cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Metal- and O2-Free Oxidative C–C Bond Cleavage of Aromatic Aldehydes

An oxidative C–C cleavage of aldehydes requiring neither metals nor O2 was discovered. Homobenzylic aldehydes and α-substituted homobenzylic aldehydes were cleaved to benzylic aldehydes and ketones, respectively, using nitrosobenzene as an oxidant. This reaction is chemoselective for aromatic aldehydes, as an aliphatic aldehyde was unreactive under these conditions, and other reactive functionality such as ketones and free alcohols are tolerated. A mechanism accounting for the fate of the lost carbon is proposed.
A Situation-Centric Approach to Identifying New User Intentions Using the MTL Method

Human factors have been increasingly recognized as one of the major driving forces of requirement changes. We believe that the requirements elicitation (RE) process should largely embrace human-centered perspectives, and this paper focuses on changing human intentions and desires over time. To support software evolution due to requirement changes, Situ framework has been proposed to model and detect human intentions by inferring their desires through monitoring environmental and human behavioral contexts prior to or after system deployment. Researchers have reported that Situ is able to infer users' desires with high accuracy using the Conditional Random Fields method. However, manual analysis is still needed for new intention identification and new requirements elicitation. This work attempts to find a computable way to identify users' new intentions with minimal help from human oracle. We discuss the feasibility of implementing the concept of DIKW (Data, Information, Knowledge, Wisdom) to bridge the gap between user behavioral & contextual data and requirements, and propose a situation-centric approach using the Multi-strategy, Task-adaptive Learning (MTL) method. A case study shows that the proposed approach is able to identify users' new intentions, and is especially effective to capture alternatives of low-level task.
Embedding Virtual Network in Data Center Networks with Wireless Links

Virtual network embedding has been widely studied for decades in backbone network, as it provides a promising way to resolve the conflict between flexibility of higher layer applications and rigidity of lower layer hardware, by allowing multiple heterogeneous virtual networks designed for different big data services to coexist and share the same infrastructure underneath. On the other hand, as the advanced development of directional antenna, wireless technique has also been introduced into data center networks, denoted as hybrid data center networks (HDCN). HDCN shows its great potential to mitigate the over-subscription problem in higher level links in traditional data centers. However, how to implement network virtualization in HDCN such that all the wireless links can be sufficiently utilized remains a challenging problem. In this paper, we study virtual network embedding problem in HDCN environment, by jointly considering embedding virtual networks and scheduling the directional antennas. We first summarize this problem into an integer programming problem, then propose a heuristic algorithm to find solutions to this problem. Extensive simulations reveal that the proposed algorithm efficiently provides a near-optimal solution. These features make it a promising VNE solution to HDCN environment.
Operative Outcomes of Multiple-Arterial Versus Single-Arterial Coronary Bypass Grafting

Background More than 90% of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is performed with a single-arterial bypass graft (SABG), based on the left internal thoracic artery (ITA) with supplemental vein grafts. This practice, often justified by safety concerns with multiple-arterial grafting (MABG), defies evidence of improved late survival achieved with bilateral ITA (BITA-MABG) or left ITA plus radial artery (RA-MABG). We hypothesized that MABG and SABG are equally safe. Methods We analyzed The Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Database (2004 to 2015) to assess the operative safety of BITA-MABG (n = 73,054) and RA-MABG (n = 97,623) vs SABG (n = 1,334,511). Primary end points were operative (30-day or same hospitalization) mortality (OM) and deep sternal wound infections (DSWI). Risk-adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were derived from by logistic regression with sensitivity analyses in multiple subcohorts including MABG use rate. Results SABG (73.8% men; median age, 66 years), BITA-MABG (85.1% men; median age, 59 years), and RA-MABG (82.5% men; median age, 61 years) showed distinctly different patient characteristics. Compared with SABG (1.91% OM; 0.73% DSWI), observed OM was lower for BITA-MABG (1.19%, p p p p = 0.55). BITA-MABG showed marginally increased, likely not clinically significant, OM (AOR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.30; p = 0.05) and doubled DSWI (AOR, 2.09; 95% CI, 1.80 to 2.43; p p = 0.85) and DSWI (AOR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.13; p = 0.70). Results were consistent across multiple subcohorts. A U-shaped OM vs BITA use relation was documented, with worse OM at hospitals with low ( p p = 0.049) BITA use. Conclusions MABG in the United States is associated with OM comparable to SABG and increased DSWI risk with BITA-MABG. Our findings highlight the importance of surgeon and institutional experience and careful patient selection for BITA-MABG. Our short-term results should not in any way dissuade the use of MABG, given its well-established long-term survival advantage.
Newer antiepileptic drugs: gabapentin, lamotrigine, felbamate, topiramate and fosphenytoin.

