cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Seasonal Oviposition of a Western Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Variant in East Central Illinois Commercial Maize and Soybean Fields

Abstract Three different on-farm sites in east central Illinois (Iroquois County), each containing a commercial production maize and soybean field, were sampled for variant western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, eggs from June 1999 through September 2001. Egg densities of D. v. virgifera eggs were determined at the 0.0- to 10- and 10- to 20-cm depths in these fields. Total mean egg densities of D. v. virgifera were significantly greater in soybean (0.42 and 0.57 eggs/0.47 liter) than in maize (0.27 and 0.29 eggs/0.47 liter) in 1999 and 2001, respectively. However, in 2000, there was no significant difference in the numbers of eggs in maize (0.43 eggs/0.47 liter) and soybean (0.52 eggs/0.47 liter). Most D. v. virgifera eggs were found in the 0.0- to 10.0-cm depth in both maize and soybean in 1999, 2000, and 2001. Oviposition was ≈50% complete by 28 and 28 July and 1 August in maize and by 31 and 30 July and and 10 August in soybean fields from 1999 through 2001, respectively. Ovipos...
Nutrition in Tari.

SUMMARY The growth of children in Tari is poorer than the growth of children in two-thirds of the highlands districts of Papua New Guinea. The important proximal determinants of these levels of growth in Tari are birthweight, food and nutrient intake and disease episodes. Birthweights in Tari are lower than in a number of other highlands centres and this is likely to be an important determinant of postnatal growth and disease, particularly for those whose birthweights are below 2500g. The overall effect of child feeding practices in Tari is that energy and protein intakes may be marginal after the first few months of life and contribute to the low levels of growth. Episodes of illness (young children experience an average of 4 episodes in the first year) decrease nutrient intake and increase nutrient requirements; this, combined with the failure to increase food intake during the convalescent period, means that the overall result of an episode of disease is a decrease in growth. There are functional consequences of this pattern of growth in Tari: low-birthweight children and those who are malnourished have a higher mortality rate than those of normal birthweight and growth, and short children have delays in achieving gross motor development milestones.
Stock Prices And Macroeconomic Data

This paper examined the relationship between the total return on the S&P 500 index and various macroeconomic variables. The independent variables were the growth rates of corporate earnings, G.N.P., money supply (M1), S&P dividend yield, seasonally adjusted C.P.I., U.S. T-Bills (3 months), and the U.S. treasury composite. The 1968-1987 period was researched using time lags of zero to four quarters. In addition, the total S&P 500 total return and the growth rate of corporate earnings were studied for the 1973-1987 and the 1981-1987 periods utilizing zero to one year time lags. This study has shown that for the period 1968 through 1987, there was no significant relationship (.05 level) between macroeconomic data and the total return on the S&P 500 index with one exception. The exception was dividend yield using a six month time lag. This is consistent with past research that has shown a relationship between dividend yield and total return. When the growth rate of earnings was singled out, a negative relationship was found from 1973-1987 and from 1981-1987. This is a surprising result and is inconsistent with long term studies which support a consistent and significant relationship. The results show that for these periods, it would have been a futile exercise for professional managers to study and attempt to predict future economic data. Predicting the future is an impossible task with a consistent degree of accuracy, but this study indicates that even it if could have been done from 1968-1987, that it would not have guaranteed superior stock market results. If no relationship exists, then is it cost effective not to study the variables? This study discourages a market timing investment approach.
Pleural Small Cell Lung Carcinoma: An Unusual Culprit in Pleural Effusion

Patient: Male, 77 Final Diagnosis: Pleural small cell carcinoma Symptoms: Chest pain • shortness of breath Medication: — Clinical Procedure: Thoracocentesis Specialty: Pulmonology Objective: Rare disease
What Kinds of Places Attract and Sustain Amish Populations

The Amish are one of the fastest growing ethnoreligious groups in rural America. They are not only growing in historic settlements but are also starting new settlements. This study synthesizes and tests hypotheses about Amish migration destinations and settlement sustainability. Specifically, hypotheses address factors related to population, agriculture, and proximity to other Amish. Findings suggest that the locations Amish settle have several defining characteristics including: low population density, nonmetropolitan county designation, context conducive to small-scale farming (e.g., low farm acreage price, moderately rolling hills), vicinity to a small commercial center, low to negative population growth, and proximity to an existing Amish settlement. Some characteristics are showing increasing flexibility, such as a small-scale farming context and proximity to a commercial center. Conversely, settling in areas with a growing population or at a distance from another Amish settlement contributes to a higher likelihood of community dissolution.
Metacarpophalangeal-joint dislocations of the fingers.

