cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Editorial Comments to Sober by Sarkar

It seems plausible to suppose that the Self and the individual arise together, at least insofar as the biological Self is concerned. After all any notion of the Self in biology must surely be more general than the one that philosophers conventionally assume, namely, that it is connected inherently with what humans call “consciousness.” But, what is the individual? Even within biology different disciplines might well choose to construe it differently. The biochemist might choose to emphasize reasonably decoupled chemical cycles, that is, those cycles in which the interactions within are much stronger than those of the cycle as a whole. The molecular biologist might well choose other (generally simpler) mechanisms. Are they all individuals? From some philosophical points of view — those of Carnap and Quine, for example—there is no factual issue to be settled here: it is all a matter of convention, a matter for choice on pragmatic rather than “substantial” criteria. From other points of view, such as those of the “scientific realists,” there is an ontological issue of great importance here and one that has to be settled by a careful consideration of the biology of the processes involved.
Glycoproteins of the Lens

Structural characteristics of glycoproteins, in general, and the correlation between certain compositional patterns of their glycans and the nature of the tissue elements with which they are associated are first discussed and demonstrated in a certain number of cases. On the other hand, it is pointed out that there appears to be a correlation betioeen the ratio of the end groups of these glycans to each other and to the backbone constituent and functional properties of the glycoproteins. The preparation and analysis of glycoproteins of the lens of cattle and rabbits is then described, in three parts of the lens, namely, the equatorial, the polar, and the nuclear region. In rabbit lenses, these data were obtained in animals of different ages. It is shown that the concentration of glycoproteins in the equatorial region by far exceeds that in the polar and nuclear regions when calculated either by wet toeight or in per cent of the albuminoid with which the glycoprotein fraction appears to be associated during centrifugation of lens homogenates at 6,000 and 10,000 x g. There were also significant differences between the three regions of lenses of adult rabbits as far as the ratio of neuraminic acid to fucose in the glycans of their glycoproteins is concerned. G, llycoproteins are usually defined as complexes between carbohydrates and proteins in which the two components are linked by a covalent bond. The carbohydrate moiety of these complexes will be referred to as glycan. General characteristics of glycoprotein
Singlet O2 Oxidation of a Deprotonated Guanine-Cytosine Base Pair and Its Entangling with Intra-Base-Pair Proton Transfer.

We report an experimental and computational study on the 1 O2 oxidation of gas-phase deprotonated guanine-cytosine base pair [G ⋅ C-H]- that is composed of 9HG ⋅ [C-H]- and 7HG ⋅ [C-H]- (pairing 9H- or 7H-guanine with N1-deprotonated cytosine), and 9HG ⋅ [C-H]- _PT and 7HG ⋅ [C-H]- _PT (formed by intra-base-pair proton transfer from the N1 of guanine to the N3 of [C-H]- ). The conformer-averaged reaction product ions and cross section were measured over a center-of-mass collision energy range from 0.1 to 0.5 eV using a guided-ion-beam tandem mass spectrometer. To explore conformation-specific reactivity, collision dynamics of 1 O2 with each of the four [G ⋅ C-H]- conformers was simulated at B3LYP/6-31G(d). Trajectories showed that the 1 O2 oxidation of the base pair entangles with intra-base-pair proton transfer, and prefers to occur in a collision when the base pair adopts a proton-transferred structure; trajectories also indicate that the 9HG-containing base pair favors stepwise formation of 4,8-endoperoxide of guanine, whereas the 7HG-containing base pair prefers concerted formation of guanine 5,8-endoperoxide. Using trajectory results as a guide, potential energy surfaces (PESs) along all possible reaction pathways were established using the approximately spin-projected ωB97XD/6-311++G(d,p)//B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) method. PESs have not only rationalized trajectory findings but provided more accurate energetics and indicated that the proton-transferred base-pair conformers have lower activation barriers for oxidation than their non-proton-transferred counterparts.
Decoding the synaptic dysfunction of bioactive human AD brain soluble Aβ to inspire novel therapeutic avenues for Alzheimer's disease.

Pathologic, biochemical and genetic evidence indicates that accumulation and aggregation of amyloid β-proteins (Aβ) is a critical factor in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Several therapeutic interventions attempting to lower Aβ have failed to ameliorate cognitive decline in patients with clinical AD significantly, but most such approaches target only one or two facets of Aβ production/clearance/toxicity and do not consider the heterogeneity of human Aβ species. As synaptic dysfunction may be among the earliest deficits in AD, we used hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) as a sensitive indicator of the early neurotoxic effects of Aβ species. Here we confirmed prior findings that soluble Aβ oligomers, much more than fibrillar amyloid plaque cores or Aβ monomers, disrupt synaptic function. Interestingly, not all (84%) human AD brain extracts are able to inhibit LTP and the degree of LTP impairment by AD brain extracts does not correlate with Aβ levels detected by standard ELISAs. Bioactive AD brain extracts also induce neurotoxicity in iPSC-derived human neurons. Shorter forms of Aβ (including Aβ1–37, Aβ1–38, Aβ1–39), pre-Aβ APP fragments (− 30 to − 1) and N-terminally extended Aβs (− 30 to + 40) each showed much less synaptotoxicity than longer Aβs (Aβ1–42 - Aβ1–46). We found that antibodies which target the N-terminus, not the C-terminus, efficiently rescued Aβ oligomer-impaired LTP and oligomer-facilitated LTD. Our data suggest that preventing soluble Aβ oligomer formation and targeting their N-terminal residues with antibodies could be an attractive combined therapeutic approach.
Hourly Weather Data Projection due to Climate Change for Impact Assessment on Building and Infrastructure