Twenty-five to 40 percent of patients with epilepsy continue to have seizures despite optimal treatment with traditional antiepileptic drugs. Treatment with standard anticonvulsants such as phenytoin, carbamazepine, valproic acid and phenobarbital is often complicated by side effects and by failure to adequately control seizures. Up to 61 percent of patients with seizures report having side effects with antiepileptic drugs. After a 15-year hiatus since the last new antiepileptic drug was marketed, five new drugs have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the control of seizures. Three of these, gabapentin, lamotrigine and topiramate, are approved for use in adults with partial seizures with or without generalization. Felbamate is approved for the above indication and also for use in children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a rare childhood seizure disorder. Felbamate and lamotrigine have the potential of significant side effects and should be prescribed by physicians experienced in managing patients with complicated epilepsy. Fosphenytoin is a parenteral prodrug of phenytoin that is more tolerable than parenteral phenytoin.
Interpolation Theorems for the Independence and Domination Numbers of Spanning Trees

For each invariant i = i(T) of a tree T, we say that i interpolates over (the set S of all spanning trees of) a given G if the following statement holds: If n and n are the maximum and mininum values (respectively) of i(T) over all T ∈ S, then for any k, m
Comparative analysis of PknB inhibitors for reactivity and toxicity

ABSTRACT Bacterial serine/threonine kinases are increasingly sought after as drug targets for new antibiotics. PknB, an essential kinase in Mycobacteria tuberculosis, is intensely targeted, and many inhibitors are in the developmental pipeline. These inhibitors typically are derived from screens of known kinase inhibitors and most share similar chemical properties as their parent compounds were all designed for optimal pharmacokinetic properties in the human body. Here, we investigate the reactivity and toxicity of a proposed PknB inhibitor, YH-8, which does not follow traditional drug design rules. We found that the compound is highly reactive with thiolating agents and has appreciable toxicity in a zebrafish animal model. Furthermore, we find minimal anti-mycobacterial activity with non-tubercular mycobacteria strains. These data suggest that further investigation is needed into its efficacy and physiochemical properties if it is to be further developed as an effective antibiotic.
Investment Treaties and Intellectual Property: Eli Lilly v. Canada and Phillip Morris v. Uruguay

Phillip Morris v. Uruguay and Eli Lilly v. Canada are two international investor-state cases that may reveal an emerging trend in international investment law: if a State creates laws that reduce the financial value of an investor’s domestic IP rights, then the investor might use the State’s international IP obligations against it in order to obtain compensation for the lost value of the IP or even force the State to consider reversing course.
Distinctive Activation Mechanism for Angiotensin Receptor Revealed by a Synthetic Nanobody.

Summary The angiotensin II (AngII) type 1 receptor (AT1R) is a critical regulator of cardiovascular and renal function and is an important model for studies of G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling. By stabilizing the receptor with a single-domain antibody fragment ("nanobody") discovered using a synthetic yeast-displayed library, we determined the crystal structure of active-state human AT1R bound to an AngII analog with partial agonist activity. The nanobody binds to the receptor's intracellular transducer pocket, stabilizing the large conformational changes characteristic of activated GPCRs. The peptide engages the AT1R through an extensive interface spanning from the receptor core to its extracellular face and N terminus, remodeling the ligand-binding cavity. Remarkably, the mechanism used to propagate conformational changes through the receptor diverges from other GPCRs at several key sites, highlighting the diversity of allosteric mechanisms among GPCRs. Our structure provides insight into how AngII and its analogs stimulate full or biased signaling, respectively.
Sharing the Load: Distribution of Electronic Resources Management Responsibilities Among U.S. Academic Librarians

abstractWhile electronic resources now constitute a major component of most academic library collections, and the Electronic Resources Librarian (ERL) position has become commonplace, the field of ...
When to Change the Treatment Plan: An Analysis of Diminishing Returns in VA Patients Undergoing Prolonged Exposure and Cognitive Processing Therapy.

Abstract Evidence-based treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often produce significant symptom reduction within eight sessions. However, some patients take longer to respond and a better understanding of predictors of later response can help guide treatment. In the current study, the cohort consisted of all VA patients with a PTSD diagnosis who received at least eight sessions of documented evidence-based treatment within a 6-month period in FY16-FY17 and had at least two PTSD symptom assessments. We examined the proportion of patients who achieved meaningful change (defined as at least 50% reduction in self-reported PTSD symptoms), both within the first eight sessions and subsequently. Fourteen percent of patients achieved meaningful change within eight sessions and 10% subsequently. Symptom change within the first eight sessions was highly predictive of subsequent change. Those who experienced at least 20% symptom reduction by session eight were twice as likely to subsequently achieve meaningful change as compared with all patients who continued treatment. Patients receiving service-connected disability compensation were less likely and White patients more likely to achieve meaningful change. Without some degree of symptom reduction by session eight, patients are unlikely to achieve meaningful change if treatment is not enhanced or changed.
Multi-level analysis of reproduction in an Antarctic midge identifies female and male accessory gland products that are altered by larval stress and impact progeny viability

