cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Longevity of seeds stored in a genebank: species characteristics

Seeds of different species are believed to have characteristic shelf lives, although data confirming this are scarce, and a mechanistic understanding of why this should be remains elusive. We have quantified storage performance of c. 42,000 seed accessions, representing 276 species, within the USDA National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) collection, as well as a smaller experiment of 207 cultivars from 42 species. Accessions from the NPGS collection were harvested between 1934 and 1975, and had relatively high initial germination percentages that decreased at a variable rate during storage at both 5 and –18°C. Germination time courses, which represent the average performance of the species, were fitted to Avrami kinetics, to calculate the time at which germination characteristically declined to 50% (P50). These P50 values correlated with other longevity surveys reported in the literature for seeds stored under controlled conditions, but there was no correlation among these studies and seed persistence observed in the classic buried seed experiment by Duvel. Some plant families had characteristically short-lived (e.g. Apiaceae and Brassicaceae) or long-lived (e.g. Malvaceae and Chenopodiaceae) seeds. Also, seeds from species that originated from particular localities had characteristically short (e.g. Europe) or long (e.g. South Asia and Australia) shelf lives. However, there appeared to be no correlation between longevity and dry matter reserves, soluble carbohydrates and parameters relating to soil persistence or resource allocation. Although data from this survey support the hypothesis that some species tend to survive longer than others in a genebank environment, there is little information on the attributes of the seed that affect its storage performance.
Survey of Pro-angiogenesis Strategies

Angiogenesis, the formation of new capillaries from pre-existing vascular network, plays an important role in physiological processes such as embryonic development, wound-healing, and pathological processes such as cancer, ocular neovascularization, and certain inflammatory-associated disorders. Even though pro-­angio­genesis has been shown to be safe and well-tolerated in clinical trials, efficacy of the treatment has not been satisfactory. Systemic use of pro-angiogenesis factors might accelerate pathological states by inducing microvessel growth in, for example, tumors and atherosclerotic lesions. Hence, stimulation of angiogenesis is preferred to be used locally at the desired site or tissues.
Sulfadiazine crystalluria revisited. The treatment of Toxoplasma encephalitis in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

•Toxoplasma gondiiencephalitis is an important opportunistic infection in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, estimated to occur in 20000 to 40000 patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in the United States by 1991. The combination of sulfadiazine and pyrimethamine is regarded as the treatment of choice. Acute renal failure due to crystal deposition in the urinary tract was well described 30 to 40 years ago and is likely to resurface as a clinical entity if appropriate prophylactic measures are not taken. We describe two cases of sulfadiazineinduced crystalluria and renal failure in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, review the pertinent literature, and discuss the pathogenesis. Recommendations are made for the prophylaxis and treatment of sulfadiazine-related renal toxic reaction. Physicians using this "new" drug must be aware of the potential danger of sulfonamide-induced injury to the urinary tract. (Arch Intern Med. 1990;150:2379-2384)
Survival outcome according to KRAS mutation status in newly diagnosed patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer treated with platinum doublet chemotherapy.

// Anna K. Brady 1 , Jonathan D. McNeill 2 , Brendan Judy 3 , Joshua Bauml 4 , Tracey L. Evans 4 , Roger B. Cohen 4 , Corey Langer 4 , Anil Vachani 5 , Charu Aggarwal 4 1 Department of Medicine, Washington University Medical Center, St. Louis, MO, USA 2 Ruth and Raymond Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA 3 Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA 4 Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA 5 Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA Correspondence to: Charu Aggarwal, e-mail: Charu.Aggarwal@uphs.upenn.edu Keywords: KRAS, non-small cell lung cancer, bevacizumab Received: May 06, 2015 Accepted: August 24, 2015 Published: September 03, 2015 ABSTRACT Introduction: Mutations (MT) of the KRAS gene are the most common mutation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), seen in about 20–25% of all adenocarcinomas. Effect of KRAS MT on response to cytotoxic chemotherapy is unclear. Methods: We undertook a single-institution retrospective analysis of 93 consecutive patients with stage IV NSCLC adenocarcinoma with known KRAS and EGFR MT status to determine the association of KRAS MT with survival. All patients were treated between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2011 with standard platinum based chemotherapy at the University of Pennsylvania. Overall and progression free survival were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard methods. Results: All patients in this series received platinum doublet chemotherapy, and 42 (45%) received bevacizumab. Overall survival and progression free survival for patients with KRAS MT was no worse than for patients with wild type KRAS. Median overall survival for patients with KRAS MT was 19 months (mo) vs. 15.6 mo for KRAS WT, p = 0.34, and progression-free survival was 6.2 mo in patients with KRAS MT vs. 7mo in patients with KRAS WT, p = 0.51. In multivariable analysis including age, race, gender, and ECOG PS, KRAS MT was not associated with overall survival (HR 1.12, 95% CI 0.58–2.16, p = 0.74) or progression free survival (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.48–1.34, p = 41). Of note, receipt of bevacizumab was associated with improved overall survival only in KRAS WT patients (HR 0.34, p = 0.01). Conclusions: KRAS MT are not associated with inferior progression-free and overall survival in advanced NSCLC patients treated with standard first-line platinum-based chemotherapy.
REGRESSING TOWARD FEDERAL COMMON LAW: THE CATALYTIC EFFECT OF CERCLA'S PRIVATE CAUSE OF ACTION