Abstract The global climate change research has been conducted for a few years in various professional communities. In the building industry, researchers usually investigate the future building energy demands due to the climate change by simulation software. The input files to the simulation software includes projected weather data and building models. Although there exist a few mathematical methods to project the future weather, the morphing method is the most well-known among them. In the meantime, the simulation software and weather data are in a variety of formats depending on country of origin and/or simulation package. In order to provide both the research and the professional communities the possibility to undertake climate change impact assessments on buildings, coastal engineering and construction, land use and other related areas, this study develops the web-based application Weather Morph: Climate Change Weather File Generator accessible to generate the future weather data for more than 2100 locations throughout the world for all four IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change) emission scenarios in the three future time slices of the 2020s, 2050s and 2080s. The output of the application is projected future weather datasets in formats TMY2 and EPW for general use.
Coastal Marsh Bird Habitat Selection and Responses to Hurricane Sandy

Wetlands provide numerous ecosystem functions such as water purification, nutrient cycling, and wildlife habitat. Avian populations are indicators of wetland health, and understanding their responses to extreme events can aid in targeting restoration efforts following disturbance. Here, we assessed the habitat selection of six coastal wetland bird species (American Bittern, Black-crowned Night Heron, Great Egret, Glossy Ibis, Snowy Egret, Yellow-crowned Night Heron) related to an extreme weather event, Hurricane Sandy. We used Discrete Choice Resource Selection Functions to estimate habitat selection. Results showed species probability of use increased with lower elevation and slope, and closer proximity to marsh, salt marsh, Phragmites, and protected areas. Estimates of marsh dieback from Hurricane Sandy occurred disproportionately in areas with higher probability of species use. Species were observed farther from the coast and at higher elevations in the four breeding seasons after (2013–2016) compared to before (2000–2012) Hurricane Sandy. Our results indicate that although high suitability areas were affected by the storm, these six wetland bird species may have responded by moving inland and to higher elevation. Understanding how coastal wetland birds respond to storm events is important for conservation planning, particularly as storm frequency is projected to increase in the future.
Methods of Estimating Settlement

Methods of predicting how much a structure will settle because of the compression of saturated soil under the structure are examined, based on both theoretical considerations and experimental data. Concepts, recently developed, of the stress-strain behavior of saturated cohesive soils are an especially important part of this examination. The "effective stress path settlement method" is proposed, based on its ability to (1) handle types of settlement problems for which other methods are inadequate, (2) help the engineer to estimate the immediate and consolidation settlement components from a single consistent analysis, and (3) offer considerable insight into the settlement problem under study. Uncertain steps in all methods of settlement analysis include the development of an accurate picture of the subsoil strata in a particular problem, the determination of the magnitude and distribution of the surface load and of the increments of the total stress that they induce in the subsoil, and the influence of sample disturbance on stress-strain data obtained in the laboratory. Additional data from models and field jobs and the interpretation of these data would enhance knowledge of the settlement phenomena.
Impact of computerized provider order entry on medication errors in chemotherapy administration.

e16535 Background: Computerized provider order entry (CPOE) reduces medication errors (ME) in ambulatory prescriber and hospital settings. We conducted a study to assess the effect of CPOE on ME in...
Ketamine: An Update on Cellular and Subcellular Mechanisms with Implications for Clinical Practice.