Background: The Antarctic midge, Belgica antarctica, is a wingless, non-biting midge endemic to Antarctica. Larval development requires at least two years, but adult life lasts only two weeks. The nonfeeding adults mate in swarms and females die shortly after oviposition. Eggs are suspended in a gel of unknown composition that is expressed from the female accessory gland. This project characterizes molecular mechanisms underlying reproduction in this midge by examining differential gene expression in whole males, females, and larvae, as well as in male and female accessory glands. Functional studies are used to assess the role of the gel encasing the eggs, as well as the impact of stress on reproductive biology. Results: RNA-seq analyses revealed sex- and development-specific gene sets along with those associated with the accessory glands. Proteomic analyses were used to define the composition of the egg-containing gel, which is generated during multiple developmental stages and derived from both the accessory gland and other female organs. Functional studies indicate the gel provides a larval food source and thermal and dehydration buffer, all of which are critical for viability. Larval dehydration stress directly reduces production of storage proteins and key accessory gland components, a feature that impacts adult reproductive success. Modeling reveals that bouts of dehydration may significantly impact population growth. Conclusion: This work lays a foundation for further examination of reproduction in midges and provides new information related to general reproduction in dipterans. A key aspect is that reproduction and stress dynamics, currently understudied in polar organisms, are likely to prove critical for determining how climate change will alter survivability.
Skin and Soft Tissue Infection Treatment and Prevention Practices by Pediatric Infectious Diseases Providers

We surveyed 323 members of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society about their clinical practices for skin abscess management based on the 2011 Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines and contemporary evidence. Despite this guideline and recent randomized trials, variability exists among pediatric infectious diseases clinicians in current skin and soft tissue infection management practices.
An electron backscatter diffraction analysis of grain boundary initiated discontinuous precipitation in U-10Mo

Abstract The effect of varied thermomechanical processing on discontinuous precipitation (DP) in U–10Mo was investigated, with specific emphasis on understanding the role of grain boundary misorientation in DP. Varied prior homogenization heat treatment and thermomechanical processing resulted in differences in both the fraction of DP and the colony width, and was attributed to variations in the grain boundary misorientation distribution. Regardless of the degree of DP-based transformation, extensive growth of DP colonies was dominant on 30°–45° misorientation boundaries. Interestingly, misorientation histograms of the deformed and annealed specimens suggest the processing steps involved may have inhibited DP colony growth along a small fraction of these high angle boundaries. Large-area electron backscatter diffraction montages coupled with high resolution mapping suggest symmetric {110}-type interfaces may be important considerations for mitigating extensive DP growth in this alloy system.
Extracting typical occupancy schedules from social media (TOSSM) and its integration with building energy modeling

Building occupancy, one of the most important consequences of occupant behaviors, is a driving influencer for building energy consumption and has been receiving increasing attention in the building energy modeling community. With the vast development of information technologies in the era of the internet-of-things, occupant sensing and data acquisition are not limited to a single node or traditional approaches. The prevalence of social networks provides a myriad of publically available social media data that might contain occupancy information in the space for a given time. In this paper, we explore two approaches to extract the typical occupancy schedules for the input to the building energy simulation based on the data from social networks. The first approach uses text classification algorithms to identify whether people are present in the space where they are posting on social media. On top of that, the typical building occupancy schedules are extracted with assumed people counting rules. The second approach utilizes the processed Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking data provided by social networking service companies such as Facebook and Google Maps. Web scraping techniques are used to obtain and post-process the raw data to extract the typical building occupancy schedules. The results show that the extracted building occupancy schedules from different data sources (Twitter, Facebook, and Google Maps) share a similar trend but are slightly distinct from each other and hence may require further validation and corrections. To further demonstrate the application of the extracted Typical Occupancy Schedules from Social Media (TOSSM), data-driven models for predicting hourly energy usage prediction of a university museum are developed with the integration of TOSSM. The results indicate that the incorporation of TOSSM could improve the hourly energy usage prediction accuracy to a small extent regarding the four adopted evaluation metrics for this museum building.
Patient-derived cells from recurrent tumors that model the evolution of IDH-mutant glioma.

