cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Has survival following pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreas adenocarcinoma improved over time

Introduction Survival following resection of pancreas cancer is poor. It is uncertain whether outcome improved overtime. Due to the recent advances in surgical techniques, diagnostic evaluation, and systemic treatment, we sought to evaluate pancreas cancer outcome over time. Methods Prospectively collected data on patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy for pathologically confirmed pancreatic adenocarcinoma from 1999 to 2012 were analyzed. Perioperative and long-term outcomes were analyzed, comparing patients from era 1 (1999–2005) to patients from era 2 (2006–2012). Results Two-hundred sixteen patients were evaluated, including 76 in era 1 and 140 in era 2. There was no difference in 30-day mortality (1.3%, era 1 vs. 1.4%, era 2; P = 0.95) or rates of overall 30-day morbidity (49%, era 1 vs. 62%, era 2; P = 0.06). On multivariable analysis after adjusting for perineural invasion, lymphovascular invasion, margin status, EBL, and venous resection, there was no difference in survival between eras (HR = 0.81, P = 0.27, CI = 0.57–1.16). Conclusions After adjusting for clinicopathological features, there was no association of improved outcome over time. However, despite an increasing prevalence of anatomically advanced and histologically aggressive tumors, perioperative outcomes such as blood loss and margin negativity improved over time, with no increase in 30-day mortality. J. Surg. Oncol. 2015;112:643–649. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Women Living With a History of Physical and/or Sexual Abuse, Substance Use, and Mental Health Problems:

Most researchers have studied physical and/or sexual abuse, substance use, and mental health problems separately or as a dual diagnosis, and from a theory-driven, empirical perspective. In this study, the authors examined these three phenomena together and from a phenomenological perspective. Thirty women each participated in an individual interview about living with a history of physical and/or sexual abuse, substance use, and mental health problems. Using a hermeneutic approach, a team of researchers analyzed the transcribed interview texts. They identified three themes: (a) being thrown: the cycle of abuse; (b) living life fearfully: a restricted world; and (c) helping: hearing my story. The results are significant, in that they challenge current assumptions underlying health care for women with histories of physical and/or sexual abuse, substance use, and mental health problems.
A Local Instruction Theory for the Development of Number Sense

Gravemeijer's (1999, 2004) construct of a local instruction theory suggests a means of offering teachers a framework of reference for designing and engaging students in a set of sequenced, exemplary instructional activities that support students' mathematical development for a focused concept. In this paper we offer a local instruction theory to guide the design of a set of instructional activities in support of the development of number sense. We make explicit the goals, assumptions, underlying rationale, and related instructional activities and provide examples from a mathematics content course for preservice elementary teachers. In this way, we contribute to an elaboration of the construct of local instruction theory.
Characterization of a microtubule assembly inhibitor from Xenopus oocytes

The dynamic properties of microtubules (MTs) are important for a wide variety of cellular processes, including cell division and morphogenesis. MT assembly and disassembly in vivo are regulated by cellular factors that influence specific parameters of MT dynamics. Here, we describe the characterization of a previously reported MT assembly inhibitor activity from Xenopus oocytes [Gard and Kirschner, 1987: J. Cell Biol. 105:2191-2201]. Video microscopy measurements reveal that the inhibitor specifically decreases the plus end growth rate of MTs and increases the critical concentration for tubulin. However, catastrophe frequency, rescue frequency, and shrinkage rates are not affected by the activity. Chromatography on Mono Q and hydroxyapatite columns has shown that the activity cofractionates with a subpopulation of tubulin. This tubulin subpopulation and the MT assembly inhibitor activity also co-migrate with a large S value (25-30S) on sucrose gradients. The high molecular weight tubulin complex and the MT assembly inhibitor activity are both developmentally regulated and disappear after oocyte maturation with progesterone.
Echographic and histologic tumor height measurements in uveal melanoma

We studied the relation between echographic tumor elevation (measured by standardized A-scan echography) and histologic tumor thickness (measured from histologic slides with an ocular micrometer) in a series of 53 choroidal and ciliary body melanomas enucleated within one month of the most recent echographic measurement. Histologic height was less than echographic height for all sizes and locations studied, with a correlation coefficient of r = .926. The following equations for straight lines described the relationship: Echographic height = 1.964 + (1.042 X histologic height). Histologic height = -0.660 + (0.823 X echographic height). Thus, current thickness criteria for small (less than 3 mm), medium (3 to 5 mm), and large (more than 5 mm) melanomas, based on histologic measurements, may be translated to the following echographic terms: small, less than 5.2 mm; medium, 5.2 to 7.2 mm; and large, more than 7.2 mm. The source of this difference is a variable degree of tumor shrinkage induced by fixation and histologic preparation.
Effect of empiric dosing on blood levels of theophylline and phenytoin.

