cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
AV Nodal Dual Pathway Electrophysiology and Wenckebach Periodicity

Dual Pathways and Wenckebach Periodicity. Introduction: The precise mechanism(s) governing the phenomenon of AV nodal Wenckebach periodicity is not fully elucidated. Currently 2 hypotheses, the decremental conduction and the Rosenbluethian step-delay, are most frequently used. We have provided new evidence that, in addition, dual pathway (DPW) electrophysiology is directly involved in the manifestation of AV nodal Wenckebach phenomenon. Methods and Results: AV nodal cellular action potentials (APs) were recorded from 6 rabbit AV node preparations during standard A1A2 and incremental pacing protocols. His electrogram alternans, a validated index of DPW electrophysiology, was used to monitor fast (FP) and slow (SP) pathway conduction. The data were collected in intact AV nodes, as well as after SP ablation. In all studied hearts the Wenckebach cycle started with FP propagation, followed by transition to SP until its ultimate block. During this process complex cellular APs were observed, with decremental foot formations reflecting the fading FP and second depolarizations produced by the SP. In addition, the AV node cells exhibited a progressive loss in maximal diastolic membrane potential (MDP) due to incomplete repolarization. The pause created with the blocked Wenckebach beat was associated with restoration of MDP and reinitiation of the conduction cycle via the FP wavefront. Conclusion: DPW electrophysiology is dynamically involved in the development of AV nodal Wenckebach periodicity. In the intact AV node, the cycle starts with FP that is progressively weakened and then replaced by SP propagation, until block occurs. AV nodal SP modification did not eliminate Wenckebach periodicity but strongly affected its paradigm. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. pp.1-7)
Temporal diversity coding for improving the performance of wireless body area networks

Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs) promise a significant improvement in the reliability of monitoring and treating people's health. A WBAN comprises a number of intelligent biosensors and actuators that may either be implanted in vivo or mounted on the surface of the human body, and that are capable of wireless communication to one or more external nodes that are in close proximity to the human body. In this paper, we propose a new and efficient feedforward error-control technology, Temporal Diversity Coding (TDC), to increase the robustness and reliability of Wireless Body Area networks. Temporal Diversity Coding applies Diversity Coding in time and space to improve the WBAN's performance. We demonstrate that by implementing this novel technique, we can achieve significant improvement (~50%) in throughput compared to extant WBANs.
Application note: pestMapper-A internet-based software tool for reporting and mapping biological invasions and other geographical and temporal events

An internet-based Google^(R) Maps application, pestMapper, is developed for sharing biological events such as invasive species and pest distribution over large geographical areas. This data gathering and mapping tool facilitates reporting, viewing, and providing alerts about important pest occurrences and research activities both regionally and globally. This Google^(R) application provides reported events dynamically to a Google^(R) Maps interface with detailed information displayed for each event. Users can make use of various built-in options such as region, event, pest, country, or time to display the map selectively. Alerts can be automatically sent to interested parties when system-specified types of events, such as pest outbreaks, occur. The system also generates web-based alerts for certain pre-defined events. A time slider is available for users to view temporal distributions of a biological event. Data are entered using an online data report component. The software can be modified for many other applications, such as species regional or global distribution mapping.
A MEASURE OF RELATIVE ROBUSTNESS FOR FEEDFORWARD NEURAL NETWORKS SUBJECT TO SMALL INPUT PERTURBATIONS

The relative robustness of artificial neural networks subject to small input perturbations (e.g. measurement noises) is an important issue in real world applications. This paper uses the concept of input-output sensitivity analysis to derive a relative network robustness measure for different feedforward neural network configurations. For illustration purposes, this measure is used to compare different neural network configurations designed for detecting incipient faults in induction motors. Analytical and simulation results are presented to show that the relative network robustness measure derived in this paper is an effective indicator of the relative performance of different feedforward neural network configurations in noisy environments and that this measure should be considered in the design of neural networks for real time applications. The concept of input-output sensitivity analysis and relative network robustness measure presented can be extended to analyze other neural networks designed for on-l...
New Insights into the Assembly of Extracellular Microfibrils from the Analysis of the Fibrillin 1 Mutation in the Tight skin Mouse