CERCLA’s Section 113, its civil proceedings provision, does not contemplate the private cause of action context in such areas as personal jurisdiction or contribution protection. The Section directly addresses only Government claims, and SARA’s legislative history rarely even discusses the private cause of action. Courts have had to manufacture a federal common law to fill in the gaps which Congress left. The congressional silence has caused courts to strain to reconcile private claims with CERCLA’s language. Atlantic Research means that process must continue.This has led to a regression to common law principles for the CERCLA private cause of action. For personal jurisdiction, failure to provide expressly for nationwide service of process relegates the matter to the usual “minimum contacts” approach constrained by principles of state sovereignty. For joinder and related issues, SARA’s confused language encourages resort to general principles of common law embodied in the uniform acts. With little prospect for reinstituting taxes for the Superfund, the key is to find a set of realistic incentives and disincentives to encourage effective remedial action with reduced government intervention. CERCLA’s private cause of action will continue to be a central catalyst in that process.This paper is a draft of a paper to be presented at the Southwestern Law School Symposium, “CERCLA and the Future of Liability-Based Environmental Regulation,” at the Southwestern Law School on November 11, 2011.
An Analysis of the Blended Three-Step Backward Differentiation Formula Time-Stepping Scheme for the Navier-Stokes-Type System Related to Soret Convection

In this article, we investigate the stability and convergence of a new class of blended three-step Backward Differentiation Formula (BDF) time-stepping scheme for spatially discretized Navier-Stokes-type system modeling Soret driven convective flows. A Galerkin mixed finite element spatial discretization is assumed, and the temporal discretization is by the implicit blended three-step BDF scheme. The blended BDF scheme is more accurate than the classical second order accurate two-step BDF (BDF2) scheme, yet strongly A-stable. We consider an implicit, linearly extrapolated version of the scheme to improve its efficiency. We present optimal finite element error estimates and prove the scheme is unconditionally stable and convergent. Numerical experiments are presented that compare the scheme to the classical BDF2 scheme.
Overview of the Application on Environmental Surveillance in the Process of the Polio Eradication

In the final stage of Global Polio Eradication Initiative(GPEI),global still faces the imported risk of poliovirus.Environmental surveillance will provide comprehensive technical support for GPEI.
Determination of Five Pyrethroids in Water Using Solid Phase Extraction High Performance Liquid Chromatography

[Objective] To establish a method for the simultaneous determination of 5 pyrethroids in source water or drinking water,i.e.fenpropathrin,cyhalothrin,deltamethrin,fenvalerate,and permethrin,using solid phase extraction combined with high performance liquid chromatography.[Methods] The water samples were extracted and condensed with solid-phase extraction using C18 cartridges and eluted by isopropanol.Separation was carried out on a Waters Sunfire C18 column,using acetonitrile and water as mobile phase gradient model at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min,with detective wavelength at 205 nm.Quantification was calculated by an external standard method.[Results] The linear range of proposed determination methodology was 0.0-5.0 mg/L.The minimum detectable concentration was 0.025-0.050 μg/L.The recoveries were between 88.0% and 102.2% with a relative standard deviation in the range of 1.0%-3.8%.[Conclusion] The method is sensitive,accurate,and applicable to detect the trace pyrethroid residues in source water and drinking water.
Application and Research on Air-coupled Ultrasonic Testing for Aerospace Composite Materials

The developments of air-coupled ultrasonic testing have been reviewed,and then the principles with its theories are presented generally,based on which four bottle-neck problems with its solutions are concluded, namely:① high reflection influence at air/solid interface;② strong refraction influence at air/solid interface;③ high absorption of ultrasonic energy in air transportation;④ low signal to noise ratio processing.Starting from the theory research and practical engineering application,meanwhile,the background of the non contacted ultrasonic testing for advanced aerospace composite materials,based on the through-transmissionces,the air-coupled experimental system has been set up.The performance of the testing system is evaluated comprehensively by compared with the conventional immersed ultrasonic testing.Making a study of the air-coupled ultrasonic testing is valued for the improving of non destructive testing in both the theory research and engineering application.
Hyperintensional dynamic semantics: analyzing definiteness with enriched contexts

