cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Brief overview of BioMicroNano Technologies.

This paper provides a brief overview of the fields of biological micro-electromechanical systems (bioMEMs) and associated nanobiotechnologies, collectively denoted as BioMicroNano. Although they are developing at a very rapid pace and still redefining themselves, several stabilized areas of research and development can be identified. Six major areas are delineated, and specific examples are discussed and illustrated. Various applications of the technologies are noted, and potential market sizes are compared.
Surgery Residency Curriculum Examination Scores Predict Future American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination Performance

Importance A protected block curriculum (PBC) with postcurriculum examinations for all surgical residents has been provided to assure coverage of core curricular topics. Biannual assessment of resident competency will soon be required by the Next Accreditation System. Objective To identify opportunities for early medical knowledge assessment and interventions, we examined whether performance in postcurriculum multiple-choice examinations (PCEs) is predictive of performance in the American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE) and clinical service competency assessments. Design Retrospective single-institutional education research study. Setting Academic general surgery residency program. Participants A total of 49 surgical residents. Intervention Data for PGY1 and PGY2 residents participating in the 2008 to 2012 PBC are included. Each resident completed 6 PCEs during each year. Main Outcome Measures The results of 6 examinations were correlated to percentage-correct ABSITE scores and clinical assessments based on the 6 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education core competencies. Individual ABSITE performance was compared between PGY1 and PGY2. Statistical analysis included multivariate linear regression and bivariate Pearson correlations. Results A total of 49 residents completed the PGY1 PBC and 36 completed the PGY2 curriculum. Linear regression analysis of percentage-correct ABSITE and PCE scores demonstrated a statistically significant correlation between the PGY1 PCE 1 score and the subsequent PGY1 ABSITE score (p = 0.037, β = 0.299). Similarly, the PGY2 PCE 1 score predicted performance in the PGY2 ABSITE (p = 0.015, β = 0.383). The ABSITE scores correlated between PGY1 and PGY2 with statistical significance, r = 0.675, p=0.001. Performance on the 6 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education core competencies correlated between PGY1 and PGY2, r = 0.729, p=0.001, but did not correlate with PCE scores during either years. Conclusions and Relevance Within a mature PBC, early performance in a PGY1 and PGY2 PCE is predictive of performance in the respective ABSITE. This information can be used for formative assessment and early remediation of residents who are predicted to be at risk for poor performance in the ABSITE.
Instrumentalists' Assessment of Solo Performances with Compact Disc, Piano, or No Accompaniment

Middle school and high school instrumentalists listened to 12 instrumental performances: four with no accompaniment, four with piano accompaniment, and four with compact disc accompaniment. Listeners (N = 188) judged the soloist's performance quality and indicated the performance's best feature and aspect needing most improvement. Listeners also rated their preference for each accompaniment. Materials were taken from popular beginning band method books. Results showed that accompaniment condition significantly affected performance quality ratings, with CD accompaniments rated highest and piano accompaniments lowest. Significant interactions revealed that younger students were swayed most by the accompaniment condition; certain popular music styles appeared most influential. There was a significant but modest relationship between greater preference for the accompaniment style and higher performance quality ratings. For preference, girls and boys responded significantly differently to the accompaniment styl...
The structure and expression of the murine wildtype p53-induced phosphatase 1 (Wip1) gene.

The human wildtype p53-induced phosphatase 1 (Wip1; GenBank symbol Ppm1d) gene encodes a type 2C protein phosphatase (PP2C) that is induced by ionizing radiation in a p53-dependent manner. We have cloned and sequenced the mouse Wip1 gene and its encoded mRNA. The mouse Wip1 gene is composed of six exons and spans over 36 kb of DNA. The mouse cDNA sequence predicts a 598-amino-acid protein with a molecular mass of roughly 66 kDa. Comparison of human and mouse Wip1 sequences revealed 83% overall identity at the amino acid level. The 5'-flanking region of exon 1 had promoter elements characteristic of a housekeeping gene. The Wip1 coding sequences share conserved functional regions with other PP2Cs from a diverse array of species. Expression of Wip1 mRNA was detected ubiquitously in adult and embryonic tissues, though expression in the testis was much higher than in other tissues. Wip1 has been mapped near the p53 gene on mouse chromosome 11.
Recent catalytic approaches to chemical synthesis from carbon feedstocks

Traditional organic synthesis is driven by the need for functional molecules. The development of green chemical methods, however, is an increasingly important challenge in the context of global sustainability. To this end, the direct use of abundant carbon feedstocks in synthesis (such as CO, CO 2 , methanol, arenes, alkanes, α-olefins, and biological raw materials) aims to minimize waste production and increase efficiency.
Comparison of cancer chemotherapeutic agents in asynchronous and synchronous 9L cells

