cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In-situ x-ray reflectivity study on growth dynamics of sputter deposited gold on silicon

We performed in-situ x-ray reflectivity measurements to study the growth dynamics of gold sputter deposited onto silicon, using an x- ray scattering chamber equipped with a faced magnetron source where the substrate is held at a right angle relative to the sputtering guns. By operating the guns at low power (1 watt) and under 20 mTorr Ar, we could control the gold deposition rate to less than 1{Angstrom}/sec. The observed x-ray reflectivity for gold deposited onto a silicon substrate held at room temperature may be consistent with nucleated island growth for average gold particle sizes less than 50 {Angstrom}. Above 50 {Angstrom}, the reflectivity data indicates that the gold film uniformly covers the silicon surface, and that as the film thickness is increased the gold-vacuum interface gets progressively rougher. Detailed analysis of room temperature data is in progress, as is the temperature dependence on the roughness of the gold vacuum interface.
A comparison of the erosion rate of casing steels by sand-oil suspensions

Abstract The erosion rates (expressed as grams per square millimeter per minute) of three casing steels (P110, N80 and K55) and hot-rolled 1020 steel in quartz sand-oil suspensions, GFN 140, solids loading 0.5–4 wt.%, at speeds from 9.35 to 18.7 m s −1 have been measured in a slurry pot tester. The velocity exponent was determined as 2.4 and the relationship of erosion rate to solids loading and particle size (for the particle size range 53–180 μm) determined. The erosion rates for all the steels were found to lie within a scatter band of ±15% and could not be related predictively with the measured tensile properties. Results are discussed in terms of the rate of particle impact on the eroding target and the need to control flow conditions through appropriate design to minimize erosion.
112. Disease Characteristics in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lung Disease

stratified medicine, health economics, allied health professionals, OMERACT, BSR, ARUK, Clinical Studies Group (CSG) for adult inflammatory arthritis and those with personal experience of RA. A process was adapted from OMERACT Filter 2.0 methodology, comprising review of aims and objectives, definition of scope, identification of important and feasible research questions, and selection of key domains. Results: The initial half of the first meeting was devoted to establishing important research questions of a general nature in RA which could be answered by a MCD alone. The four key areas recommended by OMERACT were agreed as an essential basis for a MCD and potential domains considered: Life Impact (e.g. QoL, pain, function, participation); Pathophysiological manifestations (e.g. Disease Activity); Resource use (e.g. drug use, joint surgery, remedial therapies); Date of death. Of 31 individual items/domains identified as potential candidates for a MCD, 14 achieved consensus as essential and adequate for achieving meaningful long term outcome data for some limited research questions. It was recognized that other items/domains would be required for more ambitious research questions, which could be recorded in addition to a MCD by those taking part in additional add-on projects. A detailed summary was then circulated to all invitees who were asked to vote on both the relative importance of the items which were raised but lacked consensus, and on the most appropriate measurement instruments for inclusion. All comments were then collated and recirculated to form the basis of the second meeting. This meeting achieved consensus on 21 individual items, including demographics, relevant dates, and at least one domain in each of the four agreed areas. In their deliberations, the group took into account the needs of clinical engagement with both district hospital and academic settings, and the perspectives of patients. Items which achieved consensus for inclusion but not for the most appropriate instruments included, work and social participation, comorbidity and fatigue. Conclusion: Development of a MCD for national, long-term observational disease-specific registries and research databases has posed novel challenges and opportunities. A MCD for addressing simple research questions can be expanded in appropriate participating centres contributing to answering more complex questions. Paradigms taken from interventional clinical trials may need to be reevaluated in the light of this. Further work is needed firstly on specific tools in 3 important areas and secondly to achieve compatibility with other national initiatives. Disclosure statement: The authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
Give your ideas some legs: the positive effect of walking on creative thinking.

Four experiments demonstrate that walking boosts creative ideation in real time and shortly after. In Experiment 1, while seated and then when walking on a treadmill, adults completed Guilford’s alternate uses (GAU) test of creative divergent thinking and the compound remote associates (CRA) test of convergent thinking. Walking increased 81% of participants’ creativity on the GAU, but only increased 23% of participants’ scores for the CRA. In Experiment 2, participants completed the GAU when seated and then walking, when walking and then seated, or when seated twice. Again, walking led to higher GAU scores. Moreover, when seated after walking, participants exhibited a residual creative boost. Experiment 3 generalized the prior effects to outdoor walking. Experiment 4 tested the effect of walking on creative analogy generation. Participants sat inside, walked on a treadmill inside, walked outside, or were rolled outside in a wheelchair. Walking outside produced the most novel and highest quality analogies. The effects of outdoor stimulation and walking were separable. Walking opens up the free flow of ideas, and it is a simple and robust solution to the goals of increasing creativity and increasing physical activity.
Dissociation of mitochondrial from sarcoplasmic reticular stress in Drosophila cardiomyopathy induced by molecularly distinct mitochondrial fusion defects.

