cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Resilience History and Focus in the USA

The USA operates and maintains a vast array of critical infrastructure (CI), from energy and water systems to transportation systems and communication nodes. Operating and maintaining this CI is a complex challenge, particularly as infrastructure continues to age and overall investments continue to decline. It is within this context that resilience is discussed. The roots of resilience in the USA go back for decades with a focus on disaster mitigation of infrastructure damage, developing plans and procedures, assessing vulnerabilities, hardening systems, building in redundancies, etc.; as well as developing standards, policies, and technologies for this purpose. The USA has a history of responding well in times of crisis, including national mobilization during the World War II and steps taken following the terrorist attacks of 9/11. The US formally recognized resilience in national doctrine with the issuance of the 2010 National Security Strategy, which states that we must enhance our resilience—that is, our ability to adapt to changing conditions and prepare for, withstand, and rapidly recover from disruption (Obama in National security strategy of the United States, The White House, Washington, DC, 2010). Resilience policy has existed in various forms in other domains; however, this official declaration of strategy broadened the terminology to national security and helped reframe the focus. The US resilience focus is moving from a myopic physical security posture to a holistic resilience framework. Several key programs are increasing US CI resilience.
Evaluation of Pazopanib Phase Behavior Following pH-Induced Supersaturation

Salts of weakly basic active pharmaceutical ingredients are widely used to improve aqueous solubility and/or dissolution rate. However, these compounds are prone to precipitation due to the lower solubility of the un-ionized species at the higher pH in the intestinal region, and this can result in poor and/or variable absorption. The goal of this study was to investigate the degree of supersaturation achieved following dissolution of different amounts of pazopanib hydrochloride at low pH, followed by rapid pH increase. Using pH solubility profiles, phase boundaries were defined for crystalline and amorphous free base forms. The resultant phase diagram was used to rationalize the observed supersaturation and phase behavior of pazopanib following pH adjustment. In the presence of a crystallization inhibitor, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (HPMC), the degree of supersaturation was found to be very high, approximately 600-fold, at pH 6.5. At a dose equivalent to the clinical dose, the maximum free drug concent...
Regulatory Gene Action during Eukaryotic Development

Publisher Summary Regulation of gene activity can occur at several different levels of control. These control levels include availability of the gene, transcriptional control, posttranscriptional control, translational control, and posttranslational control. Various mechanisms of regulation have been identified at each of these levels of control. This chapter describes a number of well-characterized eukaryotic regulatory genes. Eukaryotic regulatory genes can be located either proximal or distal to the structural gene under their control and can exert their effect in cis or trans. They can be inherited in either an additive manner or a dominance-recessive manner. Each of these characteristics of a given regulatory locus reveals important information about the nature of its regulatory action. The chapter describes the regulatory gene systems for the mouse, Drosophila, maize, and rainbow trout and discusses the current levels of understanding of these regulatory genes.
Fly me to the moon: A survey of american historical and contemporary simulation entertainments1

Simulation experiences captivate the imagination of today's entertainment-seeking public. Once located exclusively at a few venues, these simulations are increasingly prevalent in a variety of locales including malls and casinos. While today's public may view these entertainments as novel, these forms of simulation have rich historical antecedents that can be traced to entertainment and technological innovations of the nineteenth century. Focusing on American examples from the time period of 1820 to the present, this paper examines a wide variety of immersive entertainments that attempted to simulate an experience, environment, or event so realistically that viewers accepted the imitation as authentic and realistic. This paper examines cycloramas, panoramas, historic recreations, and a selection of mechanical rides from amusement parks and world's fair midways that provided group experiences. An examination of the social functions of these precursors strengthens our understanding of the significance of contemporary simulation entertainments in the United States.
The origin and actual state of Jednota, consumption cooperative in České Budějovice

Consumption cooperative Jednota Ceske Budějovice is going through a great transformation lo be successful in comparison with other, mostly international food purchasing chains. One way for improving the situation is to look; after some integration forms with other district cooperatives Jednota in the Czech republic, the other way is in restructuring of existing shops into some characteristic, specialized groups with their own different ways of supplying with goods and managing. A very important role in these changes has supermarket TERNO, which received very good economical results in last years. Marketing research in this supermarket showed an increasing degree of popularity among the customers.
PERFORMANCE OF MULTI-HOP RELAYING SYSTEMS OVER WEIBULL FADING CHANNELS

In this paper we present closed-form expressions for the lower bounds of the error and outage performance of multi-hop relaying with non-regenerative relays over independent and identically distributed Weibull fading channels. The end-to-end signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is formulated and upper bounded. Novel closed-form expressions are derived for the moment generating function (MGF), the probability density function (PDF), and the cumulative distribution function (CDF) of the bounded SNR. These statistical results are then applied to study the outage probability and the average bit-error probability. Numerical examples compare analytical and simulation results, verifying the tightness of the proposed bounds
The Temperature Regulatory System