The cytotoxic activity of various chemotherapy agents was investigated in asynchronous populations of cultured 9L rat brain tumor cells, and as a function of their position in the cell cycle. Representative drugs from the classes of DNA-active agents, alkylating agents, spindle poisons, and antimetabolites were tested. The ability to induce cell lethality in asynchronous populations as a function of drug concentration varied for 1 hr pulse exposures. In order of decreasing cytotoxic activity, DHAQ was the most effective, followed by VCR, VDS, VBL, ADR, BCNU, cis-DDP, BLM, DBD, RZ, and HU. The effect of chemotherapy agents on synchronous 9L cells obtained by mitotic selection also varied with respect to the individual agent and was cell cycle-dependent. Survival age-responses ranged from being minimal to demonstrating significant fluctuations as a function of cell cycle position. For all agents except ADR and HU, the sensitivity of G1 phase was greater than S phase. RZ exhibited essentially a flat age-response. Comparison of the cell cycle age-responses of chemotherapeutic agents to those exhibited by the cytotoxic modalities of radiation and hyperthermia demonstrate several unique differences.
A study of the decomposition of neodymium hydroxy carbonate and neodymium carbonate hydrate

Abstract Comprehensive studies of the decomposition of (NdOH)CO3 and Nd2(CO3)3 · 8H2O have been carried out. The atomic level details of the decomposition as revealed by high-resolution electron microscopy are correlated with the results from thermogravimetric analysis and high-temperature X-ray diffraction analysis. The two sequences of decomposition are found to be (NdOH)Co 3 → (NdO) 2 CO 3 −I + (NdO) 3 Co 3 −II → (NdO) 2 CO 3 −II → (NdO) 2 Co 3 −II + Nd 2 O 3 −A → Nd 2 O 3 −A + Nd 2 O 3 −C → Nd 2 O 3 −A and Nd 2 (CO 3 ) 3 · 8H 2 O → Nd 2 (CO 3 ) 3 · H 2 O → Nd 2 (CO 3 ) 3 → (NdO) 2 CO 3 −I → (NdO) 2 CO 3 −I + (NdO) 2 CO 3 −II → (NdO) 2 CO 3 −II + (NdO) 2 CO 3 −I + Nd 2 O 3 −C → Nd 2 O 3 −A + Nd 2 O 3 −C .
The Arabidopsis Chloroplast Division Protein DYNAMIN-RELATED PROTEIN5B Also Mediates Peroxisome Division

Peroxisomes are highly dynamic organelles involved in various metabolic pathways. The division of peroxisomes is regulated by factors such as the PEROXIN11 (PEX11) proteins that promote peroxisome elongation and the dynamin-related proteins (DRPs) and FISSION1 (FIS1) proteins that function together to mediate organelle fission. In Arabidopsis thaliana, DRP3A/DRP3B and FIS1A (BIGYIN)/FIS1B are two pairs of homologous proteins known to function in both peroxisomal and mitochondrial division. Here, we report that DRP5B, a DRP distantly related to the DRP3s and originally identified as a chloroplast division protein, also contributes to peroxisome division. DRP5B localizes to both peroxisomes and chloroplasts. Mutations in the DRP5B gene lead to peroxisome division defects and compromised peroxisome functions. Using coimmunoprecipitation and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays, we further demonstrate that DRP5B can interact or form a complex with itself and with DRP3A, DRP3B, FIS1A, and most of the Arabidopsis PEX11 isoforms. Our data suggest that, in contrast with DRP3A and DRP3B, whose orthologs exist across plant, fungal, and animal kingdoms, DRP5B is a plant/algal invention to facilitate the division of their organelles (i.e., chloroplasts and peroxisomes). In addition, our results support the notion that proteins involved in the early (elongation) and late (fission) stages of peroxisome division may act cooperatively.
Identification and characterization of Drosophila genes for synaptic vesicle proteins

Proteins associated with synaptic vesicles are likely to control the release of neurotransmitter. Because synaptic transmission is fundamentally similar between vertebrates and invertebrates, vesicle proteins from vertebrates that are important for synaptic transmission should be present in Drosophila as well. This investigation describes Drosophila homologs of vamp, synaptotagmin, and rab3 that are expressed in a pattern consistent with a function in Drosophila neurotransmission. One previously reported candidate (syb), a Drosophila homolog of the vamp or synaptobrevin proteins, has been shown to be expressed at very low levels in neurons and is most abundant in the gut. A neuronal Drosophila vamp (n-syb) is described here and is localized to chromosome band 62A. Northern analysis and in situ hybridizations to mRNA indicate that the novel vamp, as well as the genes for synaptotagmin (syt) and rab3 (drab3), is expressed in the Drosophila nervous system. These genes are widely (perhaps ubiquitously) expressed in the nervous system and we have no evidence of additional neuronal isoforms of synaptotagmin, vamp, or rab3. Immunoreactivity for synaptotagmin and vamp is located in synaptic regions of the nervous system. This distribution suggests that these molecules are components of synaptic vesicles in Drosophila. The conserved structure and neuronal expression pattern of these genes indicate that they may function in processes that are required for both vertebrate and invertebrate synaptic transmission. Because of their distribution in the nervous system and because n-syb, synaptotagmin, and drab3 do not appear to be in a family of functionally redundant homologs, we predict that mutation of these genes will have a profound neurological phenotype and that they are therefore good candidates for a genetic dissection in Drosophila.
Prospective observational evaluation of the particle immunofiltration anti-platelet factor 4 rapid assay in MICU patients with thrombocytopenia