Background Ketamine is one of the oldest hypnotic agents used to provide an anesthetic agent with analgesic properties and minimal suppressive effects on respiration. The ability of ketamine in modulating glutamatergic (N-methyl D-aspartate) pain receptors has made this anesthetic drug a new option for the management of patients with chronic pain syndromes. Further preclinical and clinical findings suggest ketamine may have wide ranging effects on both cognition and development. Recent advances have revealed an unprecedented role for ketamine in the acute management of depression. Objectives The purpose of this review is to integrate a number of basic science, preclinical, and clinical studies with the goal of providing insight into the possible signaling events underlying ketamine's biological effects in pain management, depression, cognition and memory, and neurodevelopment. Study design Narrative literature review. Setting Health science library. Methods A comprehensive literature search was performed for the following medical subject headings and keywords (ketamine, anesthesia, pain, analgesia, depression, NMDA receptors) on PubMed, Google Scholar, and Medline from 1966 to the present time. The search was then limited to those in the English language. The full text of the relevant articles were printed and reviewed by all authors. Results We provided a comprehensive review of the literature that explored the pharmacologic aspects of ketamine from its conception as an anesthetic to its evolution as a drug used for treatment of depression and pain. To address the patient response variability observed in clinical studies, we have provided possible patient-specific factors that could contribute to outcome variability. Limitations Like any review, this study was limited by publication bias and missing information on negative studies which were denied publication. Conclusions Ketamine, an old anesthetic agent with analgesic properties, is currently being considered for treating patients with chronic pain and depression. The complex pharmacological characteristics of ketamine make this medication a multifaceted therapeutic option in these cases. Key Words: Ketamine, anesthetics, pain, depression, pharmacology.
Diet Recommendations for Hospitalized Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Better Options Than Nil Per Os

Hospitalizations are a time when providers often have uncertainty about what to feed patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). While there are many trials evaluating the role of diet in the management of IBD, the role of diet for the hospitalized patient is less clear. The hospitalization may serve as an opportunity to educate patients about the role of diet, try different diets, and develop dietary recommendations for after discharge. Here, we review the literature for dietary considerations during hospitalizations and acute settings, as well as upon discharge. Patients with IBD benefit from screening and nutritional support for malnutrition and nutritional deficiencies. Enteral nutrition and exclusion diets are promising as induction and maintenance therapies, but no specific recommendations during hospitalization for adult patients are available currently. There are very few reasons to enforce bowel rest or clear liquids other than bowel obstruction, uncontrolled sepsis, or need for urgent or emergent surgery; most patients - including many with penetrating or stricturing disease - benefit from feeding in whichever capacity is tolerated, with enteral and parenteral nutrition used as needed to reach nutritional goals. Future studies are needed to define how the use of different diets can influence the outcomes of patients hospitalized for IBD.
Recursos para a avaliação da aprendizagem no ensino superior: possibilidades digitais

espanolEl objetivo de la investigacion consiste en reflexionar sobre las posibilidades de Google Forms para la evaluacion del aprendizaje en la ensenanza superior. Se trata de una investigacion exploratoria, con aplicacion de un cuestionario a 189 profesores. Los resultados senalan: 1. La posibilidad de elaboracion de actividades remotas por medio del recurso en estudio; 2. Variados tipos de cuestiones; 3. Aplicacion de la evaluacion presencialmente u online; 4. Feedback instantaneo; 5. Analisis de las respuestas a traves de hojas de trabajo o graficos; 6. Facilidad para realizar el download o guardar en drive; 7. Posibilidad de discusion de los resultados con los estudiantes a traves de los informes disponibles. Concluimos que Google Forms posee diferentes posibilidades para la evaluacion en la ensenanza superior, pero subrayamos la necesidad de preparacion y desarrollo de parte de los docentes para trabajar con esa tecnologia. portuguesO objetivo da pesquisa consiste em refletir sobre as possibilidades de uso do Google Forms para a avaliacao da aprendizagem no ensino superior. Trata-se de uma pesquisa exploratoria, com aplicacao de um questionario a 189 professores. Os resultados apontam para: 1. A possibilidade de elaboracao de atividades remotas por meio do recurso em estudo; 2. Variados tipos de questoes; 3. Aplicacao da avaliacao presencialmente ou online; 4. Feedback instantâneo; 5. Analise das respostas atraves de planilhas ou graficos; 6. Facilidade em realizar o download ou arquivamento no drive; e 7. Possibilidade de discussao dos resultados com os estudantes atraves dos relatorios disponiveis. Concluimos que o Google Forms possui diferentes possibilidades para a avaliacao no ensino superior, mas salientamos a necessidade de preparo e desenvolvimento por parte dos docentes para trabalhar com essa tecnologia. EnglishThe objective of the research is to reflect on the possibilities of Google Forms for the assessment of learning in higher education. This is a exploratory research, with application of a questionnaire to 189 teachers. The results point to: 1. The possibility of developing remote activities through the resource under study; 2. Varied types of question questions; 3. Application of the assessment in person or online; 4. Instant feedback; 5. Analysis of responses through spreadsheets or graphs; 6. Ease of downloading or archiving the drive; and 7. Possibility of discussing the results with students through the available reports. We concluded that Google Forms has different possibilities for evaluation in higher education, but we emphasize the need for preparation and development by teachers to work with this technology.
Sensitivity analysis of system reliability using the complex-step derivative approximation

