cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Geodesic Fréchet distance inside a simple polygon

We present an alternative to parametric search that applies to both the nongeodesic and geodesic Frechet optimization problems. This randomized approach is based on a variant of red-blue intersections and is appealing due to its elegance and practical efficiency when compared to parametric search.We introduce the first algorithm to compute the geodesic Frechet distance between two polygonal curves A and B inside a simple bounding polygon P. The geodesic Frechet decision problem is solved almost as fast as its nongeodesic sibling in O(N2 log k) time and O(k+N) space after O(k) preprocessing, where N is the larger of the complexities of A and B and k is the complexity of P. The geodesic Frechet optimization problem is solved by a randomized approach in O(k+N2 log kN log N) expected time and O(k+N2) space. This runtime is only a logarithmic factor larger than the standard nongeodesic Frechet algorithm lAlt and Godau 1995r. Results are also presented for the geodesic Frechet distance in a polygonal domain with obstacles and the geodesic Hausdorff distance for sets of points or sets of line segments inside a simple polygon P.
Probabilistic path planning for cooperative target tracking using aerial and ground vehicles

In this paper, we present a probabilistic path planning algorithm for tracking a moving ground target in urban environments using UAVs in cooperation with UGVs. The algorithm takes into account vision occlusions due to obstacles in the environments. The target state is modeled using the dynamic occupancy grid and the probability of the target location is updated using Bayesian filtering. Based on the probability of the target's current and predicted locations, the path planning algorithm is designed to generate paths for a single UAV or UGV maximizing the sum of probability of detection over a finite look-ahead. For target tracking using multiple vehicle collaboration, a decentralized planning algorithm using an auction scheme generates paths maximizing the sum of joint probability of detection over the finite look-ahead horizon. Simulation results show the proposed algorithm is successful in solving the target tracking problem in urban environments.
Development and application of a marine sediment pore‐water toxicity test using Ulva fasciata zoospores

An acute (96 h) pore-water toxicity test protocol using germination and growth of Ulva fasciata zoospores as endpoints was developed to test the toxicity of marine and estuarine sediment pore-water samples. Tests with an organic toxicant (sodium dodecyl sulfate; SDS), three metals (Cd, Cu, and Zn), and ammonia (NH{sub 3}) were conducted to determine zoospore sensitivity. Zoospore germination and gametophyte growth were as sensitive to SDS as sea urchin (Arbacia punctulata) fertilization and embryological development. Zoospore sensitivity to metals was greater than or comparable to that of adult macroalgae. Zoospores were less sensitive to NH{sub 3} than were other commonly used toxicity test organisms. Test results using this algal assay with sediment pore-water samples with high NH{sub 3} concentrations were compared with results from sea urchin fertilization and embryological development tests for the same samples. Ulva fasciata zoospore germination was not affected by samples with high NH{sub 3} concentrations that were toxic in both sea urchin tests. Zoospore tolerance of NH{sub 3} and sensitivity to other contaminants indicate that their response may be useful in toxicity identification evaluation studies with pore-water samples that contain high concentrations of unionized NH{sub 3}.
Two examples of ill-posedness with respect to time delays revisited

We revisit two examples of elastic control systems which are stabilized by boundary feedback and then destabilized when time delays occur in the feedback. In the first example, a wave equation with a feedback gain greater than or equal to one, arbitrary divergence rates are obtained for small time delays. In the second example, a Euler-Bernoulli beam, any time delay results in an arbitrary divergence rate.
Reversible Tacrolimus-induced Neurotoxicity Isolated to the Brain Stem

Diplopia, nystagmus, visual hallucinations, and internuclear ophthalmoplegia developed in a 30-year-old woman 84 days after she received a matched, unrelated bone marrow transplant for chronic myeloid leukemia. A regimen of tacrolimus had been administered since the transplantation was performed. MR imaging revealed bilaterally symmetric regions of signal abnormality with abnormal contrast enhancement in the brain stem. No supratentorial abnormality was present. Tacrolimus therapy was discontinued, and the symptoms resolved. MR imaging that was performed 10 days after tacrolimus was discontinued showed resolution of the abnormalities.
Crenarchaeota in Lake Michigan sediment

RNA from Lake Michigan sediment was hybridized with a DNA probe for archaeal 16S rRNA. There was a peak of archaeal rRNA abundance in the oxic zone and another immediately below it. Six contributing species were identified by PCR amplification of extracted DNA with primers specific for archaeal rDNA: two related to Methanosarcina acetivorans and four related to marine crenarchaeotal sequences. rRNA quantification using a DNA probe specific for this crenarchaeotal assemblage showed it is most abundant in the oxic zone, where it accounts for about 10% of total archaeal rRNA.
Research Psychotherapy: Aspirin or Music?

