cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Drought Stress Results in a Compartment-Specific Restructuring of the Rice Root-Associated Microbiomes

Plant roots support complex microbial communities that can influence plant growth, nutrition, and health. While extensive characterizations of the composition and spatial compartmentalization of these communities have been performed in different plant species, there is relatively little known about the impact of abiotic stresses on the root microbiota. Here, we have used rice as a model to explore the responses of root microbiomes to drought stress. Using four distinct genotypes, grown in soils from three different fields, we tracked the drought-induced changes in microbial composition in the rhizosphere (the soil immediately surrounding the root), the endosphere (the root interior), and unplanted soils. Drought significantly altered the overall bacterial and fungal compositions of all three communities, with the endosphere and rhizosphere compartments showing the greatest divergence from well-watered controls. The overall response of the bacterial microbiota to drought stress was taxonomically consistent across soils and cultivars and was primarily driven by an enrichment of multiple Actinobacteria and Chloroflexi, as well as a depletion of several Acidobacteria and Deltaproteobacteria While there was some overlap in the changes observed in the rhizosphere and endosphere communities, several drought-responsive taxa were compartment specific, a pattern likely arising from preexisting compositional differences, as well as plant-mediated processes affecting individual compartments. These results reveal that drought stress, in addition to its well-characterized effects on plant physiology, also results in restructuring of root microbial communities and suggest the possibility that constituents of the altered plant microbiota might contribute to plant survival under extreme environmental conditions.IMPORTANCE With the likelihood that changes in global climate will adversely affect crop yields, the potential role of microbial communities in enhancing plant performance makes it important to elucidate the responses of plant microbiomes to environmental variation. By detailed characterization of the effect of drought stress on the root-associated microbiota of the crop plant rice, we show that the rhizosphere and endosphere communities undergo major compositional changes that involve shifts in the relative abundances of a taxonomically diverse set of bacteria in response to drought. These drought-responsive microbes, in particular those enriched under water deficit conditions, could potentially benefit the plant as they could contribute to tolerance to drought and other abiotic stresses, as well as provide protection from opportunistic infection by pathogenic microbes. The identification and future isolation of microbes that promote plant tolerance to drought could potentially be used to mitigate crop losses arising from adverse shifts in climate.
An efficient adaptive algorithm for robust control optimization using StoSAG

Abstract There is significant geological uncertainty in the reservoir description due to the limited knowledge about the underground formation. The common approach is to use multiple plausible geostatistical realizations of the reservoir model in order to quantify the uncertainty, however, usually a small ensemble of realizations is utilized in the robust optimization due to the computational cost. This may results in erroneous estimation of uncertainty in the predicted optimal reservoir production performance. We propose an efficient algorithm for robust optimization where a large number of representative realizations are considered. The algorithm proposed in this work assumes confidence in a subset of realizations for representing the full-set of realizations in the neighbourhood of the current control estimate. The subset is chosen based on a ranking method and modified adaptively throughout the optimization iterations. The optimizer in this paper is the steepest ascent method using the Stochastic Simplex Approximate Gradient (StoSAG), but the proposed algorithm is suitable to be combined with other optimization algorithms. Three synthetic reservoir examples generated with different geostatistical modelling methods are tested to validate the proposed algorithm. All three examples show that compared with a full-set robust optimization, the proposed adaptive robust optimization algorithm not only improves the optimization convergence rate, but also find a higher optimal NPV when the optimization is terminated at a maximum affordable simulation cost using the stochastic simplex gradient.
Closing the blood pressure gap: an affordable proposal to save lives worldwide.

### Summary box Thanks to aggressive action over the past 15 years, death and disease from HIV and AIDS has steadily declined,1 and with new evidence that treating HIV also prevents transmission, discussions of the ‘end of AIDS’ grow louder.2 Support for HIV/AIDS control programmes such as the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria and the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is near-universal among both donor countries and private sector sponsors. Asked about doubling HIV medication access through PEPFAR in 2016, US President Donald Trump remarked that he ‘believe[s] so strongly in that…we’re …
Convolutional Neural Networks and Multitask Strategies for Semantic Mapping of Natural Language Input to a Structured Database

In this work, we investigate mapping both natural language food and quantity descriptions to matching USDA database entries. We demonstrate that a convolutional neural network (CNN) model with a softmax layer on top to directly predict the most likely database matches outperforms our previous state-of-the-art approach of learning binary classification and subsequently ranking database entries using similarity scores with the learned embeddings. The softmax model achieves 97.3% top-5 USDA quantity and 91.1 % food recall over the full database, compared to only 70.0% quantity and 46.4% food recall with a sigmoid model, where top-5 recall indicates the percentage of test cases in which the correct quantity or food is in the top-5 hits. Evaluated on 9,600 spoken meals over all foods, the softmax model achieves 91.6% top-5 quantity and 80.1 % food recall. We also explore jointly learning both mappings with a single CNN to boost quantity mapping, and improve food mapping by reranking the food database entries using the predicted quantity matches.
Traumatic vulvar hematomas: conservative versus surgical management.

