entire bike sharing systems is also challenging due to the large number of bike stations.To fill this gap, we propose BikeGAAN, a graph adjacency attention neural network to predict station-level bike traffic for entire bike sharing systems. The proposed prediction system consists of a graph convolutional network with an attention mechanism differentiating the spatial correlations between features of bike stations in the system and a long short-term memory network capturing temporal correlations. We have conducted extensive data analysis upon bike usage, weather, points of interest and event data, and derived the graph representation of the bike sharing networks. Through experimental study on over 27 millions trips of bike sharing systems of four metropolitan cities in the U.S., New York City, Chicago, Washington D.C. and Los Angeles, our network design has shown high accuracy in predicting the bike station traffic in the cities, outperforming other baselines and state-of-art models.
A single exposure to altered auditory feedback causes observable sensorimotor adaptation in speech

Sensory errors caused by perturbations to movement-related feedback induce two types of behavioral changes that oppose the perturbation: rapid compensation within a movement, as well as longer-term adaptation of subsequent movements. Although adaptation is hypothesized to occur whenever a sensory error is perceived (including after a single exposure to altered feedback), adaptation of articulatory movements in speech has only been observed after repetitive exposure to auditory perturbations, questioning both current theories of speech sensorimotor adaptation as well as the universality of more general theories of adaptation. Thus, positive evidence for the hypothesized single-exposure or "one-shot" learning would provide critical support for current theories of speech sensorimotor learning and control and align adaptation in speech more closely with other motor domains. We measured one-shot learning in a large dataset in which participants were exposed to intermittent, unpredictable auditory perturbations to their vowel formants (the resonant frequencies of the vocal tract that distinguish between different vowels). On each trial, participants spoke a word out loud while their first formant was shifted up, shifted down, or remained unshifted. We examined whether the perturbation on a given trial affected speech on the subsequent, unperturbed trial. We found that participants adjusted their first formant in the opposite direction of the preceding shift, demonstrating that learning occurs even after a single auditory perturbation as predicted by current theories of sensorimotor adaptation. While adaptation and the preceding compensation responses were correlated, this was largely due to differences across individuals rather than within-participant variation from trial to trial. These findings are more consistent with theories that hypothesize adaptation is driven directly by updates to internal control models than those that suggest adaptation results from incorporation of feedback responses from previous productions.
Quest for Identity: America since 1945

1. The republic in transition: demobilization and reconversion 2. The origins of the Cold War 3. Staying the course: Dwight D. Eisenhower and the politics of moderation 4. Containing communism and managing the military-industrial complex: the Eisenhower Administration and the Cold War 5. Capitalism and conformity: American society, 1945-60 6. Liberalism reborn: John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson and the politics of activism 7. The wages of globalism: foreign affairs during the Kennedy-Johnson era 8. The dividing of America: Vietnam, Black Power, the counterculture, and the election of 1968 9. Realpolitik or Imperialism? Nixon, Kissinger, and American foreign policy 10. The limits of expediency: Richard M. Nixon and the American Presidency 11. From confidence to anxiety: American Society, 1960-80 12. Governing in a malaise: the presidencies of Gerald R. Ford and Jimmy Carter 13. The culture of narcissism: the Reagan era 14. In search of balance: America into the twenty-first century.
Bad Actors and the Evolution of Patent Law

Historically high levels of abusive patent enforcement fuel an ongoing debate on the need for legislative and judicial reforms designed to deter bad faith conduct by patent holders. To date, this debate has focused intently on the direct monetary costs and benefits of reform, most notably the impact on litigation costs and patent valuations. This Essay argues that this focus has led patent reformers and their opponents to overlook a significant indirect benefit of taking action against bad actors: namely, that strengthening courts’ ability to punish and prevent bad behavior will tend to make patent law more coherent and predictable in the long run. As the Essay explains, patent law’s lack of effective deterrents to bad faith conduct likely played a role to the creation of some of the most perennially confounding aspects of patent law. In the words of a familiar adage, patent law has seen its fair share of “bad facts” spawning “bad law.” In light of this history, there is good reason to believe that one benefit of raising the bar for acceptable conduct in patent litigation is that patent law will thereafter develop more logically for the simple reason that courts will be forced to grapple with bad facts (and thus tempted to make bad law) less often as a result.
Colonization and growth effects of the mycorrhizal fungus Glomus intraradicies in a commercial nursery container production system.