Beutler’s call for an expanded psychotherapy agenda is appropriate but does not require downgrading the role of randomized clinical trials (RCTs). Large-scale RCTs are necessary to address questions of general public health importance. Within RCTs, psychotherapy can be conducted in a flexible, creative manner, similar to the practice of good clinicians. The aspirin analogy drawn from Klerman is not illustrative of how psychotherapy is actually conducted in contemporary clinical trials. A better analogy is that of music, which not only involves known ingredients and trainable, replicable skills, but also permits tailoring and improvisation. By conducting large RCTs, secondary analyses of these studies, and smaller controlled trials, psychotherapy researchers can address many clinically relevant questions.
Skeletal muscle oxidative metabolism in sedentary humans: 31P-MRS assessment of O2 supply and demand limitations

Previously, it was demonstrated in exercise-trained humans that phosphocreatine (PCr) recovery is significantly altered by fraction of inspired O2 (FI(O2)), suggesting that in this population under normoxic conditions, O2 availability limits maximal oxidative rate. Haseler LJ, Hogan ML, and Richardson RS. J Appl Physiol 86: 2013-2018, 1999. To further elucidate these population-specific limitations to metabolic rate, we used 31P-magnetic resonance spectroscopy to study the exercising human gastrocnemius muscle under conditions of varied FI(O2) in sedentary subjects. To test the hypothesis that PCr recovery from submaximal exercise in sedentary subjects is not limited by O2 availability, but rather by their mitochondrial capacity, six sedentary subjects performed three bouts of 6-min steady-state submaximal plantar flexion exercise followed by 5 min of recovery while breathing three different FI(O2) (0.10, 0.21, and 1.00). PCr recovery time constants were significantly longer in hypoxia (47.0 +/- 3.2 s), but there was no difference between hyperoxia (31.8 +/- 1.9 s) and normoxia (30.0 +/- 2.1 s) (mean +/- SE). End-exercise pH was not significantly different across treatments. These results suggest that the maximal muscle oxidative rate of these sedentary subjects, unlike their exercise-trained counterparts, is limited by mitochondrial capacity and not O2 availability in normoxia. Additionally, the significant elongation of PCr recovery in these subjects in hypoxia illustrates the reliance on O2 supply at the other end of the O2 availability spectrum in both sedentary and active populations.
Problem‐Based Learning in an MBA Economics Course: Confessions of a First‐Time User

Professors who have never used problem-based learning (PBL) may need advice to support their first attempts. These professors can benefit from the confessions of one first-time (and initially reluctant) PBL user.
Robust high-resolution direction-of-arrival estimation via signal eigenvector domain

A robust high-resolution direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation approach for coherent/noncoherent sources is presented. The approach is based on the fact that the signal eigenvectors of the covariance matrix are a linear combination of the direction vectors that contain the DOA information. By applying a high-resolution frequency estimation algorithm to an element sequence from a combination of the signal eigenvectors, the approach achieves better performance at low SNR than the conventional methods. It is shown that the improvement in performance increases with the number of snapshots. For example, the resolution improvement of the proposed signal eigenvector domain approach over spatial-smoothed minimum-norm is about 2.5 dB and 7 dB for 20 and 100 snapshots, respectively. >
Measurement of robustness for biped locomotion using a linearized Poincaré map

Many studies on control of dynamic biped walking have been done in the past two decades. While the biped dynamics is highly nonlinear, the stability analysis, if done, is usually based on a linearized model. The validity of the linearized model may become questionable if the walking involves states that are too far away from the operating point. In this paper, an approach for evaluating the robustness based on the linearized Poincare map is suggested and examined. The Poincare map is a useful tool to investigate the periodic motion of a dynamic system. Using the Poincare“ map, one can study an associated discrete time map instead of studying the continuous time system directly. Investigation of stability of a periodic motion can be reduced to the study of the stability of a fixed point of the Poincare map. The computational method that results in a measurement for evaluating the robustness of biped locomotion is developed. Our simulation study has verified that the suggested measurement is a good indicator.
Sadness Shifts to Anxiety Over Time and Distance From the National Tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut

How do increasing temporal and spatial distance affect the emotions people feel and express in response to tragic events? Standard views suggest that emotional intensity should decrease but are silent on changes in emotional quality. Using a large Twitter data set, we identified temporal and spatial patterns in use of emotional and cognitive words in tweets about the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Although use of sadness words decreased with time and spatial distance, use of anxiety words showed the opposite pattern and was associated with concurrent increases in language reflecting causal thinking. In a follow-up experiment, we found that thinking about abstract causes (as opposed to concrete details) of this event similarly evoked decreased sadness but increased anxiety, which was associated with perceptions that a similar event might occur in the future. These data challenge current theories of emotional reactivity and identify time, space, and abstract causal thinking as factors that elicit categorical shifts in emotional responses to tragedy.
Spousal loss predicts alterations in diurnal cortisol activity through prospective changes in positive emotion.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the role of spousal bereavement and positive emotion in naturally occurring levels of daily cortisol. Methods: Analyses were conducted using data from the Midlife in the United States survey and the National Study of Daily Experiences. Baseline assessments of extraversion, neuroticism, trait positive emotion, and trait negative emotion were obtained, as were reports of demographic and health behavior covariates. Salivary cortisol levels were measured at wakeup, 30 min after awakening, before lunch, and at bedtime on each of 4 successive days. Results: Multilevel growth curve analyses indicated that independent of age, gender, education, extraversion, neuroticism, negative emotion, medication use, and smoking, spousal bereavement was associated with lower levels of cortisol at wakeup and a flattening of the diurnal cortisol rhythm. Mediation analyses revealed that prospective changes in positive emotion accounted for the impact of bereavement on diurnal cortisol slopes. Conclusion: The current prospective study is among the first to provide evidence for a role for positive emotion as a mechanism by which bereavement influences hypothalamic– pituitary–adrenal axis dysregulation in older adults.
Student Response Systems in Higher Education: Moving Beyond Linear Teaching and Surface Learning