Temperature regulation has been demonstrated to occur through two processes: (1) physiological and (2) behavioral. Behavioral temperature regulation plays its greatest role in coping with cold environments, whereas both physiological and behavioral temperature regulation operate in hot environments, with physiological regulation perhaps playing the dominant role. Exercise induces both physiological and behavioral regulation by altering heat production, blood flow redistribution for convective heat transfer, and sweating. In this chapter little attention will be paid to behavioral regulation, but many of those who have contributed to our current understanding of physiological regulation and processes of heat exchange will be identified. Where possible those who first proposed a concept will be featured as well as some of those who either broadened the concept or forcibly brought it to the attention of other investigators through definitive experimentation. Since the literature on temperature regulation and heat exchange is so vast, many investigators who have made significant contributions will not be identified because of space limitations. An apology is hereby made for their exclusion. Focusing on the early research means that many relatively recent and current studies will not be covered; the reader is referred to the excellent reviews that have appeared such as the recent (1996) Handbook of Physiology, Section 4, Environmental Physiology edited by Fregley and Blatteis (40).
Biofumigation To Manage Plant-Parasitic Nematodes

Biofumigation is a sustainable strategy to manage soil-borne pathogens, nematodes, insects, and weeds. Initially it was defined as the pest suppressive action of decomposing Brassica tissues, but it was later expanded to include animal and plant residues. Most data on the efficacy of biofumigation are from in vitro studies using fungal pathogens. Biofumigation also attracted the interest of nematologists, and research on the potential of this method to manage plant-parasitic nematodes is reviewed.
The Primary School Years

The period from six to eleven is that of the primary school years. It is characterized by the first formal schooling, and could as well be called later childhood. For the first time the child begins to spend much of his waking hours with a number of other individuals of his own generation. This is for him a new part of the environment and it makes its own demands in terms of adaptation. The development of the human individual from infancy to maturity involves processes which exhibit both discreteness and continuity. The continuity is plain enough, for there are no absolutely separated stages in the growth process ; but discreteness occurs in maturational steps when old habits tend to disappear and new ones first come into prominence.
More stable when relaxed

Perovskite solar cells are noted for their high performance and ease of synthesis, but are still plagued by concerns over their stability. Researchers are now demonstrating why higher performance and increased stability go hand-in-hand — and how to continue improving both.
Laterality is an Independent Predictor of Endovascular Thrombectomy in Patients With Low National Institute of Health Stroke Scale.

Abstract Objective Endovascular thrombectomy (ET) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to large-vessel occlusion (LVO) is offered to select patients meeting strict criteria. One of the criteria is stroke severity as indicated by the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Inherently, NIHSS is biased towards left hemisphere strokes (LHS) with median NIHSS score 4 points higher than right hemisphere strokes (RHS). This may potentially affect clinical decision making and thrombectomy eligibility. We sought to test this hypothesis. Methods Data were analyzed from consecutive AIS patients with LVO admitted to our comprehensive stroke center (June 2015-December 2016). Following variables were studied: NIHSS score, occlusion location, time to presentation, and treatment received. Results Three hundred and fifty-one proximal-anterior circulation LVOs (ACLVO) were identified. 211 patients harboring a proximal ACLVO, were treated 12 range, 88% of LHS and RHS received ET (P = .93). In the NIHSS score 6-12 range, 81% of LHS and 52% of RHS received ET (P = .03). Conclusions We find comparable rates of ET between right and LHS in patients with high NIHSS but lower rates of ET of RHS than LHS in patients at lower NIHSS. A hemisphere-laterality based adjustment to the NIHSS may better identify the full extent of patients that may benefit from ET.
Accuracy and Precision of an Optoacoustic Prototype in Determining Endotracheal Tube Position in Children.

BACKGROUND: Confirmation of endotracheal tube (ETT) tip position and timely identification and correction of malposition is an essential component of care for endotracheally intubated and mechanically ventilated children. We evaluated the ability of a prototype optoacoustic medical device to determine ETT tip position. We hypothesized that the precision of optoacoustic assessment of ETT tip position would be comparable to chest radiography. METHODS: We recruited children aged newborn to 16 y who were admitted to the pediatric ICU requiring tracheal intubation and undergoing a chest radiograph for clinical purposes. After positioning each child on a chest radiograph plate, a sterile optical fiber, temporarily inserted through the ETT, emitted laser pulses perpendicular to the fiber and to the ETT, generating acoustic (ultrasound) waves in overlying tissue when the tip of the fiber passed beneath an acoustic sensor in the sternal notch. The distance from the ETT tip to the peak acoustic signal was used to calculate the distance from the ETT tip to the carina, which was compared with the same distance calculated by the radiologist reading the chest radiograph. Pearson9s correlation coefficient, paired t tests, a Bland-Altman plot were used to compare the measures (P RESULTS: Twenty-six subjects were enrolled: 15 (57.7%) were male, median (interquartile range) age, weight, and height were 9 months (4–24), 9.6 kg (5.7–13.0), and 75 cm (62–90), respectively. All ETTs were cuffed (internal diameter range 3.0–5.0 mm). The relationship between optoacoustic and chest radiograph measurements was strong (r = 0.91, P CONCLUSIONS: The optoacoustic prototype accurately determined ETT tip position and was comparable in precision to chest radiograph.
Involvement of cdc13+ in mitotic control in Schizosaccharomyces pombe: possible interaction of the gene product with microtubules.

