cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantitative Analysis of Fullerene Nanomaterials in Environmental Systems: A Critical Review

The increasing production and use of fullerene nanomaterials has led to calls for more information regarding the potential impacts that releases of these materials may have on human and environmental health. Fullerene nanomaterials, which are comprised of both fullerenes and surface-functionalized fullerenes, are used in electronic, optic, medical, and cosmetic applications. Measuring fullerene nanomaterial concentrations in natural environments is difficult because they exhibit a duality of physical and chemical characteristics astheytransition from hydrophobic to polar forms upon exposure to water. In aqueous environments, this is expressed as their tendency to initially (i) self-assemble into aggregates of appreciable size and hydrophobicity, and subsequently (ii) interact with the surrounding water molecules and other chemical constituents in natural environments thereby acquiring negative surface charge. Fullerene nanomaterials may therefore deceive the application of any single analytical method that is applied with the assumption that fullerenes have but one defining characteristic (e.g., hydrophobicity). Our findings include the following: (1) Analytical procedures are needed to account for the potentially transitory nature of fullerenes in natural environments through the use of approaches that provide chemically explicit information including molecular weight and the number and identity of surface functional groups. (2) Sensitive and mass-selective detection, such as that offered by mass spectrometry when combined with optimized extraction procedures, offers the greatest potential to achieve this goal. (3) Significant improvements in analytical rigor would result from an increased availability of well characterized authentic standards, reference materials, and isotopically labeled internal standards. Finally, the benefits of quantitative and validated analytical methods for advancing the knowledge on fullerene occurrence, fate, and behavior are indicated.
Accounting for macro-level causation

By a macro-level feature, I understand any feature that supervenes on, and is thus realized in, lower-level features. Recent discussions by Kim have suggested that such features cannot be causally relevant insofar as they are not classically reducible to lower-level features. This seems to render macro-level features causally irrelevant. I defend the causal relevance of some such features. Such features have been thought causally relevant in many examples that have underpinned philosophical work on causality. Additionally, in certain typical biological cases, we conceive of causally relevant features at various compatible levels of analysis. When elaborated, these points make a strong prima facie case for macro-level causal relevance. However, we might abandon both the philosophical guideposts and the corresponding explanatory practice in the special sciences were we convinced that no reflective philosophical account could provide for the causal relevance there supposed. I show that such drastic measures are not necessary, for we can make sense of macro-level causal relevance by drawing on Paul Humphreys' recent work in ways suggested by the concrete examples considered here.
Cytopathologic evaluation of lung carcinomas presenting as brain metastasis

Brain metastasis is an uncommon initial presentation of lung carcinoma. One arm of this analysis is a retrospective review of 137 cases of surgically diagnosed solitary brain metastasis, which were eventually found to be of lung origin, encountered at Hines VA Hospital during the period 1958 to 1996. The second arm is composed of fine-needle aspiration biopsy specimens of primary lung tumor in 23 patients with an initial clinical diagnosis of brain metastasis and without the benefit of surgery, seen from 1981 through 1996. Our results in both analyses indicate that pulmonary adenocarcinoma is the predominant primary tumor that initially manifests as a brain metastasis, approaching 76% (107 and 17 cases, respectively), followed by small-cell carcinoma at 20% (24 and five cases, respectively) and large-cell undifferentiated carcinoma and squamous-cell carcinoma at 2% each. The predominance of adenocarcinoma as a source of brain metastasis in lung cancer patients probably reflects its rising incidence overall of late. Collateral findings also suggest that surgical resection of a solitary and small brain metastasis as well as of a discrete lung primary, whenever feasible, as the most effective procedure to improve survival and quality of life of patients. Diagn. Cytopathol. 1999;20:325–327. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Graphite pseudomorphs after diamond? A carbon isotope and spectroscopic study of graphite cuboids from the Maksyutov Complex, south Ural Mountains, Russia

Unusual cuboid graphite aggregates (up to 13 mm edge length) from the eclogitic gneiss unit of the Maksyutov Complex deflect a foliation defined by groundmass graphite and phengite, and pressure shadows have developed around these blocky aggregates. Carbon isotope ratios, d 13 C/ 12 C, for the cuboid graphite range from about 224 to 242‰, demonstrating that these rocks have retained an original biogenic carbon signature. X-ray diffraction, laser Raman spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy indicate that graphite is well-crystallized with minor defects; no relict organic compounds were detected. Comparisons of these cuboid aggregates with thin sections and scanning electron microscope images of proven graphitized diamonds from the Beni Bousera peridotite massif show that Maksyutov graphite is similar. Laboratory experiments by other workers on graphite demonstrate that this intriguing morphology could not be the result of deformation, because graphite returns to its original shape and size on stress release. Existing experiments on diamond graphitization do not adequately replicate the conditions of natural rocks being exhumed from subduction zones characterized by ultrahigh pressures, and thus cannot be applied with confidence to the Maksyutov Complex. Our spectroscopic and microscopic studies suggest that these cuboid aggregates probably are diamond pseudomorphs. Copyright © 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd
Escherichia coli pyridine 1-oxide reductase

