cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Compensatory Role of Implementation Intentions for Young Adults with Low Working Memory Capacity

Summary Many factors improve prospective memory performance both inside and outside of the laboratory, including the detailed planning of the situational cue and intended action (i.e., implementation intentions). In the current study, we obtained measures of working memory capacity and laboratory event-based prospective memory performance in college-aged adults. Half of our participants formed an implementation intention in the prospective memory task. Because of evidence that implementation intentions increase the encoding/retrieval efficiency of the prospective memory, it was predicted that forming an implementation intention would serve as a compensatory strategy for those with low working memory ability. Our results supported this hypothesis in that working memory capacity no longer correlated with prospective memory performance when participants employed an implementation intention encoding strategy. These findings suggest that implementation intentions may be an effective way for individuals with low working memory capacity to improve their performance in an attentionally demanding prospective memory task. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dynamic Thread Count Adaptation for Multiple Services in SMP Environments

We propose a dynamic mechanism, thread count adaptation, that adjusts the thread counts that are allocated to services for adapting to CPU requirement variations in SMP environments. Our goal is to increase the maximum throughput available on a system that has multiple dynamic content services while meeting different service time criteria for these services in dynamic workloads. Our challenge is to significantly improve response times for dynamic content on a busy well-tuned thread-pool-based system without prioritizing any specific services. Our experiments demonstrate that a prototype using our approach on J2EE middleware quickly (around every 20 ms) adjusted the thread counts for the services and that it improved the average 90th-percentile response times by up to 27% (and 22% on average) for the SPECjAppServer2004 benchmark.
Revenue Management in Business Services

A significant portion of the services industry is focused on providing services (medical, legal, financial, personal, and travel) to individuals. However, studies have shown that a less visible but rapidly growing segment of the service sector comprises firms that provide business functions to other businesses. The sector covers tasks such as payroll processing, procurement, and information systems management, as well as business consulting, technical support, call center operations, and software development. Firms may choose to purchase, rather than perform, these business functions to reduce costs, to mitigate risk, or simply to focus on their processes that provide marketplace differentiation. Transferring a business function from within a firm to an outside supplier is often called “outsourcing”; when the supplier provides the service from a lower-cost country, it is called “offshoring.” The risks and benefits of outsourcing to the firm purchasing a business service have been studied in some detail by both academics and consultants. In this paper, we outline revenue management issues faced by business service providers and describe some new opportunities for the use of analytic methods in the service science sector.
Portable social groups: willingness to communicate, interpersonal communication gratifications, and cell phone use among young adults

This study looked at young adult cell phone usage patterns. Results of a survey of 182 students at a large southern university revealed that respondents typically used their phones an average of 10.5 hours per week – the overwhelming majority of that with traditional calling. Features and services that were regularly utilised related to interpersonal communication. Limited support was found for the hypothesis that cell phone use may be utilised to avoid communication apprehension events. Stronger support was found for the hypothesis that interpersonal communication motives are positively correlated with cell phone usage gratifications.
Reproducibility of near-infrared spectroscopy measurements of oxidative function and postexercise recovery kinetics in the medial gastrocnemius muscle.

The purpose of this study was to assess the reproducibility of resting blood flow, resting oxygen consumption, and mitochondrial capacity in skeletal muscle using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)....
The treatment of recurrent/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL) with everolimus results in clinical responses and mobilization of CLL cells into the circulation.

BACKGROUND: Patients with recurrent/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL) often have chemotherapy-resistant disease, resulting in poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to learn if inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) would produce tumor responses. METHODS: This was a phase 2 study of oral single-agent everolimus (10 mg/day) for recurrent/refractory indolent lymphoid malignancies including CLL. RESULTS: Four of 22 patients with CLL (18%; 95% confidence interval, 5%-40%) achieved a partial remission to therapy. An unanticipated finding in this study was an increase in absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) associated with a decrease in lymphadenopathy in 8 (36%) patients. ALC increased a median of 4.8-fold (range, 1.9- to 25.1-fold), and the clinically measurable lymphadenopathy decreased a median of 75.5% (range, 38%-93%) compared with baseline measurements. CONCLUSIONS: Everolimus has modest antitumor activity against CLL and can mobilize malignant cells from nodal masses into the peripheral circulation in a subset of CLL patients. Because CLL cells in lymphatic tissue and bone marrow can be more resistant to therapy than circulating CLL cells, the ability of everolimus to mobilize CLL cells into the circulation could be used in combination therapeutic regimens. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Binding of p190RhoGEF to a Destabilizing Element on the Light Neurofilament mRNA Is Competed by BC1 RNA