Mitochondrial dynamism (fusion and fission) is responsible for remodeling interconnected mitochondrial networks in some cell types. Adult cardiac myocytes lack mitochondrial networks, and their mitochondria are inherently “fragmented”. Mitochondrial fusion/fission is so infrequent in cardiomyocytes as to not be observable under normal conditions, suggesting that mitochondrial dynamism may be dispensable in this cell type. However, we previously observed that cardiomyocyte-specific genetic suppression of mitochondrial fusion factors optic atrophy 1 (Opa1) and mitofusin/MARF evokes cardiomyopathy in Drosophila hearts. We posited that fusion-mediated remodeling of mitochondria may be critical for cardiac homeostasis, although never directly observed. Alternately, we considered that inner membrane Opa1 and outer membrane mitofusin/MARF might have other as-yet poorly described roles that affect mitochondrial and cardiac function. Here we compared heart tube function in three models of mitochondrial fragmentation in Drosophila cardiomyocytes: Drp1 expression, Opa1 RNAi, and mitofusin MARF RNA1. Mitochondrial fragmentation evoked by enhanced Drp1-mediated fission did not adversely impact heart tube function. In contrast, RNAi-mediated suppression of either Opa1 or mitofusin/MARF induced cardiac dysfunction associated with mitochondrial depolarization and ROS production. Inhibiting ROS by overexpressing superoxide dismutase (SOD) or suppressing ROMO1 prevented mitochondrial and heart tube dysfunction provoked by Opa1 RNAi, but not by mitofusin/MARF RNAi. In contrast, enhancing the ability of endoplasmic/sarcoplasmic reticulum to handle stress by expressing Xbp1 rescued the cardiomyopathy of mitofusin/MARF insufficiency without improving that caused by Opa1 deficiency. We conclude that decreased mitochondrial size is not inherently detrimental to cardiomyocytes. Rather, preservation of mitochondrial function by Opa1 located on the inner mitochondrial membrane, and prevention of ER stress by mitofusin/MARF located on the outer mitochondrial membrane, are central functions of these “mitochondrial fusion proteins”.
Fast and accurate simulation of coupled oscillators using nonlinear phase macromodels

We present a generally applicable, macromodel-based method for predicting the behaviour of coupled oscillators much faster than possible using SPICE-level simulation. Our method is based on the use of nonlinear phase and amplitude macromodels that are extracted automatically from oscillators' SPICE-level circuits. Using these macromodels in place of the original SPICE-level circuits enables large speedups, while capturing phase and amplitude dynamics, during simulation of synchronous and asynchronous phenomena in coupled oscillators. We demonstrate the technique on coupled Colpitts oscillators, obtaining speedups of 70/spl times/ without loss of accuracy. Greater speedups are expected when the size of coupled systems is larger and oscillators are more complex. Our technique is easily extended to simulate coupled oscillator networks comprising of large number of oscillators with different operating mechanisms.
Simulation methods to estimate design power: an overview for applied research

Background: Estimating the required sample size and statistical power for a study is an integral part of study design. For standard designs, power equations provide an efficient solution to the problem, but they are unavailable for many complex study designs that arise in practice. For such complex study designs, computer simulation is a useful alternative for estimating study power. Although this approach is well known among statisticians, in our experience many epidemiologists and social scientists are unfamiliar with the technique. This article aims to address this knowledge gap. Methods: We review an approach to estimate study power for individual- or cluster-randomized designs using computer simulation. This flexible approach arises naturally from the model used to derive conventional power equations, but extends those methods to accommodate arbitrarily complex designs. The method is universally applicable to a broad range of designs and outcomes, and we present the material in a way that is approachable for quantitative, applied researchers. We illustrate the method using two examples (one simple, one complex) based on sanitation and nutritional interventions to improve child growth. Results: We first show how simulation reproduces conventional power estimates for simple randomized designs over a broad range of sample scenarios to familiarize the reader with the approach. We then demonstrate how to extend the simulation approach to more complex designs. Finally, we discuss extensions to the examples in the article, and provide computer code to efficiently run the example simulations in both R and Stata.
The noncoding RNA taurine upregulated gene 1 is required for differentiation of the murine retina.

Summary Background: With the advent of genome-wide analyses, it is becoming evident that a large number of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are expressed in vertebrates. However, of the thousands of ncRNAs identified, the functions of relatively few have been established. Results: In a screen for genes upregulated by taurine in developing retinal cells, we identified a gene that appears to be a ncRNA. Taurine Upregulated Gene 1 ( TUG1 ) is a spliced, polyadenylated RNA that does not encode any open reading frame greater than 82 amino acids in its full-length, 6.7 kilobase (kb) RNA sequence. Analyses of Northern blots and in situ hybridization revealed that TUG1 is expressed in the developing retina and brain, as well as in adult tissues. In the newborn retina, knockdown of TUG1 with RNA interference (RNAi) resulted in malformed or nonexistent outer segments of transfected photoreceptors. Immunofluorescent staining and microarray analyses suggested that this loss of proper photoreceptor differentiation is a result of the disregulation of photoreceptor gene expression. Conclusions: A function for a newly identified ncRNA, TUG1 , has been established. TUG1 is necessary for the proper formation of photoreceptors in the developing rodent retina.
A compact tunable CMOS transconductor with high linearity