Abstract Sensitivity analysis of system failure probability is performed to evaluate the dependence of system reliability on design parameters or component events. Sensitivity analysis is integral for the implementation of efficient gradient-based optimization algorithms in system reliability-based design optimization, and for risk-informed decision-making. This paper presents a method for sensitivity analysis of system failure probability using complex-step differentiation. Many derivative approximations use a small step size to minimize subtractive cancellation errors. The complex-step approximation utilizes an imaginary number, such that the subtractive cancellation is not included in the formulation, resulting in calculations without the associated round-off error. The level of accuracy in sensitivity analysis using the finite difference method (FDM) can vary with change in the step size, which is generally selected arbitrarily, as the actual effect of the step size on the result itself is difficult to predict prior to actual calculation. The complex-step approximation, however, is not confined by the step size, as subtraction cancellation is not included. Compared to the FDM, the complex step approximation has only one limit, the numerical precision of evaluating the function. The proposed method integrates complex-step differentiation into a numerical integration scheme, for the assessment of system reliability and sensitivity. System failure probability and sensitivity are obtained by taking the real and imaginary part of the cumulative distribution function, which is numerically evaluated using the proposed method. The computational efficiency for system reliability problems involving high dimensionality is improved with the utilization of a dimension reduction technique. Numerical examples of sensitivity analysis for series, parallel, and general systems are presented to illustrate the performance of the proposed method.
Development of Virtual Skill Trainers and Their Validation Study Analysis Using Machine Learning

Minimally invasive skills assessment is important in developing competent surgical simulators and executing reliable skills evaluation [9]. Arthroscopy and Laparoscopy surgeries are considered Minimally Invasive Surgeries (MIS). In MIS, the surgeon operates through small incisions with specialized narrow instruments, fiberoptic lights, and a monitor. Arthroscopy surgery is used to diagnose and treat joints problems, and Laparoscopic procedures are performed on the abdominal cavity. Due to non-natural hand-eye coordination, narrow field-of-view, and limited instrument control, MIS training is challenging to master. We are analyzing two simulators' data, Virtual Arthroscopic Tear Diagnosis and Evaluation Platform (VATDEP) and Gentleness Simulator. Both simulators went through the validation studies with human subjects. We recorded simulation data during the validation studies, such as tool motion, position, and task time. Recorded data went through the data preprocessing; after the data cleaning, we extracted the recoded data features and normalized them. Normalized features were used to input various machine learning algorithms, including K-nearest neighbor (KNN), Support vector machine (SVM), and Logistic regression (LR). The average accuracy was evaluated through k-fold cross-validation. The proposed methods validated using 10 subjects (5 experts, 5 novices) for the VATDEP simulator. 23 subjects (4 experts and 19 novices) for the Gentleness Simulator. The result shows a significant difference between the expert and novice population with the p
Common Pitfalls in Ewing Sarcoma and Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor Diagnosis Seen in a Study of 115 Cases

Ewing sarcoma (ES), "Ewing-like sarcoma" (ELS) and desmoplastic small round cell tumors (DSRCT) can masquerade as other tumor types, particularly neuroendocrine neoplasms and receive inappropriate treatment. We retrieved 115 cases of ES, ELS and DSRCT seen over 17 years in a tertiary center. An initial misdiagnosis or incomplete diagnosis occurred in 6/93 (6.4%) of ES/ELS and 5/22 (22.7%) of DSRCT cases. The most frequent misdiagnosis was small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. While any misdiagnosis or incomplete classification is almost certainly multifactorial, the most common identified reason for erroneous/incomplete initial reporting was expression of neuroendocrine markers. Other contributing factors included keratin expression, older patient age and apparently unusual tumor location. Most patients treated with a non-sarcoma chemotherapy regimen expired, while those who received a sarcoma-related regimen were alive as of last evaluation. Increased awareness of this diagnostic pitfall is needed in evaluating cases of round cell malignancies.
Keystone Symposia on Neuroepigenetics—bridging the gap between genome and behavior

Abstract The Keystone Symposium on Neuroepigenetics (Santa Fe, NM, USA, February 22–26, 2015) brought together outstanding researchers to discuss their latest findings in the field of epigenetic regulation of gene expression in the nervous system. This has been the first conference entirely devoted to the integration of the fields of epigenetics and neuroscience. The goal of the symposium was to raise new challenging questions and to stimulate innovative ideas fostered by the provocative results presented by experts working in a wide array of epigenetic systems and generated by a variety of experimental approaches in many model systems. This report will discuss a number of groundbreaking discoveries presented at the symposium encompassing studies of human evolution, nervous system development, adult brain plasticity, transgenerational inheritance, mental disorders, and large-scale efforts to generate detailed reference epigenomes. The outcome of the symposium provided new exciting perspectives and the framework for expanding the frontiers of neuroscience research.
A method to determine the presence of oxygen in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs)

Organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) have great potential to replace current commercial display offerings. However, most of the materials comprising the OLEDs suffer degradation effects from the presence of environmental oxygen and water, as both compounds can penetrate into the device. Much research and effort have been put into fabrication methods and proper device encapsulation to help mitigate these environmental effects. A new approach for assessing the level of molecular oxygen (O2) in OLEDs is presented. As a first step, organic films that serve as the emitting layers in OLEDs were fabricated and exposed to known levels of gas-phase O2. By doping such layers with a photoluminescent, oxygen sensitive dye molecule, measurements of the oxygen level under different gas-phase O2 concentrations were made using a voltage pulsed LED as an excitation source and a photomultiplier tube that monitored the decaying photoluminescence (PL). The PL decay time is related to the O2 Next, devices were made by similarly doping the emitting layers with the aforementioned oxygen sensitive molecule and the devices’ electroluminescence (EL) decay following a voltage pulse was observed; the EL decay times were compared with those obtained from the PL experiments of the same emitting layers. By comparing these two sets of data, the oxygen contained within a specific layer of the device can be measured by simply applying a brief voltage pulse to the device, collecting and then analyzing the resultant EL decay curve. This method is inexpensive and easy to introduce to the fabrication process and could have level in the organic layer. viii repercussions as the quest for longer device lifetimes continues since the oxygen level in the emitting layer of the device can then be related to its long-term stability.
Going Places: Travel Seminars as Opportunities for Interfaith Education

Many theological schools use short term travel as a way to foster interfaith education. Due to their experiential, holistic, and intense nature, travel seminars focused on the promotion of interfaith learning can shape a future religious leader's outlook on religious communities across the course of her entire career. In this article I explore the pedagogical dimensions of travel seminars as a tool for interfaith education through the lens of a travel seminar to Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories.
Inhibition of tyrosine transaminase activity by norepinephrine.

Abstract The neurotransmitter, norepinephrine, and structurally related primary catecholamines inhibited rat hepatic tyrosine transaminase activity (l-tyrosine:2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase, EC 2.6.1.5) in vitro. The inhibition was competitive with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate cofactor and an "apparent" Ki of 4.0 x 10-6 m was determined. (The "apparent" Km was 6.6 x 10-7 m.) Those amines which were associated with enzyme inhibition formed spectrophotometrically demonstrable complexes with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate, and full enzyme inhibition was achieved by the preliminary incubation of norepinephrine and cofactor alone. The relevance of this mechanism of regulation was examined in vivo. Increasing doses of norepinephrine suppressed and ultimately abolished the pyridoxine-induced rise of tyrosine transaminase activity in the fasted, adrenalectomized rat.
Exploring hybrid cache locking to balance performance and time predictability

This paper explores hybrid cache locking, a method that allows a fraction of cache lines to be locked; while the remaining cache lines remain unlocked be locked. With hybrid cache locking, performance and time predictability can be adjusted and tuned as compared to the two extremes, i.e., the regular cache without locking and the traditional cache locking that can potentially lock all cache lines. Our evaluation indicates that hybrid cache locking can often make better tradeoffs between performance and time predictability, or provide more options as compared to either pure caching or pure locking. In some cases we observe that better performance can be achieved by locking only part of the cache.
La caricatura editorial colombiana. Una perspectiva semántica y pragmática

Las caricaturas editoriales han sido usadas como un instrumento de opinion, humor, satira y por supuesto como un elemento de denuncia social y politica a traves de los anos. Esta modalidad es, sin duda, una herramienta poderosa que generalmente emplea un dibujo y unas cuantas palabras o frases con el fin de transmitir un mensaje. De esta manera, el impacto de una caricatura radica ya sea en el dibujo, en el texto escrito o en ambos. El objetivo general de este articulo es hacer un analisis semantico y pragmatico del discurso cotidiano de mas de 126 caricaturas presentes en diferentes periodicos colombianos entre el 2010 y mayo del 2011. Los resultados generales de los analisis muestran que el ex presidente colombiano Alvaro Uribe es el personaje mas retratado en las caricaturas mientras que la corrupcion es el eje tematico mas frecuente. Finalmente, los termi- nos o expresiones mas empleados son las chuzadas, el Agro Ingreso Seguro, y los falsos positivos entre otras, mientras que los actos de habla que predominan son las afirmaciones, las preguntas y las exclamaciones.
Asynchronous integration of audio and visual sources in bi-modal automatic speech recognition

This paper presents our work on the integration of visual data in automatic speech recognition systems. We particularly aim at solving two problems: • classifiation differences for the modeling of acoustic information (phonemes) and visual information (visemes); • the phenomena of anticipation and retention of visemes on the corresponding phonemes. We developed and tested three systems, each dealing with one or both problems and proposing a different integration strategy. The comparison of system performances show that some of the solutions we propose give satisfactory results, and suggest that further work on some others would lead to more performance improvement.
Does male secondary sexual trait size reveal fertilization efficiency in Australian Drosophila bipectinata Duda (Diptera: Drosophilidae)?

