cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Neoadjuvant Therapy on Local Recurrence after Resection of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Background It is unknown whether neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, compared with adjuvant chemoradiotherapy, decreases the rate of local recurrence after resection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Study Design This is a retrospective case review of 102 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma who underwent pancreatic resection between 1993 and 2005. Results Of 102 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma who underwent surgical resection, 19 (19%) had no additional treatment, 41 (40%) underwent adjuvant chemoradiotherapy, and 42 (41%) were treated preoperatively with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Patients selected to receive neoadjuvant therapy were more likely to have locally advanced tumors. Based on initial CT scan, the percentage of patients with unresectable or borderline resectable tumors in the neoadjuvant group was 67%, compared with 22% in the adjuvant group. Nevertheless, patients receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy were less likely to have a local recurrence develop than patients receiving adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (5% versus 34%, p=0.02). For those patients with tumors determined to be resectable on initial CT scan, local recurrences were observed in 31% (10 of 32) of patients in the adjuvant therapy group, compared with only 7% (1 of 14) of the neoadjuvant group. Intraoperative radiation therapy, administered to 51% of patients, was not associated with a lower rate of local recurrence. Conclusions Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy is associated with improved local tumor control in patients undergoing resection for pancreatic carcinoma.
Comparison of handheld computers for nutrition assessment and support

Abstract Handheld computers offer a variety of capabilities useful to dietitians in clinical and other settings. Currently, such devices are not available for testing or inspection before purchase. This limits the potential purchaser's ability to compare features and capabilities among various brands and models during the selection process. In this article we compare the anthropometric, biochemical, and dietary assessment and nutrition support computational capabilities of five of the most popular brands and models of handheld computers. Results are presented in tabular form. We present a strategy to guide the selection and purchase of an appropriate handheld computer for nutrition assessment and support that has the features the purchaser desires. The results of this comparison indicate that there is a wide variation in features, capabilities, and prices among different models. The decision as to which model is most efficient depends ultimately on the individual user's unique needs.
Analysing “Long Data” on Collective Violence in Indonesia

“Long data”, i.e., temporal data disaggregated to short time intervals to form a long time series, is a particularly interesting type of “big data”. Financial data are often available in this form (e.g., many years of daily stock prices), but until recently long data for other social, and even other economic, processes have been rare. Over the last decade, however, long data have begun to be extracted from (digitized) text, and then used to assess or formulate micro-level and macro-level theories. The UN Support Facility for Indonesian Recovery ( UNSFIR ) collected a long data set of incidents of collective violence in 14 Indonesian provinces during the 14 year period 1990–2003. In this paper we exploit the “length” of the UNSFIR data by applying several time series analysis methods. These reveal some previously unobserved features of collective violence in Indonesia—including periodic components and long time correlations—with important social/political interpretations and consequences for explanatory model building.
Top-k selection queries over relational databases: Mapping strategies and performance evaluation

In many applications, users specify target values for certain attributes, without requiring exact matches to these values in return. Instead, the result to such queries is typically a rank of the "top k" tuples that best match the given attribute values. In this paper, we study the advantages and limitations of processing a top-k query by translating it into a single range query that a traditional relational database management system (RDBMS) can process efficiently. In particular, we study how to determine a range query to evaluate a top-k query by exploiting the statistics available to an RDBMS, and the impact of the quality of these statistics on the retrieval efficiency of the resulting scheme. We also report the first experimental evaluation of the mapping strategies over a real RDBMS, namely over Microsoft's SQL Server 7.0. The experiments show that our new techniques are robust and significantly more efficient than previously known strategies requiring at least one sequential scan of the data sets.
Illusionary Progress in Loyalty Programs: Magnitudes, Reward Distances, and Step-Size Ambiguity

Loyalty programs offer rewards via mediums of different magnitudes (e.g., “$6 off when you accumulate 1,000 [100] points. Earn 10 [1] points/dollar”). The program medium presents two key pieces of information: reward distance (points required to redeem reward) and step size (points earned per dollar). In higher-magnitude (vs. lower-magnitude) programs, both reward distances (1,000 vs. 100) and step sizes (10 vs. 1 point[s]/dollar) are larger. How do these two pieces of information affect consumers' postenrollment inferences of progress, store loyalty, and recommendation likelihood? Do consumers always integrate both pieces? We identify a moderator, step-size ambiguity, and show that when ambiguity is high, only reward distance affects inferences. When ambiguity is lower, consumers integrate step size with reward distance, but in a biased manner. Implications arise in goal following and in physical and psychological distance estimation contexts (e.g., weight loss, savings) where distances and step sizes can vary (e.g., as a function of units: kilograms vs. pounds), but especially in loyalty rewards contexts.
Efficient Approximate Query Processing in Peer-to-Peer Networks