Pyridine 1-oxide reductase activity was studied in cell-free extracts of Escherichia coli, Strain 9723 and Strain B (ATCC 11303). Reduced pyridine nucleotides serve as a physiological electron donor for the reduction process; reduced methyl viologen serves as a very effective artificial electron donor. Reaction conditions for the assay of enzymatic pyridine 1-oxide reduction are given, and evidences are presented which indicate that the pyridine 1-oxide reductase activity is distinct from nitroaryl reductase, nitrate reductase, nitrite reductase and other known reductase activities.
Collaborative conceptual schema design: a process model and prototype system

Recent years have seen an increased interest in providing support for collaborative activities among groups of users participating in various information systems design tasks such as, requirements determination and process modeling. However, little attention has been paid to the collaborative conceptual database design process. In this article, we develop a model of the collaborative conceptual schema development process and describe the design and implementation of a graphical multiuser conceptual schema design tool that is based on the model. The system we describe allows a group of users to work collaboratively on the creation of database schemas in synchronous (same-time) mode (either in a face-to-face or distributed setting). Extensive modeling support is provided to assist users in creating semantically correct conceptual schemas. The system also provides users with several graphical facilities such as, a large drawing workspace with the ability to scroll or “jump” to any portion of this workspace, zooming capabilities, and the ability to move object(s) to any portion of the workspace. The unique component of the system, however, is its built-in support for collaborative schema design. The system supports a relaxed WYSIWIS environment, i.e., each user can control the graphical layout of the same set of schema objects. The system ensures that changes/additions made by any user are consistent. Any conflicts that may compromise to the integrity of the shared schema are flagged and resolved by the system. The results from a preliminary experiment suggest that the use of our system in a collaborative mode improved information sharing among users, minimized conflicts, and led to a more comprehensive schema definition.
Regioselectivity in the nucleophilic functionalization of dibenzofuran, dibenzothiophene and xanthene complexes of Mn(CO)3+

The cationic complexes[(η 6 -DBF)Mn(CO) 3 ]BF 4 , [(η 6 -DBT)Mn(CO) 3 ]BF 4 and[(η 6 -XAN)Mn(CO) 3 ]PF 6 (DBF = dibenzofuran, DBT = dibenzothiophene, XAN = xanthene) are prepared. These species react with carbon-based nucleophiles to form exo-substituted cyclohexadienyl complexes. Addition is found exclusively at carbons 1 and 4. The C(1)-functionalized regioisomer predominates, especially for the DBF and XAN complexes, for which 90 to > 95% selectivity is found with stabilized nucleophiles. Preference for C(1) is greatly reduced for unstabilized magnesium and lithium nucleophiles. The origin of this selectivity is discussed. Loss of the aromatic ring from the cationic complexes in the presence of CH 3 CN is found to be extremely facile for the DBF and DBT complexes owing to increased ease of ring slippage. Second-order rate constants for the displacement reactions with CH 3 CN are4.6 ± 0.6 × 10 −5 M −1 ,s −1 (DBF complex, 25°C),4.4 ± 1.0 × 10 −5 ,M −1 ,s −1 (DBT complex, 25°C) and about 1.0 × 10 −5 ,M −1 ,s −1 (XAN complex, 60°C). A crystal structure is presented for the hydride adduct of the DBF complex,[(η 5 -C 12 H 9 O)Mn(CO) 3 ]: space group P 2 1 /c, a = 15.301(2), b = 6.4422(12), c = 12.988(2)A˚, β = 90.888(13)°, V = 1280.1(3)A˚ 3 , Z = 4, D calc = 1.599Mg m −3 , R = 0.0410 and wR 2 = 0.0945 on 2446 reflections with F 2 > 4.0 σ(F 2 ).
After-discharge bursts in cobalt and penicillin foci in primate cortex.

The after-discharge (AD) burst in the early stages of an acute cobalt focus in squirrel monkey cortex begins abruptly after a relatively few number of preceding sharp wave (Co++P) events. The latency to onset of the burst can be as early as 30–40 min and occurs after clinical jerks are detectable. The AD burst of cobalt has the same statistical mean frequency as the slightly faster alpha for the squirrel monkey (X 13–24 c/sec). Under conditions of barbiturate anesthesia, a small amplitude and 10–12 c/sec burst-type AD can also be recorded from a penicillin (PCN) site and can be shown, by several measures, to correspond with the AD burst of cobalt. Thalamic depression induced with 3.0 M KCl will abolish the AD burst in the awake monkey with a cobalt lesion, and both the slower and faster frequency AD bursts seen in the barbiturated monkey. A PCN focus generates in adjacent, but partially isolated sensory or motor cortex, a slow-frequency AD burst which frequently is preceded by an evoked potential (EP). Such EPs in the partially isolated non-focus part of adjacent cortex follow the paroxysmal PCN discharge by approximately 5–6 msec. Thalamic spreading depression in such experiments abolishes AD activity; the PCN site continues to fire spikes, but at a reduced rate. From these studies, it is concluded that the AD burst in both the cobalt and PCN lesion represents a corticofugally evoked thalamic discharge which is transmitted back to cortex. Finally, in half of our monkeys, the occurrence of the Co++P complex was associated with a reduction in the frequency of paroxysmal events and therefore clinical jerks in stage II. Analysis of stage III AD trains suggested a further decline in the rate of occurrence of clinically evident focal motor jerks in all animals. The implications of these findings are that the after-discharges in this group suppressed the epileptogenic focus indirectly, i.e., not by inhibiting the actual paroxysmal event but by altering the time course of the threshold to the next paroxysmal event with the result being a reduction in jerk rate but not jerk vigor.
Analysis of multi-level correlated data in the framework of generalized estimating equations via xtmultcorr procedures in Stata and qls functions in Matlab