Abstract Previous genetic studies have shown that the fission yeast cdc13+ gene product interacts closely with the cdc2+ protein kinase during mitosis. Here, we have cloned the cdc13+ gene from a S. pombe gene bank by complementation of the temperature-sensitive defect of a cdc13-117 mutant strain. The complementing activity was localized to a 1.9-kb XbaI-NsiI DNA fragment, and nucleotide sequencing revealed a 1446-bp open reading frame. The predicted amino acid sequence contained 482 residues and was not homologous to any protein in a protein database. The cdc13+ gene function was confirmed to be essential for cell division since cells carrying a cdc13 null allele arrested with a cdc phenotype. However, unlike any existing temperature-sensitive cdc13 mutants, cdc13 null mutants arrested in G2 without septa or condensed chromosomes indicating that cdc13+ gene function is required at or prior to the initiation of mitotis. cdc13-117 mutant strains were found to be hypersensitive to the tubulin inhibitor thiabendazole. This observation suggests that the cdc13+ gene product, which is required for mitotic initiation, may interact with microtubules.
Gestational Diabetes Alters the Metabolomic Profile in 2nd Trimester Amniotic Fluid in a Sex-Specific Manner.

Maternal diabetes and obesity induce marked abnormalities in glucose homeostasis and insulin secretion in the fetus, and are linked to obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disease in the offspring, with specific metabolic characterization based on offspring sex. Gestational diabetes (GDM) has profound effects on the intrauterine milieu, which may reflect and/or modulate the function of the maternal–fetal unit. In order to characterize metabolic factors that affect offspring development, we profiled the metabolome of second trimester amniotic fluid (AF) from women who were subsequently diagnosed with gestational diabetes (GDM) using a targeted metabolomics approach, profiling 459 known biochemicals through gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) assays. Using a nested case-control study design, we identified 69 total biochemicals altered by GDM exposure, while sex-specific analysis identified 44 and 58 metabolites in male and female offspring, respectively. The most significant changes were in glucose, amino acid, glutathione, fatty acid, sphingolipid, and bile acid metabolism with specific changes identified based on the offspring sex. Targeted isotope dilution LC/MS confirmatory assays measured significant changes in docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid. We conclude that the sex-specific alterations in GDM maternal–fetal metabolism may begin to explain the sex-specific metabolic outcomes seen in offspring exposed to GDM in utero.
Using network flow modeling to determine pig flow in a commercial production system

Abstract The systematic approach to raising pigs in a multi-site production system, in terms of where the pigs are housed and how long they are fed, is generally called pig flow. This complex process is most often approached in a segmented fashion, not looking at all barns at the same time in relation to each other. Linear programming, the basis of most nutritional formulation packages and logistics services, provides a mathematical means for characterizing pig flow that allows a producer to look at the entire flow of pigs in a system at the same time. We describe a teaching model that provides the foundation to characterize pig flow in a commercial production system. The teaching model is built in Microsoft Excel® and incorporates key components of production such as growth rate, mortality, stocking density, seasonality, packer grid pricing, and marketing. The results from this teaching model are sound and provide the foundation for a larger model that is needed for full implementation within a production system, proving this model behaves as expected. The generalizability of the model and its assumptions allows for the inclusion of more barns, a more precise measure of time, and the ability to change the assumptions utilized in this teaching scenario, which are needed for direct application in a production system.
DroidEye: fortifying security of learning-based classifier against adversarial android malware attacks

To combat the evolving Android malware attacks, systems using machine learning techniques have been successfully deployed for Android malware detection. In these systems, based on different feature representations, various kinds of classifiers are constructed to detect Android malware. Unfortunately, as classifiers become more widely deployed, the incentive for defeating them increases. In this paper, we first extract a set of features from the Android applications (apps) and represent them as binary feature vectors; with these inputs, we then explore the security of a generic learning-based classifier for Android malware detection in the presence of adversaries. To harden the evasion, we first present count featurization to transform the binary feature space into continuous probabilities encoding the distribution in each class (either benign or malicious). To improve the system security while not compromising the detection accuracy, we further introduce softmax function with adversarial parameter to find the best trade-off between security and accuracy for the classifier. Accordingly, we develop a system named DroidEye which integrates our proposed method for Android malware detection. Comprehensive experiments on the real sample collection from Comodo Cloud Security Center are conducted to validate the effectiveness of DroidEye against adversarial Android malware attacks. Our proposed secure-learning paradigm is also applicable for other detection tasks, such as spammer detection in social media.
First-Principles Density Functional Theory Calculation of Metal-Substituted Lead Halide Perovskite