Abstract The objectives of this research were to demonstrate that mycorrhiza can survive in a commercial nursery container production system, and enhance plant productivity. Four species were used as host plants [Nandina domestica ‘Moon Bay’, Loropetalum chinense variety Rubrum ‘Hinepurpleleaf’ Plumb delight®, Salvia gregii, and Photinia fraseri]. Plants were inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Glomus intraradices, and grown in a commercial nursery in Texas. For the first 5.5 months, plants were grown in #1 cans containing either 3 kg cu m (5 lbs cu yd) or 4.2 kg cu m (7 lbs cu yd) 24N–4P205–8K20. For the final 6.5 months of the study, plants were in larger containers, all of which contained 4.2 kg cu m (7 lbs cu yd) 24N–4P2O5–8K2O. The commercial inoculum of Glomus intraradices only enhanced growth of N. domestica. The shoot dry mass of mycorrhizal N. domestica plants at 3 kg cu m was the same as non-colonized plants at the higher fertility level of 4.2 cu m. Intraradical hyphae development and...
What Constitutes Effective Physics Instruction? Surveying the Views of Iowa High School Physics Teachers

During the spring of 2009, we invited all known Iowa high school physics teachers to respond to a series of survey questions designed to probe the current state of high school physics instruction in our state. Among other questions, the survey asked respondents to indicate the degree with which they agreed with ten statements regarding effective physics instruction, and to rate the relative importance of ten skills students might acquire in their physics courses. By dividing the respondents into two groups, traditional instructors and nontraditional instructors, we observed statistically significant differences between the views of both groups. Teachers who use inquiry-based approaches to teaching physics are more likely to have a positive view of physics first, are less likely to value a textbook’s role in class, place less value on having students solve numerical problems, more strongly agree that small group work in class is essential, place more value on graphical representations, and are less likely to believe that giving directions to students is necessary prior to laboratory work.
Naturally occurring flavonoids: structure, chemistry, and high-performance liquid chromatography methods for separation and characterization

Publisher Summary The flavonoids are naturally occurring low molecular weight aryl chromones that are ubiquitous in the photosynthesizing cells of plants. They participate in the light-dependent phase of photosynthesis to catalyze electron transport, thus regulating the ion channels involved in photophosphoregulation. Flavonoids play a variety of roles in mammalian cell function. At one point, some members of flavonoid family were named “vitamin P” because of their ability to protect a cell against enhanced capillary permeability. Many flavonoids possess potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, and antihemorrhagic properties. Flavonoids can inhibit several important enzymes in cellular systems, including ATPase, phospholipase, prostaglandin cyclooxygenase, lipoxygenase, aldose reductase, and hexokinase. Flavonoids can also induce several enzymes—namely, aryl hydroxylase and epoxide hydroxylase. Thus, flavonoids seem to possess several pharmacologic properties that make them excellent agents to serve as natural biological response modifiers. Flavonoids are a class of naturally occurring organic phytochemicals derived from 2-phenylchromone. The immediate family members include flavone, isoflavone, 3-hydroxyflavone or flavonol, and the 2,3-dihydro derivatives of flavone—namely, flavanones, which are interconvertible with the isomeric chalcones. Flavanones undergo a series of transformations affecting the heterocyclic C ring to give rise to flavonoids. Anthocyanins and catechin, other members of the family, possess a benzopyrylium nucleus and a tetrahydropyranol ring, respectively.
Polyphosphate as modulator of hemostasis, thrombosis, and inflammation.