Males developing relatively large, costly sexually selected traits may be of superior body condition compared to small-ornamented males. Thus, males developing the largest secondary sexual trait in a given environment may also be able to augment their investment into ejaculate quality, and fertilize a larger proportion of a female's eggs. We tested the prediction that the degree of expression of a condition-dependent secondary sexual trait, the male sex comb, in a Cape Tribulation (northeastern Australia) population of Drosophila bipectinata Duda, reveals male ability to fertilize eggs in the absence of sperm competition. This test permitted us also to evaluate whether pre-copulatory sexual selection and fertilization efficiency might act additively to influence male reproductive success because a previous study of the same population demonstrated a positive association between comb size and copulation probability. The results obtained indicate that, although genotypes developing smaller sex combs collectively had a significantly higher rate of insemination failure compared to larger comb genotypes, the hatch rate and the number of eggs laid by females inseminated by the two genotypic categories were not statistically different. The results fail to support the prediction that comb size reveals noncompetitive fertilization efficiency of males in this Australian population. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 98, 406–413.
Applying an Open-Source Segmentation Algorithm to Different OCT Devices in Multiple Sclerosis Patients and Healthy Controls: Implications for Clinical Trials

Background. The lack of segmentation algorithms operative across optical coherence tomography (OCT) platforms hinders utility of retinal layer measures in MS trials. Objective. To determine cross-sectional and longitudinal agreement of retinal layer thicknesses derived from an open-source, fully-automated, segmentation algorithm, applied to two spectral-domain OCT devices. Methods. Cirrus HD-OCT and Spectralis OCT macular scans from 68 MS patients and 22 healthy controls were segmented. A longitudinal cohort comprising 51 subjects (mean follow-up: 1.4 ± 0.9 years) was also examined. Bland-Altman analyses and interscanner agreement indices were utilized to assess agreement between scanners. Results. Low mean differences (−2.16 to 0.26 μm) and narrow limits of agreement (LOA) were noted for ganglion cell and inner and outer nuclear layer thicknesses cross-sectionally. Longitudinally we found low mean differences (−0.195 to 0.21 μm) for changes in all layers, with wider LOA. Comparisons of rate of change in layer thicknesses over time revealed consistent results between the platforms. Conclusions. Retinal thickness measures for the majority of the retinal layers agree well cross-sectionally and longitudinally between the two scanners at the cohort level, with greater variability at the individual level. This open-source segmentation algorithm enables combining data from different OCT platforms, broadening utilization of OCT as an outcome measure in MS trials.
CONTRACTILITY OF THE ISOLATED HUMAN UTERINE ARTERY.

F LO w of maternal blood to the gravid uterus (placenta) is decreased during uterine contraction with the decrement in the flow roughly proportional to the magnitude of the contraction. These studies conducted, initially in dogs1 and confirmed in sheep2 and rhesus monkeys,“, 4 suggest that mechanical constriction of myometrial vascular channels incident to uterine contraction is the major underlying mechanism.
Book Review Paradox Lost: Midnight in the Battleground of Sleep and Dreams

This is a remarkable book, which is difficult to characterize in terms of both its attributes and its audience. There is a companion DVD which consists of recorded interviews of several of the patient's discussed in the book. From the standpoint of a reviewer accustomed to the rigors of evidence-based medicine, the package is refreshing but slightly disappointing. However, to a student-trainee with a nascent interest in sleep medicine, it may well be stimulating or even inspiring. Befitting a book whose title represents a play on words referring to John Milton, the text is highlighted by literary quotes ranging from Cervantes to Saint Exupery. There is a modest amount of space devoted to descriptions of various parasomnias in a standard clinical style; however this information is now available from other easily accessible resources. The bulk of the narrative consists of descriptions of the experiences of patients with parasomnia syndromes and the interaction these patients enjoyed with clinician-scientists who are both caring and curious—a combination of traits uniquely conducive to the discovery of new syndromes. The devastating toll of these syndromes on the quality of life of sufferers is illuminated by personal and rather intimate accounts in both the book and the accompanying DVD. Most especially, the remarkable dedication and love required of family members of parasomnia patients, who learn to live with embarrassment, sleep disruption, and physical danger, is touchingly recounted. There is a degree of redundancy in the patients' stories, and there is a temptation for the reader to skip ahead. But this is not a textbook. Each story presents a unique variation of the theme. I understand the author's desire to include these subtleties in presentation and expression. After all, each patient is unique: how could one choose to present one and not another? This is not only the tale of a family member's dedication and commitment to a loved one but is also the tale of a physician's love for his patients and his profession. As a practicing sleep physician, I doubt that my sensitivity to the travails of these remarkable patients or my ability to diagnose their problems has significantly changed consequent to reading this book One possible exception is related to the discussion of nocturnal eating disorders, which I now appreciate to be more common than I previously recognized. In addition, there is a useful and reasonably comprehensive bibliography. On the other hand, for someone relatively unfamiliar with the myriad manifestations of parasomnia this book presents the “feel” of diagnosis and management of these conditions and the disordered nervous system they reflect, not on a sterile, scientific basis but as an experiential, even emotional, revelation.
Simulating traffic control systems with the flip-tick architecture