To evaluate empiric dosing guidelines for aminophylline and phenytoin in the management of acute exacerbations of obstructive lung disease and seizure disorders, we utilized an emergency department (ED)-based EMIT ® system to measure stat plasma theophylline and phenytoin levels in patients intended to receive these drugs. Plasma drug level results were available prior to initiation of therapy. Of the patients evaluated, 45 of 163 (27.6%) aminophylline patients and 21 of 73 (28.7%) phenytoin patients were projected to have plasma concentrations below the recommended therapeutic range if empiric dosing schedules were employed. In addition, 39 of 163 (23.9%) aminophylline and 10 of 73 (13.7%) phenytoin patients, had they received these drugs empirically, would have had plasma theophylline and phenytoin levels in excess of the recommended therapeutic range using empiric dosing. We conclude that the use of empiric dosing guidelines for aminophylline and phenytoin in the ED do not reliably produce therapeutic plasma concentrations. The development of a stat drug analysis laboratory in the hospital or within the ED would improve the effectiveness and safety of these acutely used drugs with narrow therapeutic ranges.
Thermodynamic and Mechanical Analysis of Gas Explosions in Underground Vaults

An explosion in an underground vault can pose a significant safety problem. The ignition of a combustible gas mixture in a rigid vault can generate pressures that can cause damage and failure to the structure of the vault, including the manhole cover. If combustion of the gas within the vault releases sufficient energy, the manhole cover can be ejected, creating a safety hazard. This article describes a thermodynamic and mechanical analysis of the explosion process in an underground vault. The mathematical model is formulated into a computer program that can be used as a first-step design tool to modify the existing vault designs so that the explosion hazards can be minimized. The computer model predicts the temperature and pressure rise that results from a gaseous explosion within the vault. The pressure rise calculations are then used to predict the motion of the manhole cover if it is ejected from its normal position. The results of the model can be used to improve the design of the vault and its cover to minimize property damage and personal injury should such an explosion occur.
Child Abuse: an ecological perspective

(1989). Child Abuse: an ecological perspective. Early Child Development and Care: Vol. 42, No. 1, pp. 141-149.
The Effects of Maltreatment Recurrence and Child Welfare Services on Dimensions of Delinquency

The study examines the relationship between maltreatment recurrence and various dimensions of delinquency among a cohort of at-risk youths. The results indicate that maltreatment recurrence is a significant predictor of the initiation, continuation, and severity of delinquency. The relationship continues to exist in the presence of other delinquency risk factors. Within the maltreatment subgroup, a curvilinear pattern is observed. This pattern suggests that child welfare placement services reduce the effects of maltreatment recurrence on chronic and violent offending. The maltreatment recurrence-delinquency relationship follows a linear pattern among youths receiving in-home services and a curvilinear pattern among those receiving placement services.
Risk factors for failed staged palliation after bidirectional Glenn in infants who have undergone stage one palliation.

Objective: The bidirectional Glenn procedure (BDG) is a routine intermediary step in single-ventricle palliation. In this study, we examined risk factors for death or transplant and failure to reach Fontan completion after BDG in patients, who had previously undergone stage one palliation (S1P).Methods:All patients at our institution, who underwent BDG following S1P between 2002 and 2009 (n = 194), were includedin the analysis. Results: Transplant-free survival through 18 months post BDG was 91%. Univariable competing risk analyses showed atrioventricular valve regurgitation (AVVR) >mild, age � 3 months at BDG, ventricular dysfunction >mild, and prolonged hospital stay after S1P to be associated with increased risk of death or orthotopic heart transplant. Multivariable competing risk analysis through 5 years of follow-up showed >mild AVVR (hazard ratio (HR) 7.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.0—18.8), prolonged hospitalization after S1P (HR 4.5, 95% CI 1.8—11.5), and age � 3 months at BDG (HR 6.8, 95% CI 2.3—20.0) to be independent risk factors for death or transplant. Concomitantly, >mild AVVR and age � 3 months were independently associated with an overall decreased rate of Fontan completion. Conclusions: Pre-BDG AVVR, age � 3 months at time of BDG, and prolonged hospitalization after S1Pare independently associated with decreased successful progression of staged palliation in midterm follow-up after BDG. # 2011 European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Vestibular, auditory, and somatic input to the posterior thalamus of the cat

The responses of 157 neural units in the magnocellular (mc) and parvocellular (pc) components of the medial geniculate nucleus (MG) and other nuclei of the posterior (PO) thalamic group were recorded and analyzed. Units were tested for a response to electrical stimulation of the vestibular nerve, natural auditory and electrical cochlear nerve stimulation, and natural stimulation of joint, muscle, and cutaneous receptors of the limbs, trunk, and neck (somatic stimulation). Only 45% of the units responded to these stimuli. Twenty-four percent of the responsive units were multimodal, responding to more than one stimulus. All multimodal units were activated by auditory stimuli. More units responding to vestibular stimulation were found in mcMG than in pcMG or other components of the PO group. Potentials evoked by vestibular nerve stimulation were recorded in all 3 regions with latencies of 5--25 msec. No evidence was found for a thalamic relay from vestibular nerve to cortex in the area investigated, since the recorded latency for activity from vestibular nerve stimulation was longer than the latency of responses recorded in the cortex. This region of the thalamus appears to be important for reception of auditory information and integration with vestibular and somatic modalities.
Constructing Tolerance How the Welfare State Shapes Attitudes About Immigrants