We present a dynamic semantic theory formalized in higher order logic that synthesizes aspects of de Groote's continuation-based dynamics and Pollard's hyperintensional semantics. In this theory, we rely on an enriched notion of discourse context inspired by the work of Heim and Roberts. We show how to use this enriched context to improve on de Groote's treatment of English definite anaphora by modeling it as presupposition fulfillment.
Changes in the Biochemical Profiles of Mid-Cervically Located Adenosine A1 Receptors After Repeated Theophylline Administration in Adult Rats

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE Adenosine A1 receptors localized in the phrenic motoneurons (PMNs), where the axons of the descending bulbospinal respiratory make synaptic contacts, may be involved in theophylline-induced respiratory-related activity in rats. The objective of this study was to characterize the biochemical profiles of adenosine A1 receptors in 2 groups of rats: (a) naive and (b) theophylline-treated (3-day oral administration). METHODS Biochemical binding characteristics of adenosine A1 receptors in the C3 to C5 (PMN) of adult rats were assessed in naive (n = 6) and theophylline-treated animals (n = 6) using [3H]-DPCPX (10 pmol/L to 30 nmol/L), the specific adenosine A1 receptor antagonist in saturation-binding assays. Competition assays used theophylline as the competing ligand (20 mmol/L to 20 pmol/L), and protein concentration was determined with the Bradford assay using a range of standards (0.016-1.0 mg/mL). RESULTS In saturation-binding assays in naive animals, the A1 receptor was characterized by a single binding site with Bmax and Kd values of 256.00 +/- 32.13 fmol/mg protein and 2.89 +/- 0.45 nmol/L, respectively. Analysis of the isotherm in theophylline-treated animals showed 1 site with Bmax and Kd values of 219.00 +/- 26.3 fmol/mg protein and 0.60 +/- 0.21 nmol/L, respectively, and a second site characterized by Bmax and Kd values of 492.6 +/- 3.15 fmol/mg protein and 14.09 +/- 2.06 nmol/L, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Theophylline administration revealed 2 binding sites on receptors (characterized by the specific adenosine A1 antagonist, [3H]-DPCPX) located in the vicinity of phrenic motoneurons (C3-C5). Alteration of the receptor profiles after theophylline may underlie the respiratory-related actions of the drug.
Vagus-dependent disruption of interdigestive canine motility by gastric distension.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of proximal gastric distension on interdigestive patterns of canine gastrointestinal motility and to examine the role of extrinsic nerves in re...
Structure and organization in memory

The psychology of memory is currently awash with studies of organization in memory and structure in memory. The meaning of these terms varies from investigation to investigation. At present, there is no firm consensus concerning the definition of organizational processes within the overall memory process yet there do seem to be elements of commonality among the various uses of the terms. This chapter discusses the complexities of the organizational or structural approaches to memory. There are five different approaches to the understanding of memory: (1) interference, (2) information processing, (3) decay, (4) motivated forgetting, and (5) consolidation. The structural approach is not completely distinct from all of these alternative ways of looking at memory; it has much in common with these other approaches, particularly the information-processing approach. In the structural approach, however, the emphasis is on organizational processes within the overall memory system. The structural approach is not bound up with any one theory, as is the interference approach. Rather, it is an orientation toward the question of memory, which stresses the fact that one does not passively store information in exactly the manner that it is delivered. Instead, one structures, interrelates, and organizes it.
Blade Element Theory for Axial Flow Turbomachines

Arrays of blades, called cascades, are described and the blade forces and power generated are derived from the standpoint of blade element theory. The degree of reaction in a stage which describes the fraction of the stage pressure rise achieved in the rotor and in the stator and the corresponding pressure coefficient are developed. Nondimensional combined velocity diagrams are introduced and the adiabatic efficiency of compression and expansion described. Secondary flow losses in the blade passages, blade loading, characteristics of the blade pressure field, and the effects of boundary layer separation are discussed. The critical Mach number is introduced and the effect of compressibility on the flow over the blades is covered. The concept of linearized subsonic compressible flow in plane compressible flow is treated. Detailed analysis of turbine blade heat transfer is presented and blade cooling concepts are discussed.
Educational resiliency in teen mothers

While recent research has shown the long-term effects of teen pregnancy are not as devastating as once predicted, more than 40 years after the passage of Title IX legislation mandating equal educat...
Ecogeographic variation across morphofunctional units of the human nose