Peer-to-peer (P2P) databases are becoming prevalent on the Internet for distribution and sharing of documents, applications, and other digital media. The problem of answering large-scale ad hoc analysis queries, for example, aggregation queries, on these databases poses unique challenges. Exact solutions can be time consuming and difficult to implement, given the distributed and dynamic nature of P2P databases. In this paper, we present novel sampling-based techniques for approximate answering of ad hoc aggregation queries in such databases. Computing a high-quality random sample of the database efficiently in the P2P environment is complicated due to several factors: the data is distributed (usually in uneven quantities) across many peers, within each peer, the data is often highly correlated, and, moreover, even collecting a random sample of the peers is difficult to accomplish. To counter these problems, we have developed an adaptive two-phase sampling approach based on random walks of the P2P graph, as well as block-level sampling techniques. We present extensive experimental evaluations to demonstrate the feasibility of our proposed solution.
Neutron capture therapy of the 9l rat gliosarcoma using the P-boronophenylalanine-fructose complex☆

Abstract Purpose: Intraperitoneal (IP) injection of the solubilized fructose complex of L- p -boronophenylalanine (BPA-F) produced higher boron concentrations in a rat brain tumor model than was possible using intragastric (IG) administration of L- p -boronophenylalanine (BPA). The effectiveness of IP BPA-F was compared to IG BPA in boron neutron capture therapy irradiations of the 9L rat brain tumor model. Methods and Materials: The time course of boron accumulation in tumor and normal tissues was determined in male F344 rats bearing either SC or intracerebral 9L gliosarcomas following a single IP injection of BPA-F. On day 14 after inoculation of intracranial tumors, rats were irradiated with single doses of either: 250 kVp X rays; the thermal neutron beam of the Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor following IG administration of BPA; or thermal neutrons following IP injection of BPA-F. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to visualize the tumor scars and to assess damage to the normal brain in long-term survivors. Results: 4 h after IP injection of 1200 mg/kg of BPA-F the boron concentrations in tumor, blood, and normal brain were 89.6 ± 7.6, 27.7 ± 2.8 and 17.5 ± 1.5 μg 10 B/g, respectively. Two IG doses of BPA (750 mg/kg each, 3 h apart) produced 39 ± 5, 12 ± 1 and 10 ± 1 μg 10 B/g in tumor, blood and brain, respectively at 5 h after the second dose. Three groups of rats were treated with thermal neutrons: one following IG BPA and two groups following IP BPA-F. The total physical absorbed doses to the tumor in the three BNCT groups were 15.5 Gy (IG BPA, n = 12), 17.0 Gy (IP BPA-F, n = 8), and 31.5 Gy (IP BPA-F, n = 8), respectively. The median survival of the untreated controls was 22 days. The median survival of the rats treated with 22.5 Gy of 250 kVp X rays ( n = 23) was 35 days with 20% long-term survivors. Fifty percent of the rats in the IG BPA + thermal neutrons group survived over 1 year. All rats in both groups that received IP BPA-F + thermal neutrons have survived over 8 months. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brains of the long-term boron neutron capture therapy survivors showed a scar at the site of tumor implantation in all animals. In the IP BPA-F high-dose group one rat showed evidence of edema and one rat showed a fluid-filled cyst replacing the tumor. Conclusion: The use of IP BPA-F has significantly improved long-term survival compared to IG BPA. The high percentage of long-term tumor control (100%, n = 16) in the intracerebral rat 9L gliosarcoma brain tumor model, together with little or no damage to the surrounding normal brain in the majority of surviving animals, demonstrate the substantial therapeutic gain produced by boron neutron capture therapy.
A coupled wind-internal wave system

This paper presents the results of an experimental study of ocean internal waves observed by coastal and airborne radars. The radar modulation of a number of internal waves, as evidenced by surface slicks, is thought to vary as does the wind direction. A boundary-layer transition study was applied for the explanation of radar signals in X-, K/sub u/-, and K/sub a/-bands from the ocean surface disturbed by internal waves. The study was motivated both by the need to find different wind regimes above a slick smoothed by a current from an internal wave and rough seas around the slick. The most significant results show a strong coupling the transition zone "slick-free sea surface" and a high backscattered signal at the HH-polarized image downstream. There is no comprehensive theory for explaining of the internal-wave radar clutter in all environmental conditions. Backward radio-wave scattering by rough seas at low grazing angles has a number of peculiarities. Field studies disclose that the specific effective scattering surface value is a function of grazing angle, radio wavelength, signal polarization, sea state, and internal-wave aspect relative to the wind direction and a number of other parameters. In this paper the author presents an aerodynamical model allowing the high modulation of an observable radar cross section from the internal waves in X- and K-bands tobe validated.
Medial Entorhinal Grid Cells and Head Direction Cells Rotate with a T-Maze More Often During Less Recently Experienced Rotations