We investigated the optoelectronic properties of 3d metal-substituted lead halide perovskite by performing first-principles density functional theory calculations to examine whether the materials can be used for intermediate band solar cells. We found that Co substitution for Pb does not change the lattice constant significantly. Co substitution is able to induce intermediate bands that can absorb light, consistent with experiment results. In our calculations, Fe substitution for Pb also can induce intermediate bands, however, it is less energetically favored as compared to Co substitution, and experimentally such extra absorption was not observed.
A two-stage Markov chain Monte Carlo method for seismic inversion and uncertainty quantification

ABSTRACTBayesian methods for full-waveform inversion allow quantification of uncertainty in the solution, including determination of interval estimates and posterior distributions of the model unkn...
Planning for Robotic Dry Stacking with Irregular Stones

The ability to build structures with autonomous robots using only found, minimally processed stones would be immensely useful, especially in remote areas. Assembly planning for dry-stacked structures, however, is difficult since both the state and action spaces are continuous, and stability is strongly affected by complex friction and contact constraints. We propose a planning algorithm for such assemblies that uses a physics simulator to find a small set of feasible poses and then evaluates them using a hierarchical filter. We carefully designed the heuristics for the filters to match our goal of building stable, free-standing walls. These plans are then executed open-loop with a robotic arm equipped with a wrist RGB-D camera. Experimental results show that the proposed planning algorithm can significantly improve the state of the art in robotic dry stacking.
Long-term nitrate removal in three riparian buffers: 21 years of data from the Bear Creek watershed in central Iowa, USA.

Abstract Riparian buffers are a conservation practice that increases vegetation diversity on the agricultural landscape while providing environmental benefits. This study specifically focused on the ability of riparian buffers to remove nitrate from shallow groundwater. There are many studies that assessed nitrate removal within buffers, but not many have a long-term, continuous data set that can analyze for variation in nitrate removal rates over time. Here we report on 21 years of nitrate well data, from 1996 through 2017, for three buffers in the Bear Creek watershed in central Iowa. These buffers are named using abbreviations to help keep landowners anonymous (e.g. RN, RS, and ST). Studied buffers RS and ST showed greater nitrate reduction (or removal) after 10 and 6 years of its establishment, respectively. Buffer RN did not experience a significant nitrate removal increase with time, but instead had higher nitrate removal rates when compared to buffers RS and ST of 10.3 g NO3−-N m−1 day−1 from the start of this study. From this data, we suggest that past land management played a major role in the responses observed. RN had previously been established in cool-season grasses for grazing before being converted to a buffer, while RS and ST had been managed in a corn and soybean rotation. RN was thought to have higher denitrification immediately with increased labile soil carbon input and enhanced soil aggregation due to the grassland perennials, while buffer vegetation establishment increased soil carbon inputs and soil aggregation over time for RS and ST. These nitrate removal trends would not have been observed without access to long-term, continuous data. This study highlighted the importance of long-term data sets and the need to assess conservation practices over time to determine their longevity and efficiency with time.
Laparoscopic Ureterolysis in the Setting of Endometriosis

Study Objective This video presentation will review the medial and lateral approaches to ureter identification and illustrate surgical techniques to perform a laparoscopic ureterolysis in cases of endometriosis and retroperitoneal fibrosis. Design Stepwise demonstration of advanced laparoscopic surgical techniques with narrated video footage. Setting Ureteral identification is crucial in the setting of advanced endometriosis when performing a laparoscopic hysterectomy. Retroperitoneal fibrosis as a result of endometriosis can make ureterolysis challenging. Associated risks can include ureteral transection with improper identification in the retroperitoneum, unrecognized or delayed thermal injury to the ureter due to aggressive electrocautery use or incomplete resection of endometriosis surrounding the ureter. Patients or Participants Two patients with endometriosis requiring ureterolysis who underwent laparoscopic hysterectomy. Interventions Identification of the ureter and laparoscopic ureterolysis can be safely performed in the setting of endometriosis with several key strategies: 1. Use of the medial and lateral approaches to ureter identification, which may be facilitated by the placement of a preoperative ureteral stent when dense retroperitoneal fibrosis is present 2. Minimizing risk of thermal injury by use of directed blunt dissection with the “open and spread” and “hook” techniques 3. Use of reliable anatomic landmarks such as the medial umbilical ligament and development of the paravesical and pararectal spaces to aid in retroperitoneal dissection 4. Meticulous attention to hemostasis to include control of both small vessels in retroperitoneal aerolar tissue and ligation of the uterine artery at the origin to maintain adequate visualization Measurements and Main Results N/A Conclusion In patients with advanced endometriosis, ureterolysis is often necessary given extensive retroperitoneal fibrosis and inherent risk of ureteral injury. An intimate knowledge of anatomic landmarks, directed blunt and sharp dissection techniques, judicious use of cautery and careful hemostasis may allow for safe and effective completion of a laparoscopic ureterolysis in complex cases.
Nature of the Antibody Combining Site