Objectives Although the internal nose is overwhelmingly responsible for heat and moisture exchange during respiration, external nasal morphology is more commonly cited as evincing climatic adaptation in humans. Here, we assess variation across all four morphofunctional units of the complete nasorespiratory tract (external pyramid, nasal aperture, internal nasal fossa, and nasopharynx) to determine which units provide the strongest evidence of climatic adaptation. Materials and Methods We employ 20 linear measurements collected on 837 modern human crania from major geographic (Arctic Circle, Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa) and climatic (polar, temperate, hot-arid, tropical) zones. In conjunction with associated climatic and geographic data, these morphological data are employed in multivariate analyses to evaluate the associations between each of these functional nasal units and climate. Results The external pyramid and nasopharynx exhibit virtually no evidence of climate-mediated morphology across the regional samples, while apparent associations between climate and nasal aperture morphology appear influenced by the geographic (and likely genetic) proximities of certain populations. Only the internal nasal fossa exhibits an ecogeographic distribution consistent with climatic adaptation, with crania from colder and/or drier environments displaying internal nasal fossae that are longer, taller, and narrower (especially superiorly) compared to those from hotter and more humid environments. Conclusions Our study indicates that the internal nasal fossa exhibits a stronger association with climate compared to other aspects of the human nose. Further, our study supports suggestions that regional variation in internal nasal fossa morphology reflects demands for heat and moisture exchange via adjustment of internal nasal airway dimensions. Our study thus provides empirical support for theoretical assertions related to nasorespiratory function, with important implications for understanding human nasal evolution.
Incidence of Isolated Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia and the Risk of Developing Subsequent Thrombosis Using the New IgG Specific Anti-PF4/Heparin ELISA

Abstract Abstract 1448 BACKGROUND: The new IgG specific ELISA for anti-platelet factor 4 (PF4)/heparin antibody is recently introduced for the diagnosis of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). It is as sensitive but more specific than the poly-specific IgG, M, A ELISA. About 50% of patients testing positive for the anti-PF4/heparin antibody have thrombocytopenia alone as initial manifestation of HIT without thrombosis (isolated HIT). These patients are thought to be at high risk (≂f30%) for developing thrombosis within next 28 days. The incidence of isolated HIT using IgG-specific ELISA is unknown. OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the incidence of isolated HIT using the IgG specific anti-PF4/heparin ELISA and the risk of developing subsequent thrombosis in these patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective observational study of patients being tested for the anti-PF4/heparin antibody at our institution from December 2008 to May 2010 using the IgG-specific anti-PF4/heparin ELISA with a two-step assay using high dose heparin in the second step to demonstrate heparin specificity. A positive test was defined as optical density (OD) >0.4 with >50% inhibition. RESULTS: 319 patients were tested during the study period. 23 (7.2%) patients were diagnosed with HIT based on clinical findings (4T score) and ELISA. 16/23 (70%) had thrombosis at diagnosis whereas 7/ 23 (30%) had isolated HIT. All 7 patients with isolated HIT had follow up data for at least 3 months after diagnosis. Only 2/7 were treated with direct thrombin inhibitors (DTI) and 4/7 were treated with warfarin for at least 1 month. While only 3 of the 7 isolated HIT patients had compression ultrasonography to rule out occult lower extremity thrombus, none of these 7 patients (including 4 with an OD of >1.0) developed symptoms or signs of thrombosis in the subsequent 3 months after the diagnosis of isolated HIT. CONCLUSION: The incidence of isolate HIT in this study (7.2%) is significantly lower than previously reported by others and our own historical patients (57.4%, Altuntus et al, Euro J of Haematology 2008) using the IgG, M, A poly -specific anti-PF4/heparin ELISA (z value 2.092, p=0.036). It is possible that many patients previously thought to have HIT by the poly-specific anti-PF4/heparin ELISA assay were false positive. Using the IgG-specific anti-PF4/heparin ELISA not only improved the specificity of the ELISA assay, it also reduced the number of patients with isolated HIT significantly who also seem to have lower risk of developing subsequent thrombosis. Pt 4T score OD % inhibition Nadir platelet DTI Warfarin after DTI Thrombosis at follow up 1 5 1.877 97 52 Yes Yes No 2 6 2.098 92 40 Yes Yes No 3 4 0.511 97 79 No No No 4 4 0.479 105 107 No No No 5 4 1.227 105 57 No No No 6 4 1.213 100 104 No Yes No 7 4 0.492 84 50 No Yes No Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Gender disparities in cardiovascular disease prevention