Over the past 30 years, the hitherto rather homogeneous welfare states in Europe have been experiencing a dramatic influx of immigrants, making them much more diverse. The central purpose of the early development of the welfare state was twofold: to bridge class divisions and to mollify ethnic divisions in the vast multiethnic empires of 19th-century Germany and Austria. This research examines the impact of the programmatic and expenditure dimensions of the welfare state on attitudes of natives across modern publics, theorizing that nativist resentment and welfare chauvinism should be reduced in more comprehensive welfare systems. Individual, aggregate, and multilevel analyses reveal that the more comprehensive the welfare state is, the more tolerant natives are of immigrants, indicating that contemporary welfare states have a similar capacity to bridge ethnic divisions as their 19th-century incarnations.
Impaired homocysteine transsulfuration is an indicator of alcoholic liver disease.

Background & Aims Although abnormal hepatic methionine metabolism plays a central role in the pathogenesis of experimental alcoholic liver disease (ALD), its relationship to the risk and severity of clinical ALD is not known. The aim of this clinical study was to determine the relationship between serum levels of methionine metabolites in chronic alcoholics and the risk and pathological severity of ALD. Methods Serum levels of liver function biochemical markers, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folate, homocysteine, methionine, S -adenosylmethionine, S -adenosylhomocysteine, cystathionine, cysteine, α-aminobutyrate, glycine, serine, and dimethylglycine were measured in 40 ALD patients, of whom 24 had liver biopsies, 26 were active drinkers without liver disease, and 28 were healthy subjects. Results Serum homocysteine was elevated in all alcoholics, whereas ALD patients had low vitamin B6 with elevated cystathionine and decreased α-aminobutyrate/cystathionine ratios, consistent with decreased activity of vitamin B6 dependent cystathionase. The α-aminobutyrate/cystathionine ratio predicted the presence of ALD, while cystathionine correlated with the stage of fibrosis in all ALD patients. Conclusions The predictive role of the α-aminobutyrate/cystathionine ratio for the presence of ALD and the correlation between cystathionine serum levels with the severity of fibrosis point to the importance of the homocysteine transsulfuration pathway in ALD and may have important diagnostic and therapeutic implications.
Increased ANG II sensitivity following recovery from acute kidney injury: role of oxidant stress in skeletal muscle resistance arteries

Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R)-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) results in prolonged impairment of peripheral (i.e., nonrenal) vascular function since skeletal muscle resistance arteries derived from ...
Intraoperative mapping during repeat awake craniotomy reveals the functional plasticity of adult cortex

OBJECT To avoid iatrogenic injury during the removal of intrinsic cerebral neoplasms such as gliomas, direct electrical stimulation (DES) is used to identify cortical and subcortical white matter pathways critical for language, motor, and sensory function. When a patient undergoes more than 1 brain tumor resection as in the case of tumor recurrence, the use of DES provides an unusual opportunity to examine brain plasticity in the setting of neurological disease. METHODS The authors examined 561 consecutive cases in which patients underwent DES mapping during surgery forglioma resection. "Positive" and "negative" sites-discrete cortical regions where electrical stimulation did (positive) or did not (negative) produce transient sensory, motor, or language disturbance-were identified prior to tumor resection and documented by intraoperative photography for categorization into functional maps. In this group of 561 patients, 18 were identified who underwent repeat surgery in which 1 or more stimulation sites overlapped with those tested during the initial surgery. The authors compared intraoperative sensory, motor, or language mapping results between initial and repeat surgeries, and evaluated the clinical outcomes for these patients. RESULTS A total of 117 sites were tested for sensory (7 sites, 6.0%), motor (9 sites, 7.7%), or language (101 sites, 86.3%) function during both initial and repeat surgeries. The mean interval between surgical procedures was 4.1 years. During initial surgeries, 95 (81.2%) of 117 sites were found to be negative and 22 (18.8%) of 117 sites were found to be positive. During repeat surgeries, 103 (88.0%) of 117 sites were negative and 14 (12.0%) of 117 were positive. Of the 95 sites that were negative at the initial surgery, 94 (98.9%) were also negative at the repeat surgery, while 1 (1.1%) site was found to be positive. Of the 22 sites that were initially positive, 13 (59.1%) remained positive at repeat surgery, while 9 (40.9%) had become negative for function. Overall, 6 (33.3%) of 18 patients exhibited loss of function at 1 or more motor or language sites between surgeries. Loss of function at these sites was not associated with neurological impairment at the time of repeat surgery, suggesting that neurological function was preserved through neural circuit reorganization or activation of latent functional pathways. CONCLUSIONS The adult central nervous system reorganizes motor and language areas in patients with glioma. Ultimately, adult neural plasticity may help to preserve motor and language function in the presence of evolving structural lesions. The insight gained from this subset of patients has implications for our understanding of brain plasticity in clinical settings.
Flexible data allocation for scratch-pad memories to reduce NBTI effects