Despite the enormous progress of molecular biology in bringing understanding of the generation of antibody complementarity and diversity to the gene level, we do not yet have a comprehensive picture of which individual amino acid side chains are functionally important, e.g., involved in determining antibody complementarity either by contacting the antigenic determinant directly, or by playing a conformational role, or are neutral non-contacting residues, or are involved in idiotypic specificity, or may reduce ability of the determinant to enter the site.
El Inca Garcilaso de la Vega y la “Guerra de los Encomenderos”: un conflicto de lealtades

This article tries to approach the different conflicts that are present in the "Royal Commentaries" through the concept of loyalty. For this effect, the essay seeks to analyze one of the most conflictive events narrated in the "Royal Commentaries", the «encomenderos’s war», which occurred in Peru between 1544-1548, an event that clearly puts on the table, not only the loyalties of the historical characters included in this story, but the own loyalties of the Inca Garcilaso de la Vega.
Overview of PROMISE

Promoting the Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income (PROMISE), a study of 13,444 randomly assigned youth and their families, includes six model demonstration projects and a technical ...
Costs of Political Polarization: Evidence from Mutual Fund Managers during COVID-19

Political beliefs are more consequential for the asset management industry than previously believed. During the Covid-19 crisis, partisan mutual fund teams – either Democratic or Republican – have lower fund returns and lower fund flows, compared to non-partisan teams. Higher non-partisan returns come from greater active risk-taking during the stock market crash and larger pre-existing tilts towards firms with strong financials. Higher non-partisan flows result from partisan investor clienteles. While non-partisans appeal to both Democratic and Republican clienteles, politically misaligned funds – with Republican managers and Democratic-leaning clienteles – experience abnormal outflows. Institutional investors seem to shun managers with incompatible political values.
How to Factor a Number

The security of the RSA cryptosystem is based on the difficulty of factoring integers N that are the products of two large primes p and q. If p and q are chosen well, then factoring N is indeed hard, but there are also factoring methods that work very quickly on certain kinds of integers. In order to ensure security of an RSA system, one must be careful to choose an N that does not succumb to one of the faster methods. We will discuss the Pollard rho and Pollard \(p-1\) methods first. These are not only used in general for factoring, but have been generalized to be applicable in other attacks against cryptographic systems. We then move on to CFRAC, a precursor to the state-of-the-art factoring method that is the primary topic of Chap. 12.
Racial and Social Disparities in Health and Health Care Delivery among Patients with Parkinson's Disease and Related Disorders in a Multiracial Clinical Setting.

There are racial and socioeconomic disparities in the care of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Bellevue Hospital Center (BHC) in New York City is the oldest public hospital in the United States providing care to a multiracial, socioeconomically diverse and medically underserved population. We investigated racial and social disparities in providing care to patients with PD and related disorders at BHC compared to a NYU Langone Health, a Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence. Retrospective chart review of patients with diagnosis of PD or PD-related disorders evaluated at BHC or at NYU outpatient clinics from January 2012 to August 2017. 100 patients were enrolled from each site: BHC (55% men); NYU (49% men). The majority of patients at NYU were White (77%), compared to 14% at BHC; Hispanic patients comprised the majority at BHC (56%) (p < 0.001). BHC patients had more clinic visits per year compared to the NYU cohort (2.88 vs. 2.40, p = 0.001). BHC patients were less likely to self-report exercise (p = 0.047) or participation in physical therapy (p = 0.015). There were no clinically significant differences in diagnosis type, time to diagnosis, average Hoehn & Yahr or levodopa equivalent dose. Compared to a Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence, PD patients in a public hospital system are more racially diverse, are less likely to be insured, have higher rates of care utilization and are less likely to access necessary interventions such as physical therapy and exercise.
Silencing ROR2 inhibits metastatic behavior of ovarian cancer cells