A novel CMOS linear transconductor is presented. The use of simple and accurate voltage buffers to drive two MOS transistors operating in the triode region leads to a highly linear voltage-to-current conversion. Transconductance gain can be continuously and precisely adjusted using dc level shifters. Measurement results of a balanced transconductor fabricated in a 0.5-/spl mu/m CMOS technology show a total harmonic distortion of -54 dB at 100 kHz for an 80-/spl mu/A peak-to-peak output, using a supply voltage of 2 V. It requires 0.07-mm/sup 2/ of silicon (Si) area and features 0.96 mW of static power consumption.
Eye Movements in Developmental Dyslexia

It has been suggested that faulty eye movements secondary to cerebellar-vestibular dysfunction are the primary cause of developmental dyslexia. Since this notion appears to be attracting a good amount of attention, it seems worthwhile to tackle the issue of eye movements and their relationship to developmental dyslexia in light of recent research findings. In order to do this, we will discuss eye movements in normal reading, disorders of the saccadic eye movement system, and recent eye movement research in our laboratory pertaining specifically to developmental dyslexia.
Developmental regulation of GDNF response and receptor expression in the enteric nervous system

The development of the enteric nervous system is dependent upon the actions of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) on neural crest-derived precursor cells in the embryonic gut. GDNF treatment of cultured enteric precursor cells leads to an increase in the number of neurons that develop and/or survive. Here we demonstrate that, although GDNF promoted an increase in neuron number at all embryonic ages examined, there was a developmental shift from a mitogenic to a trophic response by the developing enteric neurons. The timing of this shift corresponded to developmental changes in gut expression of GFR alpha-1, a co-receptor in the GDNF-Ret signaling complex. GFR alpha-1 was broadly expressed in the gut at early developmental stages, at which times soluble GFR alpha-1 was released into the medium by cultured gut cells. At later times, GFR alpha-1 became restricted to neural crest-derived cells. GFR alpha-1 could participate in GDNF signaling when expressed in cis on the surface of enteric precursor cells, or as a soluble protein. The GDNF-mediated response was greater when cell surface, compared with soluble, GFR alpha-1 was present, with the maximal response seen the presence of both cis and trans forms of GFR alpha-1. In addition to contributing to GDNF signaling, cell-surface GFR alpha-1 modulated the specificity of interactions between GDNF and soluble GFR alphas. These experiments demonstrate that complex, developmentally regulated, signaling interactions contribute to the GDNF-dependent development of enteric neurons.
The Great Recession and SNAP Caseloads: A Tale of Two States

ABSTRACTUsing detailed administrative data for the 2003 to 2010 period, the authors contrast Florida’s and Oregon’s dramatically different participation dynamics, assessing the expansion and extension of benefits before, during, and after the Great Recession. State differences in how Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has been administered help explain differences in SNAP use. Although the recession led to increased need and SNAP participation in both states, state differences in prerecession program policies and efforts to enroll and retain eligible participants provide a plausible explanation for lower exit rates and longer spell durations in Oregon. Implications of these findings for low income households, policymakers and future research are discussed.
Trends in the Surgical Correction of Gynecomastia

Gynecomastia refers to the enlargement of the male breast due to a proliferation of ductal, stromal, and/or fatty tissue. Although it is a common condition affecting up to 65% of men, not all cases require surgical intervention. Contemporary surgical techniques in the treatment of gynecomastia have become increasingly less invasive with the advent of liposuction and its variants, including power-assisted and ultrasound-assisted liposuction. These techniques, however, have been largely limited in their inability to address significant skin excess and ptosis. For mild to moderate gynecomastia, newer techniques using arthroscopic morcellation and endoscopic techniques promise to address the fibrous component, while minimizing scar burden by utilizing liposuction incisions. Nevertheless, direct excision through periareolar incisions remains a mainstay in treatment algorithms for its simplicity and avoidance of additional instrumentation. This is particularly true for more severe cases of gynecomastia requiring skin resection. In the most severe cases with significant skin redundancy and ptosis, breast amputation with free nipple grafting remains an effective option. Surgical treatment should be individualized to each patient, combining techniques to provide adequate resection and optimize aesthetic results.
Simultaneous contralateral reduction mammoplasty or mastopexy during unilateral free flap breast reconstruction.