Author(s): Jones, Lindsey E; Hilz, Stephanie; Grimmer, Matthew R; Mazor, Tali; Najac, Chloe; Mukherjee, Joydeep; McKinney, Andrew; Chow, Tracy; Pieper, Russell O; Ronen, Sabrina M; Chang, Susan M; Phillips, Joanna J; Costello, Joseph F | Abstract: BackgroundIDH-mutant lower-grade gliomas (LGGs) evolve under the selective pressure of therapy, but well-characterized patient-derived cells (PDCs) modeling evolutionary stages are lacking. IDH-mutant LGGs may develop therapeutic resistance associated with chemotherapy-driven hypermutation and malignant progression. The aim of this study was to establish and characterize PDCs, single-cell-derived PDCs (scPDCs), and xenografts (PDX) of IDH1-mutant recurrences representing distinct stages of tumor evolution.MethodsWe derived and validated cell cultures from IDH1-mutant recurrences of astrocytoma and oligodendroglioma. We used exome sequencing and phylogenetic reconstruction to examine the evolutionary stage represented by PDCs, scPDCs, and PDX relative to corresponding spatiotemporal tumor tissue and germline DNA. PDCs were also characterized for growth and tumor immortality phenotypes, and PDX were examined histologically.ResultsThe integrated astrocytoma phylogeny revealed 2 independent founder clonal expansions of hypermutated (HM) cells in tumor tissue that are faithfully represented by independent PDCs. The oligodendroglioma phylogeny showed more than 4000 temozolomide-associated mutations shared among tumor samples, PDCs, scPDCs, and PDX, suggesting a shared monoclonal origin. The PDCs from both subtypes exhibited hallmarks of tumorigenesis, retention of subtype-defining genomic features, production of 2-hydroxyglutarate, and subtype-specific telomere maintenance mechanisms that confer tumor cell immortality. The oligodendroglioma PDCs formed infiltrative intracranial tumors with characteristic histology.ConclusionsThese PDCs, scPDCs, and PDX are unique and versatile community resources that model the heterogeneous clonal origins and functions of recurrent IDH1-mutant LGGs. The integrated phylogenies advance our knowledge of the complex evolution and immense mutational load of IDH1-mutant HM glioma.
Single-cell Sequencing Reveals Brain/Spinal Cord Oligodendrocyte Precursor Heterogeneity and Requirement for mTOR in Cholesterol Biosynthesis and Myelin Maintenance

Brain and spinal cord oligodendroglia have distinct functional characteristics, and cell autonomous loss of individual genes can result in different regional phenotypes. However, sequencing studies to date have not revealed distinctions between brain and spinal cord oligodendroglia. Using single-cell analysis of oligodendroglia during myelination, we demonstrate that brain and spinal cord precursors are transcriptionally distinct, defined predominantly by cholesterol biosynthesis. We further identify mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) as a major regulator promoting cholesterol biosynthesis in oligodendroglia. Oligodendroglial-specific loss of mTOR compromises cholesterol biosynthesis in both the brain and spinal cord. Importantly, mTOR loss has a greater impact on cholesterol biosynthesis in spinal cord oligodendroglia that corresponds with more pronounced developmental deficits. However, loss of mTOR in brain oligodendroglia ultimately results in oligodendrocyte death, spontaneous demyelination, and impaired axonal function, demonstrating that mTOR is required for myelin maintenance in the adult brain.
Influence of acidity on lindane hydrolysis

Ampoule-shaker research system was employed to test the influence of acidity on lindane hydrolysis for better understanding its environmental behavior under the condition of different acidity. The results show that acidity is an important influence factor for the transformation rate of lindane, and divided into two parts with pH value ~7.4 as boundary. It is acidic and neutral catalysis when pH~7.4 with long period (half-life1000d) and only one product (pentachlorocyclohexene) is determined in test; and it is a zero-order-rate reaction not related with acidity. When pH~7.4, it is a basic catalysis, the hydrolysis rate constant increases with rising of pH from 0.0057d-1 at pH 8.3 to 46.58d-1 at pH 12.02, and it is first-order-rate grade reaction of OH-; under basic condition the distribution of product is related with acidity. 1,2,4-trichlorobenzenne(TCB) and 1,2,3-TCB are the products of second-order-rate reaction between OH- and the medium product pentachlorocyclohexene. The formation of 1,3,5-TCB is influenced the most by pH value, and it is a minor product (1%) at pH 8.30 while a dominant one (18%) of hydrolysis at pH 12.02.
Classroom Conversations about Sexual Assault

This chapter looks at sexual assault, sexual harassment, and bodily autonomy and how classroom conversations can be employed to actively combat the marginalization of young women. It discusses examples of sexual assault and harassment that dominated headlines, including President Trump and Justice Kavanaugh, and considers how these highly political cases make teaching about consent in schools both more critical and more complicated. While teaching about consent should not be a partisan issue, it has become one, with debates about the autonomy of female bodies becoming increasingly prominent in the conversation. There are several promising ways that schools might address this, including early and regular conversations and reimagining health and physical education classes.
Predicting RNA splicing from DNA sequence using Pangolin

Recent progress in deep learning approaches have greatly improved the prediction of RNA splicing from DNA sequence. Here, we present Pangolin, a deep learning model to predict splice site strength in multiple tissues that has been trained on RNA splicing and sequence data from four species. Pangolin outperforms state of the art methods for predicting RNA splicing on a variety of prediction tasks. We use Pangolin to study the impact of genetic variants on RNA splicing, including lineage-specific variants and rare variants of uncertain significance. Pangolin predicts loss-of-function mutations with high accuracy and recall, particularly for mutations that are not missense or nonsense (AUPRC = 0.93), demonstrating remarkable potential for identifying pathogenic variants.
A Role for Opioid Peptides in Attentional Functioning Clinical Implications