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) results from antibodies to PF4/heparin complexes and clinical diagnosis is difficult. We evaluated the particle immunofiltration anti-platelet factor 4 (PIFA) rapid assay, in conjunction with a clinical risk score, in the diagnosis of HIT. We performed a prospective observational study in all patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit (MICU) in a large academic medical center. Patients were screened daily for thrombocytopenia defined as either a platelet count that decreased by at least 33% or an absolute platelet count less than 150,000/μL. Patients with suspected HIT underwent PIFA and ELISA testing for anti-PF4/heparin antibodies. Available residual frozen sera were sent to a reference laboratory for serotonin release assay (SRA) testing. During the study period, 340 patients were admitted to the MICU, of which 143 patients met criteria for thrombocytopenia. Forty-three patients had no evidence of recent heparin exposure. PIFA and ELISA testing were performed on 100 patients, of which 92 had samples available for SRA analysis. PIFA results were negative in 62, positive in 28 and inconclusive in 2 patients. The 4Ts score showed low to intermediate risk in 57 of the PIFA negative patients. The ELISA results were negative in 86 and positive in 6 patients. SRA testing identified 3 patients with a positive SRA test and 89 patients with a negative result. All patients with a negative PIFA result also had a negative SRA result. In the one patient deemed to have clinical HIT, the pretest probability was high (4Ts score of 6) and the anti-PF4/heparin antibody testing revealed a positive SRA, inconclusive PIFA and a negative ELISA result. While thrombocytopenia in our population is common, the prevalence of HIT is low. The combination of a low to intermediate pretest probability with a negative PIFA test can rapidly exclude the presence of platelet activating anti-PF4/heparin antibodies and, therefore, HIT as the cause of the thrombocytopenia. Since a positive PIFA result has a low positive predictive value, a positive PIFA is not diagnostic of HIT and additional evaluation is warranted.
Adaptation compromise and constraint the development morphometrics and behavioral basis of a fighter flier polymorphism in male hoplothrips karnyi insecta thysanoptera

Males of the colonial, wing-polymorphic thrips Hoplothrips karnyi (Hood) fight each other with their forelegs in defense of communal female oviposition areas. In this study, males were reared individually under varying conditions of food deprivation to investigate the developmental cues used in morph determination and the relationships between wing morph, developmental time in each instar, propupal weight, and five adult morphological characters associated with fighting ability and dispersal ability. Males deprived of food for five days midway through the second (final) larval instar had smaller propupal weights and were more likely to develop wings than males deprived of food in the first instar or control males. However, the mean propupal weight of all males that developed wings was not significantly less than that of wingless males. Wing morph of female parents had no measurable effect on this character in the offspring. Wingless males possess relatively larger fore-femora and prothoraces than do winged males, but winged males possess relatively larger pterothoraces (Fig. 1). Behavioral observations of wingless and winged males of similar weight as propupae showed that wingless males won fights and became dominant in oviposition areas. Thus, a trade-off exists between characters associated with male fighting and dispersal ability. The cost of wings, in terms of fore-femora size and prothorax size, increased with propupal weight. Wingless males that developed in the experimental treatment that produced a high proportion of winged males were relatively small in size, and were intermediate in body shape with respect to winged males and other wingless males (Fig. 2). This shape intermediacy indicates that there may be developmental constraints on alternative tactics of resource allocation. Total developmental time varied between wing morphs, but was not correlated with propupal weight or adult morphological characters of winged or wingless males. For wingless males that developed in the treatment that produced a high proportion of winged males, adult morphological characters were negatively correlated with the duration of the second instar. This correlation suggests that the development of small wingless males involves a compromise between the benefits of large adult size and the costs of prolonging the second instar to increase the probability of becoming larger.
Quantitative Modeling of the Equilibration of Two-Phase Solid-Liquid Fe by Atomistic Simulations on Diffusive Time Scales

(Received 10 July 2014; revised manuscript received 10 December 2014; published 12 January 2015) In this paper, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations based on the modified-embedded atom method (MEAM) and a phase-field crystal (PFC) model are utilized to quantitatively investigate the solid-liquid properties of Fe. A set of second nearest-neighbor MEAM parameters for high-temperature applications are developed for Fe, and the solid-liquid coexisting approach is utilized in MD simulations to accurately calculate the melting point, expansion in melting, latent heat, and solid-liquid interface free energy, and surface anisotropy. The required input properties to determine the PFC model parameters, such as liquid structure factor and fluctuations of atoms in the solid, are also calculated from MD simulations. The PFC parameters are calculated utilizing an iterative procedure from the inputs of MD simulations. The solid-liquid interface free energy and surface anisotropy are calculated using the PFC simulations. Very good agreement is observed between the results of our calculations from MEAM-MD and PFC simulations and the available modeling and experimental results in the literature. As an application of the developed model, the grain boundary free energy of Fe is calculated using the PFC model and the results are compared against experiments.
Connectivity sustains disease transmission in environments with low potential for endemicity: modelling schistosomiasis with hydrologic and social connectivities