The Tight skin (Tsk) mutation is a duplication of the mouse fibrillin 1 (Fbn1) gene that results in a larger (418 kD) than normal (350 kD) protein; Tsk/+ mice display increased connective tissue, bone overgrowth, and lung emphysema. Lung emphysema, bone overgrowth, and vascular complications are the distinctive traits of mice with reduced Fbn1 gene expression and of Marfan syndrome (MFS) patients with heterozygous fibrillin 1 mutations. Although Tsk/+ mice produce equal amounts of the 418- and 350-kD proteins, they exhibit a relatively mild phenotype without the vascular complications that are associated with MFS patients and fibrillin 1-deficient mice. We have used genetic crosses, cell culture assays and Tsk-specific antibodies to reconcile this discrepancy and gain new insights into microfibril assembly. Mice compound heterozygous for the Tsk mutation and hypomorphic Fbn1 alleles displayed both Tsk and MFS traits. Analyses of immunoreactive fibrillin 1 microfibrils using Tsk- and species-specific antibodies revealed that the mutant cell cultures elaborate a less abundant and morphologically different meshwork than control cells. Cocultures of Tsk/Tsk fibroblasts and human WISH cells that do not assemble fibrillin 1 microfibrils, demonstrated that Tsk fibrillin 1 copolymerizes with wild-type fibrillin 1. Additionally, copolymerization of Tsk fibrillin 1 with wild-type fibrillin 1 rescues the abnormal morphology of the Tsk/Tsk aggregates. Therefore, the studies suggest that bone and lung abnormalities of Tsk/+ mice are due to copolymerization of mutant and wild-type molecules into functionally deficient microfibrils. However, vascular complications are not present in these animals because the level of functional microfibrils does not drop below the critical threshold. Indirect in vitro evidence suggests that a potential mechanism for the dominant negative effects of incorporating Tsk fibrillin 1 into microfibrils is increased proteolytic susceptibility conferred by the duplicated Tsk region.
First reconfigurable MEMS separation columns for micro gas chromatography

We present herein for the first time reconfigurable chromatographic separation columns by merging MEMS and nanotechnology using self-assembly of thiol compounds on an electrodeposited gold surface in MEMS columns. This coupling provides: 1) the ability to fabricate both polar and non-polar stationary phases, affording the separation of gas mixtures with a wide range of boiling points and polarities; and 2) the ability to reconfigure the separation characteristics by removing the stationary phase and functionalizing it with another thiol. MEMS columns were produced to provide 250μm-deep, 30μm-wide, 25cm-long, 16-channel mutlicapillary columns (μMCC) using a double-doped silicon-on-glass fabrication process. Multi-compound separations were achieved with separation efficiencies of 7200 plates/m. The method enables realization of highly reproducible, easy-to-coat, and reusable μGC separation columns, thus saving resources, time, and cost.
Electrostatic discharge and high current pulse characterization of epitaxial-base silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors

This paper investigates high-current and electrostatic discharge (ESD) phenomenon in pseudomorphic epitaxial-base silicon-germanium (SiGe) heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBT). Transmission line pulse (TLP) and ESD human body model (HBM) wafer-level reliability testing, failure analysis and simulation of SiGe HBT devices is completed for high-current characterization and evaluation of the ESD robustness of a BiCMOS SiGe technology.
Fear of Success: Attribution of Cause to the Victim.

Theory and research on the psychological construct of “fear of success” is reviewed in the context of Horner's original (1968) formulation of the motive. Both the validity and the reliability of the original measure are questioned in the light of the weakness of empirical support. The findings of subsequent research are organized in terms of what they contribute to a situational rather than a motivational interpretation of the data. Implications of these different views of the achievement behavior of females for changes in sex-role socialization are discussed.
Peconic bays estuarine studies

The Marine Sciences Research Center (MSRC) of the State University of New York at Stony Brook has been involved in a study of the processes of motion, mixing, and exchange in the Peconic Bays estuarine system. This system, located at the east end of Long Island, N.Y., is composed of the tidal reaches of the Peconic River, Flanders Bay, Great Peconic Bay, Little Peconic Bay, Shelter Island Sound, and the several small bays and harbors adjacent to these waterways. The Peconic Bays estuary connects with Long Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean through Gardiners Bay in the east and through the Shinnecock Canal and Shinnecock Bay in the south.
Association between delayed graft function and allograft and patient survival: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Delayed graft function (DGF) is a common complication of renal transplantation. The short-term consequences of DGF are well known, but the long-term relationship between DGF and patient and graft survival is controversial in the published literature. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to precisely estimate these relationships. Methods We performed a literature search for original studies published through March 2007 pertaining to long-term (>6 months) outcomes of DGF. The primary outcome was graft survival. Secondary outcomes were patient survival, acute rejection and kidney function. Results When compared to patients without DGF, patients with DGF had a 41% increased risk of graft loss (RR 1.41, 95% CI 1.27-1.56) at 3.2 years of follow-up. There was no significant relationship between DGF and patient survival at 5 years (RR 1.14, 95% CI 0.94-1.39). The mean creatinine in the non-DGF group was 1.6 mg/dl. Patients with DGF had a higher mean serum creatinine (0.66 mg/dl, 95% CI 0.57-0.74) compared to patients without DGF at 3.5 years of follow-up. DGF was associated with a 38% relative increase in the risk of acute rejection (RR 1.38, 95% CI 1.29-1.47). Conclusion The results of this meta-analysis emphasize and quantify the long-term detrimental association between DGF and important graft outcomes like graft survival, acute rejection and renal function. Efforts to prevent and treat DGF should be aggressively investigated in order to improve graft survival given the deficit in the number of kidney donors.
Reduction of Amphibious Vehicle Resistance and Bow Swamping by Fitting a Wave Cancellation Bow Plate