The enhancement of RNA-mediated motor neuron degeneration in transgenic mice by mutating a major mRNA instability determinant in a light neurofilament (NF-L) transgene implicates cognate RNA binding factors in the pathogenesis of motor neuron degeneration. p190RhoGEF is a neuron-enriched guanine exchange factor (GEF) that binds to the NF-L-destabilizing element, to c-Jun N-terminal kinase-interactive protein-1 (JIP-1), and to 14-3-3 and may link neurofilament expression to pathways affecting neuronal homeostasis. This study was undertaken to identify additional RNA species that bind p190RhoGEF and could affect interactions of the exchange factor with NF-L transcripts. The C-terminal domain of p190RhoGEF, containing the RNA-binding site, was expressed as a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein and was used as an affinity probe to isolate interactive RNAs in rat brain extracts. As expected, NF-L mRNA was identified as an RNA specie eluted from the affinity column. In addition, BC1 RNA was also found enriched in the bound RNA fraction. BC1 is a 152-nucleotide RNA that is highly expressed but untranslated in differentiated neurons. We show that BC1 and NF-L mRNA bind to a similar site in the C-terminal domain of p190RhoGEF, and their bindings to p190RhoGEF are readily cross-competed. Moreover, we identify a novel binding site in BC1 to account for its interaction with p190RhoGEF. The findings suggest a novel role of BC1 in differentiated neurons involving RNA-protein interactions of p190RhoGEF.
Oat Grain/Groat Size Ratios: A Physical Basis for Test Weight

ABSTRACT Market value of oat grain is largely determined by test weight or bulk density, yet little is known of the physical basis for test weight in oats. We have hypothesized that a larger sized groat relative to the oat grain (the kernel with the hull) would generate higher test weight oats because the groat is the densest structure in the oat grain. We tested this by measuring oat grain size and oat groat size by digital image analysis for 10 genotypes grown in 10 environments. We also measured other physical characteristics of the oats grains and groats including mean grain and groat mass, test weight, and groat percentage. We found that the groat/ grain size ratio was highly correlated with test weight. Because the oat grain image area was nearly twice that of the groat, we suggest that there are significant amounts of empty space within the oat hull, which detracts from test weight. We also found that oat groat size distributions, like oat grains, fit bimodal distributions better than normal distri...
Antibody–drug conjugates nonclinical support: from early to late nonclinical bioanalysis using ligand-binding assays

The objective of antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) bioanalysis at different stages of drug development may vary and so are the associated bioanalytical challenges. While at early drug discovery stage involving candidate selection, optimization and preliminary nonclinical assessments, the goal of ADC bioanalysis is to provide PK, toxicity and efficacy data that assists in the design and selection of potential drug candidates, the late nonclinical and clinical drug development stage typically involves regulated ADC bioanalysis that delivers TK data to define and understand pharmacological and toxicological properties of the lead ADC candidate. Bioanalytical strategies and considerations involved in developing successful ligand binding assays for ADC characterization from early discovery to late nonclinical stages of drug development are presented here.
Casein-mediated neutrophil chemotaxis: a parallel between surface binding and chemotaxis.

This study was directed toward demonstrating an interaction between human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) and the chemotactic factor, casein. Experiments conducted using fluorescein-labeled casein indicated that PMNs have a membrane receptor for this chemotactic factor. This receptor was specific for casein and was not found on lymphocytes. A direct parallel was shown between the binding of FITC-casein and the PMN chemotactic response to this protein. Binding to the receptor was optimal at 25°C, unaffected by sodium azide, and partially reduced by iodoacetate. Enzymatic treatment of PMNs with pronase and trypsin resulted in a loss of both FITC-casein-mediated PMN fluorescence and chemotaxis. Our data indicate that human PMNs have a membrane receptor for casein and that interaction with this receptor results in a chemotactic response.
Analysis on dog's density and dogs infected with rabies virus in Mianyang from 2010 to 2011

Objective To understand the dog's density and infection situation of rabies virus in Mianyang,and provide scientific evidence for control of rabies.Methods Method Investigate 2 villages randomly in Beichuan and Pingwu,where no case of rabies was reported;and investigat 2 villages randomly in 7 counties with rabies,one village had reported and one village didn't report the cases.The investigation items included dog's density,immunization and raising methods.Detect the rabies virus antigen for 50 samples of brain tissue in 9 counties.Results The average dog's density was 0.41 per family of the 18 villages.The immune rate was 81.90% and dogs tied to raising accounted for 67.55%.The immune rate of village with rabies was lower than that with no case of rabies,but the difference had no statistical significant.No positive rabies virus antigen was detected in the brain tissues.Conclusions The dog's density in Mianyang was high and their immune rate was low.Strengthening the management and quarantine of dogs couldeffectively prevent and control the occurance of rabies.
THE LATE MEROVINGIAN ORDER