Prior studies of head direction (HD) cells indicate strong landmark control over the preferred firing direction of these cells, with few studies exhibiting shifts away from local reference frames over time. We recorded spiking activity of grid and HD cells in the medial entorhinal cortex of rats, testing correlations of local environmental cues with the spatial tuning curves of these cells' firing fields as animals performed continuous spatial alternation on a T-maze that shared the boundaries of an open-field arena. The environment was rotated into configurations the animal had either seen or not seen in the past recording week. Tuning curves of both cell types demonstrated commensurate shifts of tuning with T-maze rotations during less recent rotations, more so than recent rotations. This strongly suggests that animals are shifting their reference frame away from the local environmental cues over time, learning to use a different reference frame more likely reliant on distal or idiothetic cues. In addition, grid fields demonstrated varying levels of “fragmentation” on the T-maze. The propensity for fragmentation does not depend on grid spacing and grid score, nor animal trajectory, indicating the cognitive treatment of environmental subcompartments is likely driven by task demands.
Optimization of process performance

The growing availability of fast, large memory digital computers has made it practical to consider the physical implementation of control system designs incorporating appropriate strategies for automatic process optimization. The control system is taken to consist of the process to be optimized together with the interconnected digital computer. The control strategy is realized in the program of the digital computer. In the present paper a number of such programs or algorithms are discussed for carrying out a search of the possible settings of the process input (independent) variables in such a way as to locate an extremal of the possible values of a chosen objective function. The magnitude of these variables is determined from measurements taken of the dependent variables in the process. It is shown that for the particular process used as an example it is desirable to alter the search strategy as the optimization proceeds in order to locate the extremal in a minimum amount of time. The emphasis at the beginning of the search is on speed in moving towards the optimum and at the end on accuracy. Further, a computational technique is described whereby the dynamic response of the process to the various search steps (or settings) is under time-optimal control. This procedure is important for the fast execution of the search programs and consequent rapid location of the extremal of the chosen objective function.
Psychometric Evaluation of the National Opinion Research Center DSM‐IV Screen for Gambling Problems (NODS)

The present study examined the reliability, validity, and clinical utility of a brief self-report measure of gambling behavior, the National Opinion Research Center DSM-IV Screen for Gambling Problems (NODS). Participants were 157 consecutively enrolled male military veterans taking part in substance use disorder treatment. The NODS displayed good internal consistency. Concurrent and discriminant validity were demonstrated by comparing scores on the NODS to scores on the South Oaks Gambling Screen and to a measure of medical problems, respectively. Overall, the NODS appears to be a reliable, valid, and clinically useful measure of gambling problems among patients in substance use disorder treatment programs.
Resistivity–temperature behavior of dilute Cu(Ir) and Cu(W) alloy films

The resistivities of as-deposited Cu(4.2Ir), Cu(2.0W), and Cu(2.2W) films are 32.2, 25.4, and 28.0 μΩcm, respectively. These resistivities are significantly higher thanthat for pure Cu films. After annealing the Cu(4.2Ir) film at constant heating rate to 800 °C and the two Cu(W) films to 950 °C, the resistivities reduce to 28.4, 4.3, and 5.2 μΩcm, respectively. The smaller reduction in resistivity for Cu(4.2Ir) compared with that for Cu(W) is partly a consequence of solute redissolution following precipitation. The variation of resistivity with temperature for the films and the Cu-rich end of the binary phase diagrams are used to categorize the decomposition behavior of the Cu(Ir) and Cu(W). These categories were defined by K. Barmak et al., J. Appl. Phys. 87, 2204 (2000). W is placed in category III along with V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, Re, Ru, Os, B, and C. Ir most suitably belongs to Category II together with Fe and Co.
The Ecological Importance of a Recently Discovered Intertidal Sabellariid Reef in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Abstract. In Florida, the reef-building polychaete Phragmatopoma lapidosa is important in enhancing local biodiversity via the shelter it provides for various fish and invertebrate species. While the range of P. lapidosa extends south to Brazil, it is rare to find well-established populations in the Caribbean islands. In this study, we examined an intertidal worm reef recently discovered in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. The worm species was positively identified as P. lapidosa (also known as P. caudata). Analyses of measured worm lengths and mound photographs revealed multiple size cohorts that likely included recent recruits, and mature adults. An examination of the organisms living within small worm clumps collected from the reef, revealed a number of invertebrates including various mollusks, crabs, shrimp and echinoids. Combined, these data suggest that continuous recruitment is likely to maintain this worm reef which is similar to Florida worm reefs, and likely to enhance local biodiversity in St. C...
The incretin effect in obese adolescents with and without type 2 diabetes: impaired or intact?