Background Vulvar hematomas are relatively uncommon and usually result from blunt trauma. They are more commonly diagnosed in postpartum patients, but hematomas after straddle-type injuries, coitus, or physical assault have been reported. Conservative and surgical management have both been advocated as the appropriate initial treatment. Methods In this study, we have done a retrospective review to obtain data that might indicate a clinical benefit for either conservative or surgical management. We reviewed the charts of patients treated for vulvar hematomas at the University of North Carolina Hospitals between 1975 and 1991. Cases were separated into obstetric and nonobstetric and conservatively and surgically managed groups. Results Of the 29 cases reviewed, 19 were classified as obstetric and 10 were nonobstetric. All 13 obstetric hematomas and 3 of 7 nonobstetric hematomas managed conservatively resolved without subsequent surgical intervention. Conclusion In the absence of acute hematoma expansion, conservative management was often successful.
System on Chip

In the previous chapters, we discussed various digital architectures that each present a different trade-off between flexibility and specialization. The trend was from specialized towards more general and more flexible. In this chapter, we complete the discussion with a generic architecture-specialization concept. The concept is called System-on-Chip (SoC). An SoC combines one or more general-purpose processors with dedicated coprocessors and on-chip memory, on a single chip. An SoC architecture provides general-purpose computing capabilities along with a few highly-specialized functions, adapted to a particular design domain. This chapter reviews the cast of players in the system-on-chip concept, and it describes its key characteristics. The chapter also discusses the construction of GEZEL SoC models.
Utilization of telemedicine to improve burn care in a developing country

Our objective is to present our experience from Shriner's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA, USA in using telemedicine to provide acute burn and critical care consultation on pediatric and adult burn patients in Lviv, Ukraine, as well as in triage and transport of critically ill patients from Lviv to a tertiary-care facility in the USA for further management.
Echocardiographic Weaning in Temporary Mechanical Circulatory Support: The Role of LVOT VTI

Purpose With ongoing research, there is still absence of robust evidence-based recommendations describing use and clinical impact of daily echocardiographic evaluation for mechanically unloaded patients supported with either temporary micro-axial flow (Impella) or intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation (IABP) pumps. Our hypothesis is that in such patients, adjunct protocolized bedside echocardiographic weaning evaluation offers a reliable surrogate of myocardial performance prior to explant. Methods Our description included retrospective evaluation of a database of patients supported with Impella (CP/5.0) or IABP at the Baystate Medical Center Cardiac ICU from 2014 to 2017. Patients included had 1) clinical and hemodynamic cardiogenic shock, 2) prolonged Impella/IABP support requiring ICU level of care, and 3) serial LVOT VTI and cardiac index (CI) checks during support. We excluded patients with intraprocedural Impella insertion/removal. Results were plotted for a total of 80 LVOT VTI and corresponding CI values recorded spanning the implant-explant time. We plotted 3 correlation graphs for VTI to CI (Fig.1), iVTI (indexed LVOT VTI to patients' body surface area) to CI (Fig.2), and rVTI to rCI (relative LVOT VTI and CI to their initial values recorded following implant) (Fig.3). Results Results showed a positive regression of 0.6 for VTI/CI, 0.58 for iVTI/CI, and 0.77 for rVTI/rCI (p-value Conclusion As our data indicates, we provide a real-world standardized method that objectively focuses on routine evaluation of LVOT VTI as a surrogate of myocardial performance in cardiogenic shock requiring prolonged mechanical unloading. This method should therefore be taken one step further and considered for daily assessment of myocardial performance while weaning the support settings, as illustrated in our example (Fig.4), and be protocolized as a standard weaning parameter in shock centers.
Depth from Stereo and Polarization of Opaque Non-Lambertian Surfaces

This paper presents a new approach to depth from stereo in scenes with non-Lambertian surfaces. While these surfaces usually prove to be hard to incorporate in photo-consistency energy minimization, we retrieve additional information about their surface normals from applying a polarization-based approach that computes the degree and angle of polarization at each pixel. Therefore, we set up a stereo camera rig that captures four different rotations of a linear polarizer simultaneously for each camera. While most existing polarization-based approaches to shape reconstruction require a setup with known lighting, our approach uses arbitrary unpolarized illumination. We describe a regularization-based stereo approach that constrains specular surface normals in the scene to lie in the plane of their observed angle of polarization. We derive the mathematical foundations of this approach and present results on virtually generated stereo and real-world stereo imagery.
Mostly Vegetarian, But Flexible About It: Investigating How Meat-Reducers Express Social Identity Around Their Diets:

Beyond indicating that one does not eat meat, the decision to identify as vegetarian signals social identity. Yet many people limit their meat intake without giving up meat entirely: These people a...
Ultrasonic Communication Systems for Data Transmission