1. Four cases of metacarpophalangeal dislocations of the fingers are presented. 2. The trapping elements of the little-finger dislocation are described. 3. With the techique described, open reduction is easy and the reduction is stable and does not require transfixation of the joint. 4. Dislocations of the fifth metacarpophalangeal joint, which cannot be reduced by closed means, can be reduced by open means by a volar approach that avoids blind transection of the fibrocartilaginous plate.
Relative Potency as a Means of Evaluating ELF Health Risks

In the 1970’s, a variety of developments took place to heighten public and scientific interest in electromagnetic fields. Examples include the microwave beaming of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, the U.S. Navy’s large low-frequency antenna project (Project Sanguine), the intense magnetic fields used in proposed magnetic fusion reactors and the attempt by utilities to utilize very high voltage transmission lines to enhance conservation. During this time, biological studies of nonionizing electromagnetic fields were taking place, but no clear evidence of risks to public health was identified. Then came the surprising epidemiological finding of Wertheimer and Leeper (1979) suggesting that 60 Hz magnetic fields may be related to some childhood leukemias. Our particular interest at ORNL was how to interpret the available data with respect to human exposures to the nearly ubiquitous fields.
Current concepts: diagnosis and management of food allergy in children.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Advances in the prevention and treatment of food allergy have been published in the last few years and are placed in context using a review format. RECENT FINDINGS Preventing food allergy has been studied for years with questions of whether avoidance or exposure was a better strategy. Recent research has suggested that peanut allergy can be substantially reduced in high-risk infants through intentional oral exposure. For children with food allergy, the primary treatment remains avoidance, but controlled trials have shown some success with oral immunotherapy and sublingual immunotherapy. SUMMARY Providers who see children with food allergies should be aware of the newer recommendations of preventing peanut allergy and the emerging therapies for children with immunoglobulin E-mediated food allergy.
Photonic Crystal Tapers for Coupling Large Ridge Waveguides to Photonic Crystal Waveguides

We present a study of various photonic crystal taper structures each characterized by the taper angle and roughness for coupling light into 2-dimensional photonic crystal waveguides from large ridge waveguides. The photonic crystal waveguide is made of a triangular lattice of holes in a dielectric. The objective is to find a taper structure that offers the best coupling efficiency over a range of widths of the ridge waveguide while leaving a small footprint. We show that such a structure indeed exists and can be further optimized as the width of the ridge waveguide gets even larger leading to more than 90% increase in coupling efficiency in some cases.
Review: Albert Speer: Architecture 1932–1942, by Léon Krier

Leon Krier Albert Speer: Architecture 1932–1942 New York: Monacelli Press, 2013, 251 pp., 7 color and 343 b/w illus. $75 (cloth), ISBN 9781580933544 Leon Krier's Albert Speer: Architecture 1932–1942 is an elaborate concoction, lavishly produced, a pastiche of materials published at different times and in different places. It contains the collection of images of Albert Speer's buildings and projects that Speer himself published in Germany in 1978; photographs of Speer buildings from other sources; a “facsimile” of an earlier book of 1985 by Leon Krier with the same title, published in Brussels in French and English; sections from articles by Krier published in American and English magazines in the 1980s; an essay by Lars Olof Larsson from 1978 about neoclassicism in the twentieth century; and a short piece by Speer on the significance of his architectural work, published in 1978 and here translated (not very well) from the original German. A foreword by Robert Stern, dean of the Yale School of Architecture, begins the volume. Its title notwithstanding, this is not really a book about Speer. It includes no thorough discussion of Speer's career and conveys no awareness of the vast scholarship published since the mid-1980s that analyzes not only Nazi architecture but also the character of Hitler's dictatorship and Speer's role within it. Instead, the book offers a series of ruminations about neoclassical architecture in the twentieth century and about how modernism has undermined its influence. Krier equates modernism with a worship of new technologies, an eagerness to drain the environment of all its resources in order to create ever-taller buildings, and the building of ever-larger and more unworkable cities. Neoclassicism, he says, with its respect for order and workmanship, and for modest but workable towns and cities, provides the necessary corrective to the evils of modern technology and modern architecture. (Krier is a “postmodern” architect, a proponent of “new urbanism,” and the planner of Prince Charles's New Town, Poundbury.) Krier blames …
Developmental changes in reperfusion injury. Comparison of intracellular ion accumulation in ischemic and cardioplegic arrest.

Developmental differences in ischemic and potassium cardioplegic arrest were evaluated in newborn (birth to 7 day old) and adult (6 to 12 month old) New Zealand white rabbit hearts isolated and perfused by Langendorff’s method. An extracellular space washout technique was used to measure intracellular sodium and calcium in the two age groups after ischemia alone, after normothermic and hypothermic cardioplegia, and after cardioplegia with reperfusion. Although the intracellular ionic contents of nonreperfused adult hearts after 30 and 40 minutes of ischemia were identical, there was a twofold elevation in intracellular sodium level after 40 minutes of ischemia in the newborn hearts. Adult hearts arrested by normothermic potassium cardioplegia demonstrated no alteration in the intracellular ionic content, whereas in the newborn hearts, potassium cardioplegia produced excess intracellular calcium loading before reperfusion, which was greater than that occurring with ischemia alone. When hypothermia (12° C) was combined with cardioplegic arrest, a prereperfusion influx of sodium and calcium was not observed in the newborn hearts, and ionic reperfusion injury was blunted in both newborn and adult hearts. These studies demonstrate that the newborn heart is more susceptible than the adult to both ischemia and cardioplegia. This may be due to age-dependent differences in transmembrane passive diffusion, sodium/calcium exchange, or calcium slow channel properties and suggests alternative myocardial protective strategies for the newborn infant.
Statistical Methodology and Results