Social interaction and physical interconnections between populations can influence the spread of parasites. The role that these pathways play in sustaining the transmission of parasitic diseases is unclear, although increasingly realistic metapopulation models are being used to study how diseases persist in connected environments. We use a mathematical model of schistosomiasis transmission for a distributed set of heterogeneous villages to show that the transport of parasites via social (host movement) and environmental (parasite larvae movement) pathways has consequences for parasite control, spread and persistence. We find that transmission can be sustained regionally throughout a group of connected villages even when individual village conditions appear not to support endemicity. Optimum transmission is determined by an interplay between different transport pathways, and not necessarily by those that are the most dispersive (e.g. disperse social contacts may not be optimal for transmission). We show that the traditional targeting of villages with high infection, without regard to village interconnections, may not lead to optimum control. These findings have major implications for effective disease control, which needs to go beyond considering local variations in disease intensity, to also consider the degree to which populations are interconnected.
Urinary diversions: A time to enrich surgical training?

Abstract Objective To assess the potential exposure to complex urologic procedures, specifically urinary diversion, during a gynecologic oncology fellowship. Methods We queried the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) database to determine the total number of urinary diversions performed from October 2008 to August 2012. This data was used to estimate the mean number of urinary diversions performed each year. Gender, primary diagnosis, type of diversion, gynecologic oncologist involvement, and medical center were explored. Results Of the nearly 21,000 urinary diversions performed in UHC participating hospitals during the study period, 6180 (29.5%) were performed in women. On average, 1648 urinary diversions are performed in women each year, with gynecologic malignancies accounting for 6.8% of cases. We estimate that a gynecologic oncologist was involved with 87 cases per year at nonprofit academic medical centers in the US. With approximately 112 clinically active fellows per year during the study period, this equates to less than one diversion per clinical fellow per year if cases are equally distributed among centers. However, the majority of urinary diversions with gynecologic oncologist involvement were performed at just a fraction of centers. Thus, only a small contingent of fellows may be getting the greatest exposure to urinary diversions. Conclusions The majority of urinary diversions in women in the US are performed for bladder carcinoma by urologists. The estimated number of cases per clinical gynecologic oncology fellow per year is less than one. Strategies to improve fellow exposure to urinary diversion and consideration of alternative surgical training modalities should be explored.
HYDROXYLATION OF SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE CERAMIDES REQUIRES SUR2P AND SCS7P

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae SCS7 andSUR2 genes are members of a gene family that encodes enzymes that desaturate or hydroxylate lipids. Sur2p is required for the hydroxylation of C-4 of the sphingoid moiety of ceramide, and Scs7p is required for the hydroxylation of the very long chain fatty acid. Neither SCS7 nor SUR2 are essential for growth, and lack of the Scs7p- or Sur2p-dependent hydroxylation does not prevent the synthesis of mannosyldiinositolphosphorylceramide, the mature sphingolipid found in yeast. Deletion of either gene suppresses the Ca2+-sensitive phenotype ofcsg2Δ mutants, which arises from overaccumulation of inositolphosphorylceramide due to a defect in sphingolipid mannosylation. Characterization of scs7 andsur2 mutants is expected to provide insight into the function of ceramide hydroxylation.
Lipopolysaccharide Induces Disseminated Endothelial Apoptosis Requiring Ceramide Generation

The endotoxic shock syndrome is characterized by systemic inflammation, multiple organ damage, circulatory collapse and death. Systemic release of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and other cytokines purportedly mediates this process. However, the primary tissue target remains unidentified. The present studies provide evidence that endotoxic shock results from disseminated endothelial apoptosis. Injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and its putative effector TNF-α, into C57BL/6 mice induced apoptosis in endothelium of intestine, lung, fat and thymus after 6 h, preceding nonendothelial tissue damage. LPS or TNF-α injection was followed within 1 h by tissue generation of the pro-apoptotic lipid ceramide. TNF-binding protein, which protects against LPS-induced death, blocked LPS-induced ceramide generation and endothelial apoptosis, suggesting systemic TNF is required for both responses. Acid sphingomyelinase knockout mice displayed a normal increase in serum TNF-α in response to LPS, yet were protected against endothelial apoptosis and animal death, defining a role for ceramide in mediating the endotoxic response. Furthermore, intravenous injection of basic fibroblast growth factor, which acts as an intravascular survival factor for endothelial cells, blocked LPS-induced ceramide elevation, endothelial apoptosis and animal death, but did not affect LPS-induced elevation of serum TNF-α. These investigations demonstrate that LPS induces a disseminated form of endothelial apoptosis, mediated sequentially by TNF and ceramide generation, and suggest that this cascade is mandatory for evolution of the endotoxic syndrome.
Absence of proximal neck dilatation and graft migration after endovascular aneurysm repair with balloon-expandable stent-based endografts.