Ultrasonic signals are widely used in the field of medical imaging and industrial nondestructive testing. Ultrasonic wave can propagate through solid, liquid or gas media and consequently can be used as the carrier of the information for communications. In this paper, we examine the feasibility of using the ultrasonic signal for communication in solid media. Characteristic of ultrasonic waves in the solid channel are studied and an FPGA based platform is designed for software-defined digital and packet communications. Experimental results are presented and analyzed to demonstrate the feasibility of using ultrasonic guided waves for digital communication in solid channels such as metal plates.
The Insect Brain as a Model System for Low Power Electronics and Edge Processing Applications

The insect brain is a great model system for low power electronics: insects carry out multisensory integration and are able to change the way the process information, learn, and adapt to changes in their environment with a very limited power budget. This context-dependent processing allows them to implement multiple functionalities within the same network, as well as to minimize power consumption by having context-dependent gains in their first layers of input processing. The combination of low power consumption, adaptability and online learning, and robustness makes them particularly appealing for a number of space applications, from rovers and probes to satellites, all having to deal with the progressive degradation of their capabilities in remote environments. In this work, we explore architectures inspired in the insect brain capable of context-dependent processing and learning. Starting from algorithms, we have explored three different implementations: a spiking implementation in a neuromorphic chip, a custom implementation in an FPGA, and finally hybrid analog/digital implementations based on cross-bar arrays. For the latter, we found that the development of novel resistive materials is crucial in order to enhance the energy efficiency of analog devices while maintaining an adequate footprint. Metal-oxide nanocomposite materials, fabricated using ALD with processes compatible with semiconductor processing, are promising candidates to fill in that role.
Riding on commitment and marketing: language teachers as policymakers in a Finnish school

Although national and EU policies and recommendations encourage varied language learning, English has ruled as the most studied foreign language, while other languages are decreasingly being studied in basic and upper secondary education in Finland. The purpose of this paper is to examine the implications of this development in practice. Interviews with Finnish foreign language and mother tongue teachers revealed issues with enrolment in language courses, resulting in decreased pay for teachers of languages other than the national languages and English. To boost enrolment or to ensure courses run, the participants reported having to make adjustments to course expectations, content, accept pay cuts, and ‘market’ languages to students, essentially creating a market in which languages are sold and consumed. In terms of policies, it is argued that ensuring successful learning outcomes in foreign languages is thus heavily dependent on the teachers’ willingness to exert their own resources, agency, and commitment to the institution and their students.
The DNA Damage Response and HIV-Associated Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

The HIV-infected population is at a dramatically increased risk of developing pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a devastating and fatal cardiopulmonary disease that is rare amongst the general population. It is increasingly apparent that PAH is a disease with complex and heterogeneous cellular and molecular pathologies, and options for therapeutic intervention are limited, resulting in poor clinical outcomes for affected patients. A number of soluble HIV factors have been implicated in driving the cellular pathologies associated with PAH through perturbations of various signaling and regulatory networks of uninfected bystander cells in the pulmonary vasculature. While these mechanisms are likely numerous and multifaceted, the overlapping features of PAH cellular pathologies and the effects of viral factors on related cell types provide clues as to the potential mechanisms driving HIV-PAH etiology and progression. In this review, we discuss the link between the DNA damage response (DDR) signaling network, chronic HIV infection, and potential contributions to the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension in chronically HIV-infected individuals.
Chapter 13 – Cardiovascular Neuroendocrinology

Publisher Summary The hypothalamus serves as an interface between circulating messengers of cardiovascular function and central nervous system pathways controlling energy homeostasis, neuroendocrine and endocrine function, and autonomic regulation. Three major classes of neurons project from the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus. These neurons also project to intra- and extrahypothalamic sites important in the control of social behaviors, energy homeostasis and cortical motor neurons. Neuroendocrine neurons, also parvocellular in nature, originate predominately from the medial parvocellular aspects of the nucleus and project to the median eminence, where they release their signaling molecules, mainly peptides, into the interstitial spaces adjacent to the fenestrated capillary endothelium of the portal vessels. The central melanocortin system (CMS) is defined anatomically as neurons originating in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus that produce either a melanocyte-stimulating hormone, a product of the proopiomelanocortin (POMC) prohormone, or neuropeptide Y (NPY) and agouti-related peptide (AgRP).
Media and Community Influences on Female Genital Cutting in Egypt

This study examines how media exposure influences Egyptian mothers’ intent for daughters to undergo female genital cutting (FGC), and whether community discussions of FGC moderate media effects. A mother’s FGC decision-making is embedded within the context of her family and local community, but exposure to broader communities through media exposure may also shape the context in which FGC decision-making occurs.Logistic regression and propensity score matching were used to analyse data from the Egypt Demographic and Health Surveys to examine the effects of media types on FGC intentions and whether conversations about FGC moderate those effects. I find that mothers who watched television were more likely to intend FGC, whereas mothers who read the newspaper and used the internet were less likely. Also, discussing FGC with friends and family amplified the positive effect of watching television and minimized the negative effect of reading the newspaper and using the internet. These findings suggest that gendered norms change in the context of broader communities created through media exposure, but women are less likely to act on new norms in the presence of local sanctioning.
Longitudinal Associations of Conscientiousness and Neuroticism With Perceived Mastery and Constraints for Aging Adults.