Inorganic polyphosphate (polyP), a linear polymer of phosphates, is present in many infectious microorganisms and is secreted by mast cells and platelets. PolyP has recently been shown to accelerate blood clotting and slow fibrinolysis, in a manner that is highly dependent on polymer length. Very long-chain polyP (of the type present in microorganisms) is an especially potent trigger of the contact pathway, enhances the proinflammatory activity of histones, and may participate in host responses to pathogens. PolyP also inhibits complement, providing another link between polyP and inflammation/innate immunity. Platelet-size polyP (which is considerably shorter) accelerates factor V activation, opposes the anticoagulant action of tissue factor pathway inhibitor, modulates fibrin clot structure, and promotes factor XI activation. PolyP may have utility in treating bleeding. It is also a potential target for the development of anti-thrombotic drugs with a novel mechanism of action and potentially fewer bleeding side effects compared to conventional anticoagulants.
When the rug comes out from under: Managing change, technology, information, and staff

SUMMARY Change is inherent in modern organizations. Various models that managers may follow in order to promote change within the organization were discussed. The change process should involve planning, two-way communication, participation by staff, and constructive feedback.
Oxidative Stress and Its Role in Skin Disease

Skin is a major target of oxidative stress due to reactive oxygen species (ROS) that originate in the environment and in the skin itself. ROS are generated during normal metabolism, are an integral part of normal cellular function, and are usually of little harm because of intracellular mechanisms that reduce their damaging effects. Antioxidants attenuate the damaging effects of ROS and can impair and/or reverse many of the events that contribute to epidermal toxicity and disease. However, increased or prolonged free radical action can overwhelm ROS defense mechanisms, contributing to the development of cutaneous diseases and disorders. Although ROS play a role in diseases such as skin cancer, their biological targets and pathogenic mode of action are still not fully understood. In addition, strategies useful in the therapeutic management of ROS action in human skin are still lacking. This review is intended to give investigators an introduction to ROS, antioxidants, two skin disorders influenced by ROS action (skin cancer and psoriasis), and relevant model systems used to study ROS action.
Complex terrain alters temperature and moisture limitations of forest soil respiration across a semiarid to subalpine gradient

Forest soil respiration is a major carbon (C) flux that is characterized by significant variability in space and time. We quantified growing season soil respiration during both a drought year and a nondrought year across a complex landscape to identify how landscape and climate interact to control soil respiration. We asked the following questions: (1) How does soil respiration vary across the catchments due to terrain-induced variability in moisture availability and temperature? (2) Does the relative importance of moisture versus temperature limitation of respiration vary across space and time? And (3) what terrain elements are important for dictating the pattern of soil respiration and its controls? Moisture superseded temperature in explaining watershed respiration patterns, with wetter yet cooler areas higher up and on north facing slopes yielding greater soil respiration than lower and south facing areas. Wetter subalpine forests had reduced moisture limitation in favor of greater seasonal temperature limitation, and the reverse was true for low-elevation semiarid forests. Coincident climate poorly predicted soil respiration in the montane transition zone; however, antecedent precipitation from the prior 10 days provided additional explanatory power. A seasonal trend in respiration remained after accounting for microclimate effects, suggesting that local climate alone may not adequately predict seasonal variability in soil respiration in montane forests. Soil respiration climate controls were more strongly related to topography during the drought year highlighting the importance of landscape complexity in ecosystem response to drought.
Models of molecular diversity to facilitate marker guided therapy

KN01 Several hundred drugs targeted against molecular defects in cancer are now being tested clinically. This number will grow substantially as comprehensive analyses of cancer genomes are completed. Early development of biomarkers that predict clinical response will allow these drugs to be tested in tumors most likely to respond. This will increase the probability that drugs effective in tumor subpopulations will not be missed and will decrease the cost of early trials by allowing them to be tested in small numbers of patients whose tumors are most likely to respond. It also will allow predictive biomarkers to be developed in parallel with experimental drugs so that successful drugs enter the clinical market with fully validated predictive biomarkers. We are pursuing the hypothesis that selection of predictive markers for breast cancers can be accomplished by assessing responses to new drugs in an in vitro system comprised of 50 breast cancer cell lines and correlating these with genomic, transcriptional and proteomic features measured in order to identify molecular features associated with response. This in vitro systems approach is based on our observations that the cell line collection models much of the molecular diversity and recurrent aberrations found in primary tumors and that predictive markers can be developed using information about molecular features associated with response in vitro. In order to test the in vitro approach, we have developed novel computational and experimental approaches for identification of non-linear signatures of response and we have applied these in assessing responses to ~40 approved and experimental therapeutic agents. We have tested the clinical utility of one of these-- a 6-gene predictive assay for lapatinib developed using this approach, in two independent clinical trials.
Polymerization of α‐amino acid N‐carboxy anhydrides in N,N‐dimethylformamide

The polymerization of γ-benzyl-L-glutamate NCA initiated by n-hexylamine in DMF proceeds with two successive propagation rates whose ratio is about 1.5. The onset of the increase in rate of propagation occurred at a DPn of 7–14, which was independent of initiator to anhydride ratio and anhydride concentration and not a result of anhydride impurities. The increase in rate is likely a result of a conformational change in the polymer at a DPn of 7–14.
The transverse diameter of the inlet.