Objective Proximal neck dilatation (PND) and/or endograft migration with the subsequent development of type I endoleak is a significant cause of late endograft failure after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR). Although there are numerous reports examining PND in patients receiving endografts that use self-expanding stents (SES) for proximal fixation, there are no such reports for patients treated with endografts that use balloon-expanding stents (BES). The purpose of this study was to investigate PND and endograft migration after EVAR with BES endografts. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all charts and all serial computed tomographic scans available for patients who underwent EVAR with a BES endograft (surgeon-made, aortounifemoral polytetrafluoroethylene graft with a proximal Palmaz stent) between August 1997 and October 2002. Only patients with longer than a 12-month follow-up were analyzed. Neck diameter was measured at the level of the lowest renal artery and at 5 mm below it. PND was defined as neck enlargement of 2.5 mm or more. To assess endograft migration, the distance between the superior mesenteric artery and the cranial end of the BES was measured. Stent migration was defined as a change of 5 mm or more. Results A total of 77 patients received this device during the study period. The technical success rate was 99%. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival was 66%, 48%, and 29.5%, respectively. Complete serial computed tomographic scans were available in 41 of the 48 patients who survived 12 months or longer after the operation. The mean follow-up period for these patients was 31 months (range, 12-66 months). The maximum aneurysm diameter was either unchanged or decreased in 35 patients (85%). The immediate postoperative proximal neck diameter was 19 to 29 mm (median, 24 mm). This was unchanged at the latest follow-up. None of the patients had significant PND. The cranial end of the BES was located in the area between 14 mm proximal and 36 mm distal to the superior mesenteric artery (median, 6 mm). None of the patients developed significant endograft migration. Conclusions Neither PND nor endograft migration was observed with the BES endograft. The nature of the SES may be responsible for the observed neck dilatation and device migration after EVAR with SES endografts. This study suggests that BES may be a better fixation method for EVAR.
Radiation dosimetry results for Zevalin radioimmunotherapy of rituximab-refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

BACKGROUND Zevalin consists of a murine anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (ibritumomab) conjugated to the linker-chelator tiuxetan, which securely chelates indium-111 (111In) for imaging and dosimetry and yttrium-90 (90Y) for radioimmunotherapy (RIT). Previous trials involving rituximab-naive patients have demonstrated excellent targeting of Zevalin to CD20+ B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma with minimal uptake in normal organs. The purpose of this trial was to perform 111In-Zevalin imaging in patients with rituximab-refractory tumors to determine normal organ dosimetry. METHODS Twenty-seven patients were given an imaging dose of 5 mCi (185 MBq) 111In-Zevalin on Day 0, evaluated with dosimetry, and then given a therapeutic dose of 0.4 mCi/kg (15 MBq/kg) 90Y-Zevalin on Day 7. Both Zevalin doses were preceded by an infusion of 250 mg/m2 rituximab to clear peripheral B cells and improve Zevalin biodistribution. Residence times for 90Y in blood and major organs were estimated from 111In biodistribution, and the MIRDOSE3 computer software program was used to calculate absorbed radiation doses to organs and red marrow. RESULTS Median estimated absorbed radiation doses from 90Y-Zevalin were 8.1 Gray (Gy) (range, 4.2–23.0 Gy) to the spleen, 5.1 Gy (range, 2.6–12.0 Gy) to the liver, 2.0 Gy (range, 1.4–5.3 Gy) to the lungs, 0.22 Gy (range, < 0.01–0.66 Gy) to the kidneys, and 0.74 Gy (range, 0.29–1.2 Gy) to the red marrow. These results are consistent with those from earlier Zevalin trials in rituximab-naive patients. Hematologic toxicity was manageable and did not correlate with estimates of red marrow or total-body absorbed radiation dose. CONCLUSIONS Zevalin treatment of rituximab-refractory follicular NHL patients at 0.4 mCi/kg resulted in acceptable estimates of absorbed radiation dose to organs, similar to those observed in other Zevalin-treated populations. Cancer 2002;94:1349–57. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10305
Predicting driver maneuvers by learning holistic features

In this work, we propose a framework for the recognition and prediction of driver maneuvers by considering holistic cues. With an array of sensors, driver's head, hand, and foot gestures are being captured in a synchronized manner together with lane, surrounding agents, and vehicle parameters. An emphasis is put on real-time algorithms. The cues are processed and fused using a latent-dynamic discriminative framework. As a case study, driver activity recognition and prediction in overtaking situations is performed using a natu- ralistic, on-road dataset. A consequence of this work would be in development of more effective driver analysis and assistance systems. I. INTRODUCTION On-road driving behavior consists of intricate, multi- dimensional dynamics. It is the outcome of many variables that interact at a certain place and time. This motivates the study in this paper, which pursues a holistic approach using multiple cues in the scene. When fusing the different modal- ities in a temporal modeling framework, activity recognition and critical situation prediction can be made more effectively. Furthermore, through studying of temporally discriminative cues, we gain insight into the processes that characterize driver behavior.
CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND PLANT COMMUNITY DYNAMICS FOLLOWING REFORESTATION OF TROPICAL PASTURE