It has not been well understood how conscientiousness and neuroticism are associated with two related but distinct dimensions of perceived control (i.e., perceived mastery and constraints) among ag...
Risk assessment of excess mortality attribute to PM_(2.5) exposure in 5 cities in China in 2018

Objective To assess the risk of excess mortality caused by exposure to PM_(2.5) in 5 cities in China. Methods Surveillance data on daily concentration of PM_(2.5), meteorology and death-causes were collected from 2015 to 2018 in Harbin, Xi& apos; an, Nanjing, Chengdu and Guangzhou cities. Generalized additive model(GAM) was used to analyze acute exposure-response coefficients of PM_(2.5) exposure on the mortality. Using daily 24-hour average concentration of PM_(2.5) in 2018 to estimate the exposure levels of the population, with PM_(2.5) 24-hour average concentration limit of the ambient air quality standard(GB 3095-2012) for reference concentration(75 μg/m~3), and applicating the health risk assessment model, the excess deaths attribute to PM_(2.5) exposure in the 5 cities in 2018 was estimated. Results Attribute to PM_(2.5) exposure, the excess cases of death caused by circulatory system diseases in Harbin and Guangzhou were 35 and 92, the excess cases caused by respiratory diseases in Xi& apos; an was 70, the excess cases of caused by non-accident in Nanjing was 69, and the excess cases caused by non-accidental, respiratory and circulatory diseases in Chengdu were 588, 210 and 134 in 2018. Conclusion PM_(2.5) exposure could increase the excess mortality risk, which varies among different cities.
The TGF-β/HDAC7 axis suppresses TCA cycle metabolism in renal cancer

Mounting evidence points to alterations in mitochondrial metabolism in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, the mechanisms that regulate the TCA cycle in RCC remain uncharacterized. Here, we demonstrate that loss of TCA cycle enzyme expression is retained in RCC metastatic tissues. Moreover, proteomic analysis demonstrates that reduced TCA cycle enzyme expression is far more pronounced in RCC relative to other tumor types. Loss of TCA cycle enzyme expression is correlated with reduced expression of the transcription factor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α) which is also lost in RCC tissues. PGC-1α re-expression in RCC cells restores the expression of TCA cycle enzymes in vitro and in vivo and leads to enhanced glucose carbon incorporation into TCA cycle intermediates. Mechanistically, TGF-β signaling, in concert with histone deacetylase 7 (HDAC7), suppresses TCA cycle enzyme expression. Our studies show that pharmacologic inhibition of TGF-β restores the expression of TCA cycle enzymes and suppresses tumor growth in an orthotopic model of RCC. Taken together, this investigation reveals a novel role for the TGF-β/HDAC7 axis in global suppression of TCA cycle enzymes in RCC and provides new insight into the molecular basis of altered mitochondrial metabolism in this malignancy.
Biosensor for the specific detection of a single viable B. anthracis spore

A simple membrane strip-based biosensor for the detection of viable B. anthracis spores was developed and combined with a spore germination procedure as well as a nucleic acid amplification reaction to identify as little as one viable B. anthracis spore in less than 12 h. The biosensor is based on identification of a unique mRNA sequence from the anthrax toxin activator (atxA) gene encoded on the toxin plasmid, pXO1. Preliminary work relied on plasmid vectors in both E. coli and B. thuringiensis expressing the atxA gene. Once the principle was firmly established, the vaccine strain of B. anthracis was used. After inducing germination and outgrowth of spores of B. anthracis (Sterne strain), RNA was extracted from lysed cells, amplified using nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA), and rapidly identified by the biosensor. While the biosensor assay requires only 15-min assay time, the overall process takes12 h for the detection of as little as one viable B. anthracis spore, and is shortened significantly, if larger amounts of spores are present. The biosensor is based on an oligonucleotide sandwich-hybridization assay format. It uses a membrane flow-through system with an immobilized oligonucleotide probe that hybridizes with the target sequence. Signal amplification is provided when the target sequence hybridizes to a second oligonucleotide probe that has been coupled to dye-encapsulating liposomes. The dye in the liposomes then provides a signal that can be read visually or quantified with a hand-held reflectometer. The biosensor can detect as little as 1.5 fmol of target mRNA. Specificity analysis revealed no crossreactivity with closely related species such as B. cereus, B. megaterium, B. subtilis, B. thuringiensis etc.
Development of a leach model for a commercial nuclear waste glass