Objectives: Adhesion of migrating ovarian tumor cells to peritoneal mesothelial cells and their subsequent clearance of the mesothelial monolayer is a key early event in metastatic seeding of ovarian cancer. We sought to identify mediators of ovarian cancer adhesion and invasion contributing to this tumor-microenvironment interplay. Methods: To identify potential drivers of ovarian cancer adhesion and invasion, a multicellular assay incorporating tumor (epithelial ovarian cancer cells) and microenvironment (patient derived omental fibroblasts) was adapted to carry out a high throughput genetic screen using a human kinome siRNA library. Based on screen candidates, ROR2, a noncanonical Wnt receptor that binds Wnt5a, was identified. ROR2 expression was evaluated in primary patient derived ovarian cancer cells and in high grade ovarian cancer cell lines (ES2, A2780, OVCAR3, OVCAR5, OVCAR8, ID8Trp53-/-BRCA2-/-). Biologic roles of ROR2 as well as the therapeutic effect of ROR2 silencing were examined in vitro using a validated mesothelial cell clearance assay. We further examined the effect of ROR2 silencing on force generation by ovarian cancer cell spheroids using immunofluorescent staining of phospho-myosin light chain (pMLC). Results: ROR2 was found to be expressed at a protein level across established ovarian cancer cell lines as well as primary ovarian cancer cells from patient derived tumors. Analysis in multicellular assays demonstrated that ROR2 silencing with siRNA dramatically decreases mesothelial cell clearance by tumor cell spheroids when compared to control siNEG spheroids. This result was observed across multiple cell lines (ES2, OVCAR8, OVCAR5, and OVCAR3) (P Conclusions: ROR2 plays a critical role in mediating the ability of ovarian cancer cells to clear a mesothelial cell monolayer, a key step leading to metastasis in ovarian cancer. Mesothelial clearance has been demonstrated to be a force dependent process, and our data suggests that ROR2 may play a role in force generation by ovarian cancer spheroids. Understanding the factors driving prometastatic tumor-microenvironment interactions is critical to develop targeted therapeutics to block the spread of ovarian cancer. As ROR2 is an actionable target, further investigation of ROR2 targeting in ovarian cancer is needed as it may represent a novel treatment strategy.
Private equity, hedge funds: the untouchables!

Private equity and hedge funds: you, your children and your environments are not our problem - anywhere!
Systems engineering for the living enterprise

This paper explores an approach to enterprises as living human social systems. It introduces the problem of widespread failure of reengineering efforts and the application of information technologies to business entities. The heart of the problem is characterized as a gap between business professionals and technologists, which is intrinsic, but needs to be bridged in a way that yields effective technological interventions. Several architectural viewpoints are introduced that describe the nature of enterprise, and that raise interesting questions about possible extensions to systems engineering methods.
Observation of the United Carbon-Carbon Atom K-Shell X-Ray Band for Incident Carbon Ion Energies of 30–2500 keV

The centroid energy and x-ray cross section for the non-characteristic carbon-carbon x-ray band produced by 30–2500 keV carbon ions incident on thick solid carbon targets are reported. We test the double collision assumption for the production of these non-characteristic x rays and find that, for 250 keV carbon ions, the experimental results are consistent with this assumption.
Social Workers in Pediatric Primary Care: Communication, Gender, and Scope of Practice

While many child mental health issues manifest themselves in primary care, few pediatricians have received mental health training, and their communication with social workers may be limited due to unfamiliarity with mental health professions. The purpose of this study was to use ethnographic interviews to investigate factors affecting communication satisfaction between social workers and pediatricians. The study found that scope of practice issues were a communication barrier. This barrier is significant because health reform may lead social workers and pediatricians to collaborate more frequently in the future.
Dietary composition and physiologic adaptations to energy restriction

Background—The concept of a body weight set point, determined predominantly by genetic mechanisms, has been proposed to explain the poor long-term results of conventional energyrestricted diets in the treatment of obesity. Objective—The objective of this study was to examine whether dietary composition affects hormonal and metabolic adaptations to energy restriction. Design—A randomized, crossover design was used to compare the effects of a high-glycemicindex (high-GI) and a low-glycemic-index (low-GI) energy-restricted diet. The macronutrient composition of the high-GI diet was (as percent of energy) 67% carbohydrate, 15% protein, and 18% fat and that of the low-GI diet was 43% carbohydrate, 27% protein, and 30% fat; the diets had similar total energy, energy density, and fiber contents. The subjects, 10 moderately overweight young men, were studied for 9 d on 2 separate occasions. On days −1 to 0, they consumed self-selected foods ad libitum. On days 1–6, they received an energy-restricted high- or low-GI diet. On days 7–8, the high-or low-GI diets were consumed ad libitum. Results—Serum leptin decreased to a lesser extent from day 0 to day 6 with the high-GI diet than with the low-GI diet. Resting energy expenditure declined by 10.5% during the high-GI diet but by only 4.6% during the low-GI diet (7.38 ± 0.39 and 7.78 ± 0.36 MJ/d, respectively, on days 5–6; P = 0.04). Nitrogen balance tended to be more negative, and energy intake from snacks on days 7–8 was greater, with the high-GI than the low-GI diet. Conclusion—Diets with identical energy contents can have different effects on leptin concentrations, energy expenditure, voluntary food intake, and nitrogen balance, suggesting that the physiologic adaptations to energy restriction can be modified by dietary composition.
Clinical applications of probiotic agents