The incretin effect reflects the actions of enteral stimuli to promote prandial insulin secretion. Impairment of this measure has been proposed as an early marker of β-cell dysfunction and describe...
Heat Transfer Enhancement Accompanying Leidenfrost State Suppression at Ultrahigh Temperatures

The well-known Leidenfrost effect is the formation of a vapor layer between a liquid and an underlying hot surface. This insulating vapor layer severely degrades heat transfer and results in surface dryout. We measure the heat transfer enhancement and dryout prevention benefits accompanying electrostatic suppression of the Leidenfrost state. Interfacial electric fields in the vapor layer can attract liquid toward the surface and promote wetting. This principle can suppress dryout even at ultrahigh temperatures exceeding 500 °C, which is more than 8 times the Leidenfrost superheat for organic solvents. Robust Leidenfrost state suppression is observed for a variety of liquids, ranging from low electrical conductivity organic solvents to electrically conducting salt solutions. Elimination of the vapor layer increases heat dissipation capacity by more than 1 order of magnitude. Heat removal capacities exceeding 500 W/cm2 are measured, which is 5 times the critical heat flux (CHF) of water on common engineerin...
High specific activity labeling of protein with I-131 by the iodine monochloride method.

SummaryA modified iodine monochloride method suitable for preparing I131-labeled proteins of a high degree of radioactivity is described, and results are given. Hydrogen peroxide present in high level I131 preparations is destroyed with catalase. Then IC1 is added to a mixture of the I131 as iodide and the protein to be iodinated. Total iodine content of I131 preparations sets a limit on the specific activity of I131-labeled proteins that can be achieved with a low degree of iodination. In the two commonly used methods for producing I131 (fission of U235 and thermal neutron irradiation of natural tellurium) stable I127 and long-lived I129 are also formed. Analysis showed the total iodine content of fission product I131, as received from Oak Ridge National Laboratory soon after processing, to average 2.4 μg per 100 mc, 3 times the amount present as I131 (0.8 μg/100 mc). For I131 produced from tellurium it was substantially greater. Since the ratio of total iodine to I131 increases with time after processin...
Workers' Compensation reform requires an agenda … and a strategy.

In a response to Joseph LaDou's article in this issue, Michael Lax focuses on the broader issues. If we are agreed that we need significant change in Workers' Compensation, what should the nature o...
Funnel for Extraction of Leaf Litter Organisms

At the turn of the century Antonio Berlese developed a method of extracting arthropods from forest litter by enclosing the material in metal funnels and “driving” the organisms through it, by the use of heat and dehydration, into a collecting bottle (Macfadyen 1953; Peterson 1964; Southwood 1966). His method is still employed with little change by many entomological laboratories. Although utilized extensively, the method possesses certain disadvantages. The funnels are not readily adaptable to field use because of the need for bulky equipment and hot water or electric light bulbs as a source of heat. Often, certain forms perish because they are unable to migrate rapidly from the heat source. Volatile preservatives in the collecting bottle often deter organisms from moving into the container.
Polymorphisms in the MTHFR, VDR, and MnSOD genes and skin cancer risk

4594 Background: Two nutrient factors, folate and vitamin D, have been proposed to be influenced by ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Vitamin D can be synthesized in UVB-exposed skin, whereas UVA radiation can break down plasma folate. Oxidative stress is implicated in skin carcinogenesis and over-expression of Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) reduces tumor incidence in mouse models. Objective: We evaluated single nucleotide polymorphisms in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene (C677T, and A1298C), the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene (Fok1, Bsm1, and Cdx2), and the MnSOD gene (Val16Ala) in relation to skin cancer risk. Design: We conducted a nested case-control study within the Nurses’ Health Study [219 melanoma, 286 squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), 300 basal cell carcinoma (BCC), and 873 controls]. Results: No significant main effect was observed for either MTHFR polymorphism on skin cancer risk. We observed an interaction between the MTHFR C677T polymorphism and dietary folate intake on SCC risk (P, interaction, 0.05); the highest risk was observed among women with TT genotype and low folate intake (OR, 2.17; 95%CI, 1.04-4.52). The VDR Bsm1 BB genotype was significantly associated with an increased risk of SCC (OR, 1.52; 95%CI, 1.01-2.29). The Fok1 ff genotype was non-significantly associated with increased risk of each type of skin cancer. An interaction between the Bsm1 polymorphism and dietary vitamin D intake on SCC was observed, with the highest risk seen in women with the BB genotype and high vitamin D intake (OR, 2.32; 95%CI, 1.28-4.24) (P, interaction, 0.09). The MnSOD Ala/Ala genotype was associated with decreased risk of BCC (OR, 0.70; 95%CI, 0.46 - 1.07). No significant interactions were observed between this polymorphism and antioxidant intakes on skin cancer risk. Conclusion: This study provides evidence to suggest a role of the polymorphisms in MTHFR and VDR interacting with dietary intakes of folate and vitamin D in skin cancer development, especially for SCC, and a possible role of the MnSOD Val16Ala polymorphism in BCC risk.
Nutritional management of patients with ARC or AIDS.