Amphibious vehicles and other blunt-shaped floating vehicles encounter the problem of a large bow wave forming at high speeds. This wave formation is accompanied by higher resistance and at a critical speed results in bow submergence or swamping. A 1/4 scale model of a tracked amphibious vehicle was tested at speeds corresponding to 3–7 km/h full scale to investigate the phenomena. The experiment showed that at speeds of 5–6 km/h, there is a significant increase in the trim by the bow. The vehicle's “breakwater” plate was able to break up this wave and avoid swamping. Comparative tests with the vehicle fitted with the wave cancellation bow plate showed that this bow plate reduced the bow wave formation and achieved a 10% reduction in the towing resistance. The wave cancellation bow plate can reduce the vehicle's power and extend its amphibious operating range or increase its amphibious speed.
Transfer of Learning From a University Content‐Based EAP Course

This article describes an investigation into the learning outcomes that transferred from a university content-based English for academic purposes (EAP) course to other courses and the factors that influenced that transfer. The study was a longitudinal qualitative case study in one faculty at a large North American university. Data were collected over one academic year through multipronged assessment measures from five first-year students who were participating in a content-based EAP course concurrently with other first-year university courses, as well as from two instructors of the content-based EAP course, 16 instructors of other courses, and one administrator. Data included interview transcripts, participant journals, class observation notes, and samples of course work. Evidence emerged to indicate that learning transfer did occur from the content-based EAP course to the students' other courses. The learning transfer fell into six broad categories that reflected a range of academic language skills (e.g., listening comprehension skills, writing skills) and other learning outcomes (e.g., study skills). The transfer of these learning outcomes was influenced by eight factors (e.g., requirements for learning transfer in activities in other courses, similarity between the content-based EAP course and other courses). Implications of these findings for theory, practice, and future research are discussed.
Analysing the relationship between change in a risk factor and risk of disease

There are numerous examples in the epidemiologic literature of analyses that relate the change in a risk factor, such as serum cholesterol, to the risk of an adverse outcome, such as heart disease. Many of these analyses fit some type of regression model (such as logistic regression or the Cox model for survival time data) that includes both the change in the risk factor and the baseline value as covariates. We show that this method of adjusting for the baseline level can produce misleading results. The problem occurs when the true value of the risk factor relates to the outcome, and the measured value differs from the true value due to measurement error. We may find the observed change in the risk factor significantly related to the outcome when there is in fact no relationship between the true change and the outcome. If the question of interest is whether a person who lowers his level of the risk factor by means of drugs or lifestyle changes will thereby reduce his risk of disease, then we should consider an association due solely to measurement error as spurious. We present a method that adjusts for the measurement error in a linear regression analysis and show that an analogous adjustment applies asymptotically to logistic regression. As in other errors-in-variables problems, this analysis depends on knowledge of the relative variances of the random variation, the true baseline value, and the true change. Since the magnitudes of these variances are usually unknown and sometimes unknowable (the distinction between true change and measurement error being ambiguous), we recommend a sensitivity analysis that examines how the analysis results depend on the assumptions concerning the variances. The commonly used analysis method corresponds to the extreme case in which there is no measurement error. We use data from the Framingham Study and simulations to illustrate these points.
Deposition of CO2 and erosion of the Martian south perennial cap between 1972 and 2004: Implications for current climate change

[1] We present a comparison of Mariner 9, Viking, Mars Orbiter Camera, and Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System visible and infrared images of the south perennial cap taken during the summer between 1972 and 1977 and between 1999 and 2004. Between 1972 and 1977, the lateral expansion and the reduction of the patchiness of the cap indicate that CO2 ice was deposited. During subsequent years, the distribution of the CO2 ice has been modified by the erosion and deposition of CO2 on the cap at the kilometer scale. Because vertical deposition of CO2 on the cap is only detected when the patchiness decreases as observed between 1972 and 1977, present deposition on the cap would not be detectable and cannot be ruled out. Therefore the current lateral erosion of the walls of the CO2 cap at the meter scale is not a sufficient observation to conclude that the climate is changing on Mars. The present mass balance of the cap cannot be estimated from available south polar cap images, and it is not possible to determine with the existing data if the climate of Mars is changing.
Pseudoseizures after epilepsy surgery