In the past century the beneficial roles of nonpathogenic bacteria in the intestinal lumen were described. In the past decade there has been a dramatic increase in scientific work supporting the concept that there are clinical benefits to ingesting specific nonpathogenic organisms (probiotics). The potential benefits of modifying the intestinal flora composition of certain high-risk groups, eg, premature infants, travelers, and children receiving antibiotics, are emerging in the literature. Studies documenting prophylactic and therapeutic benefits in acute viral gastroenteritis and in atopic disease point not only to the potential applications, but also to the fact that the mechanisms of action of these agents may be due to their interaction with the gut as an immunologic organ. The benefits documented thus far are of varying degree and are most likely dependent on the number of agents, the dose, the dosing patterns, and the characteristics of the host and its underlying luminal microbial environment. Consequently, the safety and specification of a particular probiotic agent and methods of delivery to a particular population for a particular purpose should be carefully documented before making broad recommendations. The cost-benefit assessment of adding probiotics to our diet for prophylactic or therapeutic purposes, as well as better regulation of these agents as commercial products, is also needed.
Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor use in patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease or risk factors.

AbstractObjectives: Management of cardiovascular (CV) risk is an essential aspect of diabetes care, and acceptable CV risk is a requirement for antidiabetes medications. Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors effectively reduce glycated hemoglobin, with a low risk of hypoglycemia and weight gain. The purpose of this review is to discuss the use of DPP-4 inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and CV disease or risk factors. Methods: A PubMed search (January 2013–June 2015) was conducted to identify prospective trials, meta-analyses, pooled analyses and cohort studies evaluating CV outcomes with DPP-4 inhibitors. Results: Meta-analyses, pooled analyses and retrospective cohort studies in patients with T2DM suggest no increased CV risk and possible CV benefit compared with some antidiabetes medications. The three published, long-term, prospective, randomized, double-blind CV outcomes trials in patients with CV disease or risk factors found no increased rate of major CV events in patie...
A sparse matrix vector multiply accelerator for support vector machine

Sparse matrix vector multiplication (SpMV) is a linear algebra construct commonly found in machine learning (ML) algorithms, such as support vector machine (SVM). We profiled a popular SVM software (libSVM) on an energy-efficient microserver and a high-performance server for real-world ML datasets, and observed that SpMV dominates runtime. We propose a novel SpMV algorithm tailored for ML and a hardware accelerator architecture design based on this algorithm. Our evaluations show that the proposed algorithm and hardware accelerator achieves significant efficiency improvements over the conventional SpMV algorithm used in libSVM.
Recent advances in particle and droplet manipulation for lab-on-a-chip devices based on surface acoustic waves

Manipulation of microscale particles and fluid liquid droplets is an important task for lab-on-a-chip devices for numerous biological researches and applications, such as cell detection and tissue engineering. Particle manipulation techniques based on surface acoustic waves (SAWs) appear effective for lab-on-a-chip devices because they are non-invasive, compatible with soft lithography micromachining, have high energy density, and work for nearly any type of microscale particles. Here we review the most recent research and development of the past two years in SAW based particle and liquid droplet manipulation for lab-on-a-chip devices including particle focusing and separation, particle alignment and patterning, particle directing, and liquid droplet delivery.
Ovarian pathologies generated by various alleles of the otu locus in Drosophila melanogaster

A comparative cytological study was made of oogenesis in flies carrying various mutant alleles of the female sterile gene otu. It resides at 22.7 on the genetic map and within subdivision 7F of the cytological map of the X-chromosome. Each of the five ethyl methane sulfonate-induced mutations observed falls into one of three classes. In class 1, most mutant ovarioles lack germ cells; in class 2, most mutant ovarioles contain tumorous chambers; and in class 3 mutants, chambers occur that possess defective oocytes. The otu2 allele belongs to class 1; otu1 to class 2; and otu3, otu4, and otu5 to class 3. The mutations have no effects upon female viability or upon the viability and fertility of hemizygous males. Heterozygous females are fertile and have cytologically normal ovaries. In otu5 homozygotes, all ovarioles contain egg chambers, but oogenesis is prematurely terminated to produce a pseudo-stage 12 oocyte. Ovarioles from otu3 and from otu4 homozygotes contain both ovarian tumors and oocytes. Pseudonurse cells (PNC), which are cystocytes that have stopped dividing and have entered the nurse cell mode of development, are also abundant. PNCs contain polytene chromosomes. Since the homologs are paired, each nucleus has the haploid number of chromosomes. In chambers lacking an oocyte, the number of PNCs is less than the normal number of nurse cells. In chambers containing an oocyte, the number of accompanying nurse cells may be 15, or above or below normal. In vitellogenic chambers, the chromosomes in the nurse cells connected directly to the oocyte are more expanded than those in more distant nurse cells. The KA14 deficiency lacks the plus allele of otu. KA14 heterozygotes are fertile and have cytologically normal ovaries. When females carry KA14 and otu1, otu3, otu4, or otu5, 80% of their ovarioles are agametic. When females carry otu2 and one of the other mutant alleles, the ovarioles proceed further in development. So otu2 produces a product that has a beneficial effect on the test allele. When two different otu alleles are combined in a single fly, the phenotype of the hybrid ovary usually most resembles that of the ovary homozygous for the “stronger” allele (the otu mutant that allows oogenesis to proceed farthest). The results indicate that the product of the otu+ locus functions at least three different times during oogenesis; first to permit oogonia to proliferate, second to control the division and differentiation of germarial cystocytes, and third to facilitate the normal growth of the ooplasm. The gene product appears to be required in higher concentrations at each developmental period. The lesions produced by the mutations are thought to interfere with the stability or functioning of the gene product, and the ovarian phenotype produced by a given genotype depends upon the concentration of functional gene product available to the germ cells.
Clinical Pharmacokinetics of Oxazepam and Lorazepam