A leach model is presented for a commonly studied commercial nuclear waste glass, PNL 76-68. Boron release is taken to be a monitor of the reaction rate of the glass, while the actual releases of many other glass constituents into solution during static tests are evidently controlled by solubilities. The reaction rate determined in this way passes from linear to parabolic kinetics over the duration of the experiments analyzed, and boron concentrations in solution are found to be a function of the product of time and surface areato-solution volume ratio. This behavior is found to be explained well by assuming the reaction is impeded by resorption of reaction products onto the reacting surface. Two model parameters are found as functions of temperature by fitting the model to published data. It is concluded that the accumulation of silica near the glass surface in a waste package in a repository could limit the rate of reaction of the glass, but not that the reaction would cease as silica reaches its solubility limit in solution.
Abstract #4436: Rb regulation of the src substrate Trask

Src kinases are activated in many human cancers. Their tumorigenic effects are complex and mediated through numerous effectors. We recently identified a novel cell cycle src kinase substrate named Trask. Trask is a transmembrane glycoprotein that undergoes significant tyrosine phosphorylation during the mitotic phase of epithelial cells. In experimental models, the overexpression and overphosphorylation of Trask promotes cell rounding and loss of adhesion. Although interphase phosphorylation is not evident in adherent untransformed epithelia, Trask is phosphorylated in many interphase cancer cells. In particular, we find that Trask is most significantly phosphorylated in Rb-deficient cancer cells. This observation suggested a potential link between Trask phosphorylation and Rb. We studied this relationship in Rb-deficient MDA-MB-468 cells, in which Trask is constitutively phosphorylated. We generated MDA-MB-468 cells stably expressing a doxycycline-inducible Rb expression cassette. Rb-induction in these cells reduces proliferative growth and prolongs the G1 cell cycle phase as would be expected. Trask phosphorylation declines significantly with Rb induction. The effect occurs with a latency of several days suggesting intermediary mechanisms. This is not due to any change in expression or activity of src or yes kinases. The induction of Rb expression results in a global decrease in DNA methylation in these cells. Treatment with 5-azacytidine similarly reverts Trask phosphorylation suggesting that Rb regulates Trask phosphorylation through epigenetically controlled gene expression. Through microarray gene expression studies we have identified candidate phosphatases regulated by Rb. These data suggest a role for the src substrate Trask in regulating cell shape and adhesion in Rb-deficient tumors. Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 4436.
A Systems Approach to Understanding Theory: Finding the Core, Identifying Opportunities for Improvement, and Integrating Fragmented Fields

When discussing a theory, are we talking about the ‘same thing’? Here, two analyses of institutional theory find more conflict than agreement. This opens a question—how best to investigate, understand, and communicate our understanding of theoretical constructs. A third analysis uses an emerging systems-based methodology to look at theory as a system unto itself. In that study, the system of theory is quantified in terms of its systemic structure and complexity. This approach suggests new ways to understand the core and belt of a theory and provides a path towards integrating disparate theories in fragmented fields and a more objective way to advance theories towards greater effectiveness in research and practical application. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Testing Our Tolerance: American Attitudes Toward Limitations on the First Amendment Rights of Arab and Muslim Americans

James L. Gibson, political intolerance scholar, observed recently in an article that some people think that the U.S. has “entered a new era of McCarthyism” post 9/11 (Gibson, 2008, p. 97). In 2004, a Cornell University study conducted by Nisbet and Shanahan found that 44% of Americans would support some form of limitation on Arab and Muslim American civil liberties. The present study, conducted at the 2009 Ralph Bunche Summer Institute at Duke University, focused on people’s views on the limitations on the premier civil right – freedom of speech. Is there a correlation between the American people’s opinion of Arabs and Muslims and their support for limitations on freedom of speech? A liner regression was run using Gibson’s CID 2006 dataset which confirmed several hypotheses. Overall, the finding was, the more Americans dislike Arabs, the more likely they are to support limits on free speech.
Executive Compensation at Nabors Industries: Too Much, Too Little, or Just Right?

Eugene Isenberg, CEO of Nabors Industries, was listed in a 2006 Wall Street Journal article as one of the highest paid executives in the U.S. over the previous 14 years. He received this compensation as a result of a unique bonus arrangement and large stock option grants with several favorable features. At the same time, the strategy that he implemented for Nabors led to a remarkable financial turnaround as the company emerged from bankruptcy and expanded to become a global leader in the oilfield services industry. Readers of the case are asked to evaluate the structure of Isenberg's compensation agreement with Nabors Industries in light of the company's industry, strategy, and financial position. Particular consideration is paid to the total compensation, mix of compensation, performance measures, and other compensation terms.
Anisotropy, fiber curvature, and bath loading effects on activation in thin and thick cardiac tissue preparations: simulations in a three-dimensional bidomain model.