Conversion of abandoned cattle pastures to secondary forests and plantations in the tropics has been proposed as a means to increase rates of carbon (C) sequestration from the atmosphere and enhance local biodiversity. We used a long-term tropical refor- estation project (55-61 yr) to estimate rates of above- and belowground C sequestration and to investigate the impact of planted species on overall plant community structure. Thirteen tree species (nine native and four nonnative species) were planted as part of the reforestation effort in the mid to late 1930s. In 1992, there were 75 tree species ( .9.1 cm dbh) in the forest. Overall, planted species accounted for 40% of the importance value of the forest; planted nonnative species contributed only 5% of the importance value. In the reforested ecosystem, the total soil C pool (0-60 cm depth) was larger than the aboveground C pool, and there was more soil C in the forest (102 6 10 Mg/ha (mean 6 1 SE)) than in an adjacent pasture of similar age (69 6 16 Mg/ha). Forest soil C (C3-C) increased at a rate of ;0.9 Mg·ha 21 ·yr 21 , but residual pasture C (C4-C) was lost at a rate of 0.4 Mg·ha 21 ·yr 21 , yielding a net gain of 33 Mg/ha as a result of 61 years of forest regrowth. Aboveground C accumulated at a rate of 1.4 6 0.05 Mg·ha 21 ·yr 21 , to a total of 80 6 3 Mg/ha. A survey of 426 merchantable trees in 1959 and 1992 showed that they grew faster in the second 33 years of forest development than in the first 22 years, indicating that later stages of forest development can play an important role in C sequestration. Few indices of C cycling were correlated with plant community composition or structure. Our results indicate that significant soil C can accumulate with reforestation and that there are strong legacies of pasture use and reforestation in plant community structure and rates of plant C sequestration.
High-Performance Nanowire Electronics and Photonics and Nanoscale Patterning on Flexible Plastic Substrates

The introduction of an ambient-temperature route for integrating high-mobility semiconductors on flexible substrates could enable the development of novel electronic and photonic devices with the potential to impact a broad spectrum of applications. Here we review our recent studies demonstrating that high-quality single-crystal nanowires (NWs) can be assembled onto flexible plastic substrates under ambient conditions to create FETs and light-emitting diodes. We also show that polymer substrates can be patterned through the use of a room temperature nanoimprint lithography technique for the general fabrication of hundred-nanometer scale features, which can be hierarchically patterned to the millimeter scale and integrated with semiconductor NWs to make high-performance FETs. The key to our approach is the separation of the high-temperature synthesis of single-crystal NWs from room temperature solution-based assembly, thus enabling fabrication of single-crystal devices on virtually any substrate. Silicon NW FETs on plastic substrates display mobilities of 200 cm/sup 2/-V/sup -1/-s/sup -1/, rivaling those of single-crystal silicon and exceeding those of state-of-the-art amorphous silicon and organic transistors currently used for flexible electronics. Furthermore, the generality of this bottom-up assembly approach suggests the integration of diverse nanoscale building blocks on a variety of substrates, potentially enabling far-reaching advances in lightweight display, mobile computing, and information storage applications.
Book Review: Chasing Aphrodite

Review of Chasing Aphrodite: The Hunt for Looted Antiquities at the World's Richest Museum, by Jason Felch and Ralph Frammolino.
Supreme Court Review: Analysis: Forum-Shoppers Should Discover a Wider Market

Commentary and analysis of five cases decided by the Supreme Court on its 1990-91 docket. Cases discussed include Carnival Cruise Lines Inc. v. Shute; International Primate Protection League v. Administrators of Tulane Educational Fund; Salve Regina v. Russell; Connecticut v. Doehr; and Edmonson v. Leesville Concrete. In Carnival Cruise Lines, the Court endorsed, extended, and upheld as enforceable the use of forum-selection clauses in consumer contracts. The contractual forum selection clause at issue was contained in a cruise passenger’s ticket, specifying Miami, Florida as the litigation forum. The court based its decision on its precedent in The Bremen v. Zapata Off-shore Co., in which the Court previously upheld forum selection clauses in commercial contracts. In International Primate Protection League, a unanimous Court held that the League had standing to challenge the removal of a state case to federal court, determining that the concrete injury requirement was satisfied by the loss of the League’s right to sue in the forum of its choice – Louisiana state court – and this injury was directly traceable to the defendant’s action in removing the case to federal court. In Salve Regina College, the Court held that an appellate court must provide a de novo review of a district court judge’s determination of applicable law, a departure from the long-standing rule of appellate deference to district court determinations of state law. In Connecticut v. Doehr, the Court struck down Connecticut’s prejudgment attachment statute as a violation of due process. The Court modified its prevailing test in Mathews v. Eldridge, setting forth a new three-part test. Finally, in Edmonson v. Leesville Concrete Co., the Court simply held that race-based exclusion of jurors through preemptory challenges in civil cases violates the equal protection component of the Fifth Amendment’s due process clause.
Subjective Social Status and Self-Reported Health Among US-born and Immigrant Latinos

Subjective social status is associated with a range of health outcomes. Few studies have tested the relevance of subjective social status among Latinos in the U.S.; those that have yielded mixed results. Data come from the Latino subsample of the 2003 National Latino and Asian American Study (N = 2554). Regression models adjusted for socioeconomic and demographic factors. Stratified analyses tested whether nativity status modifies the effect of subjective social status on health. Subjective social status was associated with better health. Income and education mattered more for health than subjective social status among U.S.-born Latinos. However, the picture was mixed among immigrant Latinos, with subjective social status more strongly predictive than income but less so than education. Subjective social status may tap into stressful immigrant experiences that affect one's perceived self-worth and capture psychosocial consequences and social disadvantage left out by conventional socioeconomic measures.
Note on some physiological and subjective reactions to exercise and training.