W HEN disproportion is present in an obstetrical patient, the inlet is most frequently the cause. In the prediction of inlet obstruction, the obstetrical conjugate is usually the factor considered. This is probably a holdover from the days when rickets played the major role in inlet difficulties. The transverse diameter has not been emphasized, or rather it has been neglected, as to its role in inlet contraction. It has been stated that the transverse diameter only occasionally causes dystocia at the inlet.’ There are two methods that have been used to evaluate the transverse diameter along with the obst,etrical conjugate, namely, the use of areas, as recommended by Mengert,2 Allen3 and Nicholson,* and the use of the sum of the obstetrical conjugate and the transverse, as used by Weinberg and Scadron.” From clinical observation the transverse diameter seemed to be frequently at fault. For this reason it was thought desirable to determine its role, if any, in inlet obstruction.
Spiritual well-being in long-term colorectal cancer survivors with ostomies.

Objective Spiritual well-being (SpWB) is integral to health-related quality of life. The challenges of colorectal cancer (CRC) and subsequent bodily changes can affect SpWB. We analyzed the SpWB of CRC survivors with ostomies. Methods Two-hundred-eighty-three long-term (≥5 years) CRC survivors with permanent ostomies completed the modified City of Hope Quality of Life-Ostomy (mCOH-QOL-O) questionnaire. An open-ended question elicited respondents' greatest challenge in living with an ostomy. We used content analysis to identify SpWB responses and develop themes. We analyzed responses on the three-item SpWB sub-scale. Results Open-ended responses from 52% of participants contained SpWB content. Fifteen unique SpWB themes were identified. Sixty percent of individuals expressed positive themes such as “positive attitude”, “I am fortunate”, “appreciate life more”, and “strength through religious faith”. Negative themes, expressed by only 29% of respondents, included “struggling to cope”, “not feeling ‘normal’ ”, and “loss”. Fifty-five percent of respondents expressed ambivalent themes including “learning acceptance”, “an ostomy is the price for survival”, “reason to be around despite suffering”, and “continuing to cope despite challenges”. The majority (64%) had a high SpWB sub-scale score. Conclusions Although CRC survivors with ostomies infrequently mentioned negative SpWB themes as a major challenge, ambivalent themes were common. SpWB themes were often mentioned as a source of resilience or part of the struggle to adapt to an altered body after cancer surgery. Interventions to improve the quality of life of cancer survivors should contain program elements designed to address SpWB that support personal meaning, inner peace, inter connectedness, and belonging. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Parallel Solution of DDDAS Variational Inference Problems

Abstract Inference problems in dynamically data-driven application systems use physical measurements along with a physical model to estimate the parameters or state of a physical system. Developing parallel algorithms to solve inference problems can improve the process of estimating and predicting the physical state of a system. Solution to inference problems using the variational approach require multiple evaluations of the associated cost function and gradient, where the gradient is defined as the increase/decrease inflection point of the variable between two points. In this paper we present a scalable algorithm based on augmented Lagrangian approach to solve the variational inference problem. The augmented Lagrangian framework facilitates parallel cost function and gradient computations. We show that the methodology is highly scalable with increasing problem size by applying it for the Lorenz-96 model.
Visualization of subsurface blood vessels by color Doppler optical coherence tomography in rats: before and after hemostatic therapy.