Anisotropy Effects in a 3D Bidomain. Introduction: A modeling study is presented to explore the effects of tissue conductivity, fiber orientation, and presence of an adjoining extracellular volume conductor on electrical conduction in cardiac muscle. Simulated results are compared with those of classical in vitro experiments on superfused thin layer preparations and on whole hearts. Methods and Results: The tissue is modeled as a three-dimensional bidomain block adjoining an isotropic bath. In the thin layer model, the fibers are assumed parallel. In the thick block model, fiber rotation, curvature, and tipping are incorporated. Results from the thin layer model explain experimental observations that the rate of rise of the entire action potential upstroke is faster and the magnitude of the extracellular potential is smaller across fibers than along fibers in a uniformly propagating front. The simulation identified that this behavior only arises in tissue with unequal anisotropy in the two spaces and adjoining an extracellular hath. Simulated conduction and potential distributions in the thick block model are shown to well approximate experimental maps. The potentials are sensitive to changes in the fiber orientations. A slight 5° tipping of intramural fibers out of the planes parallel to the epicardium and endocardium will lead to an asymmetry of the magnitudes of the positive regions. In addition, the introduction of fiber curvature leads to more realistic isochrone and extracellular potential distributions. The orientation of the central negative region of the extracellular potential is shown to be determined by the average of the fiber direction at the plane of pacing and the plane of recording. Conclusions: The simulations demonstrate the sensitivity of spread of activation and potential time courses and distributions to the underlying electrical properties in both thick and thin slabs. The bidomain model is shown to be a useful representation of cardiac tissue for interpreting experimental data of activation.
Location and number of positive surgical margins as prognostic factors of biochemical recurrence after salvage radiation therapy after radical prostatectomy.

Study Type – Prognosis (case series) Level of Evidence 4 OBJECTIVE To determine if the location and number of positive surgical margins (PSMs) after radical prostatectomy (RP) are associated with recurrence after salvage external beam radiation therapy (sEBRT). PATIENTS AND METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 60 patients with PSMs who underwent three-dimensional conformal sEBRT for biochemical recurrence (BCR) or clinically detected local recurrence after RP between 1996 and 2007. PSMs were categorized as present or absent at three locations, and patients were classified as having either one or more than one PSM. BCR after RP was defined as a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of ≥0.1 ng/mL. BCR after sEBRT was defined as a serum PSA level of ≥0.1 ng/mL above the PSA nadir after sEBRT. RESULTS In all, 24 (40%) patients had more than one PSM. Overall, the most common location of a PSM was the posterior prostate with 40 (66%) patients having a positive posterior margin. The location of PSMs was not significantly associated with secondary BCR (global P= 0.8). There was a borderline result between the number of PSMs and BCR: men with more than one PSM were less likely to recur compared with those with only one PSM (hazard ratio 0.42; P= 0.067). CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to specifically analyse location and number of PSMs as prognostic factors for men who undergo sEBRT. There was no evidence to suggest that the location of a PSM predicted secondary BCR. Further research is needed to determine whether the number of PSMs is an important predictor of BCR after sEBRT.
Haptic over visual information in the distribution of visual attention after tool-use in near and far space

Despite attentional prioritization for grasping space near the hands, tool-use appears to transfer attentional bias to the tool's end/functional part. The contributions of haptic and visual inputs to attentional distribution along a tool were investigated as a function of tool-use in near (Experiment 1) and far (Experiment 2) space. Visual attention was assessed with a 50/50, go/no-go, target discrimination task, while a tool was held next to targets appearing near the tool-occupied hand or tool-end. Target response times (RTs) and sensitivity (d-prime) were measured at target locations, before and after functional tool practice for three conditions: (1) open-tool: tool-end visible (visual + haptic inputs), (2) hidden-tool: tool-end visually obscured (haptic input only), and (3) short-tool: stick missing tool's length/end (control condition: hand occupied but no visual/haptic input). In near space, both open- and hidden-tool groups showed a tool-end, attentional bias (faster RTs toward tool-end) before practice; after practice, RTs near the hand improved. In far space, the open-tool group showed no bias before practice; after practice, target RTs near the tool-end improved. However, the hidden-tool group showed a consistent tool-end bias despite practice. Lack of short-tool group results suggested that hidden-tool group results were specific to haptic inputs. In conclusion, (1) allocation of visual attention along a tool due to tool practice differs in near and far space, and (2) visual attention is drawn toward the tool's end even when visually obscured, suggesting haptic input provides sufficient information for directing attention along the tool.
Autotrophy in Nitrosocystis oceanus

Abstract Enzymatic assays of cell-free extracts of the ammonia-oxidizing bacterium Nitrosocystis oceanus failed to establish that the biochemical basis of its obligate autotrophy stemmed solely from a metabolic defect. All of the Embden-Meyerhof enzymes except phosphofructokinase, and all of the tricarboxylic acid-cycle enzymes, as well as reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide oxidase, were found in these extracts. A phosphoenolpyruvate-CO2-fixing system was also demonstrated. Resting cells incubated with 14C-d-glucose and 14C-l-glutamate and cells grown in the presence of 14C-labeled glucose, glutamate, pyruvate, and methionine incorporated these compounds into cellular material, but at a level too low to provide the cells' major carbon and energy needs.
Current propagation model for a narrow bipolar pulse