SUMMARY Investigators are now predicting that 75 to 80 per cent of the 1.5 to 2.0 million HIV-positive patients in the United States will develop AIDS. The majority of AIDS patients will experience progressive weight loss and malnutrition prior to their death. Because nutritional therapy has clearly been demonstrated to have a beneficial effect on the clinical course and immunologic status of the critically ill general population, one must not disregard the potential positive benefits of nutritional therapy in the treatment of malnourished ARC/AIDS patients. As a result of the escalating cost of ARC/AIDS medical therapy and the predicted AIDS epidemic, ARC/AIDS nutritional therapy regimens must be simple to administer and cost effective. At SFGH, we have developed specific nutritional screening criteria in an attempt to identify those patients who would most benefit from nutritional therapy. Prior to initiating therapy, we interview each patient, perform a complete physical examination, conduct a thorough nutritional assessment, evaluate their gut function, and calculate their daily caloric and protein requirements. The selection of appropriate oral, enteral, and parenteral diets is crucial in the successful management of these patients. Because all ARC/AIDS patients differ in their nutritional requirements, diet tolerance, and degree of intestinal dysfunction, there is no single nutritional therapy regimen that can be utilized in the treatment of all these patients. Therefore, we recommend special individualized oral diets combined with food supplements and enteral and parenteral diets in the treatment of ARC/AIDS patients.
Permanent Draft Genome Sequence of Frankia sp. Strain BR, a Nitrogen-Fixing Actinobacterium Isolated from the Root Nodules of Casuarina equisetifolia.

ABSTRACT Frankia sp. strain BR is a member of Frankia lineage Ic and is able to reinfect plants of the Casuarinaceae family. Here, we report a 5.2-Mbp draft genome sequence with a G+C content of 70.0% and 4,777 candidate protein-encoding genes.
Implications of accelerated self-healing as a key design knob for cross-layer resilience

In this paper we propose a cross-layer accelerated self-healing (CLASH) system which "repairs" its wearout issues in a physical sense through accelerated and active recovery, by which wearout can be reversed while actively applying several accelerated self-healing techniques, such as high temperature and negative voltages. Different from previous solutions of coping with wearout issues (e.g. BTI) by "tolerating", "slowing down" or "compensating", which still leave the irreversible (permanent) wearout component unchecked, the proposed solution is able to fully avoid the irreversible wearout through periodic rejuvenation, and this is inspired by the explored frequency dependent behaviors of wearout and (accelerated and active) recovery based on measurements on FPGAs. We demonstrate a case where the chip can always be brought back to the fresh status by employing a pattern of 31-h regular operation (under room temperature and nominal voltage) followed by a 1-h accelerated self-healing (under high temperature and negative voltage). The proposed system integrates the notions of accelerated self-healing across multiple layers of the system stack. At the circuit level, a negative voltage generator and heating elements are designed and implemented; at the architecture level, the core can be allocated in a way such that the dark silicon or redundant resources can be healed by active elements; at the system level, right balance of stress and accelerated/active recovery can be employed by the system scheduler to fully mitigate the wearout; various wearout sensors act as the media between different layers. Overall, these techniques work together to guarantee that the whole system performs for more of the time at higher levels of performance and power efficiency by fully taking advantage of the extra opportunities enabled by the accelerated self-healing. HighlightsWearout (e.g. BTI) can be reversed significantly by accelerated and active recovery (accelerated self-healing) techniques.Irreversible component of wearout can be fully avoided through the optimal active and sleep scheduling.A cross-layer accelerated self-healing system which integrates the accelerated and recovery techniques across the system stack is proposed.Accelerated self-healing should be introduced as a key design knob for cross-layer resilience.
The Red Rag Legacy