Seizure surgery for medically intractable partial epilepsy in selected patients usually results in dramatically improved seizure control. However, the authors present six patients who, after surgery for refractory complex partial seizures, postoperatively experienced pseudoseizures (also known as nonepileptic seizures), confirmed with EEG monitoring. Three of these patients also had nonepileptic seizures preoperatively that coexisted with their partial epilepsy. Psychiatric assessment revealed that this patient group had several characteristics in common, which suggests that preoperative psychiatric consultation may help identify those patients at risk for developing nonepileptic seizures. Treatment strategies with anticonvulsant medications and behavioral therapy are reviewed.
Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors are required for nestmate-odor memory retrieval but not for olfaction in harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex barbatus)

The ability of social insects such as ants to distinguish between nestmates and non-nestmates is odor-based, learned and critical to the survival of the colony. However, little is known about how the brain processes the olfactory cues associated with nestmate recognition. Previous studies have shown that inhibition of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors with a competitive inhibitor, scopolamine affects nestmate recognition in honeybees, causing them to mistakenly attack nestmates. This suggests that muscarinic receptors may be required for either olfaction and/or retrieval of odor memory. The aim of this study was to further investigate the role of muscarinic receptors in nestmate recognition in another social insect, the harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex barbatus). Focal ants were fed either scopolamine dissolved in sucrose or sucrose alone (control) for approximately 72 hours, then placed in an arena with either a nestmate or a genetically unrelated non-nestmate. We videotaped their interactions and determined the frequency with which focal ants exhibited aggressive behaviors toward the introduced ants. Focal ants treated with scopolamine exhibited inappropriate aggressive behaviors toward nestmates with a significantly higher frequency than did the controls, but with the same frequency that they exhibited aggressive behaviors toward non-nestmates. These results suggest that scopolamine-treated ants can't distinguish nestmates from non-nestmates. However, scopolamine-treated focal ants did respond appropriately to the presence of an olfactory repellent, indicating that scopolamine does not disrupt olfaction. The data support a role for muscarinic receptors in odor memory retrieval rather than in odor perception, and indicate that this role is conserved in P. barbatus.
The Elongation, Termination, and Recycling Phases of Translation in Eukaryotes

This work summarizes our current understanding of the elongation and termination/recycling phases of eukaryotic protein synthesis. We focus here on recent advances in the field. In addition to an overview of translation elongation, we discuss unique aspects of eukaryotic translation elongation including eEF1 recycling, eEF2 modification, and eEF3 and eIF5A function. Likewise, we highlight the function of the eukaryotic release factors eRF1 and eRF3 in translation termination, and the functions of ABCE1/Rli1, the Dom34:Hbs1 complex, and Ligatin (eIF2D) in ribosome recycling. Finally, we present some of the key questions in translation elongation, termination, and recycling that remain to be answered.
The Gathering Storm: China’s Challenge to US Power in Asia

The United States has been the most powerful state on the planet for many decades and has deployed robust military forces in the Asia-Pacific region since the early years of the Second World War. The American presence has had significant consequences for Australia and for the wider region. This is how the Australian government sees it, at least according to the 2009 Defence White Paper: ‘Australia has been a very secure country for many decades, in large measure because the wider Asia-Pacific region has enjoyed an unprecedented era of peace and stability underwritten by US strategic primacy’. The United States, in other words, has acted as a pacifier in this part of the world. However, according to the very next sentence in the White Paper, ‘That order is being transformed as economic changes start to bring about changes in the distribution of strategic power’. The argument here, of course, is that the rise of China is having a significant effect on the global balance of power. In particular, the power gap between China and the United States is shrinking and in all likelihood ‘US strategic primacy’ in this region will be no more. This is not to say that the United States will disappear; in fact, its presence is likely to grow in response to China’s rise. But the United States will no longer be the preponderant power in the Asia-Pacific region, as it has been since 1945. The most important question that flows from this discussion is whether China can rise peacefully. It is clear from the Defence White Paper—which is tasked with assessing Australia’s strategic situation out to the year 2030— that policymakers in Canberra are worried about the changing balance
A class of non-linear systems having constant optimal control

A class of non-linear systems is analysed and illustrated for which the optimal control is a constant. This result depends only on the functional form of the state equations for the system. It is independent of the cost to be minimized and the initial and terminal constraints on the state. Applications to dynamical systems are discussed and an illustrative example is given.
Introduction to the special issue: Trends in evolutionary methods for program induction