Progressive exercise training on the treadmill seemed to reduce both the catecholamine excretion and the subjective effort ratings associated with the exercise for 5 Ss.
Prophylactic oophorectomy in colorectal carcinoma: preliminary results of a randomized, prospective trial.

Controversy exists regarding the role of prophylactic oophorectomy during resection for primary colorectal cancer. PURPOSE: A prospective, randomized trial was initiated to evaluate the influence of oophorectomy on recurrence and survival in patients with Dukes Stages B and C colorectal cancer. METHOD: Between November 1986 and March 1997, 155 patients were randomized to oophorectomy or no oophorectomy at laparotomy for resection of colorectal cancer. RESULTS: No incidence of gross or microscopic metastatic disease to the ovary was found among 77 patients randomized to oophorectomy, in contrast to previous reports. Preliminary crude survival curves suggested a survival benefit for oophorectomy between two and three years from surgery, but Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that this was not statistically significant and the benefit does not appear to persist at five years. Kaplan-Meier curves of recurrence-free survival, however, suggest a more substantial separation of the curves, with 80 percentvs. 65 percent five-year disease-free survival for oophorectomyvs. nonoophorectomy, but further patient accrual is necessary to provide sufficient statistical power. CONCLUSIONS: Occult colorectal carcinoma metastatic to the ovaries has not been documented in this series of putative Dukes Stages B and C tumors. The possibility of a recurrence-free survival advantage emphasizes the need to continue this preliminary work.
Capturing Changes in the Brain Microenvironment during Initial Tumor Cell Invasion.

Brain metastases occur mostly in patients with melanoma or primary tumors in the lung, breast or prostate. As therapies against primary tumors and extracranial metastases are improving and patients live longer, the incidence of brain metastases is increasing and brain lesions are seen in 20 to 40 % of patients with advanced metastatic disease. Unfortunately, no therapies are available to treat brain metastasis efficiently.Existing in vivo models of brain metastasis focus mainly on established macrometastases, while very little is known about the initial events of tumor cell brain colonization. In the present study, we used non-invasive bioluminescence imaging and detailed immunohistochemistry to capture the early events of tumor cell interaction with the cerebral microvasculature and invasion of the brain tissue. We used MDA-MB-435 metastatic cancer cells as a model because of their aggressive metastatic phenotype, and injected the cells into the internal carotid artery of immune deficient mice. Our results show that single cancer cells extravasate into the brain parenchyma 3 to 7 days after they arrest within brain capillaries and disrupt the vessel wall, bursting the microvasculature. Cancer cell arrest and extravasation occur exclusively in small vessels that are surrounded by pericytes and lack smooth-muscle cells. Early brain colonization consistently induces local activation of astrocytes, involving heterogeneous astrocyte populations. Reactive astrocytes express high levels of MMP-9 that may assist tumor cell invasion and provide first pro-angiogenic clues. Activated astrocytes consistently persist in the vicinity of growing metastases, and potentially contribute to metastatic proliferation. Occasionally, early host responses also include microglia with stellate or a reactive amoeboid morphology. Importantly, in addition to yielding actively proliferating macrometastases, tumor cell extravasation also leads to widespread single tumor cells dispersed throughout the brain tissue. The majority of these cells remains viable but stays quiescent and does not proliferate. We speculate that the diversity in early local responses of the brain microenvironment to initial cancer cell invasion contributes to the fate of extravasated tumor cells. An early involvement of diverse host cell types might provide distinct environmental clues and co-determine whether a single cell progresses to macrometastasis or remains dormant. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 4162.
A Message from Your Body: Dream the Answer

As law professors, we have heard “could you please repeat the question?” umpteen times but many of us have little or no knowledge about the role that sleep plays in memory retention for our students or the effect that the characteristics of the surrounding environment have on recollection and retrieval of stored memories.
Influence of Grounding Down Line Deviation on Fault Diagnosis of Grounding Grid

To evaluate influence on the port resistance measurement in fault diagnosis of grounding grid,for the measurable node deviation due to the normalization of grounding down line positions to the nearby nodes in grounding grid topological structure,a sensitivity equation is derived based on electric network theory;with an experimental grounding grid with sixteen branches as an example,the impacts of grounding down line deviation by 0%,12.5%,25%,50% on the port resistance measurement are analyzed.It is found that grounding down line deviation by about 50% has greater impact on the accuracy of on-site corrosion diagnosis.It is suggested that reference drawings should be used to the utmost in field testing,and the connecting positions of measuring ports and the main network should be clarified.
Force-frequency effect is a powerful determinant of myocardial contractility in the mouse.