BACKGROUND After unilateral breast reconstruction, a procedure on the contralateral breast is often needed to achieve symmetry. However, there is no consensus regarding when to perform the contralateral balancing procedure. Here, we present a single surgeon's experience with performing contralateral symmetry procedures simultaneously with free flap autologous breast reconstruction. METHODS We evaluated 77 consecutive patients (mean age, 50.5 years) who underwent abdominal-based free flap unilateral breast reconstruction and a simultaneous contralateral breast procedure performed by a single surgeon. RESULTS Thirty-eight patients (49%) underwent immediate breast reconstruction, and 39 patients (51%) underwent delayed reconstruction. Forty patients (52%) received preoperative chemotherapy, and 31 (40%) received preoperative radiation therapy. Patients' mean body mass index was 28.3 kg/m. The most common free flaps were the muscle-sparing transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap (n = 53) and deep inferior epigastric perforator flap (n = 22). Contralateral procedures included reduction mammoplasty (n = 48, 62%) and mastopexy (n = 29, 38%). In 43 patients (56%), breast reconstruction was completed after a single stage, and in 34 patients (44%), revisions were performed (flap: n = 16, 21%; contralateral breast: n = 8, 10%; both breasts: n = 10, 13%). Mean follow-up for patients was 53.2 months. At last follow-up, most patients had no evidence of disease (n = 68, 88%), six patients (8%) had died of disease, 1 patient (1%) was alive with disease, and 2 patients (3%) had died of other causes. CONCLUSIONS For patients who need contralateral reduction mammoplasty or mastopexy for symmetry, performing these procedures and breast reconstruction simultaneously facilitates single-stage breast reconstruction in most patients.
The Design of an Instructional Cogeneration Laboratory

California State University, Sacramento has designed and constructed a cogeneration laboratory for the instruction of students in modern electrical generation. This facility serves about 100 senior level students per year. The major components are a 75 kW gas turbine generator, a waste heat boiler and a small absorption chiller. Future plans include the addition of a 50 kW steam turbine.The analytical design of this plant is described from concept to final layout with particular emphasis on cycle analysis, selection and sizing of components and instrumentation, and the layout of the equipment. A diagram showing the entire cycle on a scaled temperature entropy plot provides an interesting graphical interpretation of the plant’s operation. While the gas turbine has a relatively low pressure ratio of 3.3:1 and thus a low thermal efficiency, the addition of the other components improves the performance significantly.An aspect of the analysis of particular interest is relating the cooling of the chiller to an equivalent work term thus enabling the determination of an overall thermal efficiency. If all of the steam were to be used for cooling the plant efficiency would improve slightly from 10% for the turbine alone; when made equivalent to other types of refrigeration the improvement is more than 6%. When all of the steam is used in the proposed steam turbine the efficiency will improve to about 17%. Using the chiller to cool inlet air to the gas turbine—thus increasing performance—is discussed at length. Student use of the laboratory is discussed briefly.While the plant is quite small and intended for laboratory use, the design analysis is applicable to similar plants which might be used in remote locations, or as stand-by or peaking power supplies.© 1997 ASME
The Application of Chemically Modified Nucleotides on Antisense Oli-gonucleotides and Nucleic Acid Catalysts

In recent years, great progress has been made through the development of novel chemically modified nucleotides with improved properties, such as enhanced serum stability, higher target affinity and low toxicity, in the research of antisense oligonucleotides and nucleic acid catalysts. Nucleic acid catalysts are a novel tool in molecular biology, but its stability and activity in vivo need to be further improved. In this article, we review the latest advances in researches of the effects of chemically modified nucleotides on antisense oligonucleotides and nucleic acid catalysts.
Integrating Electrocatalytic 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural Oxidation and Hydrogen Production via Co–P-Derived Electrocatalysts

Electrocatalytic biomass valorization with renewable energy input represents a promising way to produce sustainable and nonfossil-based carbon products. Even more desirable is that the oxidative biomass upgrading can be integrated with H2 production in a single electrolyzer. Herein, we report that electrodeposited Co–P can act as competent electrocatalysts for 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) oxidation to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) at the anode and H2 production at the cathode simultaneously in alkaline media. When serving as a catalyst precursor on the anode, Co–P was able to achieve a current density of 20 mA/cm2 for HMF oxidation in 1.0 M KOH with 50 mM HMF at 1.38 V vs RHE, prior to the takeoff of the competing reaction, O2 evolution. Long-term chronoamperometry demonstrated a nearly 100% conversation of HMF and a ∼90% yield of FDCA. When HMF oxidation and H2 evolution were integrated in one electrolyzer with a Co–P/Co–P catalyst couple, the potential required to achieve a current density of 20 mA...
Inhibition linearizes firing rate responses in human motor units: implications for the role of persistent inward currents