In 1987, I left Hewlett-Packard Co. to return to graduate school. My first foray into what it meant to be a graduate student was when I met Prof. Dave Allstot at Oregon State University to learn about his research. I walked into his office, and the first thing I saw on his desk was a red periodical. He talked about his research on data converters and gave me a short tutorial. Then he opened up what he referred to as the "red rag," a name that stuck with all of his graduate students.
Significant regional variation exists in morbidity and mortality after repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Abstract Objective Limited data exist comparing perioperative morbidity and mortality after open and endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair (EVAR) among regions of the United States. This study evaluated the regional variation in mortality and perioperative outcomes after repair of AAAs. Methods The Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) was used to identify patients undergoing open AAA repair and EVAR between 2009 and 2014. Ruptured and intact aneurysms were evaluated separately, and the analysis of intact aneurysms was limited to infrarenal AAAs. All 16 regions of the VQI were deidentified, and those with χ 2 and Fisher exact tests. Regional rates were compared against current quality benchmarks. Results Perioperative outcomes from 14 regions were compared. After open repair of intact aneurysms, no significant variation was seen in 30-day or in-hospital mortality; however, multiple regions exceeded the Society for Vascular Surgery benchmark for in-hospital mortality after open repair of intact aneurysms of P = .55). After EVAR, all regions met the Society for Vascular Surgery benchmark of P = .75). Significant variation in in-hospital mortality existed after open (14%-63%; P = .03) and endovascular (3%-32%; P = .03) repair of ruptured aneurysms across the VQI regional groups. After repair of intact aneurysms, wide variation was seen in prolonged length of stay (>7 days for open repair: 32%-53%, P = .54; >2 days for EVAR: 16-43%, P P P P P P P P = .04) and respiratory complications (6%-20%; P = .20) were variable across regions. The frequency of endoleak at completion of EVAR also had considerable variation (15%-38%; P Conclusions Despite limited variation, multiple regions do not meet current benchmarks for in-hospital mortality after open AAA repair for intact aneurysms. Significant regional variation exists in perioperative outcomes and length of stay, and mortality is widely variable after repair for rupture. These data identify important areas for quality improvement initiatives and clinical practice guidelines.
Crystal structure of μ6-chlorido-nona­kis­(μ-4-chloro­pyrazolato)bis-μ3-methoxo-hexa­copper(II)

The hexa­nuclear title compound, [{Cu3(μ3-OCH3)(μ-C3H2ClN2)3}2(μ-C3H2ClN2)3(μ6-Cl)] or [Cu6(C3H2ClN2)9(CH3O)2Cl], crystallizes in the space group Pbcn, with individual mol­ecules being located on a twofold rotation axis. The mol­ecule adopts a trigonal prismatic shape, with two trinuclear units linked by three 4-chloro­pyrazolate ligand bridges by encapsulating a Cl− anion in a μ6-coordination mode. In the crystal, individual mol­ecules are stacked into rods parallel to [1-10] that are arranged in a pseudo-hexa­gonal packing. Cohesion between mol­ecules is accomplished through weak C—H⋯Cl inter­actions.
Computer Technology for Literacy and Empowerment of Masses in Developing Countries

Presuming that the economic development of a country depends on i) the level of success in expanding educational opportunities for masses, and ii) to what extent common people feel empowered for making decisions in various spheres of their lives, the authors maintain that the computer technology has opened avenues in the field of education that were absent as late as the last decade. In developing countries that are characterized by resource shortages, education funding generally gets shortchanged compared to other more pressing needs. This presentation will focus on the creative use of computer technology for expanding educational opportunities for the masses at the fraction of cost compared to the traditional modes of schooling. We believe that there is a realistic case to be made for a shift in paradigm about the process of education that is more relevant for the 21st century. The presentation would include instances of successes of pioneering efforts in the field of education from several countries, including India, and engage the audience in generating ideas that are feasible and promising.
Phenomenology of Corona Discharge in Helium Admixtures Inside a Point-to-Point Electrode Geometry

Experimental investigations of the electrical discharge characteristics were performed primarily for helium admixtures in a point-to-point electrode geometry. The atmos- pheric pressure weakly ionized plasmas were generated using 60-Hz ac excitation voltage that generated a corona discharge without dielectric barriers on the electrodes. The admixtures used were helium/acetylene (He/C2H2), helium/oxygen (He/O2), and helium/dry-air (He/air) with comparisons made to corona discharges in an admixture argon/dry-air (Ar/air). Visual observations along with voltage–current characteristics have been presented. The discharge included streamers, glows, and return corona discharges inside the point-to-point high voltage gap. We developed from experimental data corona mode maps to delineate optimal regions for plasma operation in these admixtures. Helium carrier gas developed sufficient discharge power when mixed with acetylene, oxygen, or dry air. Peak discharge power was in the range 3–20 W and depended on the polarity of the voltage cycle being considered and depended also on chemical species in the admixture.
Optimizations of Sequence Alignment on FPGA: A Case Study of Extended Sequence Alignment (Abstact Only)

Detecting similarities between sequences is an important part of Bioinformatics. In this poster, we explore the use of high-level synthesis tool and a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) for optimizing a sequence alignment algorithm. We demonstrate the optimization techniques to improve the performance of the extended sequence alignment algorithm in the BWA software package, a tool for mapping DNA sequences against a large reference sequence. Applying the optimizations to the algorithm using Xilinx SDAccel OpenCL-to-FPGA tool, we reduce the kernel execution time from 62.8 ms to 0.45 ms while the power consumption is approximately 11 Watts on the ADM-PCIE-8K5 FPGA platform.
Central Lymph Node Metastasis in Gastric Cancer Is Predictive of Survival After Preoperative Therapy