[1] Narrow bipolar pulses (NBPs) are a class of high-altitude, high-energy discharges that occur during some thunderstorms. We use a modified transmission line model (called MTLEI) with a current that increases exponentially along the propagation channel to test mechanisms that might produce NBPs. Model outputs were compared to measured E data from a single NBP collected at near and far field locations. We were unable to fit the measured data using the fast current propagation speeds appropriate for a runaway breakdown/extensive air shower mechanism. Instead, by using currents that travel relatively slowly (6 × 107 m/s), the MTLEI model fit the data reasonably well. This result is compatible with a mechanism that uses runaway breakdown to produce charge carriers along with a moving electric field to drive the main NBP current. Using this model for the measured NBP, we estimate a charge moment of 0.6 C·km.
Static dependent types for first class modules

Static dependent types are the basis of a new type system that permits types and values to be packaged together into first class modules. Unlike other approaches to modules, static dependent types permit unrestricted access to the types and values in first class modules without sacrificing static type checking or data abstraction. Static dependent types are type safe in the presence of side effects because they rely on an effect system that can make deductions conventional type systems cannot. Experience with an implementation, built as an extension to the FX-87 programming language, shows that static dependent types can be used for building large systems.
Mimosine Differentially Inhibits DNA Replication and Cell Cycle Progression in Somatic Cells Compared to Embryonic Cells of Xenopus laevis

The plant amino acid mimosine has been reported to block cell cycle progression and DNA replication in cultured mammalian cells, perhaps by blocking initiation. In this study, we show that mimosine does not block initiation or any other step in DNA replication in embryonic cells of Xenopus laevis. Mimosine does not block DNA replication in cell-free "cycling" extracts of Xenopus eggs, nor does it block M to S phase transition in cell-free egg extracts released from metaphase arrest. Microinjection of mimosine into 4-cell embryos had no visible effect on development during the first 3 days after fertilization. Prior to the midblastula transition, when the cell cycle consists of alternating S and M phases, neither chromosomal DNA replication nor replication of microinjected plasmid DNA were inhibited by mimosine microinjected into cleaving Xenopus embryos. Microinjection of mimosine after the midblastula transition, when large endogenous stockpiles of DNA replication components have begun to be depleted and Xenopus embryonic cells have acquired G1 and G2 phases, still did not inhibit cell cycle progression or DNA replication. In marked contrast, mimosine arrested the growth of proliferating cultured Xenopus kidney epithelial A6 cells near the G1/S boundary. We conclude that mimosine appears to block DNA replication and cell cycle progression in somatic cells, but has no apparent effect in rapidly dividing Xenopus embryonic cells.
Care concordant with guidelines predicts decreased long-term mortality in patients with unstable angina pectoris and non–ST-Elevation myocardial infarction

Data are sparse regarding the long-term benefit of care concordant with clinical practice guidelines in patients presenting with unstable angina pectoris and non‐STsegment elevation myocardial infarction (UAP/NSTEMI), particularly in the general care setting. We extended follow-up in a preexisting cohort of 275 patients hospitalized with primary UAP/NSTEMI. Using Cox models, we compared long-term mortality between patients who received care concordant with >80% of 8 important guideline recommendations during the index hospitalization and patients who did not. Among all study patients, 68% received guideline-concordant care. During follow-up (median 9.4 years) 49% of patients died. Patients with UAP/NSTEMI who received guideline-concordant care had significantly decreased long-term mortality compared with those who received guidelinediscordant care (hazards ratio [HR] 0.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.32 to 0.64). Guideline-concordant care remained associated with decreased mortality after adjusting for other predictors of long-term mortality (HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.84) and after adjustment for the propensity to receive guideline-concordant care (HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.43 to 0.88). The benefit of guidelineconcordant care relative to discordant care was preserved in high-risk populations shown to be less likely to receive guideline-concordant care, including patients with advanced age, congestive heart failure, elevated serum creatinine, and prior myocardial infarction. Care concordant with UAP/NSTEMI clinical practice guidelines is associated with substantially improved long-term survival. Our findings endorse the approach adopted by authors of clinical practice guidelines in generalizing evidence-based medicine to usual clinical care. In firmly establishing the benefit of consensus guidelines, the foundation is set for efforts to improve practitioner compliance with these standards. 2004 by Excerpta Medica, Inc. (Am J Cardiol 2004;93:1218 ‐1222)
Your smartphone can watch the road and you: mobile assistant for inattentive drivers

Motor vehicle accidents are one of the leading causes of death. While lane departure warning, blind spot warning, and driver attention monitoring systems for avoiding collisions have been in development for quite sometime, to date mostly luxury cars are only equipped with these safety features. As a cheaper and ubiquitous alternative, we explore how a smartphone can assist an inattentive driver by leveraging its front and back cameras apart from other sensors. The challenge, however, is given the resource constraints of a smartphone, how quickly and accurately can it detect an unintended maneuver and alert the driver. In this paper, we describe our on-going attempt to address this challenge.
Improvements of graph entropy approach to detect protein complexes by ontological analysis of PPIs