In 751, Pippin III deposed the last Merovingian king, Childeric III (743–51), assumed the kingship of the Franks and, three years later, along with his wife and two sons Charlemagne and Carloman, was anointed with holy oil when he received the sacrament of confirmation from Pope Stephen. Few historians now believe that the accession of the Carolingian dynasty abruptly transformed the ideological basis of Frankish kingship, replacing a formerly pagan, Germanic sacrality with a Christian one. Merovingian kings, as their Carolingian successors, considered themselves responsible for protecting and patronizing the church, and spreading the faith. It recently has been argued that Pippin likely never was constituted king by anointing, and that the confirming of Pippin's family developed into a king-making ceremony only later. Whatever the precise circumstances surrounding Pippin's accession, the anointing of the royal family by means of a sacramental ritual imported from Rome and Pippin's special relationship to the vicar of St Peter were perceived to be propitious for the new dynasty, marking the culmination of a process that dated from the previous century when a new aristocratic consciousness emerged in the wake of Irish missions. As powerful Frankish families legitimized themselves through the foundation, patronage and staffing of monasteries, the kingship, perhaps inevitably, was adapted to the piety of the elite. In contrast to the Merovingians, the Carolingians infused the kingship with monastic spirituality and presided over an empire regulated by common assemblies of lay and ecclesiastical lords.
Geometrical decomposition of robot elasticity

A new geometric decomposition is introduced that diagonalizes the 6 × 6 stiffness and compliance matrices which model robot elasticity. Using screw theory, a congruence transformation is developed from the three orthogonal wrench-compliant axes and the three orthogonal twist-compliant axes. The diagonal elements are the stationary values of linear and rotational compliance and stiffness. This generalizes and is analogous to principal axes and principal values for stress, strain, and rotational inertia. It is proved that the decomposition always exists for both the nonsingular and singular cases.
CE-09 Accuracy of the american college of rheumatology and systemic lupus international collaborating clinics criteria to classify systemic lupus erythematosus in patients with chronic cutaneous lupus

Background Chronic cutaneous lupus (CCLE) is a group of distinctive cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) subtypes that includes discoid lupus (DLE), lupus profundus (LEP), chilblain lupus (CLE), and lupus tumidus (LET). While CCLE phenotypes can be seen in individuals with systemic lupus (SLE), patients with a diagnosis of primary CCLE can potentially fulfil the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria of SLE without having prominent systemic manifestations. The Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) have expanded upon the ACR criteria to address several concerns including clinical relevance. We examined the accuracy of these two sets of criteria in classifying SLE in a cohort of patients with CCLE. Materials and methods We studied a subset of patients with CCLE enrolled in the Georgians OrganisedAgainst Lupus (GOAL) study. GOAL is a population-based cohort of people with lupus. Medical records of 90 participants who had a dermatologist-documented diagnosis of one of the CCLE subtypes and a clinical assessment by an experienced rheumatologist were reviewed to apply ACR and SLICC criteria. We examined the sensitivity and specificity for each set of criteria, using the clinical diagnosis by the attending rheumatologist as the reference standard of SLE. Results There were 85 patients with DLE (7 with overlapping LEP), 3 with LEP, and 2 with LET. Overall, 56 patients had a diagnosis of primary CCLE and 34 CCLE with SLE. Sensitivity was 88.2% and 97.1% for ACR and SLICC, respectively; specificity was 87.5% and 80.4% for ACR and SLICC, respectively. Among 7 ACR criteria false positive cases, all had DLE and (+) ANA, 6 had photosensitivity, 4 had leukopenia, and 1 had (+) anti-Sm and (+) aPL autoantibodies. Among 11 SLICC false positives, all had DLE, 10 had (+) ANA, 7 had photosensitivity, 6 had leukopenia and 1 had anti-dsDNA, anti-Sm and anti-aPL autoantibodies. Receiving operating curves (ROC) are shown in Figure 1. Conclusions Among individuals with a diagnosis of CCLE, SLICC and ACR criteria have excellent (97.1%) and very good (88.2%) sensitivity to classify SLE, respectively. Specificity, however, was superior for the ACR criteria. Our data indicate that nearly 20% and 13% of patients with primary CCLE would be misclassified as SLE if SLICC and ACR criteria were applied, respectively. Positive ANA, photosensitivity, leukopenia, and CCLE diagnosis are predominant manifestations in false positive cases. These findings are helpful to determine potential biases associated with the definition of CCLE in clinical and epidemiological studies. Acknowledgements This study is supported by CDC (U01DP005119.
Probability and Proportions

In a series of recent articles I have been developing the theory of nomic probability.1 Nomic probability is the kind of probability involved in statistical laws of nature. Such laws can be regarded as analogous to non-statistical laws. The latter are expressed by nomic generalizations.2 A non-counterlegal nomic generalization ⌜F ⇒ G⌝ says that any physically possible F would be a G. Similarly, the non-counterlegal statistical law ⌜prob(G/F) = r⌝ can be regarded, at least heuristically, as telling us that the proportion of physically possible F’s that would be G is r.
History and Highlights of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine

The history of cardiothoracic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine begins in 1948, when Michael E. DeBakey was recruited as chair of the Department of Surgery. With the addition of Denton A. Cooley, E. Stanley Crawford, and other surgical legends, Baylor College of Medicine quickly rose to the forefront of cardiothoracic surgery. Highlights in its history include treatment of aortic aneurysm and dissection, development of synthetic aortic substitutes, early experience with cardiac replacement valves, the first successful use of coronary artery bypass grafts to revascularize the heart, and the cardiac transplantation and total artificial heart program, which led to the creation of the left ventricular assist device. Baylor's Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery continues to build on its history and legacy to remain a vital contributor to the specialty in the 21st century.
Investigation of current sharing and heat dissipation in parallel-connected lithium-ion battery packs

This paper adopts a circuit model with temperature-dependent parameter values to investigate the current unbalance risk in parallel-connected lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery cells and uses this circuit model to calculate heat dissipation. The paper first investigates use of the battery model to explain the impact of temperature on current unbalance in parallel-connected Li-ion battery cells. Experimental results confirm the model's accuracy, as well as demonstrating the serious effect that the negative temperature coefficient of Li-ion cells can have on current unbalance, particularly at low temperatures below 0°C. The second half of the paper focuses on the use of a calorimeter to collect battery heat dissipation data that is then used to confirm the battery model parameters derived from Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). The effectiveness of the battery circuit model for estimating the pack heat dissipation is experimentally verified.
Congress and the President in Times of War

The increasingly common involvement of the United States in military conflict resonates throughout American political institutions and affects the balance of power in important ways. We examine one particular aspect of executive augmentation of power in times of war—legislative deference—and move beyond a binary approach to the effect of war. Instead, we contend that executive advantage depends on the salience and severity of the conflict. Matters of war often drive upward the prevalence of security concerns in public discourse. Although this can leave the president to compete with Congress on a much more friendly playing field, perceptions of the war’s development can turn the tide. We empirically test our hypotheses with data spanning a 50-year period and find that the salience and severity of war matter, though not equally for both chambers of Congress. The findings hold implications for how we understand the institutional balance of power within and across conflicts, which represents a major aspect of...
I touch you and you touch me

A robotic arm plays back hallucinated gestures from a machine learning system trained on my interactions with my phone, exploring issues of human/machine empathy and agency.
Modeling the response of ultra high performance fiber reinforced concrete beams

Abstract A finite element based numerical model is applied for tracing the response of Ultra High Performance Fiber Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC) beams under the effects of flexural and shear dominant loading. The numerical model, developed in ABAQUS, accounts for superior strength properties of UHPFRC, including high compressive and tensile strength, and stain hardening effect in tension. The developed model can generate various response parameters including flexural and shear capacity, as well as load deflection response and propagation of cracks. Predictions from the model are compared with measured test data on UHPFRC beams, tested under dominant shear and flexure loading. The comparisons indicate that the model is capable of capturing the response of UHPFRC beams in the entire range of loading from preloading stage to failure through crushing of concrete or rupture of rebars.
A Brief History of Rotor Dynamics

Rotor Dynamics was initiated in the last quarter of the 19th Century due to the problems associated with the high speed turbine of Gustaf de Laval who invented the elastically supported rotor, called de Laval Rotor, and observed its supercritical operation. Foeppl explained analytically the dynamic behavior of the de Laval rotor and Stodola pioneered the turbomachinery rotor dynamics studies. In the 1920’s there was substantial development in the design of turbomachinery and most of the present-day rotor dynamics problems were identified.
Urban heat islands and cooler infrastructure – Measuring near-surface temperatures with hand-held infrared cameras

Abstract Infrared thermography is an essential tool for evaluating Urban Heat Islands (UHI). Hand-held thermal cameras, however, are only designed for measuring surface temperatures. Near-surface air temperatures are physically different, and although the two temperatures are expected and assumed to correlate, their relationship remains an important research question. It would be a methodological advance if thermal cameras could measure air temperatures too, as it would make mobile data collection more efficient, consistent, and precise. The authors address this by studying the camera temperature readings using a proxy for air temperature – shaded white test-sheets held aloft. The challenge is to minimize near-field absorption of infrared radiation that impinges upon the test-sheets, potentially raising surface temperatures significantly above ambient air temperatures bathing the sheets. The authors correct for the infrared effect using an adjacent sheet of aluminum foil to estimate background radiation impinging on the paper proxy. Results show that at a two-meter height, 86–87% of the measurements closely approximate (within ± 1 °C) of weather station data. Over hotter surfaces, the background infrared test is needed for the proxy temperature reading to be accurate.
Repolarization recipes for atrial fibrillation: beyond single channel variants.