Many medical studies yield data with multiple sources of correlation. For example, in a study of repeated measurements collected on each eye of spouses, three sources of correlation may be present, due to the fact that measurements within the same family will be more similar if they are measured on the same eye (left versus right), within the same person (husband versus wife), or at the same measurement occasion. This article reviews an algorithm for analysis of data with two or more sources of correlation (Shults, Whitt, Kumanyika, 2004) that can be implemented using quasi-least squares, an approach in the framework of generalized estimating equations. It then describes and demonstrates implementation of this algorithm with xtmultcorr procedures in Stata and the qls functions in Matlab. The Stata and Matlab procedures are available on the website for the Longitudinal Analysis for Diverse Populations project: http://www.cceb.upenn.edu/∼sratclif/QLSproject.html.
Trans‐4‐hydroxy‐2‐hexenal is a neurotoxic product of docosahexaenoic (22:6; n‐3) acid oxidation

Lipid peroxidation of docosahexaenoic (22:6; n-3) acid (DHA) is elevated in the CNS in patients with Alzheimer's disease and in animal models of seizure and ethanol withdrawal. One product of DHA oxidation is trans-4-hydroxy-2-hexenal (HHE), a six carbon analog of the n-6 fatty acid derived trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE). In this work, we studied the neurotoxic potential of HHE. HHE and HNE were toxic to primary cultures of cerebral cortical neurons with LD(50)'s of 23 and 18 micromol/L, respectively. Toxicity was prevented by the addition of thiol scavengers. HHE and HNE depleted neuronal GSH content identically with depletion observed with 10 micromol/L of either compound. Using an antibody raised against HHE-protein adducts, we show that HHE modified specific proteins of 75, 50, and 45 kDa in concentration- and time-dependent manners. The time-dependent formation of HHE differed from that of F4-neuroprostanes following in vitro DHA oxidation likely as a result of the different oxidation pathways involved. Using purified mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase ALDH5A, we found that HHE was oxidized 6.5-fold less efficiently than HNE. Our data demonstrate that HHE and HNE have similarities but also differences in their neurotoxic mechanisms and metabolism.
Structural intermediates in microtubule assembly and disassembly: how and why?

Microtubules are cytoskeletal polymers made of repeating αβ-tubulin heterodimers that play essential roles in all eukaryotic cells. The complex dynamic behavior of microtubules, which is ultimately due to the tubulin subunit structure and its intrinsic GTPase activity, is key to the functions of these ubiquitous polymers. Microtubule assembly and disassembly do not take place by simple helical growth and shrinkage via individual subunits, but rather involve transient polymer intermediates, distinct from the microtubule, without parallel in other biological self-assembly systems. The discovery of these intermediates a decade ago has been followed recently by quantitative descriptions of their structure and their relationship to nucleotide state.
Snakes as indicators of environmental contamination: Relation of detoxifying enzymes and pesticide residues to species occurrence in three aquatic ecosystems

Pesticide detoxifying enzymes and residues ofp, p′ — DDE and PCB were measured in snakes of two genera collected in three aquatic ecosystems in central Texas. Snake genera wereAgkistrodon (water moccasins and copperheads) andNatrix (water snakes). One collecting site had heavy exposure to insecticides, one to PCBs and one to neither. Objectives were to correlate pesticide residues and detoxifying enzymes with species occurrence in different ecosystems, to evaluate the usefulness of snakes as indicators of environmental contamination, and to establish a biochemical basis for the differential distribution of snakes between ecosystems.
Interplay of oceanographic and paleoclimate events with tectonism during middle to late Miocene sedimentation across the southwestern USA