Given accessible computational models of evolution, it is a short leap to the application of evolving programs. At its essence, evolving programs concerns the efficient evolution of behavior. This same question compels the currently thriving artificial life community. Unlike artificial life, however, the practical nature of evolving computer programs forces the evolutionary computation community to attend to the distinct issues involved in the induction of behavior that accomplishes a desired task and which is directed by a program. When evolving computer programs an issue of primary importance is the designation of an appropriate evolvable representation for the behavior. The general requirements of being sufficient to model the behavior and being amenable to evolutionary manipulation imply that an appropriate representation must accommodate the specific constraints of evolving executable structures: Executability must be maintained despite random variation, and variable length expression must be permitted. Popular programming languages permit a wealth of syntactic expressions in order to articulate the intended semantics in a fashion suitable for humans. While necessary for human programmers, extraneous syntax is problematic when evolving programs. Structures constrained by many syntactic rules often become unexecutable after unconstrained evolutionary manipulation. The solution has been to use structures that have minimal syntactic requirements or to employ specialized operators that respect the interpretation of an individual as an executable structure. In addition, because one does not know in advance how long the desired program should be, rather than stipulate a fixed length for an evolved program, dynamic length representations have provided often necessary flexibility. The evolutionary induction of executable structures has been investigated in diverse ways employing distinct representations. Friedberg (1958) and Friedberg, Dunham, and North (1959), working within the constraints of simple computers, evolved sequences of machine language instructions that performed modest computations. Fogel, Owens, and Walsh (1966), interested in the evolution of artificial intelligence, proposed evolving finite state machines as models of intelligent behavior by applying representation specific mutations without recombination in their early definition of evolutionary programming. Evolutionary programming has blossomed more recently into a much broader collection of methods centered
Creating user interfaces with Agentsheets

Building user interfaces with tool boxes has limitations. Most of them allow users to build basic interfaces efficiently on a high level of abstraction. However, when users have needs for new building blocks, which cannot be composed of existing ones, users have to fall back on the low level of abstraction provided by conventional programming languages. Agentsheets address this problem by introducing an intermediate level of abstraction between high-level building-blocks and the level of conventional programming languages. They provide a means for the incremental definition of the behavior as well as of the 'look' of artifacts. The author gives a short introduction to Agentsheets and then elaborates the concepts in form of a case study describing the process of building a new front-end for a commercial expert system with Agentsheets. >
Kirchhoff migration and velocity analysis for converted and nonconverted waves in anisotropic media

We develop asymptotic expressions and outline a procedure to perform Kirchhoff migration in anisotropic media. This technique is based on a new Green’s tensor representation for azimuthally isotropic media obtained by using analytical forms for the ray amplitudes and traveltimes. Since in real applications the usage of general anisotropy in a migration scheme will be limited by the availability and reliability of the velocity model considered, we also develop a new anisotropic velocity analysis scheme to generate realistic anisotropic models for migration in azimuthally isotropic media for nonconverted and converted qP-qSV waves. This velocity analysis technique is based on nonhyperbolic traveltime‐offset formulas explicitly given in terms of the five elastic constants of azimuthal isotropy. The imaging technique is applied to nonconverted‐as well as converted‐wave surface seismic data. In both cases the method provides accurate images of the subsurface. Even with a weak to moderate percentage of anisotro...
A Hypertextual Novel That Dramatizes the Process of Its Creation and Proposes Techniques to Increase Creativity

“Why can’t I decide to be happy?” This is the question that encapsulates the meaning behind Gabriele’s story, the main character of the novel Il film delle emozioni (The Movie of Emotions; Calabretta 2007a, in Italian). Gabriele is a victim of his negative emotions, and is completely in the power of his self-blame and self-devaluative thinking, which he learns to change only at the end of the novel, thanks to creativity and to the artistic expression of his own traumatic experiences (see Sparrow and Wegner 2006). The novel tells of Gabriele’s several attempts at writing, first, the script of an autobiographical “educational” movie on emotion regulation; and then at transforming it into a novel. In reality, it reveals itself as a book popularizing the most recent scientific knowledge on psychology of emotions; as a dramatization of a scientist’s life—of his interior, interpersonal, and social conflicts (as well as political ones); and as a dramatization of the creative process of writing. As we will see in this article, The Movie of Emotions is a very particular novel that has much to do with creativity viewed in three different aspects—creativity in the novel’s structure, creativity in the process of the novel’s creation, and proposed techniques to increase creativity.
Confocal microscopy to guide Erbium:yttrium aluminum garnet laser ablation of basal cell carcinoma: an ex vivo feasibility study

For the removal of superficial and nodular basal cell carcinomas (BCCs), laser ablation provides certain advantages relative to other treatment modalities. However, efficacy and reliability tend to be variable because tissue is vaporized such that none is available for subsequent histopathological examination for residual BCC (and to confirm complete removal of tumor). Intra-operative reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) may provide a means to detect residual tumor directly on the patient and guide ablation. However, optimization of ablation parameters will be necessary to control collateral thermal damage and preserve sufficient viability in the underlying layer of tissue, so as to subsequently allow labeling of nuclear morphology with a contrast agent and imaging of residual BCC. We report the results of a preliminary study of two key parameters (fluence, number of passes) vis-a-vis the feasibility of labeling and RCM imaging in human skin ex vivo, following ablation with an erbium:yttrium aluminum garnet laser.
Downstep and fusion in Namwanga