It is unclear how preoperative therapy for gastric cancer affects the metastasis rate of lymph nodes (LNs) and whether the location of positive LNs affects survival after preoperative therapy. Therefore, we determined the association between positive central lymph nodes (CnLNs) and disease stage and overall survival (OS). We reviewed a prospectively maintained database to identify patients who had undergone resection of gastric adenocarcinoma at our institution from 2005 to 2015. CnLNs were defined as common hepatic, celiac, and proximal splenic artery LNs (stations no. 8, 9, and 11p). The frequency of CnLN metastases and risk factors affecting OS were examined. We identified 356 patients. Preoperative therapy was administered to 66% of patients. D2 LN dissection was performed in 80% of patients, and the median number of LNs examined was 25 (IQR, 18–34). In 243 patients (68%), CnLNs had undergone separate pathologic examination; the CnLN-positive rate was 9.1% (22 of 243; station no. 8, 4.5%; no. 9, 2.1%; and no. 11p, 4.8%). CnLN metastasis was associated with shorter 3-year OS in patients with pN2/3 disease (33 vs. 62%; p = 0.004). Among patients who had undergone preoperative therapy, ypT3–4 stage (HR 2.44; p = 0.01) and positive CnLNs (HR 5.44; p < 0.001) were negatively associated with OS by multivariate analysis. CnLN metastases are uncommon in gastric cancer and have an adverse effect on OS in patients who have undergone preoperative therapy. Larger multi-institutional studies are needed to determine whether CnLN positivity requires a separate staging category after preoperative therapy.
Getting to Maybe: Improving the Education Doctorate in an Era of Uncertainty

In an age of increasing complexity, particularly endeavors intended to address social justice, institutions of higher learning can be caught in the middle of the need for stability and responsiveness. Using CPED principles as a guide, this essay argues for complexity as an essential lens to address social justice, problems of practice, and systematic inquiry that incorporates multiple frames and perspective. It suggests specific tools to rethink approaches to foundational content and suggests a more central role of practitioner problems in doctoral coursework.
Design of High Temperature Alloys

The design of alloys for corrosion resistance at high temperatures involves specification and manipulation of alloy composition and microstructures to assure the preferential formation and long-term stability of a protective surface layer. This chapter focuses on the general principles and illustrative (but far from exhaustive) examples related to the formation of the most protective scales needed to extend the corrosion lifetime of alloys used at high temperatures, Cr2O3, Al2O3, and SiO2, with emphasis on the former two. There are well known principles for attacking this design problem, particularly for the simpler alloy systems that exhibit behaviors that are a closer match to the assumptions made to produce analytical expressions of reaction rates and species fluxes. The alloy design problem becomes harder for multireactant systems and/or multiphase alloys, but the goal and general approach remain the same: developing a protective scale and maximizing the time until it breaks down by accounting for all contributing factors (thermodynamic, kinetic, mechanical, physical, metallurgical, etc.) that influence such problems.
Tissue PO2 levels in the liver of warm and cold rats artificially respired with different mixtures of O2 and CO2.

Studies by Giaja, Andjus, Smith and others demonstrated clearly that when animals are cooled in sealed vessels while being exposed to decreasing oxygen and increasing CO2 levels, they can be reanimated in 90–100% of the cases from body temperatures near 0°C. Both hypoxia and hypercapnia were found to contribute significantly to the success of the technique (3). Lewis, using artificial respiration with 95% O2+5% CO2 or 90% O2+10% CO2 concluded that it was impossible to resuscitate mammals at 10 °C or less unless CO2 was used (2).
Many Profiles; Many New Paradoxes

I now turn from the single profile consequences of election outcomes to describe the fascinating properties of voting theory involving several profiles. A natural example is the electoral fable controversy about the Dean’s Council caused by combining the two profiles — one for each subcommittee. Beyond constructing amusing “paradoxes,” the importance of multiprofile issues is, for instance, to understand what can happen if a voter votes strategically, or if he doesn’t vote. (The voter’s options are to vote sincerely, strategically, or abstain; each option defines a different profile.) Other multiprofile issues include a concern about the consequences should more voters vote. What happens if voters change preferences? Can forming a coalition cause problems? In fact, as I show, important theorems in social choice theory, such as the Arrow Impossibility Theorem, are based on the properties a procedure must exhibit with changes in profiles.
Heterogeneous biofilm activity in a segregated anaerobic fluidized bed bioreactor

Bed segregation in a fluidized bed bioreactor profoundly influenced biofilm thickness and microbial activities of the biofilm along the bed height. Bioparticles coated with a thin biofilm, observed at the bottom of the reactor, had a higher specific activity in propylene glycol and n-propanol degradation than in thick biofilms developed at the top of the reactor. Although no significant difference was observed in specific activity for propionate and acetate along the reactor flow axis, more total propionate and acetate conversion occurred in regions of thicker biofilm accumulation.
Relationship of Particle Size to Light Scattering

A previously obtained empirical relationship describing light scattering as a function of particle concentration and size was examined in view of classical light scattering theory. Although the par...
Man’s Eating Customs