Continental sedimentation reflects a complex interplay of tectonics and climate. A 2000-km transect from coastal California to the western Great Plains documents a major increase in sedimentation (ca. 16–6 Ma) coeval with deposition of the hemipelagic Monterey Formation along the California coast. Basin and Range-style regional extension following elongation of the Pacific–North American transform boundary at ca. 17.5 Ma provided fault-bounded basins for accommodation space, but sedimentation also occurred on unextended erosional surfaces of the Great Plains and Colorado Plateau. Two global climate transitions bracket this sedimentary interval. The middle Miocene transition (ca. 17–12 Ma) records the global change from equatorial to meridional circulation caused by: (1) closing of the eastern Tethys Seaway (ca. 18 Ma); (2) opening of the Arctic–North Atlantic connection (ca. 17.5 Ma); (3) growth of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (ca. 14 Ma); and (4) closing of the Indonesian Seaway (ca. 12 Ma). Upwelling of cold waters along the California coast, abetted by domination of La Nina phases of El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), progressively aridified the Southwest as reflected in sedimentary and biologic records. The second climate transition occurred as opening of the Gulf of California (ca. 6 Ma) intensified the North American monsoon, resulting in integration of drainages, incision of uplifts, and exhumation of basin fills. The Miocene ended with the driest climate of the Tertiary (both regional and global) accompanied by conversion of savanna to steppe or scrub desert, spread of C4 grasses, and the greatest mammal extinction of the Neogene.
A FRAMEWORK FOR THE PRAGMATIC QUALITY OF Z SPECIFICATIONS

Z is a formal specification language for describing sequential software systems. As the use of Z increases, the quality of Z specifications as effective means of communication arises. The aim of this paper is to contribute to a systematic assessment of the quality of Z specifications as perceived by their stakeholders. A pragmatic quality framework for Z specifications using notions from semiotics, cognitive psychology, and information system quality is proposed. The goals for pragmatic quality, and manageable criteria and mechanisms to address them in a feasible manner are identified. The utility and trade-offs of the mechanisms in achieving the quality goals of the framework are analyzed. Examples that lead to compromise of pragmatic quality in a Z specification, and techniques for improvement, are given.
Guillain-Barre Syndrome

Guillain-Barre syndrome is an acute inflammatory demyelinative neuropathy usually presenting as a symmetric areflexic paralysis. An immunologic pathogenesis is likely. Early diagnosis is important since good supportive care and plasmapheresis can decrease morbidity and hasten recovery.
Secondary tumors involving the thyroid gland: A multi-institutional analysis of 28 cases diagnosed on fine-needle aspiration

Background Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is routinely used to evaluate primary thyroid lesions (PTLs), however, its role in diagnosing secondary thyroid neoplasms (STNs) has not been extensively studied. The goal was to examine the clinical and cytopathologic features of STNs diagnosed on FNA. Methods The clinico-pathologic features of 28 STNs were analyzed. All PTLs, lymphomas, and locally invasive tumors were excluded. Results There were 28 STNs (0.18% incidence) out of 15,800 thyroid FNAs (12 males, 16 females, 32 − 85 years), all occurring metachronously (3 weeks−20 years, average 78.3 months) comprising 24 (85.7%) metastatic carcinomas (14 [50%] renal; 4 [14.3%] head and neck squamous cell carcinomas, 3 [10.7%] breast, and 1 [3.6%] colorectal, uterine serous carcinoma, and lung adenosquamous carcinoma, respectively), 3 sarcomas (10.7%) and 1 melanoma (3.6%). Conclusions STNs are rare and diverse tumors which may occur decades after primary malignancy. Renal carcinomas are the most common. Prior history of malignancy, high index of suspicion, and attention to key distinguishing cytologic clues are critical for accurate diagnosis. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2015;43:904–911. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Formulating Asymmetric Decision Problems as Decision Circuits

Decision analysis problems have traditionally been solved using either decision trees or influence diagrams. Although decision trees are better at handling asymmetry, prevalent in many reliability and risk analysis problems, influence diagrams can solve larger real-world problems by exploiting conditional independence. Decision circuits are graphical representations that combine the computational benefits of both graphical models. They are syntactic representations, i.e., they depict the summation, multiplication, and maximization operations required to solve a decision analysis problem. Previous work on decision circuits has focused on compiling them automatically from influence diagrams and describing the ways in which they can be used for efficient solution and sensitivity analysis. In this paper, we show how a decision circuit can be formulated directly, with or without the preprocessing of numbers that are assessed from the decision maker. By constructing two decision circuits for a nuclear reactor example, one using probabilities in inferred form and the other using probabilities in assessed form, we show how decision circuits generalize decision trees. The notion of coalescence is also made more explicit because computations for decision analysis can be saved and then reused in several ways. Because of their generality, decision circuits provide the analyst with a great deal of flexibility in problem formulation.
Density of cerebellar basket and stellate cells in autism: evidence for a late developmental loss of Purkinje cells