The generation of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) has created the need for efficient computational approaches that can discover highly modular clusters of good quality. These clusters represent protein complexes or functional modules. There are a number of seed-growth style algorithms that exist to identify protein complexes from the genome-wide PPI networks. However, these methods lose accuracy when the networks are comparatively large and have complex connectivity. To combat the noise that exists in these large PPI networks, we propose an improvement to the graph entropy approach which is one of the seed-growth style algorithms. As a novel information-theoretic definition, Graph Entropy is a measure of the structural complexity of a graph. For example, the loss of entropy represents an increase in modularity of the graph. The original algorithm only considers the interconnected nature of vertices, but the new modified definition now considers edge weights. These edge weights are achieved by measuring the semantic similarity of PPIs. The weighted graph entropy approach is applied to the S. cerevisiae PPI data set from BioGRID. The output clusters are compared with known protein complexes so that we can calculate /-scores and use them to evaluate the clusters accuracy. The proposed improvement to the graph entropy approach proves to enhance the quality of clusters as potential protein complexes when compared to the other seed-growth style algorithms.
Local Density of States Study of a Spin-Orbit-Coupling Induced Mott Insulator Sr 2 IrO 4

We present scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy experiments on the novel ${J}_{\mathrm{eff}}=1/2$ Mott insulator ${\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}\mathrm{Ir}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}$. Local density of states (LDOS) measurements show an intrinsic insulating gap of 620 meV that is asymmetric about the Fermi level and is larger than previously reported values. The size of this gap suggests that ${\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}\mathrm{Ir}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}$ is likely a Mott rather than Slater insulator. In addition, we found a small number of native defects which create in-gap spectral weight. Atomically resolved LDOS measurements on and off the defects show that this energy gap is quite fragile. Together the extended nature of the 5$d$ electrons and poor screening of defects help explain the elusive nature of this gap.
Heat transfer to non-Newtonian liquids flowing through horizontal tubes

Experimental and analytical investigation of heat transfer to single phase flow of pseudoplastic fluids under constant heat flux condition was carried out. Experimental data for laminar flow heat transfer in the thermally developing region over a wide range of rheological properties ( n from 0.54 to 0.84 and K from 0.07 to 2.41 Ns n /m2) in 0.028 and 0.057 m diameter pipes were collected. Enhancement in heat transfer rate due to natural convection and temperature dependent rheotogy was observed. The temperature dependent viscosity effect is a function of flow behavior index and it contributes more towards heat transfer enhancement than natural convection does. A correlation (confidence level ±15%) for the entire set of data is also presented.
Measurement of Na-K-atpase in the separated epidermis of Rana catesbeiana frogs and tadpoles

Abstract 1. 1. Ventral skin of Rana pipiens and R. catesbeiana frogs and R. catesbeiana tadpoles was readily separated into dermal and epidermal sheets after soaking for brief periods in 0·5–2 N solutions of sodium, potassium or ammonium iodide or bromide but not chloride. 2. 2. Transport-associated Na-K-ATPase was consistently measurable in epidermal homogenates (in contrast to homogenates prepared from whole skin) even though the electrical indications of active sodium transport were lost during the separation process. 3. 3. Levels of Na-K-ATPase in the epidermis of premetamorphic bullfrog tadpoles were only a quarter to a third of the levels measured in epidermis from adult bullfrogs. The failure of isolated premetamorphic tadpole skin to actively transport sodium may be related to this deficiency.
Learning: not just the facts, ma'am, but the counterfactuals as well.

Our brains allow us to consider rewards and other scenarios that could have happened but did not. Such counterfactual outcomes can influence our choices and hasten learning. A series of recent studies has begun to untangle the neural circuitry responsible for monitoring counterfactual outcomes. Here, we summarize several recent complementary discoveries, including a new article in the current issue of PLoS Biology. Neurons in several brain areas that process directly experienced rewards respond to counterfactual information about rewards as well. Among these brain regions, the frontal pole appears to be most specialized, and carries a decision variable representing the value of the best alternative option. Together, these findings suggest that counterfactual learning and thinking build upon scaffolding circuits that evolved to learn from direct experience.
A Laguerre-FDTD Formulation for Frequency-Dependent Dispersive Materials

In this letter, Laguerre finite-difference time domain (FDTD) formulation for linear dispersive materials is proposed. Laguerre-FDTD is a time-domain method using Laguerre polynomials that ensures unconditional stability. Being free from Courant-Friedrich-Lewy (CFL) stability condition, Laguerre-FDTD is advantageous in the simulation of multiscale structures. The derived formulation has been implemented in 3-D and verified with a test structure containing frequency-dependent dispersive materials.