In the preceding chapters, I have argued that the justices of the US Supreme Court are likely to take into account a variety of factors as they decide the free expression cases: content-neutrality, their own political attitudes, the level of government that is party to the case or participates as a friend of the court (amicus curiae), the identity of the speaker and the type of legal action taken against the speaker. How can these factors be measured and modeled in a theoretically and statistically meaningful way? Do these factors actually matter? And how much do they matter? These are the questions to which I now turn.
Abstract 3754: Pre-clinical studies of a highly potent folate receptor targeted DNA crosslinking agent

Folate receptor (FR) targeted small molecule drug conjugates (SMDC) have shown promising results in early stage clinical trials with Vintafolide and EC1456. In our effort to develop FR targeted SMDCs with varying mechanisms of action, we have now built a folate conjugate of a DNA crosslinking agent based on a novel DNA-alkylating moiety. This agent was found to be extremely potent with an in vitro IC50 ∼ 100 x lower than any other folate SMDC we have created to date. Treatment of nude mice bearing FR positive human xenografts led to cures in 100% of the mice at very low doses (> 500 nmol/kg) and a convenient once a week schedule. The observed activity was not accompanied by any noticeable weight loss (up to 20 weeks post end of dosing) or major organ tissue degeneration. In contrast, no significant anti-tumor activity (0% CR’s) was observed in treated animals that were co-dosed with an excess of a benign folate ligand, thus demonstrating its target-specific activity. Complete responses were also observed in other FR positive drug resistant (paclitaxel and cisplatin) models. Taken together, these studies demonstrated that this SMDC with a distinct DNA reacting mechanism has significant anti-tumor growth activity and tolerability, thus lending support to future clinical development of this novel FR-targeted agent. Citation Format: Joseph A. Reddy, Melissa Nelson, Theresa Johnson, Christina Dirksen, Marilynn Vetzel, Spencer Hahn, LongWu Qi, Iontcho Vlahov, Christopher Leamon. Pre-clinical studies of a highly potent folate receptor targeted DNA crosslinking agent. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3754.
Detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology and Hf isotope geochemistry of Paleozoic and Triassic passive margin strata of western North America

U-Pb geochronologic and Hf isotopic analyses have been conducted on detrital zircons extracted from 36 samples of Neoproterozoic through Triassic passive margin strata from western North America. The data serve as an improved reference for comparison with inboard strata that accumulated on the North American craton and outboard strata belonging to potentially displaced Cordilleran terranes. As expected, this reference documents significant variations in ages and Hf isotope compositions both north-south and also through time. The data also provide insights into the provenance of Cordilleran passive margin strata. During Neoproterozoic, Cambrian, and Early–Middle Devonian time, most grains were shed from relatively local basement rocks and from Mesoproterozoic clastic strata containing 1.2–1.0 Ga grains that originated in the Grenville orogen. This pattern was interrupted during Ordovician time, when much of the Cordilleran margin was blanketed by detritus shed from the northern Canadian Shield. Beginning in Late Devonian time, and continuing through late Paleozoic and Triassic time, most regions were dominated by locally derived detritus (largely recycled from underlying strata), but also received 0.7–0.4 Ga grains that were shed from the Franklinian, Caledonian, Appalachian, and Ouachita-Marathon orogens. This pattern is complicated in southern transects as a result of mid-Paleozoic emplacement of off-shelf assemblages onto the continental margin (e.g., Antler orogeny) and construction of Permo-Triassic magmatic arcs along the margin. Our data also provide a robust record of the crustal evolution of western North America, with significant production of juvenile crust during late Archean (3.0–2.5 Ga) and Paleoproterozoic (1.78–1.6 Ga) time and phases of mainly crustal reworking at 2.0–1.78, 1.5–1.3, 1.2–1.0, and 0.6–0.2 Ga. This history is somewhat different from that of other continents, with western Laurentia comprising a greater overall proportion of juvenile crust, punctuated by greater degrees of crustal reworking between 2.2 and 1.78 Ga and 0.3–0.2 Ga.
Solid-phase extraction microfluidic devices for matrix removal in trace element assay of actinide materials

Advances in sample nebulization and injection technology have significantly reduced the volume of solution required for trace impurity analysis in plutonium and uranium materials. Correspondingly, we have designed and tested a novel chip-based microfluidic platform, containing a 100-µL or 20-µL solid-phase microextraction column, packed by centrifugation, which supports nuclear material mass and solution volume reductions of 90% or more compared to standard methods. Quantitative recovery of 28 trace elements in uranium was demonstrated using a UTEVA chromatographic resin column, and trace element recovery from thorium (a surrogate for plutonium) was similarly demonstrated using anion exchange resin AG MP-1. Of nine materials tested, compatibility of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) chips with the strong nitric acid media was highest. The microcolumns can be incorporated into a variety of devices and systems, and can be loaded with other solid-phase resins for trace element assay in high-purity metals.
Fatal Familial Insomnia and Familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: A Tale of Two Diseases with the Same Genetic Mutation

Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI) is a new entry into the group of the prion diseases (MEDORI et al. 1992). FFI is characterized clinically by marked decrease or loss of ability to sleep, dysautonomia and motor signs, and pathologically by preferential atrophy of thalamic nuclei (GAMBETTI et al. 1993). FFI is linked to a mutation a codon 178 of the prion protein gene (PRNP) resulting in the substitution of aspartic acid with asparagine (D178N) (MEDORI et al. 1992).
Using the critical incident technique to measure long-term outcomes of interprofessional education.

ABSTRACTThere is a critical need to develop methods that capture long-term trainee outcomes and link these outcomes to interprofessional education (IPE) to establish the value added from IPE. This article describes the use of the critical incident technique (CIT) to evaluate long-term trainee outcomes attributed to IPE. Critical incidents (CIs) are specific examples of behaviours that occurred within the recent past. Trainees of an IPE programme (n = 24) were interviewed using CIT. Across the trainees, 41 CIs were reported, of which 9 were collapsed due to similarity in theme. A final total of 32 CIs were mapped along the Kirkpatrick/Barr Model of Learner Outcomes. The mapping process revealed that all of the CIs reported described incidents at Levels 3, 4a, and 4b, indicating changes in trainees’ own professional behaviour and improvements in patient outcomes related to their IPE experience. Implications for evaluating IPE using the CIT method are discussed.
Design of controlled current AC drive systems using transfer function techniques

Summary A dynamic linearized model and the associated equivalent circuit for a controlled current induction motor are presented. The controlled variables of interest are identified and open-loop transfer functions are tabulated. Openloop operation is shown to be inherently unstable for all operating conditions. Feedback control is used to stabilize the system while simultaneously yielding the desired steady state characteristics. Transfer function techniques are used to synthesize the necessary slip, current, and speed control loops for two closed loop speed control strategies.
Hand Gestures and Verbal Acknowledgments Improve Human-Robot Rapport

Enhancing the rapport between the human and the robot will be an essential element in successfully developing robotic assistants, especially ones working in our homes. We use a personality survey task to assess how humans initially perceive rapport between themselves and a robot. Robots administering the survey presented relational behaviors designed to improve human-robot rapport. Participants preferred it when the robot provided verbal acknowledgments or was more engaging, such as when the robot supplemented its speech with iconic gestures.
Drop-on-demand printed microfluidics device with sensing electrodes using silver and PDMS reactive inks

For this work, a cure-in-place polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) reactive ink was developed and its utility demonstrated by printing a complete microfluidic mixer with integrated electrodes to measure fluid conductivity, concentration, and mixing completeness. First, a parameter-space investigation was conducted to generate a set of PDMS inks and printing parameters compatible with drop-on-demand (DOD) printing constraints. Next, a microfluidic mixer was fabricated using DOD-printed silver reactive inks, PDMS reactive inks, and a low-temperature polyethylene glycol fugitive ink. Lastly, the device was calibrated and tested using NaCl solutions with concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 1.0 M to show that electrolyte concentration and mixing completeness can be accurately measured. Overall, this work demonstrates a set of reactive inks and processes to fabricate sophisticated microfluidic devices using low-cost inks and DOD printing techniques.
Non-Group 1 Pulmonary Hypertension Associated With Systemic Sclerosis: An Under-studied Patient Population

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a heterogeneous disorder that results in multiorgan dysfunction. The most common pulmonary manifestations are pulmonary hypertension (PH) and interstitial lung disease (ILD). Systemic sclerosis may be complicated by World Health Organization (WHO) Group 1 PH (SSc-PAH), which is the most well-studied subtype. The PH associated with SSc may also be secondary to underlying left heart disease (SSc-PH-LHD) or ILD (SSc-PH-ILD), and these subgroups are classified as WHO Group 2 and Group 3 PH, respectively. These non-WHO Group 1 PH subsets are notoriously under-studied. Available data suggest that the impact of PH-specific therapy in SSc-PH-LHD and SSc-PH-ILD is limited and survival is poor despite attempted treatment. Implication for clinicians: Most research and clinical trials surrounding PH in SSc have thus far focused on WHO Group 1 SSc-PAH. There are limited data surrounding therapeutic options for WHO Group 2 (SSc-PH-LHD) and Group 3 PH (SSc-PH-ILD) phenotypes. This...
Mammary Cancer in Rats