Over the past decade, instructors in colleges and universities increasingly have used Student Response Systems (SRSs)--typically in large classes to increase the level of student engagement and learning. Research shows that both students and instructors perceive SRSs to be beneficial, although evidence of improved learning has been less clear. Experts emphasize that instructors must consider how technology might enhance good pedagogy in order for increases in learning to occur. SRSs do increase student engagement and provide prompt feedback—two key practices that promote learning. However, professional groups propose goals for students in higher education that focus on deep learning rather than the knowledge-centered emphasis of many large classes. Recent research shows that SRSs coupled with pedagogical enhancements can promote deep learning when teaching and questioning strategies center on higher-level thinking skills. A framework integrating the levels of student responses with principles for good pedagogical practice is provided as a guide for using SRSs to foster deep learning.
Validation and Characterization of an Acoustic Sensor Based on PVDF Micropillars and Patterned Electrodes

This paper addresses the fabrication, validation, and characterization of a millimeter-size acoustic sensor consisting of Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) micropillars and patterned electrodes. The sensor takes advantage of two key design principles: stress amplification through the area ratio between the overall surface exposed to acoustic waves and the area of the individual micropillars, and patterned electrodes which reduce the capacitance of the sensor by excluding the capacitance of the air between micropillars. In combination, these design principles enable a sensor capable of achieving 100× the sensitivity of flat PVDF film. A sensitivity analysis is presented and sensor fabrication details are described. An experimental setup was developed to characterize the sensor against a reference microphone. A signal conditioning circuit including a preamplifier circuit and a notch filter was designed and constructed. Sensitivity calibration tests show that a micropillar array with a gap ratio of 5.82 exhibits a stress constant g33 = −19.93 V/m/Pa, which is 60.39 times greater than the stress constant of commercial PVDF film. Experimental results also show that the sensitivity of the sensor is in close agreement with theory, thus confirming the performance advantages of the micropillar sensor.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Clinical pharmacokinetics of acyclovir

Acyclovir is a selective anti-herpes virus agent. At present it is available in topical and intravenous formulations; an oral formulation is currently being developed.
A Queuing Model of the Airport Departure Process

This paper presents an analytical model of the aircraft departure process at an airport. The modeling procedure includes the estimation of unimpeded taxi-out time distributions and the development of a queuing model of the departure runway system based on the transient analysis of D/E/1 queuing systems. The parameters of the runway service process are estimated using operational data. Using the aircraft pushback schedule as input, the model predicts the expected runway schedule and takeoff times. It also estimates the expected taxi-out time, queuing delay, and its variance for each flight in addition to the congestion level of the airport, sizes of the departure runway queues, and the departure throughput. The proposed approach is illustrated using a case study based on Newark Liberty International Airport. The model is trained using data from 2011 and is subsequently used to predict taxi-out times in 2007 and 2010. The predictions are compared with actual data to demonstrate the predictive capabilities of the model.
Antitumor Effect of Retinoic Acid Receptor-β2 Associated with Suppression of Cyclooxygenase-2

Retinoic acid receptor-beta2 (RAR-beta2) is a putative tumor suppressor gene in various cancers. To determine the underlying molecular mechanisms, we transfected RAR-beta2 cDNA into esophageal cancer TE-1 and TE-8 cells and found that RAR-beta2 suppressed tumor cell growth in vitro and tumor formation in nude mice in TE-8 cells, whereas the stable transfection of RAR-beta2 did not restore retinoid sensitivity or inhibit tumor formation in nude mouse in TE-1 cells. Molecularly, we revealed that RAR-beta2 antitumor activity was associated with expression and suppression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in these tumor cell lines. Moreover, antisense RAR-beta2 cDNA induced COX-2 expression in TE-3 cells. Furthermore, when COX-2 expression is first blocked by using antisense COX-2 expression vector, the effect of RAR-beta2 is diminished in these tumor cells. In addition, we analyzed expression of RAR-beta2 and COX-2 mRNA in tissue specimens and found that RAR-beta2 expression is associated with low levels of COX-2 expression in esophageal cancer tissues. Induction of RAR-beta2 expression in oral leukoplakia tissues after the patients treated with 13-cis RA correlated with a reduction in COX-2 expression and clinical response. Our findings indicate that some of RAR-beta2 antitumor activities are mediated by suppression of COX-2 expression in some of these esophageal cancer cells. After correlating antitumor effect of RAR-beta2 with COX-2 expression in the published studies, we also found the association. Thus, further studies will determine whether manipulation of COX-2 expression in different cancers can antagonize RAR-beta2 activity.
Impact of Early Stage Incomplete Mixing on Estimating VOC Emissions in Small Test Chambers