The effects of heart rate (HR) on myocardial contractility in the mouse heart in situ were first investigated in open-chest mice (n = 7) by left ventricular (LV) catheter-tip micromanometry. HR was...
Flow Regimes over a Basin Induced by Upstream Katabatic Flows—An Idealized Modeling Study

AbstractIdealized two-dimensional model simulations are performed to study the frequent nocturnal occurrence of downslope-windstorm-type flows in Arizona’s Meteor Crater. The model topography is a simplified representation of the Meteor Crater and its surroundings, with an approximately 1° mesoscale slope upstream and downstream of the crater basin. A strong surface-based inversion and a katabatic flow develop above the mesoscale slope as a result of radiational cooling. The temperature and flow profiles are evaluated against observations over low-angle slopes from two field campaigns, showing that the model’s turbulence parameterization has a strong impact on the near-surface conditions. The interaction of the katabatic flow with the basin topography leads to the formation of waves and hydraulic jumps over the basin. The simplified two-dimensional simulations show good qualitative agreement with observations of downslope-windstorm-type flows from the Meteor Crater. The sensitivity of the flow solution ov...
Platelet adenosine diphosphate inhibition in trauma patients by thromboelastography correlates with paradoxical increase in platelet dense granule content by flow cytometry

Background The mechanism of platelet dysfunction in acute traumatic coagulopathy is unknown. Traumatic brain injury is hypothesized as a cause, while some investigators presume platelets become “exhausted.” We hypothesized that platelet hyperstimulation and consumption resulting from trauma leads to decreased platelet function secondary to depletion of platelet granules. Methods Twenty-five trauma patients were divided into traumatic brain injury and no traumatic brain injury groups. Healthy volunteers served as controls. All had thromboelastography with platelet mapping and flow cytometric assays of mepacrine performed. Mepacrine uptake in unstimulated platelets was used for quantification of platelet content of dense granules. Results Twelve patients with traumatic brain injury and 13 patients without traumatic brain injury were enrolled. Twenty-one trauma patients showed adenosine diphosphate inhibition (>30%) on thromboelastography with platelet mapping compared with the healthy volunteers who served as controls ( P P = .044), correlating with greater quantities of dense granules. Neither adenosine diphosphate inhibition nor average difference in mean fluorescent intensity between traumatic brain injury and no traumatic brain injury groups were significant ( P = .2). Conclusion Trauma patients maintain their dense granule, contradicting the theory of platelet granule exhaustion as the etiology for platelet dysfunction in traumatic brain injury.
Forgiveness and adverse driving outcomes within the past five years: Driving anger, driving anger expression, and aggressive driving behaviors as mediators

Abstract Purpose: In the United States, motor-vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for individuals 18–24 years of age. Multiple factors place young drivers at an increased risk including risky and aggressive driving behaviors. Aggressive driving has been shown to account for more than half of the driving fatalities in the United States. Driving anger is predictive of aggressive driving and adverse driving outcomes. Research outside the context of driving has demonstrated associations between multiple dimensions of forgiveness and anger, aggressive behaviors, and health outcomes. A very small body of research suggests a modest relationship between forgiveness and both driving anger and aggressive driving. The current study expands on previous research to examine the impact of multiple dimensions of forgiveness on adverse driving outcomes. Methods: Undergraduate students ( N = 446) completed, self-report measures of forgiveness, driving anger, driving anger expression, aggressive driving behaviors, and aversive driving outcomes. Results: Bivariate correlations indicated a significant negative relationship between each dimension of forgiveness and driving anger, driving anger expression, and aggressive driving. Forgiveness (of others and of uncontrollable situations) was found to have a significant indirect only effect on traffic violations through the mediators of driving anger and aggressive driving. Discussion : Current findings support and expand on previous research examining the association of forgiveness with adverse driving outcomes. Forgiveness of others and forgiveness of uncontrollable situations, but not forgiveness of self, were shown to indirectly impact traffic violations/warnings, but not crashes, within the past five years through reduced driving-related anger, anger expression, and/or aggression. Implications, limitations, and future research are discussed.
An adaptive parallel tempering method for the dynamic data-driven parameter estimation of nonlinear models

An adaptive parallel tempering algorithm is developed in a user-friendly fashion that efficiently and robustly generates near-optimum solutions. Using adaptive, implicit, time-integration methods, the method allows fitting model parameters to dynamic data. The proposed approach is relatively insensitive to the initial guess and requires minimal fine-tuning: most of the algorithm parameters can be determined adaptively based on the analysis of few model simulations, while default values are proposed for the few remaining ones, the exact values of which do not sensitively affect the solution. The method is extensively validated through its application to a number of algebraic and dynamic global optimization problems from Chemical Engineering literature. We then apply it to a multi-parameter, highly nonlinear, model of the rheology of a thixotropic system where we show how the present approach can be used to robustly determine model parameters by fitting to dynamic, large amplitude, oscillatory stress vs. shear rate, data. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 1937–1958, 2017