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, represents a major health burden to people and health care systems within the Western world ([1][1]). Given its increasing prevalence with age, coupled with the aging population, the number of Americans affected is expected to
Parallel Performance of a New Model for Wildland Fire Spread Predictions

A new approach to simulation of wildland fire spread is outlined, and preliminary results of computations and parallelization of the algorithms are presented and discussed. The fire spread model is based on a porous medium representation of the forest with heat source terms replacing treatment of detailed chemistry. The formulation is implemented in conjunction with a synthetic-velocity form of large-eddy simulation (LES) which is capable of producing far more detailed results than can be obtained with usual forms of LES, but yet is very efficient and easily parallelized.
Matrix Weighted Averages and Posterior Bounds

SUMMARY Bounds for matrix weighted averages of pairs of vectors are presented. The weight matrices are constrained to certain classes suggested by the Bayesian analysis of the linear regression model and the multivariate normal model. The bounds identify the region within which the posterior location vector must lie if the prior comes from a certain class of priors. WE present in this article a series of results on the behaviour of matrix weighted averages of the form b** = (H + H*)-1 (Hb + H* b*), where b, b* and b** are vectors and where H and H* are square, symmetric, positive semi- definite matrices. These results indicate the extent to which we can generalize to higher dimensions the trivial univariate bound that constrains the scalar b** to lie algebraically between the scalars b and b*. Our interest in the behaviour of matrix weighted averages derives from the fact that two statistical models-the normal linear regression model and the multivariate normal sampling model with normal priors-have posterior means of the location parameters that are matrix weighted averages of a prior location vector and a sample location vector. One or both of the matrices in these averages are arbitrary either because prior distributions are impossible to measure without error or because intended readers may differ in their prior judgments. A Bayesian analysis based on any particular prior distribution will as a result be of little interest. Practical users of the Bayesian tools will necessarily face the difficult reporting problem of characterizing economically the mapping implied by the given data from interesting prior distributions into their respective posterior distributions, thereby servicing a wide readership as well as identifying those features of the prior which critically determine the posterior and which must therefore be measured accurately. One way of characterizing the mapping from priors into posteriors is a local sensitivity analysis that identifies the relative sensitivity of aspects of the posterior distribution to infinitesimal changes in the prior. The feasibility of a local sensitivity analysis is somewhat doubtful since to have great content it will have to be performed for many different prior distributions. Instead, we are suggesting here a global sensitivity analysis that constructs a correspondence between classes of priors and classes of posteriors. We will attempt to answer questions of the form: "If my prior is a member of this class of priors, what can I say about my posterior?" Although we would naturally be interested in both the location and the dispersion of the posterior, we will consider here only the location parameter. We will take the location of the prior as given and will develop a correspondence between classes of prior covariance matrices and regions in the space of the posterior location vector. We will see that a great deal can be said about the posterior location without precisely specifying the prior covariance matrix.
Don’t Sugar Coat It: Glycemic Control in the Intensive Care Unit:

Stress hyperglycemia is the transient increase in blood glucose as a result of complex hormonal changes that occur during critical illness. It has been described in the critically ill for nearly 200 years; patient harm, including increases in morbidity, mortality, and lengths of stay, has been associated with hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, and glucose variability. However, there remains a contentious debate regarding the optimal glucose ranges for this population, most notably within the past 15 years. Recent landmark clinical trials have dramatically changed the treatment of stress hyperglycemia in the intensive care unit (ICU). Earlier studies suggested that tight glucose control improved both morbidity and mortality for ICU patients, but later studies have suggested potential harm related to the development of hypoglycemia. Multiple trials have tried to elucidate potential glucose target ranges for special patient populations, including those with diabetes, trauma, sepsis, cardiac surgery, and brain injuries, but there remains conflicting evidence for most of these subpopulations. Currently, most international organizations recommend targeting moderate blood glucose concentration to levels <180 mg/dL for all patients in the intensive care unit. In this review, the history of stress hyperglycemia and its treatment will be discussed including optimal glucose target ranges, devices for monitoring blood glucose, and current professional organizations' recommendations regarding glucose control in the ICU.
Hydrophobic–Hydrophilic Surfaces Exhibiting Dropwise Condensation for Anti-Soiling Applications

Soiling of solar cover glass is a significant challenge that increases the levelized cost of electricity of solar photovoltaic energy through loss of electrical output and/or increased operation and maintenance costs. Hydrophobic coatings can reduce the cost of cleaning, but an external source of cleaning water is still required. Dew, however, can be harnessed to create a self-cleaning glass surface. To efficiently use condensation (i.e., natural dew) to create a self-cleaning glass surface, we fabricated a hybrid hydrophobic–hydrophilic coating, with an array of isolated hydrophilic circular rings. Water roll-off collection rates were measured in a simulated dew environment. The effect of hydrophilic ring geometry (location, arrangement, diameter, distance, and count) was studied to determine the optimal cleaning efficiency. The hybrid surface increased water collection rates by 95% over an uncoated (bare) glass surface and 51% compared with uniformly coated hydrophobic low-iron glass.
Sexual minority women's attitudes toward infants, children, and parenthood.