The discovery of endogenous opiatelike peptides brought to neuroscience research new techniques for studying behavior and the hope of increasing the responsiveness of some aspects of psychopathology to pharmacological manipulation. In addition, the similarity of opiate effects to the symptoms of several behavioral disorders raises the possibility that these disorders are associated with abnormalities in endorphin production, metabolism, or receptor function. The 20-year search for a role of catecholamines in affective illness and schizophrenia has been recapitulated in 5 short years of endorphin research.
Dendritic Cells Infected with a Vaccinia Vector Carrying the Human gp100 Gene Simultaneously Present Multiple Specificities and Elicit High-Affinity T Cells Reactive to Multiple Epitopes and Restricted by HLA-A2 and -A3

To investigate the ability of human dendritic cells (DC) to process and present multiple epitopes from the gp100 melanoma tumor-associated Ags (TAA), DC from melanoma patients expressing HLA-A2 and HLA-A3 were pulsed with gp100-derived peptides G9154, G9209, or G9280 or were infected with a vaccinia vector (Vac-Pmel/gp100) containing the gene for gp100 and used to elicit CTL from autologous PBL. CTL were also generated after stimulation of PBL with autologous tumor. CTL induced with autologous tumor stimulation demonstrated HLA-A2-restricted, gp100-specific lysis of autologous and allogeneic tumors and no lysis of HLA-A3-expressing, gp100+ target cells. CTL generated by G9154, G9209, or G9280 peptide-pulsed, DC-lysed, HLA-A2-matched EBV transformed B cells pulsed with the corresponding peptide. CTL generated by Vac-Pmel/gp100-infected DC (DC/Pmel) lysed HLA-A2- or HLA-A3-matched B cell lines pulsed with the HLA-A2-restricted G9154, G9209, or G9280 or with the HLA-A3-restricted G917 peptide derived from gp100. Furthermore, these DC/Pmel-induced CTL demonstrated potent cytotoxicity against allogeneic HLA-A2- or HLA-A3-matched gp100+ melanoma cells and autologous tumor. We conclude that DC-expressing TAA present multiple gp100 epitopes in the context of multiple HLA class I-restricting alleles and elicit CTL that recognize multiple gp100-derived peptides in the context of multiple HLA class I alleles. The data suggest that for tumor immunotherapy, genetically modified DC that express an entire TAA may present the full array of possible CTL epitopes in the context of all possible HLA alleles and may be superior to DC pulsed with limited numbers of defined peptides.
Mid-Frequency Reverberation Measurements with Full Companion Environmental Support

Abstract : The goal of this project was to measure mid-frequency (1-10 kHz) shallow water reverberation with full companion environmental measurements so that model/data can be compared without ambiguity. Included in the goal was to make statistical estimates of the uncertainties associated with all the environmental conditions. A key element was to understand the mechanisms that cause clutter, approaching the subject by emphasizing contemporaneous environmental and acoustics studies in order to quantitatively understand dominant physical mechanisms. The major components of the research are transmission loss, bottom and sub-bottom impact on propagation and scattering, surface and water column influence on propagation, culminating in a full understanding of the physics of shallow water mid-frequency reverberation. The experiment was conducted off Panama City, Florida, at nominally at 20m water depth to reduce the burden of making environmental measurements.
Political Theologies of the Surveilled Womb

The last week of March 2015 saw a downturn in reproductive and sexual justice in the U.S. The Indiana General Assembly approved the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, allowing businesses to discriminate against LGBT people and to opt out of providing health insurance for abortions. Several days later Judge Elizabeth Hurley—appointed by Indiana Governor Mike Pence—sentenced an Indian American woman, Purvi Patel, to 20 years in prison after a miscarriage, on the charges of feticide and neglect of a dependent. For the moment, conservative theopolitics has prevailed in Indiana. One biblical text, featuring surveillance and the womb, emerges as a site for reflection. Religion writer David Van Biema has noticed that both pro-lifers and gay rights activists frequently cite Psalm 139. It is the Psalm of surveillance— everywhere the Psalmist goes, God is there. Both groups quote the line: “For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (vv. 13-14). These verses are read as evidence of God’s love for LGBT people and of the personhood of the fetus. In the pro-life movement, the Psalm has further come to be associated with ultrasounds. The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) of the Southern Baptist Convention runs the Psalm 139 Project, which provides ultrasound machines for pregnancy support centers. The conviction is that if women see an ultrasound image of their child they are less likely to abort it. In both kinds of citation, surveillance is central and the woman behind the womb is peripheral.
Lettrt To The Editor

We are grateful to Dr. Cherry for his careful reading of our report. The figures are indeed reversed, and viruses exceeding 30 mµ in diameter are correctly considered large. We regret that we were unaware of the earlier reports of photodistributed viral exanthems cited by Dr. Cherry, although his own report does not explicitly describe a photodistribution. Apparently computer searches are restricted to the preceeding decade! However, if like so many "discoveries" in medicine, our observation is an old one, we hope it may nevertheless be helpful to the practicing physician.
Venous Ulcers Associated with Deep Venous Insufficiency