Namwanga is a Bantu language spoken in the Northern province of Zambia.In this paper I would like to present an overview of Namwanga verbal tonology, specifically focusing on the issue of where downstep occurs and how best to account for it. It will be argued that the surface distribution of downstep can be most insightfully accounted for if one assumes that many of the underlying H's fuse together. Determining which H's fuse and which do not is quite complex and the subject of rigorous examination.
Software architecture and mobility: A roadmap

Modern software-intensive systems are characterized not only by the movement of data, as has been the case in traditional distributed systems, but also by the movement of users, devices, and code. Developing effective, efficient, and dependable systems in the mobile setting is challenging. Existing architectural principles need to be adapted and novel architectural paradigms devised. In this paper, we give an overview of the intersection of the areas of software architecture and mobility. We consider mobility from two related perspectives: (1) mobile software, which represents the computing functionality designed to migrate across hardware devices at runtime and execute on mobile hardware platforms, and (2) mobile systems, which are computing applications that include mobile software and hardware elements. We study the advances in both these areas, highlight representative existing solutions, and identify several remaining research challenges.
Assessing the burden of complications after surgery for clinically localized kidney cancer by age and comorbidity status.

Objective To examine the association between high-risk patient status (age >75 years or Charlson comorbidity index count >2) and postoperative complications in patients undergoing surgical management for clinically localized renal tumors. Materials and Methods Patients undergoing radical nephrectomy (RN) or partial nephrectomy (PN) (2005-2012) for localized renal cell carcinoma were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to test the association between high-risk status and postoperative complications adjusting for patient, tumor, and operative characteristics. Results Of 1092 patients undergoing PN (71.9%) or RN (28.1%) for clinically localized renal tumors, 255 (23.4%) were classified as high risk, and 175 patients (16%) developed at least 1 complication (mean 1.6 ± 1.0). Of note, 22.4% and 14.1% of high- and low-risk patients developed a complication, respectively (P = .002). Comparing high- and low-risk patients, significant differences in Clavien I-II (20.4% vs 11.1%; P Conclusion Regardless of surgical type, patients deemed high risk by age and comorbidity criteria were more likely to incur a postoperative complication after renal mass resection. Improved understanding of surgical risks in the elderly and infirmed will help better inform patients deciding between active surveillance and resection of renal tumors.
Lateral shift of a Gaussian beam reflected at a dielectric-chiral interface

The reflection of a Gaussian beam at a dielectric-chiral interface is examined theoretically, and numerical results are presented. It is shown that for a dielectric-chiral interface a critical angle occurs when each of the two normal modes in the chiral media becomes evanescent. In addition, when the incident wave is polarized perpendicular to the plane of incidence both polarizations (parallel and perpendicular) are reflected. Therefore, for either polarization of the incident beam, two beams are expected to be reflected. Phenomena similar to the Goos-Hanchen shift are found to exist for both reflected beams for angles of incidence between the two critical angles. >
Modification of globin gene expression by RNA targeting strategies.

Objective Sickle cell anemia is a genetic blood disease resulting from production of mutant β-globin (β S ) and has severe clinical consequences. It is known that a higher cellular γ-globin level, e.g., higher ratio of cellular γ-globin to β S -globin (γ/β S ratio), inhibits sickle hemoglobin (HbS) polymerization tendency. Hence, therapeutic treatment of sickle cell anemia has been focused on introducing γ-globin gene into red blood cells to increase the cellular γ/β S ratio. Here, we have introduced ribozymes and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) against β S -globin mRNA into blood cells as a means to increase the γ/β S ratio. Materials and Methods Single and multiribozymes against β S -globin mRNA have been tested in vitro and in human erythroleukemia K562β S cells that stably express exogenous β S -globin gene. Primary human hematopoietic progenitor cells were also transfected with multiribozyme and the γ/(γ + β) ratio determined and compared with cells transfected with long hairpin β-globin cDNA and synthetic siRNA genes. Results We have found that the multiribozyme zb21A containing two ribozyme units effectively reduces β S -globin mRNA both in vitro and in K562β S cells. The γ-globin mRNA to β S -globin mRNA ratio in the multiribozyme transfected cells is about a factor of 2 more than that in the control cells. We have also found that the γ/(γ + β) ratio in the transfected hematopoietic progenitor cells is increased by more than twofold in cells treated with multiribozyme zb21A or siRNA ib5. Conclusion Our results suggest that introducing multiribozymes or siRNAs into red blood cells is comparable in their effectiveness to increase the ratio of cellular γ-globin mRNA to β- or β S -globin mRNA, providing possible strategies to increase the effectiveness of γ-globin gene transfer as gene therapy for treatment of patients with sickle cell anemia.
The Time Course of Age-Related Preferences Toward Positive and Negative Stimuli