Key points Motor neurons are the output neurons of the central nervous system and are responsible for controlling muscle contraction. When initially activated during voluntary contraction, firing rates of motor neurons increase steeply but then level out at modest rates. Activation of an intrinsic source of excitatory current at recruitment onset may underlie the initial steep increase in firing rate in motor neurons. We attempted to disable this intrinsic excitatory current by artificially activating an inhibitory reflex. When motor neuron activity was recorded while the inhibitory reflex was engaged, firing rates no longer increased steeply, suggesting that the intrinsic excitatory current was probably responsible for the initial sharp rise in motor neuron firing rate. Abstract During graded isometric contractions, motor unit (MU) firing rates increase steeply upon recruitment but then level off at modest rates even though muscle force continues to increase. The mechanisms underlying such firing behaviour are not known although activation of persistent inward currents (PICs) might be involved. PICs are intrinsic, voltage-dependent currents that activate strongly when motor neurons (MNs) are first recruited. Such activation might cause a sharp escalation in depolarizing current and underlie the steep initial rise in MU firing rate. Because PICs can be disabled with synaptic inhibition, we hypothesized that artificial activation of an inhibitory pathway might curb this initial steep rise in firing rate. To test this, human subjects performed slow triangular ramp contractions of the ankle dorsiflexors in the absence and presence of tonic synaptic inhibition delivered to tibialis anterior (TA) MNs by sural nerve stimulation. Firing rate profiles (expressed as a function of contraction force) of TA MUs recorded during these tasks were compared for control and stimulation conditions. Under control conditions, during the ascending phase of the triangular contractions, 93% of the firing rate profiles were best fitted by rising exponential functions. With stimulation, however, firing rate profiles were best fitted with linear functions or with less steeply rising exponentials. Firing rate profiles for the descending phases of the contractions were best fitted with linear functions for both control and stimulation conditions. These results seem consistent with the idea that PICs contribute to non-linear firing rate profiles during ascending but not descending phases of contractions.
Balanced numerical semigroups

We investigate the Frobenius number, genus, type, and minimal presentation of a class of numerical semigroups of embedding dimension 4 of the form \(S = \langle a_1, a_2, a_3, a_4 \rangle \) such that \(a_1 + a_4 = a_2 + a_3\). The investigation focuses on determining the Apery set of S with respect to the multiplicity.
The application of theory in medical anthropology: an introduction.

(1992). The application of theory in medical anthropology: An introduction. Medical Anthropology: Vol. 14, The Application of Theory in Medical Anthropology, pp. 1-8.
The Genus Leucozonia (Gastropoda: Fasciolariidae) in the Neogene of Tropical America

The fasciolariid neogastropod genus Leucozonia Gray, 1847, is represented in the Neogene of tropical America by four species: L. ocellata (Gmelin, 1791) from the Mare Formation (Late Pliocene) of Venezuela, not treated here; L. nassa (Gmelin, 1791), of which L. caribbeana Weisbord, 1962, from the Playa Grande Formation (Pleistocene) of Venezuela is a synonym; L. rhomboidea (Gabb, 1873 ) from the Gurabo Formation (Early Pliocene) of the Dominican Republic; and L. striatula, n. sp., from the Cercado and lower Gurabo formations (Late Miocene to Early Pliocene) of the Dominican Republic. Leucozonia rhomboidea closely resembles the Recent L. leucozonalis (Lamarck, 1822) from the northwestern Caribbean and an unnamed Recent species from the Brazilian island of Fernando de Noronha. Leucozonia striatula is very similar to the Recent L. brasiliana (d'Orbigny, 1841) from the Atlantic coasts of Central and South America.
Pharmacotherapy in Common Allergic Diseases

Allergic diseases are immunologically mediated hypersensitivity reactions that are increasing in prevalence throughout the world. Symptoms associated with allergic diseases can significantly affect one’s sense of well-being. Management of allergic diseases involves diagnostic testing to identify suspected allergens accompanied by subsequent avoidance measures and pharmacotherapy. Pharmacotherapy plays an important role in the control and alleviation of allergic symptoms, but does not cure the underlying allergy. Nevertheless, the use of medications in allergy treatment is an essential component of effective management of allergic disease and can greatly enhance one’s quality of life (WHO et al., 2002). A wide array of medications is available for the treatment of common allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, and asthma. Classes of medications recom- mended for use in allergic diseases are reviewed, and include antihistamines, leukotriene antagonists, mast cell stabilizers, corticosteroids, anticholinergics, and beta-agonists. Specific indications, mechanism of action, and potential side effects of these medications are discussed.
The lncRNA BORG Drives Breast Cancer Metastasis and Disease Recurrence

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as potent regulators of breast cancer development and progression, including the metastatic spread of disease. Through in silico and biological analyses, we identified a novel lncRNA, BMP/OP-Responsive Gene (BORG), whose expression directly correlates with aggressive breast cancer phenotypes, as well as with metastatic competence and disease recurrence in multiple clinical cohorts. Mechanistically, BORG elicits the metastatic outgrowth of latent breast cancer cells by promoting the localization and transcriptional repressive activity of TRIM28, which binds BORG and induces substantial alterations in carcinoma proliferation and survival. Moreover, inhibiting BORG expression in metastatic breast cancer cells impedes their metastatic colonization of the lungs of mice, implying that BORG acts as a novel driver of the genetic and epigenetic alterations that underlie the acquisition of metastatic and recurrent phenotypes by breast cancer cells.
Adversarial Meta-Learning