A 46-year-old female schoolteacher and non-smoker presented with an ulcer on the medial side of the ankle. The ulcer had persisted for the past year despite compressive dressings at a hospital wound care center. Ulcers in the same general area had occurred intermittently in the past but had healed with local wound care and dressings. The ulcer was very painful, particularly with dependency of the leg (7/10 over a visual analogue scale) and frequently at night. The patient had made a habit of elevating her legs during the day whenever feasible, and to sleep with her legs elevated on a pillow at night. She had been using a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug once or twice a day at work for pain relief, but lately a narcotic prescribed by her physician was required for sleep at night. Even so, on some nights, she had to “walk off” the pain for 20–30 min before she could fall asleep.
Parallelization of the Nanoelectronic Modeling Tool (NEMO 1-D) on a Beowulf Cluster

NEMO's main task is the computation of current-voltage (I-V) characteristics for resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs). The primary model for high performance RTDs is the full band sp3s* tight binding simulation, which is based on a numerical double integral of energy and transverse momentum over a transport kernel at each bias point. A full charge self-consistent simulation invoking this model on a single CPU is prohibitively expensive, as the generation of a single I-V curve would take about 1–2 weeks to compute. Simplified charge self-consistent models, eliminating the numerical momentum integral for the quantum mechanical charge self-consistency, followed by a single pass double integration for the current, have been used in the past. However, Computation on a parallel computer now enables the thorough exploration of quantum mechanical transport including charge self-consistency effects within the entire Brillouin zone based on the double integral. Various parallelization schemes (fine, coarse, and mixed) are presented and evaluated in their performance. Finally a comparison to experimental data is given.
Multiplexed Detection Using Quantum Dots

The sections in this article are Introduction In Vitro Multiplexed Analysis Using QDs DNA Hydridization Immunoassay Assaying the Activity of Enzymes FRET-Based Protease Detection with QDs as the Donor BRET-Based Protease Detection with QDs as Acceptor Other In Vitro Multiplexed Detection Systems Multiplexed Imaging Using QDs Multiplexed Cellular Imaging Multiplexed Imaging in Small Animals Summary Keywords: multiplexed detection; quantum dots; nanosensors; multiplexed imaging; DNA hybridization; immunoassay; enzyme activity; energy transfer
The Intention to Re-Adopt Collaboration and Communication Technologies by Project Teams

The adoption of technology is a subject of perennial interest in information systems. Post-adoption continuance has recently been an area that has attracted interest. However the adoption of technologies within projects is an understudied area. This paper proposes to examine the reasons for technology adoption in projects where there is some experience with the technology from previous projects. Technology Continuance Theory (TCT) (Liao, Palvia, & Chen, 2009) is adopted in this research as a theoretical lens. The main purpose of this research is to explore if Collaboration and Communication Technologies (CCT) acceptance and use are consistent with the TCT. The participants of this study are Information Systems professionals. It is expected that the TCT will provide an adequate explanation for intention to adopt CCTs in projects where the technology has been used before.
Alternative Swap Rate Model

We propose an alternative swap rate model for the pricing and hedging of swap rate path dependent European payoffs. We derive the absence of arbitrage condition for the conditional expectation approximation. The swap rate model relies on approximating all conditional expectation processes using the standard techniques. The resulting model is able to incorporate the absence of arbitrage constraint together with functional relations when several conditional expectations are involved. The approach is illustrated on the variance swap example.
B.E.A.R. GeneInfo: A tool for identifying gene-related biomedical publications through user modifiable queries

Background Once specific genes are identified through high throughput genomics technologies there is a need to sort the final gene list to a manageable size for validation studies. The triaging and sorting of genes often relies on the use of supplemental information related to gene structure, metabolic pathways, and chromosomal location. Yet in disease states where the genes may not have identifiable structural elements, poorly defined metabolic pathways, or limited chromosomal data, flexible systems for obtaining additional data are necessary. In these situations having a tool for searching the biomedical literature using the list of identified genes while simultaneously defining additional search terms would be useful.
State of the art direct 13C and indirect 1H-[13C] NMR spectroscopy in vivo. A practical guide

Carbon-13 NMR spectroscopy in combination with (13)C-labeled substrate infusion is a powerful technique for measuring a large number of metabolic fluxes noninvasively in vivo. It has been used to quantify glycogen synthesis rates, establish quantitative relationships between energy metabolism and neurotransmission, and evaluate the importance of different substrates. Measurements can, in principle, be performed through direct (13)C NMR detection or via indirect (1)H-[(13)C] NMR detection of the protons attached to (13)C nuclei. The choice of detection scheme and pulse sequence depends on the magnetic field strength, whereas substrate selection depends on metabolic pathways. (13)C NMR spectroscopy remains a challenging technique that requires several nonstandard hardware modifications, infusion of (13)C-labeled substrates, and sophisticated processing and metabolic modeling. In this study, the various aspects of direct (13)C and indirect (1)H-[(13)C] NMR are reviewed with the aim of providing a practical guide.
Immigration of Nurses