When and why do older adults show positive preferences in their gaze patterns, looking preferentially toward positive and away from some negative stimuli? The current study investigated the time course of older adults’ preferential fixation toward positive (happy) stimuli and away from negative (angry) stimuli to discern whether such patterns are more consistent with cognitive control or with simplified processing accounts of their origins. Positive preferences in older adults were found to emerge only 500 ms and later after stimulus onset and increased linearly over time; this time course is consistent with a cognitive control account.
Land management practices interactively affect wetland beetle ecological and phylogenetic community structure

Management practices can disturb ecological communities in grazing lands, which represent one-quarter of land surface. But three knowledge gaps exist regarding disturbances: disturbances potentially interact but are most often studied singly; experiments with multiple ecosystems as treatment units are rare; and relatively new metrics of phylogenetic community structure have not been widely applied. We addressed all three of these needs with a factorial experiment; 40 seasonal wetlands embedded in a Florida ranch were treated with pasture intensification, cattle exclosure, and prescribed fire. Treatment responses were evaluated through four years for aquatic beetle (Coleoptera: Adephaga) assemblages using classic ecological metrics (species richness, diversity) and phylogenetic community structure (PCS) metrics. Adephagan assemblages consisted of 23 genera representing three families in a well-resolved phylogeny. Prescribed fire significantly reduced diversity one year post-fire, followed by a delayed pasture X fire interaction. Cattle exclosure significantly reduced one PCS metric after one year and a delayed pasture x fence x fire interaction was detected with another PCs metric. Overall, effects of long-term pasture intensification were modified by cattle exclosure and prescribed fire. Also, PCS metrics revealed effects otherwise undetected by classic ecological metrics. Management strategies (e.g., "flash grazing," prescribed fires) in seasonal wetlands may successfully balance economic gains from high forage quality with ecological benefits of high wetland diversity in otherwise simplified grazing lands. Effects are likely taxon specific; multiple taxa should be similarly evaluated.
Charter School Expansion and Within-District Equity: Confluence or Conflict?

AbstractThis article explores whether two popular policy initiatives are compatible or conflicting strategies for enhancing educational equality in diverse large urban centers. These two initiatives are (1) charter school expansion and (2) improvement of resource equity across urban public school systems through policies often referred to as weighted student funding formulas. In this article, we focus on New York and Houston, two cities where districts have adopted initiatives to improve equity of the distribution of school site funding and have concurrently experienced significant expansion of charter schooling. We find that charter schools have the tendency to amplify student population differences across schools by disability, language, and low income status, and that charter schools’ access to financial resources varies widely. Nevertheless, we find that in very large urban districts like New York City, where charter market share remains small, the overall effects of charters on system-wide inequity r...
Insights into the stable recovery of sparse solutions in overcomplete representations using network information theory

In this paper, we examine the problem of overcomplete representations and provide new insights into the problem of stable recovery of sparse solutions in noisy environments. We establish an important connection between the inverse problem that arises in overcomplete representations and wireless communication models in network information theory. We show that the stable recovery of a sparse solution with a single measurement vector (SMV) can be viewed as decoding competing users simultaneously transmitting messages through a multiple access channel (MAC) at the same rate. With multiple measurement vectors (MMV), we relate the inverse problem to the wireless communication scenario with a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channel. In each case, based on the connection established between the two domains, we leverage channel capacity results with outage analysis to shed light on the fundamental limits of any algorithm to stably recover sparse solutions in the presence of noise. Our results explicitly indicate the conditions on the key model parameters, e.g. degree of overcompleteness, degree of sparsity, and the signal-to-noise ratio, to guarantee the existence of asymptotically stable reconstruction of the sparse source.
Gender Equality and Economic Inequality: Impact on Marriage

Changes in aggregate marriage rates and in the internal dynamics of individual marriages should be understood as the outcome of two powerful but very different trends in gender and class relations. One trend is the uneven but undeniably dramatic progress toward equality in personal life and cultural values, which has led to widespread repudiation of centuries-old gender hierarchies. The other trend is an equally powerful movement toward growing inequality, insecurity, and unpredictability in economic life, which has resulted in substantial losses for the most historically vulnerable and least-educated sections of the workforce. The ongoing gender revolution interacts with widening economic inequality in complex ways, increasing the benefits of marriage for individuals with higher earning power while increasing the risks of marriage for low-income individuals, especially women.
Marine Cable Structures