There is clearly a need for a useful, practical rat model of mammary carcinogenesis, not only to produce invasive, autochthonous tumors that can be used for screening of new agents for treatment of advanced disease, but also for evaluation of new agents for chemoprevention of breast cancer. This latter approach to the control of breast cancer has seen major clinical advances in the past few years, with the demonstration of the clinical efficacy of three agents—namely tamoxifen, raloxifene, and fenretinide—in chemoprevention of breast cancer in selected groups of women at high risk for development of disease (1–3). These experimental clinical trials in chemoprevention have been extremely costly to perform, since they have involved the administration of these drugs to thousands of women over a period of many years. It is therefore of the utmost importance to be certain that there is a strong preclinical rationale for the use of a new chemopreventive agent before it is introduced into clinical trials. We have seen the disaster that has resulted from the large clinical trials that attempted to use β-carotene to prevent cancer before there was any strong evidence that this agent was truly an effective chemopreventive agent in experimental animals. Hopefully, this same mistake will not be repeated in the future with newer agents.
Increased Incidence of Pseudoaneurysm Bleeding With Lumen-Apposing Metal Stents Compared to Double-Pigtail Plastic Stents in Patients With Peripancreatic Fluid Collections

Background & Aims There have been few studies that compared the effects of lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS) and double-pigtail plastic stents (DPS) in patients with peripancreatic fluid collections from pancreatitis. We aimed to compare technical and clinical success and adverse events in patients who received LAMS vs DPS for pancreatic pseudocysts and walled-off necrosis. Methods We performed a retrospective study of endoscopic ultrasound–mediated drainage in 149 patients (65% male; mean age, 47 y) with pancreatic pseudocysts or walled-off necrosis (97 received LAMS and 152 received DPS), from January 2011 through September 2016 at a single center. We collected data on patient characteristics, outcomes, hospitalizations, and imaging findings. Technical success was defined as LAMS insertion or a minimum of 2 DPS. Clinical success was defined as resolution of pancreatic pseudocysts or walled-off necrosis based on imaging results. The primary outcome was resolution of peripancreatic fluid collection with reduced abdominal pain or obstructive signs or symptoms. Secondary outcomes included the identification and management of adverse events, number of additional procedures required to resolve fluid collection, and the recurrence of fluid collection. Results Patients who received LAMS had larger peripancreatic fluid collections than patients who received DPS prior to intervention ( P = .001), and underwent an average 1.7 interventions vs 1.9 interventions for patients who received DPS ( P = .93). Technical success was achieved for 90 patients with LAMS (92.8%) vs 137 patients with DPS (90.1%) (odds ratio [OR] for success with DPS, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.33–2.0; P = .67). Despite larger fluid collections in the LAMS group, there was no significant difference in proportions of patients with clinical success following placement of LAMS (82 of 84 patients, 97.6%) vs DPS (118 of 122 patients, 96.7%) (OR for clinical success with DPS, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.13–4.0; P = .71). Adverse events developed in 24 patients who received LAMS (24.7%) vs 27 patients who received DPS (17.8%) (OR for an adverse event in a patient receiving a DPS, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.33–2.0; P = .67). However, patients with LAMS had a higher risk of pseudoaneurysm bleeding than patients with DPS (OR, 10.0; 95% CI, 1.19–84.6; P = .009). Conclusions In a retrospective study of patients undergoing drainage of pancreatic pseudocysts or walled-off necrosis, we found LAMS and DPS to have comparable rates of technical and clinical success and adverse events. Drainage of walled-off necrosis or pancreatic pseudocysts using DPS was associated with fewer bleeding events overall, including pseudoaneurysm bleeding, but bleeding risk with LAMS should be weighed against the trend of higher actionable perforation and infection rates with DPS.
Analog Optical Signaling for Large Scale Radio Telescopes in Harsh Environments

We present optical analog signaling technologies, developed specifically for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). SKA will be the world's largest radio telescope when finished, combining thousands of antennas installed in remote and harsh environments.
Examining Population Differences in Within-Person Variability in Longitudinal Designs Using Latent Variable Modeling: An Application to the Study of Cognitive Functioning of Older Adults.

Longitudinal studies have steadily grown in popularity across the educational and behavioral sciences, particularly with the increased availability of technological devices that allow the easy coll...
Fifty-Year Incidence of Waldenström Macroglobulinemia in Olmsted County, Minnesota, From 1961 Through 2010: A Population-Based Study With Complete Case Capture and Hematopathologic Review

Abstract Objective To determine the incidence of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM) in a strictly defined geographic area over a 50-year period. Patients and Methods All residents of Olmsted County with a diagnosis of WM, consisting of a monoclonal IgM protein of any size and/or 10% or more lymphoplasmacytic infiltration of the bone marrow along with anemia, constitutional symptoms, hyperviscosity, lymphadenopathy, or hepatosplenomegaly requiring therapy, were identified from January 1, 1961, to December 31, 2010. Patients with smoldering WM, lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma with an IgG or IgA monoclonal protein, and those with an IgM monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance were excluded. The peripheral blood smears, bone marrow aspirates, and biopsy specimens were reviewed by an experienced hematopathologist. Results Twenty-two patients were identified as having WM. The age-adjusted incidence rate for males was 0.92 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI, 0.44-1.39 per 100,000 person-years) and for females was 0.30 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI, 0.08-0.53 per 100,000 person-years) with an age- and sex-adjusted incidence of 0.57 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI, 0.33-0.81 per 100,000 person-years). When evaluated using a smoothing spline, there was no convincing evidence for a change in the incidence of WM over the past 50 years. Patients diagnosed with WM after 2000 had an approximately 2-fold excess mortality compared with the expected population mortality (standardized mortality ratio, 2.4; 95% CI, 0.64-6.0). Conclusion Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia is a rare malignancy, and the incidence in Olmsted County, Minnesota, has shown virtually no change over the past 50 years.
Sequential estimation of distributed parameters in networks