This paper examines the effects of immigration on a specific occupation, registered nurses (RNs). To learn whether immigrant nurses reduced the earnings of RNs, we applied techniques developed by Goldin (1994) and Borjas, Freeman, and Katz (1996), but found the effect of immigrant penetration either positive or insignificant. We also found that the supply of immigrant RNs was far more elastic than the supply coming from natives. It is often argued that it will be hard to detect negative effects on wages and employment of natives in local markets, because natives will avoid a market which many immigrants have entered. This study finds no support for this hypothesis in this market, based on data that measures the rate of entry of RNs exactly. We find no adverse effect of immigration on native workers in this occupation.
Statistics for the residency review committee: A clear windows approach

Because the reporting requirements imposed by the Residency Review Committee (RRC) for Obstetrics and Gynecology have become more extensive, we sought to develop a Microsoft Windows 3.1 (Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA)-based computer program for maintaining an on-line record of resident surgical experience. Data input for our program occurs in two stages. All residents are responsible for maintaining separate obstetrics and gynecology-primary care statistical booklets. Each booklet consists of individual perforated data sheets. The front of the obstetrics data sheets is a replica of the bottom portion of RRC S Form Obstetrics. The reverse side is a replica of the top half of S Form Obstetrics, listing all "accountable" obstetric procedures, coded by level of operator responsibility. The front of the gynecology data sheet replicates the S Form Primary and Preventive Ambulatory Medicine. The reverse of this sheet is a replica of S Form Gynecology and lists all "accountable" gynecologic procedures, again coded by level of operator responsibility. Residents submit data sheets on a daily basis to the residency program coordinator, who then enters each patient encounter into a user-friendly data base program. Data entry screens are essentially identical to the individual encounter forms, and input requires fewer than 30 seconds per form. Once the individual patient's data is entered on the screen, the computer program automatically updates the resident's cumulative surgical experience and stratifies experience by year of training. At any time, program administrators have on-line access to a comprehensive record of an individual resident's or group of residents' clinical experience.
NIR responses of the human forebrain (Brodman's 9 and 10) to physiological function

ABSTRACT This paper points to the optimization of recording of signals from the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of an age-matched group of students studied annually over six years and challenged by various interrogations with resulting localized PFC signals. Here we discuss the evolution of a successful technology and cite exemplary results. Keywords: NIR imaging, PFC activation, Brodmans 9 and 10, blood volume, cortical metabolism, cognitive function 1. NATURE OF SIGNALS The human brain gives off NIR optical signals in the range 700-900 nm in which oxy- and deoxy- hemoglobin predominate. These signals are modulated in amplitude and frequency from 1-3 Hz. While common electronic circuit wisdom would pick out narrow-band recording of the presence of FM signals, as indeed we did in our pioneer studies and showed signal-to-noise ratios of 10-to-1 in solving arithmetic problems 1 , we have further studied amplitude changes on which we have obtained highly significant databanks in response to problem solution and have generated histogram displays described below, which demonstrate in certain voxels, certain individuals or certain interrogations, histogram displays that indicate high reproducibility
Seasonal variability in the sensitivity of freshwater phytoplankton communities to a chronic copper stress

Abstract In situ enclosures were used to evaluate differences in the seasonal response of planktonic and benthic communities to chronic copper exposures in a small, oligotrophic pond. Communities were exposed to 0, 20 or 40 μg Cu/l for 5-wk durations during April, June–July and October–November. Both phytoplankton and zooplankton were much more sensitive to copper in the spring than in the summer or fall. We postulate that this is because of seasonal changes in the copper-binding capacity of the pond water due to seasonal changes in dissolved organic carbon concentrations. Cladocerans, which are widely used as invertebrate ‘white rats’ to evaluate the toxicity of chemicals and predict their effect on freshwater ecosystems, were the least sensitive to copper of all the zooplankton. This indicates that we should be more cautious in projecting results of laboratory tests with supposedly sensitive species to complex, natural communities.
Cost-benefit analysis of quality circles

Abstract A recent survey indicated that the second most important determinant of the success of quality circles is the evaluation of their financial viability. This paper proposes a methodology for a cost-benefit analysis of quality circles. The proposed system is based on the accountability principle, and it is conducted at three levels: project, circle, and the entire quality circle system.
Pukeleimide C, a novel pyrrolic compound from the marine cyanophyte

Abstract The crystal structure of pukeleimide C, a novel pyrrolic compound from a shallow-water variety of the marine blue-green alga Lyngbya majuscula , is reported.
Reciprocal template effects in bisubstrate systems: A replication cycle

Abstract We report the use of high affinity synthetic receptors for adenine derivatives as a basis for designed templated reactions. The rate of the coupling of two adenine derivatives, an active ester and an amine, is enhanced in the presence of a template bearing two receptor sites. In complementary synthetic reactions, the formation of the template, itself the coupling product from an active ester and an amine, was shown to be enhanced by the product of the first reaction. Thus reciprocal template effects are observed. Rate enhancements due to the formation of termolecular complexes were up to 13 fold. Experimentally observed rate enhancements correlated well with calculated concentrations of the termolecular complex. In addition, large rate accelerations (10 3 ) were observed due to bimolecular complexes in the coupling of two components, one of which contains a receptor for the other.
A Harmonic Analysis of Cardiac Response of Normotensive and Hypertensive Adolescents during Stress