An efficient method for the static and dynamic analysis of marine cable structures is presented. These structures may consist of floating platforms, buoys, weights, anchors, ect., interconnected by arbitrary arrangements of cables and flexible pipes. Displacements or forces can be specified at any number of nodal points and wave or current interaction can be simulated. The efficiency of the method has been demonstrated by serveral applications: dynamic response of a deepwater oil production platform, anchor drop, sonar towing, dynamic stiffness of mooring lines, tankers loading systems with flexible pipes, etc. Because the analysis technique is based on simple long curved cable elements, it outperforms all the currently available methods which use series of short straight links to model the cables.
Computational Effort vs. Accuracy Tradeoff in Uncertainty Quantification

This paper presents a methodology for improving the efficiency of uncertainty quantification by making selections among a set of available candidate models. The goal is to maximize the accuracy in the predicted distribution of an output of interest (subject to a computational budget) by evaluating variable fidelity models at different points in the domain. The proposed approach uses surrogate models to estimate the discrepancy between available models and the best available information (in the form of high-fidelity simulation, experiment, or expert opinion). This discrepancy is typically expected to be larger for lower fidelity, cheaper models, so the tradeoff decision between discrepancy and computational effort is explored, and a methodology for addressing this issue is proposed. The selection decisions are made in a different manner for each of the aforementioned data (or subjective information) scenarios that are considered. The proposed methods are illustrated for a crack growth simulation problem in which model choices must be made for each cycle or cycle block even within one input sample.
Cyclic AMP-calcium interaction in the transmission of tubuloglomerular feedback signals

Cyclic AMP-calcium interaction in the transmission of tubuloglomerular feedback signals. Recent studies have suggested that cytosolic calcium serves in the transmission of signals between distal tubular fluid and glomerular vascular elements. Since cAMP can modify calcium-mediated events, it was of interest to determine if agents that elevate intracellular cAMP could influence feedback responses and to assess the interaction of cAMP and intracellular calcium in the transmission of feedback signals. Stop flow pressure (SFP) was measured in the rat during retrograde microperfusion into the distal tubule at 15 nl/min. SFP averaged 37.5 ± 0.5mm Hg and decreased by 12.8 ± 0.8mm Hg (N = 44) during perfusion with an isotonic Ringer's solution. Addition of 3-isobutyl-l-methylxanthine (IBMX), a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, decreased the magnitude of SFP feedback responses; 89 ± 4.5% (N = 16) inhibition was observed at an IBMX concentration of 500 µm. In addition, SFP decreased by only 3 ± 1mm Hg (N = 8) during perfusion with 10mM dibutyryl cAMP in the presence of a low concentration of IBMX and by 1.6 ± 0.7mm Hg (N = 12) during perfusion with forskolin, an agent that stimulates adenylate cyclase activity. Calcium ionophore (A23187) significantly increased the magnitude of SFP feedback responses obtained with IBMX alone from 5 ± 1.0mm Hg (N = 9; 250 µm IBMX) to 10 ± 1.2mm Hg (N = 11). These results indicate that agents which elevate intracellular cAMP markedly attenuate tubuloglomerular feedback responses and that calcium ionophore can reverse the inhibitory effects of increased cAMP.
Continuous Thermal Oxidation of Alkenes with Nitrous Oxide in a Packed Bed Reactor

The reaction of nitrous oxide with internal olefins is investigated in a flow reactor. When using a mixture of dodecene isomers, ketones are formed as the primary product with conversions up to 77% and yields up to 45%. The multiphase system is studied experimentally and computationally to gain understanding of the residence time distribution and phase composition. Significant volatility of the dodecenes and solubility of the nitrous oxide result in a system where reaction occurs in both the vapor and liquid at elevated temperatures. The rate constant for oxidation with nitrous oxide is determined by considering both phases and the material transfer between them using 16 different physical parameters through nonlinear optimization. The determined rate constant is in good agreement with parameters estimated by quantum chemistry calculations.
Within- Tree Population Parameters of Dendroctonus frontalis (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) in Nylon Mesh-Enclosed Pinus echinata

Within-tree populations of the southern pine beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann were examined in shortleaf pines, Pinus echinata (Mill.), with nylon mesh tents enclosing the portion of the bole where beetles were released. The distribution of the beetle population within the trees differed slightly from the distribution of beetles in naturally infested trees. However, the density, within-stage survival, and adult replacement rate were similar to measurements of these parameters in naturally infested trees. Also, the relationship between egg niche density and total parent gallery length was examined and found to be similar to previous reports. The tents protected the beetles from competing species; survivorship from egg to adult (33.5%) was high. It was concluded that the tents offer a reliable approach to examining the interactions between D. frontalis and its host pines. Possible uses of the tents for further studies on population dynamics and interspecific interactions are discussed.