AbstractLittle is known about the experiences of lesbian and bisexual women with infants or children or about their views on trade-offs required by parenthood. In this study, we examined how reacti...
Globalization within and across Borders: From Cuba to Syracuse, New York

In what ways do Cubans capitalize on inequalities created by globalization in order to advance socially and economically within a socialist system? What roles do migration and social reproduction p...
Synthesis and SAR of Adatanserin: Novel Adamantyl Aryl- and Heteroarylpiperazines with Dual Serotonin 5-HT1A and 5-HT2 Activity as Potential Anxiolytic and Antidepressant Agents

Several novel functionalized adamantyl aryl- and heteroarylpiperazine derivatives were prepared and examined in various receptor binding and behavioral tests to determine their serotonin receptor activities. Many compounds demonstrated modest to high affinity for 5-HT1A receptors, with compounds 9, 13, 23, 33, 34, and 43 being the most potent at this site. Compound 1, 2-[4-(2-pyrimidinyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl adamantyl-1-carboxylate, demonstrated relatively high affinity for 5-HT1A receptors (Ki = 8 nM) and acceptable selectivity versus D2 receptors (Ki = 708 mM); however, it lacked in vivo activity in serotonergic behavioral models. In contrast, compounds 9 (WY-50,324, SEB-324, adatanserin), adamantyl-1-carboxylic acid 2-[4-(2-pyrimidinyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethylamide, and 13, adamantyl-1-carboxylic acid 2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethylamide, demonstrated high affinity for 5-HT1A binding sites (Ki = 1 nM for both) and moderate affinity for 5-HT2 receptors (Ki = 73 and 75 nM, respectively). Both comp...
Choice-Based Airline Schedule Design and Fleet Assignment: A Decomposition Approach

We study an integrated airline schedule design and fleet assignment model for constructing schedules by simultaneously selecting from a pool of optional flights and assigning fleet types to these scheduled flights. This is a crucial tactical decision which greatly influences airline profit. As passenger demand is often substitutable among available fare products between the same origin-destination pair, we study an optimization model that integrates within it a passenger choice model for fare product selections. To tackle the formidable computational challenge of solving this large-scale network design problem, we propose a decomposition approach based on partitioning the flight network into smaller subnetworks by exploiting weak dependency in the network structure. The decomposition relies on a series of approximation analyses and a novel fare split problem to reliably measure the approximation quality introduced by the partition by optimally allocating fares of products shared by flights in different subnetworks. We present several reformulations by representing fleet assignment and schedule decisions using composite variables and formally characterize the relationship of their strengths. This gives rise to a new reformulation that is able to flexibly trade off strength and size. We conduct detailed computational experiments using two realistically sized airline instances to demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach. Under a simulated passenger booking environment with both perfect and imperfect forecasts, we show that the fleeting and scheduling decisions informed by our approach deliver significant and robust profit improvement over benchmark implementations and previous models in the literature.
Maternal Body Mass Index and Risk of Intraventricular Hemorrhage in Preterm Neonates

PURPOSE To evaluate the association between body mass index (BMI) and the development of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) in preterm infants. METHODS This is a retrospective cohort study of a population-based cohort of infants who were born between 22 and 32 weeks gestation from 2007 to 2011. Maternal and infant data were extracted from the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) and the California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative (CPQCC) datasets, from 136 neonatal intensive care units. Infants with major congenital anomalies, and those without neuroimaging performed were excluded. …
Surface Treatment of Carbon Nanotubes Using Modified Tapioca Starch for Improved Force Detection Consistency in Smart Cementitious Materials

The remarkable mechanical properties and piezo-responses of carbon nanotubes (CNT) makes this group of nanomaterials an ideal candidate for use in smart cementitious materials to monitor forces and the corresponding structural health conditions of civil structures. However, the inconsistency in measurements is the major challenge of CNT-enabled smart cementitious materials to be widely applied for force detection. In this study, the modified tapioca starch co-polymer is introduced to surface treat the CNTs for a better dispersion of CNTs; thus, to reduce the inconsistency of force measurements of the CNTs modified smart cementitious materials. Cement mortar with bare (unmodified) CNTs (direct mixing method) and surfactant surface treated CNTs using sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate (NaDDBS) were used as the control. The experimental results showed that when compared with samples made from bare CNTs, the samples made by modified tapioca starch co-polymer coated CNTs (CCNTs) showed higher dynamic load induced piezo-responses with significantly improved consistency and less hysteresis in the cementitious materials. When compared with the samples prepared with the surfactant method, the samples made by the developed CCNTs showed slightly increased force detection sensitivity with significantly improved consistency in piezo-response and only minor hysteresis, indicating enhanced dispersion effectiveness. The new CNT surface coating method can be scaled up easily to cater the potential industry needs for future wide application of smart cementitious materials.
Abstract TMIM-064: AMPKA-LIKE PROTEINS IN OVARIAN CANCER TUMORIGENESIS AND NECROPTOSIS