Alterations in the cerebellum have been described as a neuropathological feature of autism. Although numerous studies have focused on the Purkinje cell (PC), the projection neuron of the cerebellar cortex, PC function is critically dependent on their innervation by the GABAergic basket cells (BCs) and stellate cells (SCs) in the cerebellar molecular layer. The present study was designed to determine whether there are differences in the packing density of these inhibitory interneurons or whether the ratio of these interneurons to PCs differs in autistic and age-matched control brains. The GABAergic interneurons were identified by using immunohistochemistry for parvalbumin (PV) in serial sections from the posterior cerebellar lobe of six autistic and four control brains and counted using stereological principles. Prior PC counts in the same area on adjacent sections (Whitney et al., 2008) were available and were used to calculate the number of BCs and SCs per PC. In this sample of brains, no statistically significant difference was detected between the autistic and the control groups in the density of BCs or SCs (P 5 0.44 and P 5 0.84, respectively) or in the number of BCs or SCs per PC (P 5 0.47 and P 5 0.44, respectively). The preservation of BCs and SCs, in the presence of the reduced PC numbers as found in at least two, and possibly three, of these six autistic cases (Whitney et al., 2008) suggests that PCs were generated, migrated to their proper location in the PC layer, and subsequently died in the autistic cases that showed a reduction in PCs. V C 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Ketone and quinone-substituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in mussel tissue, sediment, urban dust, and diesel particulate matrices

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) substituted with a ketone or quinone functionality (OPAHs) may be important environmental contaminants. The OPAHs from environmental samples have demonstrated toxicity and may be more harmful than PAHs. Knowledge gaps concerning the occurrence of OPAHs in the total environment arise from analytical difficulties, as well as limited standards and methodologies. An optimized method was developed to quantify five ketone and four quinone OPAHs from matrices ranging from biological tissue to diesel particulates. Five National Institute of Standards and Technology Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) were analyzed. This is the first report of OPAH quantitation in SRM 2977 (mussel tissue), SRM 1944 (New York/New Jersey, USA waterway sediment), SRM 1975 (diesel extract), and SRM 1650b (diesel particulate matter) and among the few to report concentrations from SRM 1649 (urban dust). Furthermore, this is one of the first reports of OPAHs in biological tissue. Σ₉OPAHs were 374 ± 59 mg/kg (mussel tissue), 5.4 ± 0.5 mg/kg (sediment), 16.9 ± 1.6 mg/kg (urban dust), 33.4 ± 0.4 mg/kg (diesel extract), and 150 ± 43 mg/kg (diesel particulate matter). In all SRMs, the levels of OPAHs were similar to or exceeded levels of PAHs. Of the OPAHs tested, the most frequently occurring in the environmental matrices were 9-fluorenone, 9,10-anthraquinone, benzofluorenone, and 7,12-benz[a]anthracenequinone.
Ethnic-group differences in the relationship of trusting attitudes to cooperative behavior.

80 female Ss (40 Caucasian; 40 Japanese-Americans) at the University of Hawaii were administered attitude measures concerning human nature. They later took part in a 50-trial, 2-person, non-zero-sum game where simulated “other player” responses of random predetermined 76% cooperative were programed by E. Ethnic group was varied to observe the effects of interaction. Attitude measures as well as ratings on the “other player” obtained from a feedback questionnaire administered after the game, were correlated with cooperative responses. There were no significant differences in cooperative behavior between ethnic groups. Significant relationships with cooperation were found for a number of attitude scales and trait ratings.
What Makes International Studies Programs Successful? A Survey-Based Assessment

As is commonly the case with interdisciplinary programs, International Studies (IS) programs often have an “identity crisis,” particularly in institutions dominated by traditional academic departments. At the same time, these programs continue to flourish; in some cases, IS programs service as many or more students than many traditional departments. The rapid growth of these programs, and the vast diversity of ways in which they are administered, raises the question of what specific factors contribute to program success. Utilizing a comprehensive database of all IS programs across the country, we survey program directors to uncover some of the key factors and practices that contribute to program success. In addition to providing systematic insights into IS as a field of study, we also contribute to a better understanding of how interdisciplinary programs can flourish within their home institutions, and provide some guidance for ascertaining “best practices” in our field of study.
A New Family of Probability Distributions with Applications to Monte Carlo Studies

Abstract A new probability distribution is presented that offers considerable potential for providing stochastic inputs to Monte Carlo simulation studies. The distribution includes the exponential power family as a special case. An efficient computational strategy is proposed for random variate generation. An example for testing the hypothesis of unit variance illustrates the advantages of the proposed distribution.
Internet Health Resources and the Cancer Patient

The last decade has witnessed an explosion of online information regarding cancer and healthcare. Accompanying this has been a large body of research analyzing the quality of this information, how patients perceive these data and how this affects the doctor-patient relationship. This report reviews this literature, summarizing the current state of internet health resources available to the cancer patient and identifying areas for future research. Studies indicate that there are considerable internet resources available to cancer patients and that patients are using these resources as secondary information sources. Specifically, studies indicate that 16-64% of patients are using the internet to obtain health information. For the most part, patients perceive the online information to be reliable but maintain a healthy degree of skepticism. Studies objectively evaluating cancer information on the internet indicate that there is reasonable quality, although the language level of many sites is higher than that of the average American, which may limit the utility of the websites. Finally, while there is widespread internet use by physicians, healthcare providers are skeptical of their patients' ability to use the internet and may even be somewhat threatened by it. In summary, while there is a fairly large literature on internet resources available to the cancer patient, more research is needed. Specifically, it is important to better understand how patients access health information online and their associated preferences so that we can improve cancer patient's access to high quality health information on the internet to facilitate decision-making and health outcomes.
Identifying individual differences: An algorithm with application to Phineas Gage