Negative Bias Temperature Instability (NBTI) is a major reliability issue in nanoscale VLSI systems. Previous work has shown how the exploitation of conventional optimization techniques can reduce the NBTI-induced aging in cache memories. Other works have proposed approaches that incorporate software directed data allocation strategies to partially recover from NBTI-induced aging in Scratchpad Memories (SPM). In this paper, we extend the existing software approach in order to enhance the memory allocation flexibility and make it more appropriate for real embedded applications. Simulation results demonstrate how our proposed data allocation strategies can help mitigate the NBTI-induced aging effects, as well as reduce the leakage energy consumption on scratch-pad memories.
Characterization of Microscale Particles Using a Microfluidic Flow Cytometer Equipped With a Multi-Plex Photon Counter

We have shown the design and fabrication of a microfluidic flow cytometer. The microfluidic flow cytometer has been used to characterize microspheres of different sizes. The device is consisted of a microchannel, electronics, and integrated optics. The microchannel has three inlets. Two inlets are used to introduce sheath flows and one middle inlet is assigned as sample inlet. The sample flow is hydrodynamically focused at the center of the microchannel by two side streams (sheath flows). Also arrays of four chevron grooves compress the sample flow from the top and bottom of the microchannel. The core flow contains microspheres at a certain concentration. Detection of the microspheres at the interrogation region of the channel is performed by integrated optics and electronics. The scattered light emitted from the microspheres is collected by a multi-plex photo diode (MPPC). The results are recorded using data acquisition (DAQ) unit. The MPPCs employed in the setup is the new generation of photon counter devices with an excellent detection limit, a compact size, and capability of recording data at high gain compared to previous generation of photodetectors such as photomultipliers or avalanche photon diodes. The flow cytometer was sensitive enough to collect data from 3 μm microspheres using such mentioned sensitive photon counting unit. We have also used COMSOL Multiphysics software to investigate velocity and pressure distribution as well as concentration distribution along the microchannel. The average voltage collected by MPPC was 1.9 V for 10.2 μm and 1.6 V for 3.2 μm microsphere.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Verischemelog: Verilog embedded in Scheme

Verischemelog (pronounced with 5 syllables, veruh-scheme-uh-log) is a language and programming environment embedded in Scheme for designing digital electronic hardware systems and for controlling the simulation of these circuits. Simulation is performed by a separate program, often a commercial product. Verischemelog compiles to Verilog, an industry standard language accepted by several commercial and public domain simulators.Because many design elements are easily parameterized, design engineers currently write scripts which generate hardware description code in Verilog. These scripts work by textual substitution, and are typically ad-hoc and quite limited. Preprocessors for Verilog, on the other hand, are hampered by their macro-expansion languages, which support few data types and lack procedures. Verischemelog obviates the need for scripts and preprocessors by providing a hardware description language with list-based syntax, and Scheme to manipulate it.An interactive development environment gives early and specific feedback about errors, and structured access to the compiler and run-time environment provide a high degree of reconfigurability and extensibility of Verischemelog.
Targeted Sampling Increases Knowledge and Improves Estimates of Ant Species Richness in Rhode Island

Abstract Only 0.7% of 28,205 known New England ant specimens (1861–2011) were from Rhode Island. Consequently, apparent ant species richness of Rhode Island counties was lower than expected based on simple biogeographic models. Collections from two poorly sampled areas—Block Island and Tiverton—and from the 2013 Rhode Island Natural History Survey's BioBlitz increased Rhode Island's ant specimens by 46%) and its ant species richness from 48 to 57. Both Washington and Newport counties now have ant species richness more in line with New England-wide species-environment predictions. The extrapolated number of Rhode Island ant species is 66, but the upper bound of the 95% confidence interval is 93 species and the total species accumulation curve has not reached an asymptote. Future collection efforts should continue to add ant species to the Rhode Island list, especially if collections are targeted in the state's north and southeast regions, and its southwest pine barrens.
Vascular targeted single-walled carbon nanotubes for near-infrared light therapy of cancer.