Abstract In this paper, a statistical analysis is applied to the systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and heart rate (HR) data of 23 normotensive (NT) and 24 hypertensive (HT) adolescents who underwent a 10-minute mental stress regimen. Readings were measured at one-minute intervals. The harmonic time series analysis is based on the data of an eight-minute interval of the stress phase. The NT group established a statistically significant (p <.05) rhythmic variation described by a sinusoidal wave about a near pre-stress mean. The HT group exhibits for the three parameters a near constant response about a significantly elevated level. The consistent existence of a rhythmic pattern for the NT subjects under mental stress, in contrast to the constant response for the HT subjects, suggests that mental stress causes a change in the “natural” rhythmic pattern of cardiac response for the HT subject alone.
Plasmodium falciparum : Biochemical characterization of the cysteine protease falcipain-2'

The Plasmodium falciparum cysteine proteases falcipain-2 and falcipain-3 are hemoglobinases and potential antimalarial drug targets. The falcipain-2' gene was identified recently and is nearly identical in sequence to falcipain-2. The product of this gene has not been studied previously. The mature protease domain of falcipain-2' was expressed in Escherichia coli, purified, and refolded to active enzyme. Functional analysis revealed similar biochemical properties to those of falcipain-2, including pH optima (pH 5.5-7.0), reducing requirements, and substrate preference. Studies with cysteine protease inhibitors showed similar inhibition of falcipain-2 and falcipain-2', although specificities were not identical. Considering activity against the presumed biological substrate, both enzymes readily hydrolyzed hemoglobin. Our results confirm that falcipain-2' is an active hemoglobinase and suggest that falcipain-2 and falcipain-2' play similar roles in erythrocytic parasites but that, for promising cysteine protease inhibitors, it will be important to confirm activity against this additional target.
GENETIC ENGINEERING AND THE SACRED

. Genetic engineering of life forms could well have a profound effect upon our sense of the sacred. Integrating the experience of the sacred as George Bataille does, we can characterize it as a phenomenological encounter with prelinguistic, noncategoreal experience. This view of the sacred is similar to Friedrich Nietzsche's Dionysian experience or Rudolf Otto's mysterium tremendum and diminishes one's sense of self. It seems similar to the eighteenth-century aesthetic categorization of “the sublime.” Despite the dominant rational approach to religiosity in the United States, intimations of this experience persist in popular culture. What possible relationship does genetic engineering have to this allegedly inevitable and profound experience? If certain modifications of life occur, they are likely to create such an experience of the sacred in us. In principle, we can now resurrect the mammoth or even create beings designed to directly potentiate our experience of the numinous such as satyrs or centaurs. The creation of such beings could become an art form associated with awaking the sacred, in turn appropriated by religion, as art has always been. Such experimentation, though morally questionable, is probably inevitable.
Polymer-drug conjugates: manipulating drug delivery kinetics using model LCST systems

Model studies of the kinetics of hydrolysis of side chain substituted polymers exhibiting a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) were undertaken. Copolymers of N-isopropyl acrylamide (NiPAm) and N-acryloxy succinimide (AS) were prepared by radical polymerization of the monomers or by reaction of isopropylamine with poly(N-acryloxy succinimide). The LCSTs of the copolymers were measured by DSC and shown to depend on both the NiPAm/AS ratio and the copolymer microstructure. The kinetics of hydrolysis of the succinimide side chain were measured at temperatures below, at, and above the LCST of the copolymers. The LCST increased on conversion of the acryloxy succinimide groups to acrylic acid groups during the hydrolysis process. At temperatures below the LCST, the polymers were water soluble throughout the hydrolysis and exhibited first order kinetics. Above the LCST, the polymers were initially insoluble but became soluble as hydrolysis caused a progressive increase in the LCST. The rate of hydrolysis accelerated on dissolution. As a result, the kinetics exhibited either a zero order or an S-shaped profile. In the latter case the initial slow phase was dependent on the difference between the reaction temperature and the initial LCST.
Tertiary creep behavior of annealed 214 Cr-1 Mo steel☆

Abstract Under various creep conditions for annealed 2 1 4 Cr-1 Mo steel, nonclassical creep curves that contain two steady-state stages were observed. The transition from the first to second steady-state stage involves a quasi-tertiary (increasing creep rate) stage, thus complicating the definition of tertiary creep. Tertiary creep is important because it is often associated with the formation of gross structural instability (i.e., the formation of cracks, voids, or a neck). The present studies indicated a consistent correlation between the onset of tertiary creep and rupture life was obtained when the end of the second steady-state stage was used as the onset of tertiary creep for the nonclassical curves. The creep strains to the end of the second steady-state stage were similar to those to the end of the secondary stage of the classical curves. These results along with previous work indicate that the creep rate during the second steady-state stage of the nonclassical curves is controlled by the same process that controls creep during the secondary stage of a classical curve.