Most of the existing emission models developed from small-scale chamber tests assume complete mixing in the chamber throughout the test period. This paper examined this assumption using a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model. The model simulated the three-dimensional air velocity profiles and Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) concentration distributions from wood stain in a well-designed mixing chamber of 1.0X0.8X0.5 m3. The model used measured data to determine the time-dependent VOC surface concentrations of wood stain. The CFD results show that the VOC concentrations in the test chamber were not uniform in the early stage (about 18 minutes). The first-order decay model using the complete mixing assumption will underestimate the Total VOC (TVOC) emission rates by 65% and 59% in the first 3 minutes and next 15 minutes, respectively. Since wood stain emitted about one third of the VOCs in the first 18 minutes, the impact of incomplete mixing in the early period is significant for calculating the material emissions. Furthermore, the mass transfer coefficient of TVOC calculated by CFD is also compared with that calculated by analogue theory and that calculated by experimental correlation.
Independent contrasts succeed where ancestor reconstruction fails in a known bacteriophage phylogeny.

Methods of ancestor reconstruction are important tools for evolutionary inference that are difficult to test empirically because ancestral states are rarely known with certainty. We evaluated reconstruction methods for con- tinuous phenotypic characters using taxa from an experimentally generated bacteriophage phylogeny. Except for one slowly evolving character, the estimated ancestral states of continuous phenotypic characters were highly inaccurate and biased, even when including a known ancestor at the root. This error was caused by a directional trend in character evolution and by rapid rates of character evolution. Computer simulations confirmed that such factors affect recon- struction of continuous characters in general. We also used phenotypic viral characters to evaluate two methods that attempt to estimate the correlation between characters during evolution. Whereas a nonphylogenetic regression was relatively inaccurate and biased, independent contrasts accurately estimated the correlation between characters with little bias.
The Fungal Sexual Pheromone Sirenin Activates the Human CatSper Channel Complex

The basal fungus Allomyces macrogynus (A. macrogynus) produces motile male gametes displaying well-studied chemotaxis toward their female counterparts. This chemotaxis is driven by sirenin, a sexual pheromone released by the female gametes. The pheromone evokes a large calcium influx in the motile gametes, which could proceed through the cation channel of sperm (CatSper) complex. Herein, we report the total synthesis of sirenin in 10 steps and 8% overall yield and show that the synthetic pheromone activates the CatSper channel complex, indicated by a concentration-dependent increase in intracellular calcium in human sperm. Sirenin activation of the CatSper channel was confirmed using whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology with human sperm. Based on this proficient synthetic route and confirmed activation of CatSper, analogues of sirenin can be designed as blockers of the CatSper channel that could provide male contraceptive agents.
mer-Hydridotris(tri-methyl-phosphane-κP)(d-valinato-κ(2) N,O)iridium hexa-fluorido-phosphate di-chloro-methane 0.675-solvate.

The title compound, [Ir(C5H10NO2)H(C3H9P)3]PF6·0.675CH2Cl2, an iridium compound with a meridional arrangement of PMe3 groups, O,N-bidentate coordination of d-valine and with a hydride ligand trans to the N atom is compared with the l-valine complex reported previously. As expected, the complexes from the corresponding l and d isomers of valine crystallize in enanti­omorphic space groups (P43 and P41, respectively). In the crystal, N—H⋯O and N—H⋯F hydrogen bonding is observed, the N—H to carbonyl oxygen hydrogen bond producing a helical motif that proceeds along the 41 screw of the c axis.
Optimizing hydroxyurea therapy for sickle cell anemia

Hydroxyurea has proven efficacy in numerous clinical trials as a disease-modifying treatment for patients with sickle cell anemia (SCA) but is currently under-used in clinical practice. To improve the effectiveness of hydroxyurea therapy, efforts should be directed toward broadening the clinical treatment indications, optimizing the daily dosage, and emphasizing the benefits of early and extended treatment. Here, various issues related to hydroxyurea treatment are discussed, focusing on both published evidence and clinical experience. Specific guidance is provided regarding important but potentially unfamiliar aspects of hydroxyurea treatment for SCA, such as escalating to maximum tolerated dose, treating in the setting of cerebrovascular disease, switching from chronic transfusions to hydroxyurea, and using serial phlebotomy to alleviate iron overload. Future research directions to optimize hydroxyurea therapy are also discussed, including personalized dosing based on pharmacokinetic modeling, prediction of fetal hemoglobin responses based on pharmacogenomics, and the risks and benefits of hydroxyurea for non-SCA genotypes and during pregnancy/lactation. Another critical initiative is the introduction of hydroxyurea safely and effectively into global regions that have a high disease burden of SCA but limited resources, such as sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, and India. Final considerations emphasize the long-term goal of optimizing hydroxyurea therapy, which is to help treatment become accepted as standard of care for all patients with SCA.
Water Adsorption in Nanoporous Carbon Characterized by in Situ NMR: Measurements of Pore Size and Pore Size Distribution