Abstract In many research contexts it is useful to group experimental subjects into behavioral “types.” Usually, this is done by pre-specifying a set of candidate decision-making heuristics and assigning each subject to a heuristic in that set. Such approaches might perform poorly when applied to subjects with prefrontal cortex damage, because it can be hard to know what cognitive heuristics such subjects might use. We suggest that the Houser, Keane and McCabe (HKM) robust classification algorithm can be a useful tool in these cases. An important advantage of this classification approach is that it does not require one to specify either the nature or number of subjects' heuristics in advance. Rather, both the number and nature of the heuristics are discerned directly from the data. To illustrate the HKM approach, we draw inferences about heuristics used by subjects in the well-known gambling task [Bechara, A., Damasio, A.R., Damasio, H., Anderson, S., 1994. Insensitivity to future consequences following damage to human prefrontal cortex. Cognition 50, 7–12].
Influence of patient age on biochemical freedom from disease in patients undergoing conformal proton radiotherapy of organ-confined prostate cancer.

Abstract Objectives. To examine a large, single-institution series of patients to test the perception among clinicians that radiotherapy is preferred for “older” patients and surgery should be indicated for “younger” men. Both radiotherapy and surgery are used to control prostate cancer, and both yield similar results in terms of long-term biochemical disease-free (bNED) survival. Methods The bNED survival results from more than 1000 patients treated solely with conformal radiotherapy were analyzed to determine whether a difference in outcome supervened for patients younger than 60 years of age versus older patients. Results No statistically significant difference in bNED survival was found, in terms of patient age. Statistically significant predictors of outcome included pretreatment prostate-specific antigen level, clinical stage at diagnosis, and Gleason score. Conclusions Patient age younger than 60 years versus older than 60 years at treatment did not influence bNED survival significantly. Patient age at treatment should not be used in and of itself to recommend one type of treatment over another.
Matching arthropod anatomy ontologies to the Hymenoptera Anatomy Ontology: results from a manual alignment

Matching is an important step for increasing interoperability between heterogeneous ontologies. Here, we present alignments we produced as domain experts, using a manual mapping process, between the Hymenoptera Anatomy Ontology and other existing arthropod anatomy ontologies (representing spiders, ticks, mosquitoes and Drosophila melanogaster). The resulting alignments contain from 43 to 368 mappings (correspondences), all derived from domain-expert input. Despite the many pairwise correspondences, only 11 correspondences were found in common between all ontologies, suggesting either major intrinsic differences between each ontology or gaps in representing each group’s anatomy. Furthermore, we compare our findings with putative correspondences from Bioportal (derived from LOOM software) and summarize the results in a total evidence alignment. We briefly discuss characteristics of the ontologies and issues with the matching process. Database URL: http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/hao/2012-07-18/arthropod-mappings.obo
The Validation and Verification of Complex Knowledge-Based Systems

The development of a knowledge-based system can be created through several alternative methodological approaches (see Buchanan et al., 1983; Grover, 1983; Alexander et al., 1986; Weitzel & Kershberg, 1989; Miller, 1990; Plant, 1992) which have been utilized to differing degrees of success. The aim of this paper is to consider one of these methodologies (Plant, 1992), and introduce a Validation and Verification Methodology to accompany the Development Methodology.
Treatment of lipid disorders in obesity

Obesity is the most common cause of secondary hyperlipidemia. Atherogenic dyslipidemia refers to elevated triglycerides, low HDL-cholesterol and small dense LDL associated with visceral obesity and metabolic syndrome. Obesity may also be associated with isolated low HDL-cholesterol or high triglycerides and postprandial hyperlipidemia. While some obese patients have high LDL cholesterol concentrations, obesity has a more pronounced effect on other atherogenic lipids and lipoproteins. Obesity may aggravate familial lipid disorders. Lipid disorders in obesity are responsive to weight loss, pharmacotherapy and weight loss surgery. Statins are the lipid-lowering drug of choice, together with lifestyle change. Hard clinical end point data to support combinations of statins with other drugs is lacking. After weight loss surgery, the absolute risk of cardiovascular disease should be reassessed, but tools to facilitate risk assessment need to be developed.
Sexual abuse history and associated multiple risk behavior in adolescent runaways

Relationships between sexual abuse and sexual risk, substance use, emotional distress, and conduct problems were examined among 190 runaways. Those who had been abused were significantly more likely than nonabused peers to engage in unprotected sex, have more sexual partners, and use alcohol and drugs, but did not differ in emotional distress. Those abused after age 13 were more often engaged in sex work than nonabused peers. Males abused before age 13 had more sexual partners than those not abused, and runaway males were significantly more likely to have been sexually abused than has been reported in prior research.
The carboxy-terminus of parathyroid hormone is essential for hormone processing and secretion