A new approach for targeting carbon nanotubes to the tumor vasculature was tested using human endothelial cells and MCF-7 breast cancer cells in vitro. Single-walled carbon nanotubes were functionalized with the F3 peptide using a polyethylene glycol linker to target nucleolin, a protein found on the surface of endothelial cells in the vasculature of solid tumors. Confocal microscopy and Raman analysis confirmed that the conjugate was internalized by actively dividing endothelial cells. Dividing endothelial cells were used to mimic these cells in the tumor vasculature. Incubation with the conjugate for 8 h or more caused significant cell death in both actively dividing endothelial cells and MCF-7 breast cancer cells, an effect that is hypothesized to be due to the massive uptake of the conjugate. This targeted cell killing was further enhanced when coupled with near-infrared laser treatment. For confluent (non-dividing) endothelial cells, no cytotoxic effect was seen for incubation alone or incubation coupled with laser treatment. These results are promising and warrant further studies using this conjugate for cancer treatment in vivo. (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)
Nonlinear analyses of wrinkles in a film bonded to a compliant substrate

Subject to a compressive membrane force, a film bonded to a compliant substrate often forms a pattern of wrinkles. This paper studies such wrinkles in a layered structure used in several recent experiments. The structure comprises a stiff film bonded to a compliant substrate, which in turn is bonded to a rigid support. Two types of analyses are performed. First, for sinusoidal wrinkles, by minimizing energy, we obtain the wavelength and the amplitude of the wrinkles for substrates of various moduli and thicknesses. Second, we develop a method to simultaneously evolve the two-dimensional pattern in the film and the three-dimensional elastic field in the substrate. The simulations show that the wrinkles can evolve into stripes, labyrinths, or herringbones, depending on the anisotropy of the membrane forces. Statistical averages of the amplitude and wavelength of wrinkles of various patterns correlate well with the analytical solution of the sinusoidal wrinkles.
Optimal error estimation and interpolation in frequency constrained image sequences

Known frequency constraints in a multidimensional signal can be used as a basis for determining the locations and estimating the values of errors. Burst errors of 20 or more adjacent pixels in a line of television are a common occurrence, and methods for correcting them and for purposely introducing multidimensional frequency constraints in the transmitted image sequence, i.e., Fourier domain encoding, are presented. A design procedure for optimal DFT codes is introduced and applied to the NTSC TV signal. The possibility of analog coding is discussed. A related task is the interpolation of missing samples in known locations. Sampling lattice up conversion, such as conversion from interlaced to progressive scan, is an example. Optimal methods for estimation of the missing lines from temporal and spacial frequency constraints are described. >
Fog Prediction from a Multimodel Mesoscale Ensemble Prediction System

Abstract A new multivariable-based diagnostic fog-forecasting method has been developed at NCEP. The selection of these variables, their thresholds, and the influences on fog forecasting are discussed. With the inclusion of the algorithm in the model postprocessor, the fog forecast can now be provided centrally as direct NWP model guidance. The method can be easily adapted to other NWP models. Currently, knowledge of how well fog forecasts based on operational NWP models perform is lacking. To verify the new method and assess fog forecast skill, as well as to account for forecast uncertainty, this fog-forecasting algorithm is applied to a multimodel-based Mesoscale Ensemble Prediction System (MEPS). MEPS consists of 10 members using two regional models [the NCEP Nonhydrostatic Mesoscale Model (NMM) version of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and the NCAR Advanced Research version of WRF (ARW)] with 15-km horizontal resolution. Each model has five members (one control and four perturbed mem...
“The Worms Are Weak” Male Infertility and Patriarchal Paradoxes in Egypt

Male infertility is a major global reproductive health problem contributing to more than half of all cases of infertility worldwide. Yet women typically bear the social burden of childlessness when their husbands are infertile. This article explores the four major patriarchal paradoxes surrounding male infertility in the Muslim Middle Eastern country of Egypt. There women in childless marriages typically experience procreative blame even when male infertility (glossed as weakworms.) is socially acknowledged. In addition Egyptian women married to infertile men experience diminished gender identity and threats of male-initiated divorce. Ironically the introduction of new reproductive technologies to overcome male infertility has only served to increase this divorce potential. Although male infertility also presents a crisis of masculinity for Egyptian men this crisis often redounds in multiple ways on the lives of women who ultimately pay the price for male infertility under conditions of Middle Eastern patriarchy. (authors)
Posttransplant primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

A patient with posttransplant cutaneous lymphoma is described. Although most posttransplant lymphomas are of B-cell origin, this patient's lymphoma is a primary cutaneous lymphoma of T-cell origin. Another report exists of the first case of posttransplant primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma localized to the lower extremities. Our patient's involvement was generalized with tumor nodules on the face and anterior chest. Reduced immune surveillance, chronic antigenic stimulation caused by transplant grafts, and the direct oncogenic effects of immunosuppressive drugs have all been suggested as mechanisms. Prompt recognition of this condition and initiation of appropriate therapy with reduction of high-dose immunosuppression can lead to better patient outcomes.
Incentivizing crowdsourcing for radio environment mapping with statistical interpolation