We report an in situ nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) study of water adsorption in a series of activated carbon samples with pore sizes of a few nanometers down to the subnanometer scale (nanoporous carbon). Water adsorption exhibits S-shaped type V isotherms with a steep increase near a certain vapor pressure. Using a previously proposed water isotherm model, pore size and pore size distribution are derived from the in situ NMR data, and they are shown to be in good agreement with results derived from N2 adsorption. The change of 1H NMR spin–lattice relaxation time of adsorbed H2O with vapor pressure is consistent with the mechanism of water cluster formation at surface groups preceding the occurrence of pore filling. NMR spectra of high pressure H2 gas in nanoporous carbon with preadsorbed D2O proves unambiguously that water preferentially fills the smaller nanopores. These results suggest that water adsorption can potentially be used for the characterization of pore structures of nanoporous carbon, and...
Wireless Network Communications Architecture for Swarms of Small UAVs

Swarms of small, autonomous, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are true force multipliers, enabling soldiers in the field a birds-eye view of their environment, and providing a real-time early warning system for convoys, ground troops, and air assets. These next generation multi-vehicle UAV systems work as a collaborative autonomous unit, receiving only high-level mission commands, and require little human intervention for control. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) is involved in a multi-year R&D program to develop “strong autonomy” based on innovative scalable architectures for high-level autonomy and emergent group behavior in distributed vehicle systems that include both UAVs and small robots. JHU/APL has developed a reliable, robust communications architecture to manage the input and output of “belief” messages. This architecture comprises the content, structure, prioritization, broadcast scheduling, and reception of these messages. The architecture also includes the physical wireless link between vehicles, which for these proof-of-concept demonstrations is an ad hoc IEEE 802.11b wireless local area network (WLAN). The communications architecture supports three primary services: Periodic Packet Multicast service, On-Demand Packet Broadcast service, and Operation, Administration, and Management (OAM) service. The former two services are for transport of beliefs. The OAM service allows configuration of internal default parameters and allows access to its internal status and statistical counters. The architecture provides these services by supporting three interfaces: the Belief Transmit Service Interface (BTSI), Belief Receive Service Interface (BRSI), and OAM Interface (OAMI). Along with the architecture description, this paper presents actual field demonstration results of multiple ground and aerial vehicle systems.
Aquatic Fungi of Iceland: Some Filamentous, Eucarpic, and Holocarpic Species

Some aquatic fungi from Iceland are described. Included in the account are: an Aphanomyces with ornamented oogonia; a variant of A. laevis; two members of Olpidiopsis, and Rozella septigena in Apha...
DEMAND PARTICIPATION IN RESTRUCTURED MARKETS

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the challenges associated with facilitating demand-side participationin competitive markets for power. It provides a summary of various demand-side initiatives in restructured markets in North America and contributes a case study describing some of the problems faced in promoting demand-side participation in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) market, often cited as the most successful of North America's restructured retail markets. In most markets, there is little need to make demand more elastic. In competitive markets for most goods and services, retail prices adjust to reflect the relative abundance or scarcity of the good or service and changes in the cost of providing it to the market, and consumers adjust their purchasing behavior accordingly. But inelastic demand has been and remains a feature of electricity markets. Demand response is of particular importance in restructured markets that face some unique challenges in maintaining resource adequacy and preventing market power abuse. By responding to prices, by providing an ancillary service, or by offering to curtail usage in response to an interruption request, the participation of consumers or loads can contribute to the efficient operation of an electricity market. Establishing the policies and market structure that will enable demand participation has proven difficult to date. Nonetheless, advances in technology and reductions in infrastructure costs hold the potential to raise demand participation to new heights.
Identifying the Appropriate FISH Criteria for Defining MET Copy Number-Driven Lung Adenocarcinoma through Oncogene Overlap Analysis.