The problem of estimating a set of unknown parameters in a multi-agent network is considered. Each agent can make noisy observations from a subset of the unknown parameters, and different agents can potentially observe common parameters. The objective of each agent is to estimate its observed unknown parameters. This paper focuses on sequentially estimating the parameters such that, in the quickest fashion, all the agents form reliable estimates for their designated parameters. A proper estimation cost function is adopted in order to signify the fidelity of the estimates to the ground truth, and to ensure consistency in the estimates of different agents. By imposing practical constraints on the number of data points that the network affords to process, the sequential strategy dynamically decides about the minimum number of measurements required to form reliable estimates, the agents from which these measurements should be collected, and the optimal estimators for each agent. Specifically, a sequential strategy is proposed, which consists of the stopping rule of the sampling process, a data-adaptive control policy for selecting the agents over time, and a set of estimators, combination of which admits asymptotic optimality.
What a medical school chair wants from the dean

Economic pressure has led the evolution of the role of the medical school dean from a clinician educator to a health care system executive. In addition, other dynamic requirements also have likely led to changes in their leadership characteristics. The most important relationship a dean has is with the chairs, yet in the context of the dean's changing role, little attention has been paid to this relationship. To frame this discussion, we asked medical school chairs what characteristics of a dean's leadership were most beneficial. We distributed a 26-question survey to 885 clinical and basic science chairs at 41 medical schools. These chairs were confidentially surveyed on their views of six leadership areas: evaluation, barriers to productivity, communication, accountability, crisis management, and organizational values. Of the 491 chairs who responded (response rate =55%), 88% thought that their dean was effective at leading the organization, and 89% enjoyed working with their dean. Chairs indicated that the most important area of expertise of a dean is to define a strategic vision, and the most important value for a dean is integrity between words and deeds. Explaining the reasons behind decisions, providing good feedback, admitting errors, open discussion of complex or awkward topics, and skill in improving relations with the teaching hospital were judged as desirable attributes of a dean. Interestingly, only 23% of chairs want to be a dean in the future. Financial acumen was the least important skill a chair thought a dean should hold, which is in contrast to the skill set for which many deans are hired and evaluated. After reviewing the literature and analyzing these responses, we assert that medical school chairs want their dean to maintain more traditional leadership than that needed by a health care system executive, such as articulating a vision for the future and keeping their promises. Thus, there appears to be a mismatch between what medical school chairs perceive they need from their dean and how the success of a dean is evaluated.
Element Selection of Three-Dimensional Objects in Virtual Reality

The manipulation of three dimensional objects is vital to fields such as engineering and architecture, but understanding 3D models from images on 2D screens takes years of experience. Virtual reality offers a powerful tool for the observation and manipulation of 3D objects by giving its users a sense of depth perception and the ability to reach through objects. To understand specific pain points in 2D CAD software, we conducted interviews and a survey of students and professionals with experience using CAD software. We narrowed in on the ability to select interior or obscured elements, and created a VR prototype allowing users to do so. Our usability tests found that compared to 2D software, VR was easier to use, more intuitive, and less frustrating, thought slightly more physically uncomfortable. Finally, we created a set of recommendations for VR CAD programs around action feedback, environmental context, and the necessity of a tutorial.
Endothelial Barrier Function and Na + /K + -ATPase Pump Density in Herpetic Stromal Disease

Purpose. Corneal edema is a significant component of the various forms of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-l)-induced stromal disease. Maintenance of corneal thickness, a reflection of corneal hydration, depends on a physical barrier formed by endothelial cell-cell junctions and by the activity of Na + /K + -ATPase pumps that regulate ion flux and thus influence water movement through this cell layer. These functions were measured in corneas with increased corneal thickness caused by HSV-1-induced stromal disease to determine their contribution to the pathogenesis of the edema. Methods. Stromal disease with corneal edema was induced in rabbits by intrastromal injection of the RE strain of HSV-1. At various times after infection, during the development of and recovery from stromal disease, endothelial barrier function and Na + /K + -ATPase pump sites were measured in excised rabbit corneas. Results. The endothelial permeability coefficient, K^,,,, for l4 C-dextran, 3 H-inulin, and I4 Cmannitol, were not altered significandy during periods of maximal corneal edema and stromal disease. Endothelial Na + /K + -ATPase pump density, as measured by ouabain binding, showed a statistically significant (P < 0.05) decrease in HSV-1-infected corneas during peak edema compared to mock antigen-injected or uninjected control corneas. Pump density returned to baseline values by 24 days after infection, concurrent with the resolution of corneal edema. Conclusions. These results indicate that corneal endothelial barrier function was not altered in this form of HSV-1-induced stromal edema; however, pump density was reduced significantly. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1996;37:29-36. iLdema and scarring are the principal causes for loss of vision associated with herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections of the cornea. Herpetic corneal disease can be grouped into two general categories of stromal complications. 1 Herpes simplex stromal keratitis can
Ethical and public policy challenges for pharmacogenomics