The biological function of the carboxy-terminal portion of the PTH molecule is unknown. We hypothesized that the carboxy-terminus of PTH may be essential for hormone processing and secretion. To ascertain the potential role of the carboxy-terminus in transport through the secretory pathway, we constructed a series of carboxy-terminally deleted mutants of human preproPTH. PreproPTH and these truncated peptides were expressed in cell-free extracts and in acutely transfected COS 7 cells. Intact preproPTH(1-84) (115 residues) was processed to proPTH(1-84); the PTH was secreted very efficiently. In contrast, translocation across the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum and signal sequence cleavage were mildly impaired for PTH(1-52) (83 residues), moderately impaired for PTH(1-40) (71 residues), and dramatically impaired for PTH(1-34) (65 residues). Subsequent cleavage of the prosequence and secretion from intact cells were also dramatically impaired for PTH(1-52) and undetectable for PTH(1-40) and PTH(1-34). We conclude that more than 65 residues are needed to cross the endoplasmic reticulum and that more than 83 residues are needed for efficient prosequence cleavage and secretion. Perhaps similar requirements for full transport through the secretory pathway explains why most secreted peptides are synthesized as long propeptides of at least 80 residues.
Did over-reliance on commercial catch rate data precipitate the collapse of northern cod?

It has been suggested that a number of ‘‘lessons’’ can be learned from the collapse of the northern cod stock off Newfoundland and Labrador. However, not all purported lessons have been validated with available data. One lesson is thought to be that over-reliance on commercial catch rate data and an incorrect assumption regarding the functional relationship between catch rate and population size were major contributors to overestimating stock size, precipitating the collapse. The current study describes calibration approaches used in assessments, and evaluates alternative functional relationships between commercial catch rates and stock size. In addition, historical population size is re-estimated using only research vessel data and compared with estimates obtained based on both commercial catch rate and research vessel data. Calibration with commercial catch rate contributed to overestimating stock size in some years, but there is no evidence that the assumed functional relationship between commercial catch rate and population size was a significant factor in the collapse.
Coordinating Mechanisms in Care Provider Groups: Relational Coordination as a Mediator and Input Uncertainty as a Moderator of Performance Effects

This paper proposes a model of how coordinating mechanisms work, and tests it in the context of patient care. Consistent with organization design theory, the performance effects of boundary spanners and team meetings were mediated by relational coordination, a communication- and relationship-intensive form of coordination. Contrary to organization design theory, however, the performance effects of routines were also mediated by relational coordination. Rather than serving as areplacement for interactions, as anticipated by organization design theory, routines work byenhancing interactions among participants. Likewise, all three coordinating mechanisms, including routines, were found to be increasingly effective under conditions of uncertainty.
Ingestive behaviour of beef cattle offered different forms of lucerne (Medicago sativa L.)

A change-over design was used to establish the ingestive behaviour of twelve adult Angus cows (Bos taurus), live weight (LW) of 475 ± 18 kg, while grazing luceme (Medicago sativa L.) (T1), eating from a swath of freshly cut lucerne (T2), or eating wilted lucerne from a swath (T3). In the first experiment, the herbage dry matter (DM) allowance was 4-7 kg h−1 and in T1 the available herbage DM mass (>5 cm) was 2892 kg ha−1. Herbage DM intake was 2.5, 1.6 and 2.0 kg h−1 (0.53,0.35 and 0.41 kg (100 kg LW)−1h−1) for T1, T2 and T3, respectively. Cattle grazed at 29 bites min−1 and ate the swathed lucerne at 6 bites min−1. Herbage DM intake per bite was 1-2, 4-9 and 6-7 (2-5,104 and 14-4 mg(kg LW)−1)for T1, T2 and T3, respectively. The DM content of the luceme was 227, 263 and 309 g kg−1 for the same sequence. In a second experiment with luceme of available herbage DM mass of 5321 kg ha−1 and an allowance of 7- 3 kg h−1 cows grazed lucerne at 2-9 kg h−1, ate freshly cut material at 21 kg h−1 and wilted herbage at 25 kg h−1 (0.61, 0.45 and 0.52 kg (100 kg LW)−1h−1), respectively. Leaf accounted for 80%, 68% and 54% of intake for T1, T2 and T3, respectively. Swathing lucerne reduced the diet selectivity by forcing cattle to take large bites that required many jaw movements to form a bolus that could be swallowed. It appeared that the mechanics of bolus formation determined ingestive behaviour of cattle eating swathed herbage.
An efficient hybrid planner in changing environments

In this paper, we present a new hybrid motion planner that is capable of exploiting previous planning episodes when confronted with new planning problems. Our approach is applicable when several (similar) problems are successively posed for the same static environment, or when the environment changes incrementally between planning episodes. At the heart of our system lie two low-level motion planners: a fast, but incomplete planner LOCAL, and a computationally costly (possibly resolution) complete planner GLOBAL. When a new planning problem is presented to our planner, an efficient meta-level planner MANAGER decomposes the problem into segments that are amenable to solution by LOCAL. This decomposition is made by exploiting a task graph, in which successful planning episodes have been recorded. In cases where the decomposition fails, GLOBAL is invoked. The key to our planner's success is a novel representation of solution trajectories, in which segments of collision-free paths are associated with the boundary of nearby obstacles. Thus we effectively combine the efficiency of one planner with the completeness of another to obtain a more efficient complete planner. >
Verifying Code Automatically Generated From an Executable Model