Abstract Introduction Mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor gene ( MET ) gene copy number gain may be a predictive biomarker for mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (MET) inhibition in lung cancer, but the most appropriate method and criteria for defining MET positivity are uncertain. Methods MET copy number was assessed by fluorescence in situ hybridization in lung adenocarcinoma. Positivity criteria included mean MET per cell values greater than 5 (low [≥5 to MET –to–chromosome 7 centromere ratios ( MET /CEP7) of at least 1.8 (low [≥1.8 to ≤2.2], intermediate [>2.2 to Results Of 686 cases, 99 (14%) had a mean MET per cell value of 5 or greater, 52 of 1164 (4.5%) had a MET /CEP7 ratio of 1.8 or higher. Other oncogenic drivers (in EGFR, KRAS, anaplastic lymphoma receptor tyrosine kinase gene [ ALK ], erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2 gene [ ERBB2 ] , BRAF, NRAS, ROS1, or ret proto-oncogene [ RET ]) were detectable in 56% of the group with a mean MET per cell value of 5 or higher and 47% of the group with a MET /CEP7 ratio of 1.8 or higher, suggesting that many MET- positive cases are not truly MET addicted. The rates of concomitant drivers in the groups of patients in the low, indeterminate, and high categories of mean MET per cell were 32 of 52 (62%), 12 of 19 (63%), and 11 of 27 (41%) ( p = 0.2), and the rates of concomitant drivers in the low, intermediate, and high categories of MET /CEP7 ratios were 15 of 29 (52%), 9 of 18 (50%), and 0 of 4 (0%), respectively ( p = 0.04). A MET /CEP7 ratio of 1.8 or higher in the absence of other oncogenes was associated with a higher rate of adrenal metastases ( p = 0.03) but not with never-smoking status. Conclusions A fluorescence in situ hybridization MET /CEP7 ratio of 5 or higher defined a “ MET- positive” group with no oncogenic overlap. As this method and criteria are also associated with the highest response rate to MET inhibition, it represents the clearest definition of a MET copy number gain–addicted state. However, a MET -associated phenotype may also exist across cases with a MET /CEP7 of 1.8 or higher when no other oncogene overlap occurs.
The Intersection of Care Seeking and Clinical Capacity for Patients With Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus in Indonesia: Knowledge and Treatment Practices of the Public and Physicians.

Background Indonesia has the highest human mortality from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A (H5N1) virus infection in the world. Methods A survey of households (N=2520) measured treatment sources and beliefs among symptomatic household members. A survey of physicians (N=554) in various types of health care facilities measured knowledge, assessment and testing behaviors, and perceived clinical capacity. Results Households reported confidence in health care system capacity but infrequently sought treatment for potential HPAI H5N1 signs/symptoms. More clinicians were confident in their knowledge of diagnosis and treatment than in the adequacy of related equipment and resources at their facilities. Physicians expressed awareness of the HPAI H5N1 suspect case definition, yet expressed only moderate knowledge in questioning symptomatic patients about exposures. Self-reported likelihood of testing for HPAI H5N1 virus was high after learning of certain exposures. Knowledge of antiviral treatment was moderate, but it was higher among clinicians in puskesmas . Physicians in private outpatient clinics, the most heavily used facilities, reported the lowest confidence in their diagnostic and treatment capabilities. Conclusions Educational campaigns can encourage recall of possible poultry exposure when patients are experiencing signs/symptoms and can raise awareness of the effectiveness of antivirals to drive people to seek health care. Clinicians may benefit from training regarding exposure assessment and referral procedures, particularly in private clinics. ( Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness . 2016;10:838–847)
Targeting Focal Adhesion Kinase Suppresses the Malignant Phenotype in Rhabdomyosarcoma Cells

Despite the tremendous advances in the treatment of childhood solid tumors, rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) continues to provide a therapeutic challenge. Children with metastatic or relapsed disease have a disease-free survival rate under 30%. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a nonreceptor tyrosine kinase that is important in many facets of tumorigenesis. Signaling pathways both upstream and downstream to FAK have been found to be important in sarcoma tumorigenesis, leading us to hypothesize that FAK would be present in RMS and would impact cellular survival. In the current study, we showed that FAK was present and phosphorylated in pediatric alveolar and embryonal RMS tumor specimens and cell lines. We also examined the effects of FAK inhibition upon two RMS cell lines utilizing parallel approaches including RNAi and small molecule inhibitors. FAK inhibition resulted in decreased cellular survival, invasion, and migration and increased apoptosis. Furthermore, small molecule inhibition of FAK led to decreased tumor growth in a nude mouse RMS xenograft model. The findings from this study will help to further our understanding of the regulation of tumorigenesis in RMS and may provide desperately needed novel therapeutic strategies for these difficult-to-treat tumors.
MCP-1-mediated chemotaxis requires activation of non-overlapping signal transduction pathways

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) is a CC chemokine that attracts monocytes and T lymphocytes. Its receptor (CCR2) is a heptahelical G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) whose signal transduction pathways for chemotaxis have not been completely defined. Because other GPCRs stimulate the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade, we examined this pathway's activity in response to MCP-1. MCP-1 induced rapid and transient activation of MAPK in human monocytes and in Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing CCR2B. This effect was largely insensitive to pertussis toxin and wortmannin, and was protein kinase C-dependent and protein tyrosine kinase-independent. PD 098059, an inhibitor of MEK activation, not only prevented MAPK activation but also inhibited MCP-1-induced chemotaxis. Because pertussis toxin and wortmannin also efficiently inhibit chemotaxis but do not completely inhibit MAPK activation, these data may define non-overlapping signal transduction pathways that all must be activated to produce chemokine-mediated chemotaxis.
Factors Affecting Performance of Human-Automation Teams