White Space Networking crucially relies on the active monitoring of spectrum usage (to identify white space opportunities) in both space and time. One way to achieve this is wide-area deployment of spectrum sensors to gather spatio-temporal spectrum data, and use them to construct better Radio Environment Maps (REMs) via suitable statistical interpolation techniques (i.e., Kriging). Cost of such large-scale sensor deployment can be reduced via crowdsourcing, i.e., outsourcing the sensing task to mobile users equipped with sensorized high-end client devices (e.g., tablets or smartphones), and success of such crowdsourced sensing presumes some incentive mechanisms to attract user participation. In this work, we present an incentivized crowdsourcing system architecture that (periodically) acquires spectrum data from users, so as to optimize the resulting radio environment map (i.e., minimizing the average prediction-error variance) for a given data acquisition budget. First, we introduce an auction-based incentive mechanism that is computationally efficient, individually rational and truthful, and prove that the total payment of the proposed mechanism is a monotonically increasing function of the cardinality of the winner set. Then we propose a budget-feasible version and through extensive simulations, we evaluate the performance of proposed mechanisms for comparison to a baseline to demonstrate its significantly superior performance in crowdsourced radio mapping.
More on kinematics

In this chapter, we continue the study of kinematics by considering in more detail the motion of fluid parcels, by deriving expressions for the areal, volumetric, and mass flow rates across lines and surfaces drawn in a fluid, and by developing numerical methods for evaluating kinematic variables of interest in terms of derivatives and integrals of the velocity field. Mass conservation and physical conditions imposed at boundaries introduce mathematical constraints that motivate the description of a flow in terms of ancillary functions that expedite the mathematical analysis and considerably simplify the numerical computation.
Race Track Formation in a Magnetically Enhanced Hollow Cathode Electron Source

Immersing a hollow cathode into a magnetic field enhances trapping of fast cathode electrons and ionization, providing ~30% decrease in the discharge voltage for a given current. The nonuniform magnetic field in our electron source causes an intricate visual phenomenon-formation of bright plasma cords (race tracks) near two opposite walls, in a region, where the field component parallel to the walls is the strongest.
A Targeted Inhibitor of the Alternative Complement Pathway Accelerates Recovery From Smoke-Induced Ocular Injury.

PURPOSE: Morphologic and genetic evidence exists that an overactive complement system driven by the complement alternative pathway (AP) is involved in pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Smoking is the only modifiable risk factor for AMD. As we have shown that smoke-related ocular pathology can be prevented in mice that lack an essential activator of AP, we ask here whether this pathology can be reversed by increasing inhibition in AP. METHODS: Mice were exposed to either cigarette smoke (CS) or filtered air (6 hours/day, 5 days/week, 6 months). Smoke-exposed animals were then treated with the AP inhibitor (CR2-fH) or vehicle control (PBS) for the following 3 months. Spatial frequency and contrast sensitivity were assessed by optokinetic response paradigms at 6 and 9 months; additional readouts included assessment of retinal morphology by electron microscopy (EM) and gene expression analysis by quantitative RT-PCR. RESULTS: The CS mice treated with CR2-fH showed significant improvement in contrast threshold compared to PBS-treated mice, whereas spatial frequency was unaffected by CS or pharmacologic intervention. Treatment with CR2-fH in CS animals reversed thinning of the retina observed in PBS-treated mice as analyzed by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, and reversed most morphologic changes in RPE and Bruch's membrane seen in CS animals by EM. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these findings suggest that AP inhibitors not only prevent, but have the potential to accelerate the clearance of complement-mediated ocular injury. Improving our understanding of the regulation of the AP is paramount to developing novel treatment approaches for AMD. Language: en
Geophysics: protons lead the charge.

Is the anomalously high electrical conductivity seen in part of Earth's mantle caused by protons derived from hydrous defects in the mineral olivine? Two groups investigate this possibility — and draw different conclusions.
Redox cycling behavior of individual and binary mixtures of catecholamines at gold microband electrode arrays.

The electrochemical redox cycling (RC) behavior of individual and binary mixtures of three catecholamines are investigated using gold microelectrode arrays in vitro. Catecholamines showed reversible or irreversible responses during RC depending on their oxidation products’ cyclization rate. The RC behavior of the binary mixtures supports the disproportionation reaction of catecholamines, which has been previously reported, but not under RC conditions or with mixtures. This fundamental study provides insights on the effects of complicated mechanisms and kinetics on RC and sets the foundation for future applications of RC for in vivo multi-neurotransmitter analysis.
Informal music education: The nature of a young child’s engagement in an individual piano lesson setting:

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the nature of a young child’s engagement in an individual music lesson setting based on principles of informal learning. The informal educational space allowed the child to observe, explore, and interact with a musical environment as a process of enculturation and development (Gordon, 2013; McCloskey, 2012). The setting incorporated the piano, and was considered a readiness experience for later formal piano training. Data collection occurred via video recording, with 24 episodes isolated for close analysis. Richly descriptive narratives of each episode were analyzed by line-by-line transformation regarding the nature of the child’s engagement (Van Manen, 1990). The child’s engagement in the setting was viewed through lenses of lived space, lived body, lived time, lived other (Van Manen, 1990), and lived musicality (Kooistra, 2013). Results include that the child engaged in the setting by expanding the boundaries of the room, using the full range of the ro...
Continuum spectroscopy of light nuclei

Resonance spectroscopy of light nuclei is discussed with emphasis on the invariant-mass measurements performed with the HiRA detector. For three-body exit channels, we consider the exact conditions necessary such that the decay can be described as either sequential or prompt. However experimentally, we find some cases where the decay is intermediate between these two limits. Finally, two-proton decay from isobaric analog states is discussed.
Sensitivity Analysis of Oriented to System Effectiveness of Weapons and Equipment

Sensitivity analysis is an emphasis in the system effectiveness of weapons and equipment,and it is important for the reasonability and feasibility of the system effectiveness estimation and analysis.So that,to develop research of sensitivity analysis on system effectiveness are in need.Firstly,conception about sensitivity analysis and sensitivity parameter are explained,the general method of sensitivity analysis on system effectiveness are presented,the application of sensitivity analysis are researched from various aspects of system effectiveness estimation and analysis.At last,a concrete instance is given.
Purification of C1q Receptors and Functional Analysis

The recognition subunit of C1, C1q, has emerged as an important player in various pathophysiologic conditions largely in part due to its ability to interact with pathogen-associated or cell surface expressed ligands and receptors. Identification and purification of these molecules is therefore of paramount importance if we are to procure valuable information with regards to the structure, function, and cell surface distribution. Since the interaction of C1q is better served when the receptors are purified from homologous species, we discuss here a simple guideline for the purification and characterization of the two C1q receptors, cC1qR (calreticulin) and gC1qR, from human cell lines.
Identification and treatment of group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infections. Role of the pediatrician and the nurse-practitioner.

Practicable programs for the management of strepto-coccal illness, involving nurse-practitioners in diagnosis and therapy.
Technical Assessment of Direct Colonoscopy Screening: Procedural Success, Safety, and Feasibility

Colonoscopy, when performed by adequately trained physicians, is a safe and effective procedure for colorectal cancer screening. To realize the benefits of colonoscopic screening of the general population for colorectal cancer, it is imperative that physicians performing this procedure receive appropriate training to maintain the highest standards of patient care.
T2-based temperature monitoring in bone marrow for MR-guided focused ultrasound

Current clinical protocols for MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) treatment of osseous lesions, including painful bone metastases and osteoid osteomas, rely on measurement of the temperature change in adjacent muscle to estimate the temperature of the bone. The goal of this study was to determine if T2-based thermometry could be used to monitor the temperature change in bone marrow during focused ultrasound ablation of bone lesions. We investigated the dependence of T2 on temperature in ex vivo bovine yellow bone marrow at 3T and studied the influence of acquisition parameters on the T2 measurements. We examined if T2 changes in red bone marrow caused by the ablation of ex vivo trabecular bone were reversible and measured the patterns of heating and tissue damage. The technique was validated during the ablation of intact ex vivo bone samples and an in vivo animal model. Results of the calibration experiment showed a linear relationship (7 ms/°C) between T2 change and temperature and could be used to quantify the temperature during heating of up to 60 °C. During trabecular bone ablation, we observed a linear relationship (5.7 ms per °C) between T2 and temperature during the heating stage of the experiment. After cool down, there was residual T2 elevation (~35 ms) in the ablated area suggesting irreversible tissue changes. In ex vivo and in vivo cortical bone ablation experiments, we observed an increase in T2 values in the marrow adjacent to the intersection of the cortical bone and the beam path. The in vivo experiment showed excellent correspondence between the area of T2 elevation in marrow during the ablation and the resulting non-enhancing area in the post-contrast images. In this study, we have demonstrated that T2-based thermometry can be used in vivo to measure the heating in the marrow during bone ablation. The ability to monitor the temperature within the bone marrow allowed more complete visualization of the heat distribution into the bone, which is important for local lesion control.
Phage Immunoprecipitation Sequencing of Autoantigens in Autoimmune Retinopathy