First an introduction to the flip-tick architecture is given. A development toolkit for the architecture is then outlined. Traffic control systems are modeled using the architecture. The program structure of the traffic simulation is explained as well as the interface. A brief summary concludes the paper.
Genetic encoding of the post-translational modification 2-hydroxyisobutyryl-lysine

We report the synthesis and genetic encoding of a recently discovered post-translational modification, 2-hydroxyisobutyryl-lysine, to the genetic code of E. coli. The production of homogeneous proteins containing this amino acid will facilitate the study of modification in full-length proteins.
Examining Pathways from Innovation Orientation to Patient Satisfaction: A Relational View of Healthcare Delivery*

The federal government and industry leaders view innovation as a potentially fruitful way to improve hospital performance, specifically patient satisfaction. However, translating a hospital's innovation orientation into improved performance is challenging given that important network participants—namely physicians—may possess different aims. Grounded in Relational RBV, this study tests a model linking innovation orientation to patient satisfaction through a pathway of knowledge-sharing routines (physician partnering and customer relationship management) and complementary capabilities (hospital responsiveness). Further, this study investigates the moderating role of physician employment (a form of governance) by examining hospitals with high and low levels of employed physicians. Structural Equation Modeling results from a paired sample of primary survey and secondary data from 173 acute care hospitals in the USA reveal the following. Hospitals with high levels of employed physicians translate innovation orientation into patient satisfaction by using customer relationship management (CRM) programs to influence hospital responsiveness directly, ultimately leading to patient satisfaction. Hospitals with low levels of physician employment use CRM programs in a fully mediated fashion to inform physician partnering activities, which influence hospital responsiveness, driving patient satisfaction
Print-friendly page extraction for web printing service

Printing Web pages from browsers usually results in unsatisfactory printouts because the pages are typically ill formatted and contain non-informative content such as navigation menu and ads. Thus, print-worthy Web pages such as articles generally contain hyperlinks (or links) that lead to print-friendly pages containing the salient content. For a more desirable Web printing experience, the main Web content should be extracted to produce well formatted pages. This paper describes a cloud service based on automatic content extraction and repurposing from print-friendly pages for Web printing. Content extraction from print-friendly pages is simpler and more reliable than from the original pages, but there are many variations of the print-link representations in HTML that make robust print-link detection more difficult than it first appears. First, the link can be text-based, image-based, or both. For example, there is a lexicon of phrases used to indicate print-friendly pages, such as "print", "print article", "print-friendly version", etc. In addition, some links use printer-resembling image icons with or without a print phrase present. To complicate matter further, not all of the links contain a valid URL, but instead the pages are dynamically generated either by the client Javascript or by the server, so that no URL is present. Experimental results suggest that our solution is capable of achieving over 99% precision and 97% recall performance measures for print-friendly link extraction.
Stressors Related to Depression among Elderly Korean Immigrants

While depression in the elderly is well documented, little is known about depression in specific groups of immigrant elderly. In this study, 160 elderly Korean immigrants completed measures of depression, stressful life events, acculturative stress, family relationships, social support, and demographic variables. Findings revealed that income, acculturative stress, and living place were significant predictors of depression. As income declined, depression increased; living with one's adult children was associated with less depression; depression increased in concert with acculturative stress. These findings suggest that maintaining family relationships may be a key factor in preventing and/or lessening depression in elderly Korean immigrants.
Career adaptability development in adolescence: Multiple predictors and effect on sense of power and life satisfaction

This longitudinal panel study investigated predictors of career adaptability development and its effect on development of sense of power and experience of life satisfaction among 330 Swiss eighth graders. A multivariate measure of career adaptability consisting of career choice readiness, planning, exploration, and confidence was applied. Based on Motivational Systems Theory four groups of predictors were assessed: positive emotional disposition, goal decidedness, capability beliefs and social context beliefs. Influence of gender, age, immigration background, parental educational level, and college-bound or vocational education plans were also assessed. Perceived social support and positive emotional disposition, non-immigration background, and continuing to vocational education were single significant predictors of more career adaptability development over the school year. Supporting the connection of career adaptability and positive youth development, increase in career adaptability over time predicted increase in sense of power and experience of life satisfaction.
Fiducial-based image-guided radiotherapy for whole breast irradiation

Objectives Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) improves setup accuracy and reduces treatment margins, potentially improving efficacy while decreasing long-term toxicity of whole breast irradiation (WBI). This study quantifies intraparenchyma fiducial motion and utility during the course of WBI.
The capacity of various non-esterified fatty acids to suppress lipid transfer inhibitor protein activity is related to their perturbation of the lipoprotein surface