Automated systems continue to increase in both complexity and capacity. As such, there is an increasing need to understand the factors that affect the performance of human-automation (H-A) teams. This high-level review examines several such factors: we discuss levels and degrees of automation, the reliability of the automated system, human trust of automation, and workload transitions in the H-A system due to off-nominal events. The influence that each of these factors has on the H-A team dynamic must be more completely understood in order to ensure that the team can perform to its maximum potential. Thorough understanding of this dynamic is especially important to ensuring that H-A teams can succeed safely and effectively in critical contexts.
From Christ to Black Jesus: Black Theology's Christological Move as Operative in the Black Coptic Church

In this article I offer an analysis of the Christological framework of the Black Coptic Church. I advance the claim that this Black Church tradition represents a practice of Black liberation theolo...
Human–Swarm Interactions via Coverage of Time-Varying Densities

One of the main challenges in human–swarm interactions is the construction of suitable abstractions that make an entire robot team amenable to human control. For such abstractions to be useful, they need to scale gracefully as the number of robots increases. In this work, we consider the use of time-varying density functions to externally influence a robot swarm. Density functions abstract away the size of the robot team and describe instead the concentration of agents over the domain of interest. This allows a human operator to design densities so as to manipulate the robot swarm as a whole, instead of at the individual robot level. We discuss coverage of time-varying density functions as a mechanism to translate densities into robotic movement, and provide a series of control laws that guarantee optimal coverage by the robot team. Distributed approximations allow the solutions to scale with the size of the robot team. This renders coverage a viable choice of method for influencing a robot swarm. Finally, we provide a framework for the design of density functions that shape the swarm to achieve specified geometric configurations within the domain of interest. We show through robotic implementation in two different platforms the viability of human–swarm interactions with the proposed schemes.
Comparative Patterns of Interracial Marriage: Structural Opportunities, Third-party Factors, and Temporal Change in Immigrant Societies

Using census data, we compare patterns of interracial marriage in six different contexts where immigration has played a central role in population composition. We use Kalmijn’s (1998) general theor...
How partial behavioral networks drive econometric bias and inefficiency

We employ network metrics on relational variables of interest to control for econometric estimation bias, inefficiency and inferential problems from non-spherical, network induced disturbances in sampled, unknown behaviorally driven networks. Our analysis follows a two-step procedure to establish a conceptual baseline and then integrate real-world data and questions pertinent for statistical inference. First, artificial networks are generated using two well-known graph models, Erdos-Renyi and Barabasi-Albert. Second, we generate these artificial networks across a broad range of graph model types compared to real networks. Our unique approach provides analytical and estimative insights for often opaque, dynamic real world behaviorally driven networks.
Introductory remarks on the Aral issue

I want to welcome all who are participating in or attending the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on ‘Critical Scientific Issues of the Aral Sea basin: State of Knowledge and Future Research Needs’. The opening session is devoted to an overview of the Aral issue. I would like to make a few remarks about this and also indicate what is the basic purpose of this meeting.
Impact of a Complex Care Management Model on Cost and Utilization Among Adolescents and Young Adults with Special Care and Health Needs.

Abstract Adolescents and young adults with special care and health needs in the United States–many of whom have Medicaid coverage–at the transition phase between pediatric and adult care often experience critical care gaps. To address this challenge, a new model–referred to as Comprehensive Care Clinic (CCC)–has been developed and implemented by Geisinger Health System since 2012. CCC comprises a care team, consisting of a generalist physician, advanced practitioner, pharmacist, and a nurse case manager, that develops and closely follows a coordinated care plan. This study examines the CCC impact on total cost of care and utilization by analyzing Geisinger Health Plan claims data obtained from 83 Medicaid patients enrolled in CCC. A set of multivariate regression models with patient fixed effects was estimated to obtain adjusted differences in cost and acute care utilization between the months in which the patients were enrolled and the months not enrolled in CCC. The results indicate that CCC enrollment ...
Overall survival advantage of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in the perioperative management of large extremity and trunk soft tissue sarcoma; a large database analysis.