In our previous research we characterized novel ALDH1A inhibitors (1A1, 1A2, 1A3) 673A that specifically target Ovarian Cancer Stem cells (OvCSC) and trigger cell programmed necrosis (necroptosis). Following ALDH1A inhibition CD133+ (A2780) FACS sorted cells we detected increase in phospho LKB1 while its major downstream target AMPKa did not exhibit changes in phosphorylation level. In addition to AMPKa, which is most known downstream target of LKB1, there are 11 AMPKa-like proteins that can be phosphorylated by LKB1. These proteins have been studied mostly in brain development. To detect AMPKa-like relevancy to high grade serous ovarian cancer, we next analyzed TCGA data. Surprisingly we identified many alterations in all 12 genes, including LKB1 (STK11). We only focused on alterations that exhibit gene amplifications or mRNA upregulation. Based on TCGA data, all AMPKa-like genes have many alterations in ovarian tumors suggesting importance of these genes to ovarian cancer tumorigenesis. We next continued to analyze combinations of any two genes to test their co-occurrence or mutual exclusivity. We detected 9 gene combinations, in which amplification or mRNA upregulation in AMPKa-like genes co-occur (p To confirm our bioinformatic findings, we established cell lines that mimic patient tumors with most frequent co-occurrence of AMPKa genes. We have been studying these cell lines in terms of cell proliferation, stemness and role in cell death. Citation Format: Anmbreen Jamroze, Mikhail Chesnokov, Ilana Chefetz. AMPKA-LIKE PROTEINS IN OVARIAN CANCER TUMORIGENESIS AND NECROPTOSIS [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 12th Biennial Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium; Sep 13-15, 2018; Seattle, WA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2019;25(22 Suppl):Abstract nr TMIM-064.
E-cigarettes and Cessation: The Introduction of Substantial Bias in Analyses of PATH Study.

Author(s): Pierce, John P; Leas, Eric C; Benmarhnia, Tarik; McMenamin, Sara B; Strong, David R; Chen, Ruifeng; Messer, Karen
Thoracic dorsal arachnoid web with rapid onset of symptoms: A report of two cases and brief review of the literature

Background Thoracic arachnoid webs are a rare entity and can be challenging to diagnose with sometimes subtle radiographic findings. Arachnoid webs can cause severe cord compression with associated syrinx and resulting myelopathy, weakness, sensory loss, and bowel/bladder dysfunction. There have been a little over 60 cases total reported in the literature with only one systematic review. The cases presented here have unique features including rapid onset of symptoms, symptomatic syrinx extending into the cervical spine, and intraoperative syrinx drainage, all of which are quite rare in the current published literature for arachnoid webs. Case description Here, we present two patients, a 73-year-old man and 58-year-old man presenting with different symptoms and timing of symptom progression but both with "scalpel sign" and associated syrinx present on their MRIs. Each patient underwent a laminectomy with resection of arachnoid web with complete resolution of symptoms in the first case and significant improvement in the second case. Postoperative imaging in both cases showed almost complete resolution of the syrinx. Conclusion Early clinical evaluation and workup followed by early surgical treatment can lead to dramatic improvement in outcomes after surgery. For patients that are symptomatic from an associated syrinx, a midline myelotomy to facilitate drainage can be considered to be done concomitantly with the arachnoid web resection.
Identifying the Assumptions and Bias That Affect Screening and Brief Interventions for Harmful Alcohol Use

Background:Screening for harmful alcohol use (HAU) is standard in clinical settings; however, self-reports of the quantity/frequency of use are often inconsistent with population survey data and ob...
OPTIMIST: Optimal State Minimization for Synchronous FSM’s

This chapter presents Optimist, a novel method for state minimization of incompletely-specified finite state machines [61]. Where classic methods simply minimize the number of states, this method directly addresses the implementation’s logic complexity.
Delayed lower cranial neuropathies following primary radiotherapy for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Objectives/Hypothesis Delayed lower cranial neuropathy is a rare complication following primary radiotherapy for head and neck cancer, and has been most associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma with minimal data regarding this outcome in the treatment of the oropharynx. No reports, to the authors' knowledge, have described this complication following intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for oropharyngeal primaries. Once encountered, this adverse outcome can have serious impacts on speech and swallowing. We present here our institution's experience with delayed cranial neuropathies following primary radiation therapy for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, as well as document the only reported case following IMRT.
Natural isotope markers in salmon

To optimize conservation and restoration strategies for fish stocks it is important to identify the rearing habitats that produce the most successful individuals. However, tracking millions of migratory fish through multiple life stages seems to be impossible using conventional techniques. Using differences in the ratio of stable isotopes of strontium (Sr), found naturally in stream water, we have been able to distinguish juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) from eight of ten rearing sites studied in Vermont streams. This demonstrates the potential for using environmental signals to determine the rearing stream from which salmon originate, and should help to guide restoration activities.
PVFS: A Parallel Virtual File System for Linux Clusters