Meta-learning enables a model to learn from very limited data to undertake a new task. In this paper, we study the general meta-learning with adversarial samples. We present a meta-learning algorithm, ADML (ADversarial Meta-Learner), which leverages clean and adversarial samples to optimize the initialization of a learning model in an adversarial manner. ADML leads to the following desirable properties: 1) it turns out to be very effective even in the cases with only clean samples; 2) it is robust to adversarial samples, i.e., unlike other meta-learning algorithms, it only leads to a minor performance degradation when there are adversarial samples; 3) it sheds light on tackling the cases with limited and even contaminated samples. It has been shown by extensive experimental results that ADML outperforms several representative meta-learning algorithms in the cases involving adversarial samples generated by different attack mechanisms, on two widely-used image datasets, MiniImageNet and CIFAR100, in terms of both accuracy and robustness.
Determining Na+ transport number in Na2Si2O5 glass with Na concentration cell

Abstract Solid-state fast-ion conductors are a core class of functional materials for solid-state electrochemical cells such as batteries, sensors and fuel cells. The Na2Si2O5 glass has recently been reported as a potential intermediate-temperature Na+-conductor, but a direct evidence of its pure Na+ conduction is still lacking. We here show that the Na+ transport number of the Na2Si2O5 glass can be determined by the ratio of the measured open-circuit voltage to the theoretical Nernst potential of a Na-concentration cell. The Na-concentration cell is consisted of a Na2Si2O5 glass electrolyte and two two-phase reference electrodes of defined Na-chemical potentials, Na2ZrO3 + ZrO2 and NaAlO2 + Al2O3. The result explicitly suggests that the Na2Si2O5 glass is a pure Na+ conductor at
Antioxidant therapy does not ameliorate oxidative stress and inflammation in patients with end-stage renal disease.

Oxidative stress and inflammation are common manifestations and major mediators of cardiovascular and many other complications of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Oxidative stress and inflammation are intimately interrelated as each can cause the other. The present study tested the hypothesis that antioxidant therapy may alleviate oxidative stress and improve inflammation in ESRD patients. We studied 37 hemodialysis patients, of whom 20 were treated daily with a combination of vitamin E, 800 IU; vitamin C, 250 mg; vitamin B 6 , 100 mg; vitamin B 12 , 250 u.g; and folic acid, 10 mg; whereas 17 patients were given placebo for 8 weeks. Predialysis levels of f-2 isoprostane and protein carbonyl (markers of oxidative stress), C-reactive protein (CRP) and IL6 (markers/ mediators of inflammation) were measured prior to and at 4 and 8 weeks after the onset of therapy. Kt/V, predialysis and postdialysis blood pressure, blood hemoglobin, erythropoi-etin requirement, plasma ferritin and transferrin saturation, and nutritional indexes were similar among the 2 groups at baseline and remained virtually unchanged throughout the study period. Likewise, plasma f-2 isoprostane, protein car-bonyl, CRP, and IL-6 levels remained unchanged and were unaffected by antioxidant administration. In conclusion, the addition of a potent antioxidant cocktail to conventional vitamin supplements had no effect on severity of ESRD-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, hypertension, anemia, or nutritional disorders in hemodialysis patients. Thus, high doses of vitamins beyond the routinely prescribed vitamin supplements do not appear to be indicated in this population.
The Structure of Immunoglobulins and Immunoglobulin Genes

Immunoglobulins are members of that family of homologous proteins which includes the humoral antibodies. An antibody is a protein which appears in increased amounts in the body fluids of most vertebrates following the introduction of a foreign substance (antigen) into the body, and which is able to bind specifically to that antigen. In general, any protein which has not been in contact with the animal’s immune system during embryogenesis can act as an antigen, as will certain complex carbohydrates, lipids, or nucleic acids. Since each of these many different antigens appears able to elicit a different set of specific antibodies, the number of structurally different immunoglobulin molecules an animal is able to synthesize must be extremely large. The number of different antibodies a single animal can potentially make has not been experimentally determined, but estimates have ranged from several thousand to many million.
Prima Facie Generalizations

There are statements and judgements which, prima facie, are generalizations but whose truth we maintain in the face of exceptions. ‘A cheetah can outrun a man.’1 Hobbled, injured and drugged cheetahs are cheetahs. Not all of these can outrun any man. Thus, although it is true that a cheetah can outrun a man, it is also true that not all cheetahs can do so. Is this a consistent thing to say?
Eliminating the need for bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy in select patients with prostate cancer.