Abstract Background: The ability to visualize subsurface blood vessels and measure flow may be useful in certain experimental and clinical settings. Methods: Color Doppler optical coherence tomography was used to visualize and measure blood flow in subsurface vessels in vivo in a rat skin flap model. Local "hemostatic" interventions (epinephrine or sclerosant injection, heat probe, and laser) were then applied and imaging was repeated. The skin flap was evaluated histologically. Results: Subsurface blood vessels were easily visualized in cross-section, and vessel diameter and bidirectional blood flow velocity were readily measured. Color Doppler optical coherence tomography demonstrated that flow was significantly reduced after epinephrine injection and became undetectable after the other interventions. This correlated with pathologic evidence of vessel damage in all interventions, except for epinephrine injection. Although vessel response was as predicted to most interventions, the response to epinephrine was only temporary, and limited application of heat alone from the heat probe halted flow without visually apparent surface injury. Conclusions: Color Doppler optical coherence tomography provides high-resolution, cross-sectional flow imaging in subsurface blood vessels. Color Doppler optical coherence tomography is potentially a better technique for the study of existing and new hemostatic intervention in the laboratory. Potential future clinical applications include monitoring of the response to hemostatic modalities.
Problems with the imprinting hypothesis of schizophrenia and autism

Crespi & Badcock (CB their hypothesis lacks a clearly explained mechanism; and it is unclear how their explanation fits in with known aspects of the disorders.
INTERACTIONS OF ANESTHETICS WITH THE WATER-HEXANE INTERFACE. A MOLECULAR DYNAMICS STUDY

The free energy profiles characterizing the transfer of nine solutes across the liquid-vapor interfaces of water and hexane and across the water-hexane interface were calculated from molecular dynamics simulations. Among the solutes were n-butane and three of its halogenated derivatives, as well as three halogenated cyclobutanes. The two remaining molecules, dichlorodifluoromethane and 1,2-dichloroperfluoroethane, belong to series of halo-substituted methanes and ethanes, described in previous studies (J. Chem. Phys. 1996, 104, 3760; Chem. Phys. 1996, 204, 337). Each series of molecules contains structurally similar compounds that differ greatly in anesthetic potency. The accuracy of the simulations was tested by comparing the calculated and the experimental free energies of solvation of all nine compounds in water and in hexane. In addition. the calculated and the measured surface excess concentrations of n-butane at the water liquid-vapor interface were compared. In all cases, good agreement with experimental results was found. At the water-hexane interface, the free energy profiles for polar molecules exhibited significant interfacial minima, whereas the profiles for nonpolar molecules did not. The existence of these minima was interpreted in terms of a balance between the free energy contribution arising from solute-solvent interactions and the work to form a cavity that accommodates the solute. These two contributions change monotonically, but oppositely, across the interface. The interfacial solubilities of the solutes, obtained from the free energy profiles, correlate very well with their anesthetic potencies. This is the case even when the Meyer-Overton hypothesis, which predicts a correlation between anesthetic potency and solubility in oil, fails.
Registering stereovision surface with preoperative magnetic resonance images for brain shift compensation

Intraoperative brain deformation can significantly degrade the accuracy of image guidance using preoperative MR images (pMR). To compensate for brain deformation, biomechanical models have been used to assimilate intraoperative displacement data, compute whole-brain deformation field, and to produce updated MR images (uMR). Stereovision (SV) is an important technique to capture both geometry and texture information of exposed cortical surface at the craniotomy, from which surface displacement data (known as sparse data) can be extracted by registering with pMR to drive the computational model. Approaches that solely utilize geometrical information (e.g., closest point distance (CPD) and iterative closest point (ICP) method) do not seem to capture surface deformation accurately especially when significant lateral shift occurs. In this study, we have developed a texture intensity-based method to register cortical surface reconstructed from stereovision after dural opening with pMR to extract 3D sparse data. First, a texture map is created from pMR using surface geometry before dural opening. Second, a mutual information (MI)-based registration was performed between the texture map and the corresponding stereo image after dural opening to capture the global lateral shift. A block-matching algorithm was then executed to differentiate local displacements in smaller patches. The global and local displacements were finally combined and transformed in 3D following stereopsis. We demonstrate the application of the proposed method with a clinical patient case, and show that the accuracy of the technique is 1-2 mm in terms of model-data misfit with a computation time <10 min.
High-density reachability analysis

We address the problem of reachability analysis for large finite state systems. Symbolic techniques have revolutionized reachability analysis but still have limitations in traversing large systems. We present techniques to improve the symbolic breadth-first traversal and compute a lower bound on the reachable states. We identify the problem as one of density during traversal and our techniques seek to improve the same. Our results show a marked improvement on the existing breadth-first traversal methods.