Abstract Purpose Intergroup 9514 reported promising outcomes with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for large extremity/trunk soft tissue sarcoma (ESTS). One decade later, optimum integration of chemotherapy and radiotherapy into the perioperative management of ESTS remains to be defined. Methods The National Cancer Data Base was used to identify 3422 patients who underwent resection for large (>8 cm) high-grade STS between 2004 and 2013. Chi-square analysis was used to evaluate distribution of patient and tumor related factors within treatment groups while multivariate analyses were used to determine the impact of these factors on patient outcome. The Kaplan Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model were utilized to evaluate overall survival according to treatment regimen, with a secondary analysis based on propensity score matching to control for prescription bias and potential confounders imbalance. Results Hazard ratio for death was reduced by 35% with radiotherapy and 24% with chemotherapy, compared to surgery alone. Combination therapy incorporating both modalities improved 5-yr survival (62.1%) compared to either treatment alone (51.4%). The sequencing of chemotherapy and radiotherapy or whether they were delivered as adjuvant vs. as neoadjuvant therapy did not affect their efficacy. Age > 50 years, tumor size > 11 cm, and tumor location on the trunk/pelvis were poor prognostic factors. Conclusion Our analysis suggests that adjunctive modalities are both critical in the treatment of large high-grade ESTS, improving survival when used individually and demonstrating synergy in combination, regardless of sequencing relative to each other or relative to surgery; thus providing a framework for future randomized trials.
Genome-scale Modeling of NADPH Metabolism in Radiation-resistant Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients

Tumor resistance to radiation therapy remains a significant obstacle to long-term cancer patient survival, especially for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), a cancer type with poor long-term outcomes. NADPH metabolism is a viable target for personalized radiation-sensitizing chemotherapies due to the reliance of tumors on NADPH for DNA repair, antioxidation, and cell survival following ionizing radiation. We have previously shown that genome-scale metabolic models that incorporate transcriptomic, kinetic, thermodynamic, and metabolite concentration data can make accurate predictions of NADPH production and sensitivity to redox-cycling chemotherapeutics such as β-lapachone in radiation-sensitive and -resistant HNSCC cell lines. Through the incorporation of transcriptomic data from the Cancer Genome Atlas, we have extended our modeling approach to develop personalized flux balance analysis-based metabolic models of HNSCC patient tumors. This collection of 132 models predicts that radiation-resistant tumors display greater conversion of NADP+ to NADPH than radiation-sensitive tumors, consistent with our prior work in matched HNSCC cell lines. Differences in NADPH production are manifested by the re-routing of metabolic flux through alternate NADPH-producing pathways in the human metabolic network. In addition, simulated gene knockdown of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) isoforms has a more pronounced effect on NADPH production in radiation-resistant tumors, supporting prior evidence of IDH as a promising chemotherapeutic target for multiple cancer types. Finally, we discovered a subset of radiation-sensitive patients that displayed significantly lower NADPH-producing flux throughout the metabolic network as well as greater sensitivity to knockdown of NADPH production genes. Almost all of these TCGA patients with lower fluxes had tumors of the larynx as opposed to other head and neck cancer regions, indicating that NADPH metabolism in HNSCC tumors may depend greatly on the tumor’s anatomical location. This modeling approach can be extended to investigate the synergistic action of redox-based chemotherapeutics and radiation therapy to treat radiation-resistant HNSCC patients.
Taxonomic Issues in Child Psychopathology

Although taxonomic issues may seem remote from everyday work with disturbed children, they lurk about in many guises. We will first consider these guises and then discuss ways to give taxonomy a more open and constructive role in helping disturbed children.
A Fast Heuristic Algorithm for a Probe Mapping Problem

A new heuristic algorithm is presented for mapping probes to locations along the genome, given noisy pairwise distance data as input. The model considered is quite general: The input consists of a collection of probe pairs and a confidence interval for the genomic distance separating each pair. Because the distance intervals are only known with some confidence level, some may be erroneous and must be removed in order to find a consistent map. A novel randomized technique for detecting and removing bad distance intervals is described. The technique could be useful in other contexts where partially erroneous data is inconsistent with the remaining data. These algorithms were motivated by the goal of making probe maps with inter-probe distance confidence intervals estimated from fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) experiments. Experimentation was done on synthetic data sets (with and without errors) and FISH data from a region of human chromosome 4. Problems with up to 100 probes could be solved in several minutes on a fast workstation. In addition to FISH mapping, we describe some other possible applications that fall within the problem model. These include: mapping a backbone structure in folded DNA, finding consensus maps between independent maps covering the same genomic region, and ordering clones in a clone library.
ECOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN GIANT KELP AND SEA URCHINS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

ABSTRACT Extensive studies of grazing in beds of the giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera , in southern California have indicated that one of the most damaging groups of herbivores is the sea urchin. These benthic echinoderms typically attack the holdfast and associated structures, severing the stipes at their bases. The large upper parts of the plant drift away and are lost to the bed. When sufficient numbers of urchins are present they are able to prevent any vegetation from developing. The concentrations necessary for complete barrenness are approximately: Strongylocentrotus franciscanus , 1/m 2 : S. purpuratus , 10/m 2 : Lytechinus anamesus , 10/m 2 . Urchins can be destroyed with quicklime in lump sizes. The concentrations and number of applications of lime required vary with depth, wave surge, bottom topography, and urchin concentration. It is necessary to reduce urchin concentrations over areas of 5000 m 2 or more. Otherwise developing seaweeds are quickly destroyed by inward migration of unaffected urchins. Cost of lime amounts to 2 to 3 cents per m 2 of bottom treated. Restoration of kelp beds at Point Loma and Imperial Beach, California, are described.