AbstractTo determine if the preoperative variables of serum prostate specific antigen (PSA), primary Gleason grade from the biopsy specimen and local clinical stage as determined from digital rectal examination can accurately predict the pelvic lymph node status in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer, we reviewed the medical records of 1,632 patients who underwent bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy at our institution between January 1988 and December 1991. Using logistic regression analysis, serum PSA was found to be the best predictor of pelvic lymph node metastases (p <0.0001). The predictive power of serum PSA could be enhanced considerably by taking into account the Gleason grade (p <0.001) and local clinical stage (p <0.001). A statistical model using all 3 variables was developed that allows the practicing urologist to estimate on an individual basis the probability of pelvic lymph node involvement. Using a conservative cutoff point of less than 3% as an acceptable false-negative rate, ...
A transient analysis of decomposition and erosion of concrete exposed to a surface heat flux

A simple approximation for predicting the concrete erosion rate and depth is derived based on the heat balance integral method for conduction with the time-dependent boundary conditions. The problem is considered a four-region model including separate, moving heat sinks at the boundaries due to endothermic decomposition reactions. Polynomial temperature profiles are assumed, and the results are compared with previous experimental data and other analytical solutions. Since the technique provides an approximate temperature distribution on the average, it does not give the real temperature evaluation but provides a simple prediction of the erosion rates and the depth of defaulted concrete in terms of the parameters that are important during the physical phenomena. Because of its simplicity and reliability, the model might be useful for the larger molten core/concrete interaction codes and aerosol generation models.
Handmade in Kenya

The dawn of the period of manufacture intrigued many 19th-century European thinkers. Cultural and technological consequences of economic changes that began as early as the 16th century in Europe are still being assimilated throughout the world. In many African nations, the manufacturing period is now beginning on a large scale. 1 The widespread cottage industries and diversified forms of rural production that characterized this period of Europe are, in some instances, just emerging in African communities.
Shear of an Isotropic Elastic Rectangular Block

The simple shear of a rectangular block is an example of an important class of universal deformations that can be achieved by any homogeneous isotropic elastic body subject to surface tractions alone. Such universal deformations play an important role in experimental studies of materials. The analysis of simple shear for the isotropic elastic material is due mainly to Rivlin (1948a); our presentation follows Truesdeell & Noll (1965).
Development of Prefrontal Cortical Connectivity and the Enduring Effect of Learned Value on Cognitive Control.

Inhibitory control, the capacity to suppress an inappropriate response, is a process employed for guiding action selection in the service of goal-directed behavior. Under neutral circumstances, inhibitory control success improves from childhood to adulthood and has been associated with developmental shifts in functional activation and connectivity of the pFC. However, the ability to exercise inhibitory control is challenged in certain contexts by including appetitive cues, a phenomenon that may be particularly pronounced in youths. Here, we examine the magnitude and temporal persistence of learned value's influence on inhibitory control in a cross-sectional sample of 8- to 25-year-olds. Participants first underwent conditioning of a motor approach response to two initially neutral cues, with one cue reinforced with monetary reward and the other with no monetary outcome. Subsequently, during fMRI, participants reencountered these cues as no-go targets in a nonreinforced go/no-go paradigm. Although the inf...
Net Job Creation in an Increasingly Autonomous Economy: The Challenge of a Generation:

One of the world’s most pressing concerns in the next few decades will be job creation. The biggest cause for concern may be the accelerating advances in technology radically reducing the human rol...
Diagenetic controls on the isotopic composition of carbonate‐associated sulphate in the Permian Capitan Reef Complex, West Texas

Late Palaeozoic‐age strata from the Capitan Reef in west Texas show facies‐dependent heterogeneity in the sulphur isotopic composition of carbonate‐associated sulphate, which is trace sulphate incorporated into carbonate minerals that is often used to reconstruct the sulphur isotopic composition of ancient seawater. However, diagenetic pore fluid processes may influence the sulphur isotopic composition of carbonate‐associated sulphate. These processes variously modify the sulphur isotopic composition of incorporated sulphate from syndepositional seawater in shelf crest, outer shelf, shelf margin and slope depositional settings. This study used a new multicollector inductively‐coupled plasma mass spectrometry technique to determine the sulphur isotopic composition of samples of individual depositional and diagenetic textures. Carbonate rocks representing peritidal facies in the Yates and Tansill formations preserve the sulphur isotopic composition of Guadalupian seawater sulphate despite alteration of the carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions by meteoric and dolomitizing diagenetic processes. However, sulphur isotopic data indicate that limestones deposited in reef and slope facies in the Capitan and Bell Canyon formations largely incorporate sulphate from anoxic marine‐phreatic pore fluids isotopically modified from seawater by microbial sulphate reduction, despite generally preserving the carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions of Permian seawater. Some early and all late meteoric calcite cements have carbonate‐associated sulphate with sulphur isotopic compositions distinct from that of Permian seawater. Detailed petrographic and sedimentary context for carbonate‐associated sulphate analyses will allow for improved reconstructions of ancient seawater composition and diagenetic conditions in ancient carbonate platforms. The results of this study indicate that carbonate rocks that diagenetically stabilize in high‐energy environments without pore fluid sulphate gradients can provide a robust archive of ancient seawater's sulphur isotopic composition.
Complete response of renal cell carcinoma vena cava tumor thrombus to neoadjuvant immunotherapy