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has historically been viewed as a man’s disease, yet more women than men die from CVD every year.1 Even with national campaigns aimed at increasing awareness of CVD in women, the number of women diagnosed with and dying from CVD continues to increase across the world.1 While biological differences between women and men likely contribute to these differences in outcomes, disparities in cardiovascular care may also play a role. Potential areas in cardiovascular prevention where disparities may occur include inadequate screening, untimely diagnosis and/or lack of appropriate treatment of CVD in women compared with men. In their Heart paper, Hyun and colleagues evaluated potential gender disparities in cardiovascular risk screening and preventive medication use among patients with high cardiovascular risk enrolled in the Treatment of cardiovascular Risk in Primary care using Electronic Decision suppOrt (TORPEDO) study.2 3 This cluster-randomised trial conducted in 60 Australian primary care practices was designed to test whether an electronic decision support tool improves CVD risk detection and management. Using baseline enrollment data from TORPEDO, the study aimed to evaluate for gender differences in (1) recording of risk factors needed for CVD risk assessment (recorded smoking status, systolic blood pressure (BP) in previous 12 months, total and high density lipoprotein cholesterol in previous 24 months) and (2) appropriate preventive medication use (prescription for one or more BP-lowering drug and a statin for people at high risk without CVD, or a prescription for one or more BP-lowering drugs and a statin and an antiplatelet agent (unless already on an oral anticoagulant) for people with a diagnosis of CVD). High cardiovascular risk was defined by a history of CVD, presence of high risk conditions (diabetes mellitus and age >60 years, diabetes mellitus and albuminuria, stage 3B chronic kidney …
A Tale of Two Cities: Variations in Perceptions of Disaster Recovery and the Importance of Intersectionality:

In this article, the author examines long-term recovery from disaster in Joplin, Missouri, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Tornados devastated both cities in 2011. The author asks (1) how sociohistoric co...
Abstract 120: Central Prostaglandin D Synthase Inhibition Blocks Development of Chronic Angiotensin II-salt Hypertension in the Rat.

Hypertension (HT) is still the major risk factor for various cardiovascular diseases. Previously we found that central cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) inhibition prevented the development of angiotensin II (AngII)-salt HT and sympathetic hyperactivity in Sprague Dawley rats. We found a significant up-regulation of prostaglandin D synthase (PGDS) mRNA levels in the organum vasculosum lamina terminalis, a circumventricular organ. This was accompanied by a significant increase in the protein levels of PGDS in the choroid plexus lining the ventricles. Therefore we hypothesized that the enzyme, PGDS is critical for the development of HT in this model. To test this hypothesis, adult male Sprague Dawley rats were implanted with radio-telemeters for hemodynamic measurements. After 3 days of basal recordings, rats on 2% NaCl diet were pretreated with vehicle or AT56, a PGDS inhibitor (10mg/kg, ICV) through a mini-osmotic pump. From day 8, all rats received AngII (150 ng/kg/min, s.c.). In vehicle-treated rats, mean arterial pressure (MAP) rose significantly. Rats that received AT56 showed attenuation of MAP compared to vehicle-treated rats (p
Design for Testability of SFQ Circuits

Test point insertion and set/scan techniques for enhanced testability in superconductive single-flux-quantum (SFQ) logic are proposed here. Test point insertion reduces the overhead of a set/scan chain while maintaining most of the functionality. Multiple ways of replacing costly (in terms of the number of Josephson junctions) SFQ multiplexers with mergers and blocking gates are proposed. The multiplexer control signals are replaced with a gated clock signal or separate bias networks for both functional and test paths. Clocked blocking gates or current-controlled Josephson transmission line segments are used to disable undesired data inputs. The clocked blocking gates for test point insertion in a 64-bit register requires 35% fewer Josephson junctions as compared to multiplexers. This advantage further increases for current-controlled blocking gates. Set/scan chain and test point insertion techniques are applied to several SFQ circuits to evaluate error characteristics and to provide built-in self-test of SFQ-compatible memory systems.
Two-dimensional steady-state and transient analyses of single-cell thermionic fuel elements

A two-dimensional transient model is developed to simulate steady-state and transient operations of single-cell thermionic fuel elements (TFEs). Model predictions are in good agreement with published data to within 4.5 and 5.5% for fission and electrically heated TFEs of the TOPAZ-II type, respectively. In addition, the results of a transient analysis simulating the startup of an electrically heated TFE, following a step function increase in thermal power, are in presented and discussed.
Optimal Design of Air Separation Plants with Variable Electricity Pricing

Abstract Air separation processes are significant electricity consumers. Operating air separation units (ASUs) at variable capacity can be economically beneficial (in time varying electricity price scenarios) and can serve as a means for mitigating grid load during peak times. Process design should thus account for such operational fluctuations. In this paper, we study the optimal design of ASUs assumed to be operating at variable capacity under variable electricity price. We introduce a novel pseudo-transient equation-oriented framework for process modelling, and use the developed models together with a time relaxation-based optimization algorithm to optimize the design of the plant subject to a time-of-day price scenario.
Temperature sensitivity of soil respiration in a low-latitude forest ecosystem varies by season and habitat but is unaffected by experimental warming