It is timely to consider the ethical and social questions raised by progress in pharmacogenomics, based on the current importance of pharmacogenomics for avoidance of predictable side effects of drugs, and for correct choice of medications in certain cancers. It has been proposed that the entire population be genotyped for drug-metabolizing enzyme polymorphisms, as a measure that would prevent many untoward and dangerous drug reactions. Pharmacologic treatment targeting based on genomics of disease can be expected to increase greatly in the coming years. Policy and ethical issues exist on consent for large-scale genomic pharmacogenomic data collection, public vs corporate ownership of genomic research results, testing efficacy and safety of drugs used for rare genomic indications, and accessibility of treatments based on costly research that is applicable to relatively few patients. In major psychiatric disorders and intellectual deficiency, rare and de novo deletion or duplication of chromosomal segments (copy number variation), in the aggregate, are common causes of increased risk. This implies that the policy problems of pharmacogenomics will be particularly important for the psychiatric disorders.
Renal Inflammation and Fibrosis: A Double-edged Sword:

Renal tissue injury initiates inflammatory and fibrotic processes that occur to promote regeneration and repair. After renal injury, damaged tissue releases cytokines and chemokines, which stimulate activation and infiltration of inflammatory cells to the kidney. Normal tissue repair processes occur simultaneously with activation of myofibroblasts, collagen deposition, and wound healing responses; however, prolonged activation of pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic cell types causes excess extracellular matrix deposition. This review focuses on the physiological and pathophysiological roles of specialized cell types, cytokines/chemokines, and growth factors, and their implications in recovery or exacerbation of acute kidney injury.
Tumors of the Breast

Breast carcinoma is the most common malignant tumor in women in North America and Europe. Invasive mammary carcinoma, like the pre-invasive tumors that typically precede it, can be readily recognized and graded in surgically removed or biopsied tissue samples. The grading and staging of these tumors are of considerable clinical significance and are performed routinely.
Josephson plasma resonance as a structural probe of vortex liquid

ABSTRACT Josephson plasma resonance has been introduced recently as a powerful tool to probe interlayer Josephson coupling in different regions of vortex phase diagram. In the pancake liquid plasma resonance frequencyw(B, T) as function of the magnetic field B was obtained previously using the high temperature expan-sion. We further develop this approach and derive a general relation connecting (B) with the densitycorrelation function of pancake liquid. The relation provides unique opportunity to extract quantitativeinformation on the c-axis correlations of pancake liquid in crystals with weak and strong pinning fromthe dependence of plasma resonance on the abcomponent of magnetic field at fixed c component. We discuss c-axis correlations in crystals with weak disorder and crystals with columnar defects produced by irradiation.Keywords: vortex liquid, pancake, Josephson coupled layers, Josephson plasma resonance, columnar defects, interlayer correlations of pancakes. 1. INTRODUCTION Recent study of Josephson plasma resonance (JPR) absorption in highly anisotropic layered high tern-
Oxidation-Induced Geochemical Changes in Trench Leachates from the Maxey Flats Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Site

A knowledge of extra-trench processes related to oxidation-induced geochemical changes that are likely to occur when iron-rich, anoxic trench waters encounter an oxidizing environment along a redox gradient is essential for modeling radionuclide transport at low-level waste (LLW) disposal sites. The results of laboratory oxidation experiments on several trench leachates from the Maxey Flats site show that, upon oxidation, a series of geochemical changes were initiated that resulted in a drastically different solute geochemistry, involving oxidation of ferrous iron and subsequent precipitation of ferric oxyhydroxide, changes in alkalinity and acidity, a drastic increase in redox potential (Eh), and generally relatively little change in the concentrations of /sup 60/Co, /sup 137/Cs, and /sup 85/Sr in solution. The observations made in this study have important geochemical implications for the modeling of LLW sites in that the source term as an input parameter cannot be assumed to be constant, both spatially and temporally. The acid-generating potential and buffering capacity of an anoxic source term are important geochemical controls that maintain a balance between acidity and alkalinity and largely determine the nature and extent of oxidation-induced geochemical changes likely to occur along a redox gradient. The presence of organic chelating agents can alter themore » source term geochemistry to such an extent that authigenic ferric oxyhydroxide, which represents a geochemical discontinuity at the redox interface along leachate migration paths, proves to be a relatively ineffective sink for radionuclides.« less
Nonlinear Properties of the BCS Gap Equation

The iterative solution of the BCS gap equation defines a nonlinear map, which can be studied with the tools developed for nonlinear dynamics. We demonstrate the usefulness of this approach in determining the phase diagram in the superconducting state, in the presence of a non-trivial pairing interaction, having mixed s and d-wave symmetry.
The Complete Protist Symbiont Communities of Coptotermes formosanus and Coptotermes gestroi: Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Five New Species.

Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki and Coptotermes gestroi (Wasmann) (Blattoidea: Rhinotermitidae) are invasive subterranean termite pest species with a major global economic impact. However, the descriptions of the mutualistic protist communities harbored in their respective hindguts remain fragmentary. The C. formosanus hindgut has long been considered to harbor three protist species, Pseudotrichonympha grassii (Trichonymphida), Holomastigotoides hartmanni, and Cononympha (Spirotrichonympha) leidyi (Spirotrichonymphida), but molecular data have suggested that the diversity may be higher. Meanwhile, the C. gestroi community remains undescribed except for Pseudotrichonympha leei. To complete the characterization of these communities, hindguts of workers from both termite species were investigated using single-cell PCR, microscopy, cell counts, and 18S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The two hosts were found to harbor intriguingly parallel protist communities, each consisting of one Pseudotrichonympha species, two Holomastigotoides species, and two Cononympha species. All protist species were unique to their respective hosts, which last shared a common ancestor ~18 MYA. The relative abundances of protist species in each hindgut differed remarkably between cell count data and 18S rRNA profiles, calling for caution in interpreting species abundances from amplicon data. This study will enable future research in C. formosanus and C. gestroi hybrids, which provide a unique opportunity to study protist community inheritance, compatibility, and potential contribution to hybrid vigor.
Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation of the Knee in “Ideal” Candidates: Clinical Outcomes and Graft Survivorship:

Objectives:Osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation of the knee is an effective treatment for chondral and osteochondral lesions, but graft survivorship and clinical outcomes vary by patient-s...
Angiotensin-(1–7) Expressed From Lactobacillus Bacteria Protect Diabetic Retina in Mice

Purpose A multitude of animal studies substantiates the beneficial effects of Ang-(1-7), a peptide hormone in the protective axis of the renin angiotensin system, in diabetes and its associated complications including diabetic retinopathy (DR). However, the clinical application of Ang-(1-7) is limited due to unfavorable pharmacological properties. As emerging evidence implicates gut dysbiosis in pathogenesis of diabetes and supports beneficial effects of probiotics, we sought to develop probiotics-based expression and delivery system to enhance Ang-(1-7) and evaluate the efficacy of engineered probiotics expressing Ang-(1-7) in attenuation of DR in animal models. Methods Ang-(1-7) was expressed in the Lactobacillus species as a secreted fusion protein with a trans-epithelial carrier to allow uptake into circulation. To evaluate the effects of Ang-(1-7) expressed from Lactobacillus paracasei (LP), adult diabetic eNOS-/- and Akita mice were orally gavaged with either 1 × 109 CFU of LP secreting Ang-(1-7) (LP-A), LP alone or vehicle, 3 times/week, for 8 and 12 weeks, respectively. Results Ang-(1-7) is efficiently expressed from different Lactobacillus species and secreted into circulation in mice fed with LP-A. Oral administration of LP-A significantly reduced diabetes-induced loss of retinal vascular capillaries. LP-A treatment also prevented loss of retinal ganglion cells, and significantly decreased retinal inflammatory cytokine expression in both diabetic eNOS-/- and Akita mice. Conclusions These results provide proof-of-concept for feasibility and efficacy of using engineered probiotic species as live vector for delivery of Ang-(1-7) with enhanced bioavailability. Translational relevance Probiotics-based delivery of Ang-(1-7) may hold important therapeutic potential for the treatment of DR and other diabetic complications.
Effect of Porosity and Permeability Evolution on Injection-Induced Aseismic Slip

It is widely recognized that fluid injection can trigger fault slip. However, the processes by which the fluid-rock interactions facilitate or inhibit slip are poorly understood and some are neglec...
Spatial attention in children with perinatal stroke.

Abstract Spatial neglect is a common feature of right hemisphere damage in adults, but less is known about spatial inattention following early brain damage. We used a Posner-based cueing task to examine hemispatial neglect and aspects of attention in children with perinatal stroke in either left (LH) or right hemisphere (RH) and controls. A visual perception task assessed the speed of visual perception. A spatial attention cueing task (the E-task) measured the ability to discriminate the direction of a target stimulus (“E”), when presented on the left or right side of the screen. This task provided indices of performance for attention orienting, disengagement and reorienting. Children with LH lesions had slowed visual perception compared to controls. Children with RH lesions did not demonstrate similar deficits. On the E-task, groups with both LH and RH lesions demonstrated lower accuracy on both left and right sides compared to controls. Children with LH lesions also showed impaired attention orienting and disengagement on left and right sides compared to controls, while children with RH lesions were most impaired in orienting and disengagement on their contralesional side. Children with LH lesions demonstrated more extensive attentional deficits than children with RH lesions. These results suggest that development of spatial attention may require different neural networks than maintenance of attention.