Clinically localized renal cell carcinoma is treated primarily with surgery followed by observation or adjuvant sunitinib in selected high-risk patients. The checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapeutic agents nivolumab and ipilimumab have recently shown a survival benefit in the first-line metastatic setting. To date, there have been no reports on the response of localized renal cancer to modern immunotherapy. We report a remarkable response of an advanced tumor thrombus to combined immunotherapy which facilitated curative-intent resection of the non-responding primary renal tumor. We characterized the tumor microenvironment within the responding and non-responding tumors. A 54-year-old female was diagnosed with a locally advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma with a level IV tumor thrombus of the vena cava. She was initially deemed unfit for surgical resection due to poor performance status. She underwent neoadjuvant immunotherapy with nivolumab and ipilimumab with a complete response of the vena cava and renal vein tumor thrombus, but had stable disease within her renal mass. She underwent complete surgical resection with negative margins and remains disease-free longer than 1 year after her diagnosis with no further systemic therapy. Notably, pathologic analysis showed a complete response within the vena cava and renal vein, but substantial viable cancer remained in the kidney. Multichannel immunofluorescence was performed and showed marked infiltration of immune cells including CD8+ T cells and Batf3+ dendritic cells in the thrombus, while the residual renal tumor showed a non-T cell-inflamed phenotype. Preoperative immunotherapy with nivolumab and ipilimumab for locally advanced clear cell renal cancer resulted in a complete response of an extensive vena cava tumor thrombus, which enabled curative-intent resection of a non-responding primary tumor. If validated in larger cohorts, preoperative immunotherapy for locally advanced renal cell carcinoma may ultimately impact surgical planning and long-term prognosis.
Manganese Oxide Catalyzed Hydrolysis of Polyphosphates

Polyphosphate (polyP) is a group of important phosphorus (P) species that plays critical roles in the marine P cycle and potentially mediates phosphorus (P) burial in sediments. Revealing the trans...
If We Build It, Will They Come? Challenges of Adapting and Implementing a Smoking Cessation Program for the LGBTQ Community in Southcentral Texas:

Studies indicate that tobacco use among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ) community members is consistently higher than the general population. The Last Drag is a tobacco cessation program developed and implemented in 1991 in San Francisco, California, that has shown promise in assisting LGBTQ members with tobacco cessation. This article describes the practical challenges of adapting The Last Drag to be implemented in a southcentral Texas community. Primary challenges included short time line to expected implementation, issues with culturally insensitive language, and barriers to participant recruitment. Acknowledging and overcoming these challenges can assist public health educators who are addressing tobacco cessation in LGBTQ populations.
Experimental Evaluation of Full-Scale Corroded Steel Plate Girders Repaired with UHPC

AbstractDeterioration of girder ends has emerged as a major issue for steel bridges with deck joints. The goal of this study was to evaluate the full-scale performance of a newly proposed repair me...
Prospective trial of nivolumab (Nivo) plus radium-223 (RA) in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) evaluating circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) levels as a biomarker of response.

TPS267Background: RA is a calcium-mimetic radiopharmaceutical emitter of alpha particles that has been approved for treatment of mCRPC. Radiation plus checkpoint inhibitors has demonstrated promisi...
E-075 Impact of coagulation disorders on short-term in-hospital outcomes in patients undergoing spinal fusion procedures

Background Spinal fusion is a surgical procedure utilized to treat or alleviate several spinal diagnoses including: tumor, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, scoliosis, and spondylolisthesis. Previous studies have explored clinical outcomes for this intervention. This study aims to further investigate short-term outcomes of patients after spinal fusion by looking at the impact of coagulation disorders. Methods This retrospective cohort study utilized data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) to identify adult patients (18+) from 2012–2015 who underwent spinal fusion. ICD-9 codes identified these patients; specifically patients diagnosed with a coagulation disorder. Any patients missing important clinical identifiers (age, gender, cause of death) and patients without spinal fusion intervention were excluded. Data analyses assessed hospital length of stay (LOS), inpatient charges, average age of admission and mortality rate. Results Of the 290,752 patients that underwent spinal fusion procedure, 182 had the diagnosis of a coagulation disorder (CD): Mean mortality rate of patients was significantly increased (4.9%, CD vs. 0.6% no CD, p = 0.0001) LOS in patients with CD who underwent spinal fusion was significantly increased (12.87 days, CD vs. 4.02 days, no CD, p = 0.0001) Total hospital charges were significantly increased ($289,377.06, CD vs. 98,232.87, no CD, p = 0.0001) Mean age of patients at admission was significantly increased (60.68 years, CD vs. 57.69 years, no CD, p = 0.008) Conclusion Patients with coagulation disorders who undergo a spinal fusion procedure suffer from increased mortality rate, LOS, total hospital charges, and age at admission. This study aims to provide physicians with information in the management of patients with coagulation disorders that undergo spinal fusion procedures. Peri-procedural patient optimization could provide a potential avenue to lower LOS, total in-hospital charges, and mortality in patients. Disclosures T. Colburn: None. K. Tong: None. A. Wang-Selfridge: None. B. Wright: None.