Experimental warming of forest ecosystems typically stimulates soil respiration (CO2 efflux), but most warming experiments have been conducted in northern latitudes (> 40°N) with relatively young soils. We quantified the influence of experimental warming on soil respiration (RT) in two adjacent forest habitats—a mature, closed canopy forest and a gap where trees were manually removed— on highly-weathered Ultisols of the southeastern U.S. (33°N). Using temperature variation, both natural and induced by experimental warming, we also quantified the temperature sensitivity of RT, defined as the activation energy, EA in the Arrhenius equation. Experimental warming (either + 3 °C or + 5 °C above ambient) did not significantly increase soil respiration rate or cumulative CO2 loss over the 3 years of the experiment, and did not influence the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration, once the influence of natural temperature variation was taken into consideration. Despite the absence of an experimental warming effect, we observed that EA varied on monthly time scales, and varied differently in each habitat. Soil moisture and habitat also influenced RT, but the effects were not consistent, and varied by month. Our results suggest that although RT does depend on temperature, the sensitivity of RT to temperature variation is influenced primarily by factors like microclimate and plant phenology that can change on relatively short (< monthly) time scales. Thus, using the temperature sensitivity of RT to predict future CO2 losses due to warming is only reasonable if monthly variation in EA is incorporated into models for lower-latitude subtropical ecosystems with highly weathered soils, such as those in this study. Finally, our results suggest that higher temperatures may not enhance RT in highly-weathered, C-poor soils to the extent that has been reported in prior studies of high-latitude soils, which may constrain ecosystem-atmosphere carbon exchanges and feedbacks to the climate system.
Defining Long-Term Clinical Outcomes and Risks of Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Brainstem Cavernous Malformations.

Background We evaluated clinical outcomes in patients with symptomatic brainstem cavernous malformations (CMs) treated by stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). Methods Between 1988 and 2016, Gamma Knife SRS was performed in 76 evaluable patients with solitary symptomatic brainstem CMs. Forty-nine (66%) were intrinsic (not reaching a pial or ependymal surface). Most patients (91%) had experienced 2 or more hemorrhages associated with new neurologic deficits. Fourteen patients (18%) underwent resection before radiosurgery. The median CM volume was 0.66 cm3 (range, 0.05–6.8), and the median margin dose was 15.0 Gy. Results After SRS, 15 patients (20%) had an imaging confirmed new hemorrhage at a median follow-up of 48 months. The hemorrhage-free survival after SRS for brainstem CMs was 92% at 1 year, 87% at 3 years, and 85% at 5 years. The annual hemorrhage rate was 31% before and 4% after SRS. In univariate analysis, CM volume, previous surgical resection, and increased number of hemorrhages before SRS were significantly associated with a higher rate of hemorrhage after SRS. In multivariate analysis, only number of previous hemorrhages was significant (P Conclusions Patients with an increased rate of hemorrhage before SRS had an increased risk of repeat hemorrhage and symptom deterioration rate after SRS. Intrinsic CM location did not significantly affect rates of symptom deterioration or rebleeding.
Sol y Agua: A Game-based Learning Platform to Engage Middle-school Students in STEM

Full paper, Research-to-Practice. With the nation’s continuing shortage of scientists and engineers, there is an urgent need for diverse students, especially Hispanic students, to enter and complete science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education at all levels. Contributing factors to the low representation in STEM areas are the lack of Hispanic youth’s exposure to engaging and relevant experiences with science in their early stages of development and the lack of Latino scientists as role models that are visible, tangible, real, and inspiring to their communities. In addition, student experiences in math and science in the middle grades have emerged as a “filter” that prevents many students from pursuing advanced STEM courses in high school and, therefore, limits their knowledge of and interest in exploring STEM subjects and careers later in their education. This paper presents a research-based approach to attract middle school students to STEM fields in a majority Hispanic region, using a game-based learning platform. The platform integrates computational thinking in the area of water conservation at middle-school level by using simulations and data visualization in concurrent learning modules. The concepts introduced in the platform are universal enough to be successfully employed in other geographical regions with different student demographics.
Cyclic Permeability Evolution During Repose Then Reactivation of Fractures and Faults

Cyclic growth and decay of permeability in fractures is explored during repeated reactivation and repose of saw‐cut fractures of Green River shale. These slide‐hold‐slide experiments are supported by measurements of fracture normal deformation and optical surface profilometry. Overall, we observe continuous permeability decay during repose (holds) and significant permeability enhancement during slow reactivation (slide). The permeability decay is accompanied by fault compaction. Both hydraulic aperture change (Δb_h) and measured compaction (Δb_s) are consistent with time‐dependent power law closure with a power exponent of ~0.2–0.4. These dual compaction magnitudes are positively correlated but Δb_h > Δb_s in late stage holds. Permeability enhancement during reactivation is typically also accompanied by fault dilation. However, we also observe some cases where hydraulic aperture change decouples from the measured deformation, conceivably driven by mobilization of wear products and influenced by the development of flow bottlenecks. Pretest and posttest surface profiles show that the surface topography of the fractures is planed down by shear removal. The shear removal is significant with initial laboratory prepared surface (~10 μm of aperture height) but less significant following consecutive reactivations (~2 μm). The flattened surfaces retain small‐scale, ~10–20 μm wavelength, roughness. Flow simulations, constrained by the surface topography and measured deformation, indicate that small‐scale roughness may control permeability at flow bottlenecks within a dominant flow channel. These results suggest cycles of permeability creation and destruction are an intrinsic component of the natural hydraulic system present in faults and fractures and provide an improved mechanistic understanding of the evolution of permeability during fault repose and reactivation.
Cognitive Function in Older Adults with Hematological Malignancies