Lipid transfer inhibitor protein (LTIP) regulates cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) activity by selectively impeding lipid transfer events involving low density lipoproteins (LDLs). We previously demonstrated that LTIP activity is suppressed in a dose-dependent manner by sodium oleate and that its activity can be blocked by physiological levels of free fatty acids [R.E. Morton, D. J. Greene, Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 17 (1997)]. These data further suggested that palmitate has greater LTIP suppressive activity than oleate. In this report we define the ability of the major non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) in plasma to modulate LTIP activity. The greater suppression of LTIP activity by palmitate compared to oleate noted above was also seen in lipid transfer assays with various lipoprotein substrates and in the presence of albumin, showing that the relative effects of these two NEFAs are independent of assay conditions. To assess the effect of other NEFAs on LTIP activity, pure NEFAs were added to assays containing (3)H-cholesteryl ester labeled LDLs, unlabeled high density lipoproteins (HDLs) and CETP+/-LTIP. Whereas myristate, palmitate, stearate, oleate and linoleate stimulated CETP activity to varying extents, all NEFAs suppressed LTIP activity. Among these NEFAs, LTIP suppressive activity was greatest for the long-chain saturated and monounsaturated NEFAs. In contrast, linoleate and myristate were poor inhibitors of LTIP activity. The effects of increasing amounts of a given NEFA on LTIP activity correlated well with the increase in LDL negative charge induced by that NEFA, yet this relationship was unique for each NEFA, especially stearate. Notably, as measured by fluorescence anisotropy, the suppression of LTIP was highly and negatively correlated with the decreased order in the molecular packing of lipoprotein surface phospholipids caused by all NEFAs. Long-chain, saturated and monounsaturated NEFAs appear to be most effective in this regard partly because of their preferential association with LDLs where LTIP inhibition likely takes place. We hypothesize that NEFAs suppress LTIP activity by perturbing the surface properties of LDLs and counteracting the heightened molecular packing normally caused by LTIP. Diets rich in long-chain saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids may lead to a greater suppression of LTIP activity in vivo, which would allow LDLs to participate more actively in CETP-mediated lipid transfer reactions.
Lymphokines facilitate maturation of oligodendrocytes in vitro.

Abstract As oligodendrocytes develop in vitro, A2B5 + progenitor cells acquire the oligodendrocyte-specific marker, galactocerebroside (GalC), to become A2B5 + GalC + cells. They then gradually lose reactivity to A2B5, to become A2B5 − GalC + mature oligodendrocytes. By examining this developmental surface antigen expression with and without lymphokine stimuli we found that crude lymphokines, but not interleukin-2 or γ-interferon, facilitate this maturation process. Thus, lymphokines may have a role in differentiation of oligodendrocytes. The same lymphokine stimuli, however, did not enhance the proliferation of oligodendrocytes.
Estimating temporal trend in the presence of spatial complexity: a Bayesian hierarchical model for a wetland plant population undergoing restoration.

Monitoring programs that evaluate restoration and inform adaptive management are important for addressing environmental degradation. These efforts may be well served by spatially explicit hierarchical approaches to modeling because of unavoidable spatial structure inherited from past land use patterns and other factors. We developed Bayesian hierarchical models to estimate trends from annual density counts observed in a spatially structured wetland forb (Camassia quamash [camas]) population following the cessation of grazing and mowing on the study area, and in a separate reference population of camas. The restoration site was bisected by roads and drainage ditches, resulting in distinct subpopulations (“zones”) with different land use histories. We modeled this spatial structure by fitting zone-specific intercepts and slopes. We allowed spatial covariance parameters in the model to vary by zone, as in stratified kriging, accommodating anisotropy and improving computation and biological interpretation. Trend estimates provided evidence of a positive effect of passive restoration, and the strength of evidence was influenced by the amount of spatial structure in the model. Allowing trends to vary among zones and accounting for topographic heterogeneity increased precision of trend estimates. Accounting for spatial autocorrelation shifted parameter coefficients in ways that varied among zones depending on strength of statistical shrinkage, autocorrelation and topographic heterogeneity—a phenomenon not widely described. Spatially explicit estimates of trend from hierarchical models will generally be more useful to land managers than pooled regional estimates and provide more realistic assessments of uncertainty. The ability to grapple with historical contingency is an appealing benefit of this approach.
Functional periodontal therapy

Abstract Modern diets fail to provide the function demanded by the periodontium of some dentitions which exhibit a degenerative response to chronic destructive periodontal disease. The massaging action of adequate and correct toothbrushing satisfies the functional demand of the gingival tissues and is recognized as an essential oral health procedure. A method and an instrument have been described which, when used properly, will produce similar results in the periodontal membrane and alveolar bone.