Currently in the automotive industry, most software source code is manually generated (i.e., hand written). This manually generated code is written to satisfy requirements that are generally specified or captured in an algorithm document. However, this process can be very error prone since errors can be introduced during the manual translation of the algorithm document to code. A better method would be to automatically generate code directly from the algorithm document. Therefore, the automotive industry is striving to model new and existing algorithms in an executable-modeling paradigm where code can be automatically generated. The advent of executable models together with automatic code generation should allow the translation of model to code to be error free, and this error-free status can be confirmed through testing. A three-stage process is presented to functionally verify the model, functionally verify the automatically-generated code, and structurally verify the code.
From the Ethics of Immigration to the Politics of Border(Land)S

This paper attends to the task of constructing a political theory of immigration and border control, as a possible strategy to cope with paradox of democratic borders (that the boundaries of democratic communities were not determined democratically). I begin by surveying theoretical contributions to the debate on the ethics of border control and immigration policy, including a defense of restrictive border policies (David Miller), a defense of open borders (Joseph Carens), and recent innovations on immigration and borders from Arash Abizadeh, Rogers Smith, and Ayelet Shachar. Despite important and obvious differences, the normative literature on immigration shares two shortcomings: first, a failure to consider the ostensibly unintended consequences of border policy, especially with regard to the impact on the social and political life of borderlands, and second, a failure to acknowledge the potential democratic agency of border crossers. For a political theory of immigration to help us address the paradox of democratic borders, these issues must be addressed. The paper concludes with a sketch of what a political theory of immigration that overcomes these two shortcomings might look like, with help from Seyla Benhabib's conception of 'democratic iterations' and Bonnie Honig's conception of 'democratic takings.'
Where to Start An Evaluation of Primary Data-Collection Modes in an Address-Based Sampling Design

As address-based sampling becomes increasingly popular for multimode surveys, researchers continue to refine data-collection best practices. While much work has been conducted to improve efficiency within a given mode, additional research is needed on how multimode designs can be optimized across modes. Previous research has not evaluated the consequences of mode sequencing on multimode mail and phone surveys, nor has significant research been conducted to evaluate mode sequencing on a variety of indicators beyond response rates. We conducted an experiment within the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health across the U.S. Risk Factor Survey (REACH U.S.) to evaluate two multimode case-flow designs: (1) phone followed by mail (phone-first) and (2) mail followed by phone (mail-first). We compared response rates, cost, timeliness, and data quality to identify differences across case-flow design. Because surveys often differ on the rarity of the target population, we also examined whether changes in the eligibility rate altered the choice of optimal case flow. Our results suggested that, on most metrics, the mail-first design was superior to the phone-first design. Compared with phone-first, mail-first achieved a higher yield rate at a lower cost with equivalent data quality. While the phone-first design initially achieved more interviews compared to the mail-first design, over time the mail-first design surpassed it and obtained the greatest number of interviews.
Hacking Blind

We show that it is possible to write remote stack buffer overflow exploits without possessing a copy of the target binary or source code, against services that restart after a crash. This makes it possible to hack proprietary closed-binary services, or open-source servers manually compiled and installed from source where the binary remains unknown to the attacker. Traditional techniques are usually paired against a particular binary and distribution where the hacker knows the location of useful gadgets for Return Oriented Programming (ROP). Our Blind ROP (BROP) attack instead remotely finds enough ROP gadgets to perform a write system call and transfers the vulnerable binary over the network, after which an exploit can be completed using known techniques. This is accomplished by leaking a single bit of information based on whether a process crashed or not when given a particular input string. BROP requires a stack vulnerability and a service that restarts after a crash. We implemented Braille, a fully automated exploit that yielded a shell in under 4,000 requests (20 minutes) against a contemporary nginx vulnerability, yaSSL + MySQL, and a toy proprietary server written by a colleague. The attack works against modern 64-bit Linux with address space layout randomization (ASLR), no-execute page protection (NX) and stack canaries.
Comparison of Microseismic Results From the Bakken Formation Processed By Three Different Companies: Integration With Surface Seismic And Pumping Data

In May, 2010 Hess acquired its first microseismic survey in the Beaver Lodge area, North Dakota, over a 2-day time period. In conjunction with this project Hess also acquired a walk-around, offset, and zero-offset VSP to enable estimation of azimuthal anisotropy and generation of a 3D velocity model for proper microseismic event placement. Three different companies were contracted to process the data resulting in widely varying microseismic locations. Rather than accepting externally processed microseismic events that show completely different fracture geometries, Hess is developing an internal methodology to review event picking, 3D velocities, and survey geometries that will lead to dependable results.