Abstract Background: Mild cognitive impairment is common with increasing age and can contribute to an increased risk of cognitive deficits that impair function and independence. Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) predict treatment toxicity and tolerance in hematological malignancies. We utilized CGA and neuropsychological testing to describe vulnerabilities in a group of older adults awaiting autologous and allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT). Methods: From August 2016 to June 2017, 30 consecutive patients ≥ 60 years with hematological malignancies who were considered for HCT completed CGA and neuropsychological assessment at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Measures of cognitive functioning included a standardized battery of neuropsychological tests [Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease Neuropsychological Battery-CERAD-NP)] and Montreal Cognitive Test (MOCA). Patients completed Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15), and carepartners completed a Collateral Source version of the GDS. Results: Patients had a median age of 69 years (range 61-78). MOCA and CERAD-NP were completed in 29 and 26 patients, respectively. Twenty patients met criteria for cognitive impairment and 6 patients met criteria for moderate-severe impairment (Table 1). Patients primarily displayed impairment in language, verbal and non-verbal memory, and >20% showed moderate-severe impairment in attention, executive functioning and visuospatial/visuoconstruction. Patients report a median of 3 (range of 0-8) symptoms on the GDS-15. 15% met criteria for depression, whereas 30% met criteria for depression based on reports from carepartners. Over 45% of patients have both impaired physical functioning on the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB Conclusions: Older patients with hematological malignancies, including those with HCT-CI score of 0-2 have a high prevalence of cognitive and functional impairment. Impaired memory and executive functioning have implications for their ability to adhere to complex medication regimens after HCT. Carepartners report more depressive symptoms suggesting that patients may be minimizing depressive symptoms. One fourth of patients are at high risk for further cognitive decline and disability due to preexisting cognitive impairment and impairment in IADLs. Prospective longitudinal studies are needed to better understand the trajectory and profile of cognitive changes in older HCT survivors and the impact of these cognitive changes on life activities and quality of life. Download : Download high-res image (233KB) Download : Download full-size image Disclosures Wildes: Janssen: Consultancy; Carevive Systems Inc: Consultancy.
Habeas Standards of Review Under 28 U.S.C. Section 2254(D)(1): A Commentary on Statutory Text and Supreme Court Precedent

The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 ("AEDPA") extensively revised of the law of habeas corpus as practiced within the federal judicial system. One of those revisions is found in 28 U.S.C. section 2254(d), which limits a federal court's authority to grant writs of habeas corpus on behalf of persons held in state custody. Consistent with this section, a federal court's jurisdictional authority is constrained by three specified standards of review, two pertaining to errors of law and one pertaining to errors of fact. The focus of this article is on subsection (d)(1), which creates the critical review standards applicable to errors of law. A mere seventy-six words in length, subsection (d)(1) is enormously important because it controls all "error of law" access to federal habeas review. As a practical matter, the operational scope of subsection (d)(1) depends on the interpretation of its two key textual components. The first limits the grant of federal habeas to state court decisions that contravene "clearly established Federal law, as determined by the Supreme Court." Careful attention to these words is required to appreciate the nature and scope of the claims that may be asserted on habeas. The second component creates two alternative standards of review, one pertaining to state court decisions that are "contrary to" that clearly established federal law, and the other pertaining to state court decisions that "involve an unreasonable application of" that law. This article presents a detailed examination of the text of section 2254(d)(1) and a close examination of all the key Supreme Court precedents interpreting and applying that text, including the quartet of section 2254(d)(1) decisions issued during the October 2002 Term of the Court. The goal is to capture a sense of how one might navigate this text in the real world of habeas litigation. The author's ultimate conclusion is that the text is more significant than the precedents construing it and that properly understood the text is not the draconian measure many have assumed it to be.
Prescription drug monitoring programs: Assessing the association between "best practices" and opioid use in Medicare.