An introduction to the Parallel Virtual File System and a look at how one company installed and tested it.
Unraveling the “Cuban miracle”: A conversation with Dr. Enrique Beldarrain Chaple

An interview with a Cuban physician and professor of Epidemiology and Anthropology at the Medical University of Havana, Cuba, unravels so-called Cuban miracle, by laying out the history and foundations of a health system built on the principles of health equity and justice. The interview traces the beginning of the system to the Cuban revolution, briefly providing the social and public health background to this revolution, elaborates on the training of medical personnel and on the Cuban state policy of medical internationalism, and underscores that achieving a modicum of health justice in Cuba’s neighboring country will require freeing US health care from the chains of a profit driven system.
An Analysis of the Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectrum of Pseudomonas oleovorans Rubredoxin: A METHOD FOR DETERMINATION OF THE LIGANDS OF FERRIC IRON IN COMPLETELY RHOMBIC SITES

From thermodynamic measurements, it is possible to identify the ligand atoms bound to Fe3+ in nearly rhombic environments. D, the second rank axial coefficient in the spin Hamiltonian, is more than 4 times larger for primarily sulfur-ligated than for primarily oxygen-ligated high spin ferric iron. For the model in this study, rubredoxin, isolated from Pseudomonas oleovorans, containing 1 g atom of Fe3+ per mole of protein was used. The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum is that of mononuclear Fe3+ in a nearly completely rhombic environment (E/D = 0.28). The EPR of rubredoxin containing 2 g atoms of Fe3+ per mole of protein is essentially the same; the second atom of Fe3+ enters a magnetically equivalent site. At low temperatures, near 1.4° K, the resonance observed in an X-band spectrometer at geff = 9.4 is that of a ground state transition, while the one observed at higher temperatures at geff = 4.31 is that of an excited state transition. The other resonances to higher (geff = 4.0) and lower (geff = 4.7) field of the geff = 4.31 resonance are also excited state transitions but these arise from the two other principal directions. Fitting the amplitude of any feature of the EPR spectrum taken over the temperature range 1.4 to 40° K to a Boltzmann distribution yields the zero field splitting from which D (1.76 cm-1 in this case) is determined. Similar variable temperature studies performed on ferric pyrrolidone dithiocarbamate, where Fe3+ is completely ligated to sulfur as is rubredoxin, yields a value of 1.68 cm-1 for D.
Insights into nitrogen cycling in the western Gulf of California from the nitrogen isotopic composition of diatom‐bound organic matter

The nitrogen isotopic composition of organic matter contained within diatom frustules of different sediment size fractions from the Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California, suggests that multiple nutrient cycling processes can be examined from a single sediment sample. The diatom-bound δ15N values from the greater and less than 63 μm size fractions were analyzed from six intervals of core MD02–2517, each representing ∼30–40 years. The diatom-bound δ15N values are compared to bulk sedimentary δ15N values, weight percent biogenic opal, and weight percent organic carbon. Bulk sedimentary δ15N values range from 10‰ to 12.5‰ and diatom-bound δ15N values of the 63 μm fraction range from 1‰ to 7‰. The best explanation for the low diatom δ15N values in the >63 μm fraction is that the large diatoms grew at the base of the euphotic zone in excess nitrate and under low light conditions. Large diatom δ15N values correlate significantly with bulk sedimentary δ15N values (r = 0.68, 0.82), indicating that large diatoms, such as Thalassiothrix longissima, are an important component of export production fueled by a nonupwelling source of nitrogen. The >63 μm diatoms are estimated to contribute between 3% and 15% of the total nitrogen in the sediments based upon an assumed Si-to-N ratio of 1.2.
Nutrition and the Aging Eye

Vision loss among the elderly is an important health problem. Approximately one person in three has some form of vision-reducing eye disease by the age of 65 (1). Age-related cataract and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are the major causes of visual impairment and blindness in the aging US population. Approximately 50% of the 30-50 million cases of blindness worldwide result from unoperated cataracts (2–4). A clinically significant cataract is present in about 5% of Caucasian Americans aged 52–64 yr and the incidence rises to 46% in those aged 75–85 yr (5). In the United States, cataract extraction accompanied by ocular lens implant is currently the most common surgical procedure done in Medicare beneficiaries (6). Lens implantation is highly successful in restoring vision; however, the procedure is costly, accounting for 12% of the Medicare budget and more than $3 billion in annual health expenditures (6,7). For these reasons, there is much interest in the prevention of cataracts as an alternative to surgery. The prevalence of AMD also increases dramatically with age. Nearly 30% of Americans over the age of 75 have early signs of AMD and 7% have late-stage disease, whereas the respective prevalence among people 43–54 yr are 8 and 0.1% (8,9). AMD is the leading cause of blindness among the elderly in industrialized countries (8,10). Because there are currently no effective treatment strategies for most patients with AMD, attention has focused on efforts to stop the progression of the disease or to prevent the damage leading to this condition (11).