ABSTRACTPurpose: To identify autoantigens in autoimmune retinopathy patients by phage immunoprecipitation sequencing (PhIP-Seq), a new technique for autoantigen discovery.Methods: PhIP-Seq was used to sequence putative autoantibodies in plasma from 11 patients with autoimmune retinopathy and eight controls. We compared the autoantibodies’ molecular weights with those of proteins detected by Western blot.Results: Several autoantigens were found in cases and not detected in the controls. Autoantigens RTN3, PRPF6, TRPC6, and B3GNT8, four proteins expressed in the retina, were detected in plasma as autoantibodies from one patient each and no controls. Only one patient had an autoantibody, B3GNT8 (43.4 kDa), within a similar weight range as that detected by antiretinal antibody Western blot (42 kDa). Autoantibody POLR3A, which has a well-characterized role in scleroderma, was detected in two cases and no controls.Conclusion: PhIP-Seq detected autoantigens that are expressed in the retina as well as scleroderma...
Defacing the Gaze and Reimagining the Black Body: Contemporary Caribbean Women Artists

“Defacing the Gaze and Reimagining the Black Body: Contemporary Caribbean Women Artists” examines works by visual artists Oneila Russell, Holly Bynoe, Patricia Kaersenhout, and Ebony Patterson, exploring how these contemporary artists wrestle with the terms in which we see black bodies. Together they share a fundamental interest in defacing and deforming the gaze—both a gendering and a racializing gaze—as it has rested upon both the black male and female body and the black face. Comparisons with visual works by an old European master, Edouard Manet, and twentieth-century American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe reveal how Russell, Bynoe, Kaersenhout, and Patterson question prior visual epistemologies for the ways they have understood and represented the modern subject more broadly in such canonical genres as the portrait and the nude. All point to the ways in which the black body in art has been displaced by its surrogate: a facialization of the black body as pure surface, the phallicization and epidermalization of the black subject as nothing more than his or her skin. To destabilize this body, these artists seek to get back to what Hortense Spillers describes as a black body of the flesh, a flesh that reveals the markings of the symbolic order on and beneath its skin.
Decision-making model on DSLR camera choosing for 18 ∼ 30 years old college students

A 3-level Hierarchical Decision Model (HDM) 111 is established in this paper to help 18–30 year old college students make a decision of choosing a desirable digital single-lens reflex camera (DSLR) from 5 famous DSLR camera manufacturers. The HDM has been utilized in this paper, because it measures the relative contribution of each criterion to the final decision based on quantified judgments of the respondents. A group of experts, consists of 12 male and 9 female provided their quantified judgements with different weighted value in each element at each level of the decision hierarchy. By applying desirable functions, there was one most desirable camera picked from each manufacturer of the 5. Additionally. the research team also analyzed the judgments from experts for possible different judgements between gender groups, and showing no significant differences.
Temperatures in home refrigerators and mold growth at refrigeration temperatures

Air temperature in two home refrigerators ranged from 1.7 to 20.2 C during 4-day periods. Mean air temperatures at thermocouple locations varied from 3.9 to 11.9 C, and temperature changes resulting from opening refrigerators were usually 3 C or less, although increases as great as 18.5 C were recorded. Temperatures in the range at which refrigerators operated were evaluated for their effect on mold growth. Mycelia from a strain of aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus did not grow at 8 C during 504 h of incubation. Isolates of Pencillium obtained from refrigerated food had optimum growth rates of mycelia at 15 C or above but grew at 5 C. However, incubation at 5 C prevented germination of spores of all but one of the isolates that were tested.
An integrated network analysis reveals that nitric oxide reductase prevents metabolic cycling of nitric oxide by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a chemical weapon within the arsenal of immune cells, but is also generated endogenously by different bacteria. Pseudomonas aeruginosa are pathogens that contain an NO-generating nitrite (NO2 ) reductase (NirS), and NO has been shown to influence their virulence. Interestingly, P. aeruginosa also contain NO dioxygenase (Fhp) and nitrate (NO3 (-)) reductases, which together with NirS provide the potential for NO to be metabolically cycled (NO -> NO3 (-)-> NO2 (-)-> NO). Deeper understanding of NO metabolism in P. aeruginosa will increase knowledge of its pathogenesis, and computational models have proven to be useful tools for the quantitative dissection of NO biochemical networks. Here we developed such a model for P. aeruginosa and confirmed its predictive accuracy with measurements of NO, O-2, NO2 (-), and NO3 (-) in mutant cultures devoid of Fhp or NorCB (NO reductase) activity. Using the model, we assessed whether NO was metabolically cycled in aerobic P. aeruginosa cultures. Calculated fluxes indicated a bottleneck at NO3 (-), which was relieved upon O-2 depletion. As cell growth depleted dissolved O-2 levels, NO3 (-) was converted to NO2 (-) at near-stoichiometric levels, whereas NO2 (-) consumption did not coincide with NO or NO3 (-) accumulation. Assimilatory NO2 reductase (NirBD) or NorCB activity could have prevented NO cycling, and experiments with Delta nirB,Delta nirS, and Delta norC showed that NorCB was responsible for loss of flux from the cycle. Collectively, this work provides a computational tool to analyze NO metabolism in P. aeruginosa, and establishes that P. aeruginosa use NorCB to prevent metabolic cycling of NO.