Oxazepam and lorazepam are 3-hydroxy benzodiazepine derivatives used as sedatives and anxiolytics. The major metabolic pathway for both compounds involves conjugation to glucuronic acid at the 3-position, followed by urinary excretion of the inactive glucuronide metabolite. Oxazepam has been administered to humans by the oral route only. Usual ranges for kinetic parameters are: elimination half-life, 5 to 15 hours; volume of distribution, 0.6 to 2.0L/kg; clearance, 0.9 to 2.0ml/min/kg. Age and liver disease have a minimal influence on oxazepam kinetics, but renal disease is associated with a prolonged half-life and increased volume of distribution. Typical kinetic values for lorazepam are: elimination half-life, 8 to 25 hours; volume of distribution, 1.0 to 1.3L/kg; clearance, 0.7 to 1.2ml/min/kg. Lorazepam clearance is somewhat reduced in old age, but liver disease has a minimal effect on clearance. Oral and intramuscular lorazepam are rapidly absorbed, with systemic availability averaging 90 % or more. Both oxazepam and lorazepam are extensively bound to plasma protein, but the free fraction for lorazepam (8 to 12%) is greater than that for oxazepam (2 to 4%).
Differences in Nurse and Surgeon Perceptions of Teamwork: Implications for Use of a Briefing Checklist in the OR

The quality of teamwork among health care professionals is known to affect patient outcomes. In the OR, surgeons report more favorable perceptions of communication during procedures and of teamwork effectiveness than do nurses. We undertook a quality improvement project in the Veterans Health Administration to confirm reported teamwork differences between perioperative nurses and surgeons and to examine the implications of these differences for improving practice patterns in the OR. The Safety Attitudes Questionnaire, which measures safety culture, including the quality of communication and collaboration among health care providers who routinely work together, was administered in 34 hospitals. Perioperative nurses who participated in the survey rated teamwork higher with other nurses than with surgeons, but surgeons rated teamwork high with each other and with nurses. On five of six communication and collaboration items, surgeons had a significantly more favorable perception than did perioperative nurses. To increase the likelihood of success when implementing the use of checklist-based crew resource management tools, such as the World Health Organization's Surgical Safety Checklist, project leaders should anticipate differences in perception between members of the different professions that must be overcome if teamwork is to be improved.
ζ-Potential and surface charge of Thermoplasma acidophila

Abstract The surface charge density and the ζ-potential of Thermoplasma acidophila was estimated from microscopic electrophoresis experiments. The cells moved towards the positive electrode. The mobility remained constant from pH 2 to 5, and increased for pH values higher than 6. The mobility at pH 6 decreased dramatically with increased external Ca2+ concentration. At pH 2 and an ionic strength similar to that of the growth medium, the ζ-potential was about 8 mV, negative relative to the bulk medium; the surface charge density was 1360esu/cm-2 which corresponds to one elementary charge per 3500 A2.
Micro motions of a 2-D swimming model governed by multiplicative controls

Abstract The goal of this paper is to derive a formula for the micro motions of a simplified model of an object swimming by itself in a 2-D Stokes fluid. Mathematics-wise, the model equations are described by a nonlinear coupled hybrid system of fluid equations and integro–differential equations. We view this swimming motion as one governed by multiplicative controls. Such problems are of interest in biological and engineering applications dealing with propulsion systems in fluids.
Different retinal ganglion cells have different functional goals

In mammalian retina, the Y (or M) ganglion cells are significantly more transient in response, more selective to stimuli of low spatial and high temporal frequencies and less selective to spectral information than the X (or P) cells. It is shown that these differences in cell properties can be explained by a model that assigns different functional goals to the different ganglion cell types. In this model, the goal of the Y cells is to extract as fast as possible the minimum amount of information necessary for quick responses. In contrast, the goal of the X cells is to extract as much information as possible. Temporal characteristics of the information extraction by the two cell groups are also derived.