OBJECTIVE To estimate the impact of implementing prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) best practices on prescription opioid use. DATA SOURCES 2007-2012 Medicare claims for noncancer pain patients, and PDMP attributes from the Prescription Drug Abuse Policy System. STUDY DESIGN We derived PDMP composite scores using the number of best practices adopted by states (range: 0-14), classifying states as either no PDMP, low strength (0 < score < median), or high strength (score ≥ median). Using generalized linear models, we quantified the association between the PDMP score category and opioid use measures-overall and stratified by disability/age. Sensitivity analyses assessed the general Medicare sample regardless of pain diagnoses, individual PDMP characteristics, and compared GEE model findings to models with state fixed effects. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Compared to non-PDMP states, strong PDMP states had lower opioid cumulative doses (-296 mg; 95% CI: -512, -132), days supplied (-7.84; 95% CI: -10.6, -5.04), prescription fill rates (0.97; 95% CI: 0.95, 0.98), and mean daily doses (-2.31 mg; 95% CI: -3.14, -1.48) but greater prevalence of high opioid doses in disabled adults, whereas there was little or no change in older adults. Findings in states with weak PDMPs were substantively similar to those of strong PDMPs. Results from sensitivity analyses were mostly consistent with main findings except there was a null relationship with mean daily doses and high doses in models with state fixed effects. CONCLUSIONS Comprehensive or minimal adoption of PDMP best practices was associated with mostly comparable effects on Medicare beneficiaries' opioid use; however, these effects were concentrated among nonelderly disabled adults.
Effect of pregnancy on uterine-sparing pelvic organ prolapse repair.

The impact of pregnancy on pelvic organ prolapse following surgical repair is not well understood. We describe five cases of pregnancy following uterine-sparing surgical treatment of pelvic organ prolapse. We analyzed the changes in women’s Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POP-Q) scores. We hypothesized there would be significant improvement in anterior and apical prolapse after surgery and no recurrence of prolapse after pregnancy. We performed a retrospective review of the electronic medical record for cases of uterine-sparing apical suspension performed between January 2004 and December 2012 at Boston Medical Center. Student’s t-test for paired design was used to compare the change in POP-Q score at points Aa, Ba and C obtained at preoperative, postoperative and postpartum visits. Subjects in our series demonstrated significant improvement in their prolapse at all POP-Q points of interest between the pre- and postoperative visits, particularly at point C. There was a slight increase in POP-Q score from the postoperative visit to the postpartum visit, but this change was not statistically significant. Our findings are consistent with previous literature, suggesting that the results of uterine-sparing apical prolapse repair are maintained after pregnancy. Women may be counseled to consider surgical prolapse repair even if they have not completed childbearing.
Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether Exposure from Gasoline in the U.S. Population, NHANES 2001-2012.

Background: Methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) was used as a gasoline additive in the United States during 1995–2006. Because of concerns about potential exposure and health effects, some U.S. stat...
Principal Quality and Student Attendance

Student attendance is increasingly recognized as an important measure of educational success, which has spurred a body of research examining the extent to which schools can affect this outcome. How...
Estimation of pharmacokinetic parameters from DCE-MRI by extracting long and short time-dependent features using an LSTM network.

Purpose T1 -weighted dynamic contrast-enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DCE-MRI) is typically quantified by least squares (LS) fitting to a pharmacokinetic (PK) model to yield parameters of microvasculature and perfusion in normal and disease tissues. Such fitting is both time-consuming as well as subject to inaccuracy and instability in parameter estimates. Here, we propose a novel neural network approach to estimate the PK parameters by extracting long and short time-dependent features in DCE-MRI. Methods A Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network, widely used for processing sequence data, was employed to map DCE-MRI time-series accompanied with an arterial input function to parameters of the extended Tofts model. Head and neck DCE-MRI from 103 patients were used for training and testing the LSTM model. Arterial input functions (AIFs) from 78 patients were used to generate synthetic DCE-MRI time-series for training, during which data augmentation was used to overcome the limited size of in vivo data. The model was tested on independent synthesized DCE data using AIFs from 25 patients. The LSTM performance was optimized for the numbers of layers and hidden state features. The performance of the LSTM was tested for different temporal resolution, total acquisition time, and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and compared to the conventional LS fitting and a CNN-based method. Results Compared to LS fitting, the LSTM model had comparable accuracy in PK parameter estimations from fully temporal-sampled DCE-MRI data (~3 s per frame), but much better accuracy for the data with temporally subsampling (4s or greater per frame), total acquisition time truncation by 48%-16%, or low CNR (5 and 10). The LSTM reduced normalized root mean squared error by 40.4%, 46.9%, and 53.0% for sampling intervals of 4s, 5s, and 6s, respectively, compared to LS fitting. Compared to the CNN model, the LSTM model reduced the error in the parameter estimates up to 55.2%. Also, the LSTM improved the inference time by ~ 14 times on CPU compared to LS fitting. Conclusion Our study suggests that the LSTM model could achieve improved robustness and computation speed for PK parameter estimation compared to LS fitting and the CNN based network, particularly for suboptimal data.