Are you a creature of habit? Do you resist anything new in food? Are you in a gastronomic rut? Do you eat just those things your mother used to cook? Day after day, year after year, do you tread the tiresome trail of steak, gravy, and potatoes, little dreaming of the appetizing side trails, never knowing the challenge of America’s great variety of succulent meats, game, and wondrously varied sea food?
BASIC HEAT AND MASSTRANSFER RESEARCH IN SOLAR ENERGY

ABSTRACT This paper describes recent advances in basic research applicable to solar energy, with emphasis on research supported by the National Science Foundation. These investigations pertain to the fluid flow and heat transfer phenomena occurring in solar heat collectors and thermal energy storage system Research progress in natural convection and radiation heat transfer in solar heat collectors is described with emphasis on schemes used to reduce natural convection and/or radiation in the collector. The effects of tilt on collector performance, aspect ratio of honeycomb cells, and end clearance are examined. Methods for estimating the wind-related heat losses from the upper cover plate of a flat plate collector are indicated. Concerning heat and mass transfer research in thermal energy storage, the thermal resistances of phase change materials in varying modes of operation of geometrical configuration are discussed. The initiation and the development of natural convection in the melt is indicated and their impact upon the design process is assessed. For liquid storage system, recent advances in our understanding of therminocline behaviour is also discussed.
Reduced representation sequencing for symbiotic anthozoans: are reference genomes necessary to eliminate endosymbiont contamination and make robust phylogeographic inference?

Anthozoan cnidarians form the backbone of coral reefs. Their success relies on endosymbiosis with photosynthetic dinoflagellates in the family Symbiodiniaceae. Photosymbionts represent a hurdle for researchers using population genomic techniques to study these highly imperiled and ecologically critical species because sequencing datasets harbor unknown mixtures of anthozoan and photosymbiont loci. Here we use range-wide sampling and a double-digest restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) of the sea anemone Bartholomea annulata to explore how symbiont loci impact the interpretation of phylogeographic patterns and population genetic parameters. We use the genome of the closely related Exaiptasia diaphana (previously Aiptasia pallida ) to create an anthozoan-only dataset from a genomic dataset containing both B. annulata and its symbiodiniacean symbionts and then compare this to the raw, holobiont dataset. For each, we investigate spatial patterns of genetic diversity and use coalescent model-based approaches to estimate demographic history and population parameters. The Florida Straits are the only phylogeographic break we recover for B. annulata , with divergence estimated during the last glacial maximum. Because B. annulata hosts multiple members of Symbiodiniaceae, we hypothesize that, under moderate missing data thresholds, de novo clustering algorithms that identify orthologs across datasets will have difficulty identifying shared non-coding loci from the photosymbionts. We infer that, for anthozoans hosting diverse members of Symbiodinaceae, clustering algorithms act as de facto filters of symbiont loci. Thus, while at least some photosymbiont loci remain, these are swamped by orders of magnitude greater numbers of anthozoan loci and thus represent genetic noise, rather than contributing genetic signal.
A New Basal Ornithopod (Dinosauria: Ornithischia) From the Early Cretaceous of Texas

Material from a minimum of twenty-nine individuals of a new ornithopod, represented by nearly every skeletal element, was recovered from the Proctor Lake locality in the Twin Mountains Formation (Aptian) of north-central Texas. This material includes various ontogenetic stages, providing insight into the growth patterns of this species. The new ornithopod, Convolosaurus marri gen. et sp. nov., is recovered outside of Iguanodontia, but forms a clade with Iguanodontia exclusive of Hypsilophodon foxii. The presence and morphology of four premaxillary teeth along with a combination of both basal and derived characters distinguish this taxon from all other ornithopods. Basal characters present in C. marri including the presence of premaxillary teeth, the shape of the dentary teeth, and position of the pterygoid wing on the quadrate, whereas the presence of opisthocoelous cervical vertebrae, large proximal caudal neural spines, and curved maxillary tooth roots suggest C. marri is more derived than 80% of the basal neornithischians included in this analysis.
Short-time dynamics of proteins in solutions studied by neutron spin echo

Abstract Dynamics of proteins in solutions include translational, rotational, and internal motions that are linked to different protein properties. Because most proteins are small with the sizes of just a few nanometers, the timescale for their short-time dynamics usually ranges from a few nanoseconds to a few hundreds of nanoseconds, during which a protein usually does not rotate too much. Protein short-time dynamics has been shown to be useful to study liquid theories, protein cluster formation, gelation transitions of concentrated protein systems, and protein internal motions. Neutron spin echo, which is able to measure protein motions with the right correlation time at the appropriate length scale, is ideally suitable to study the short-time dynamics of proteins in solutions. Here, we review recent activities of using neutron spin echo to study the protein short-time motions. Despite all progresses, there are still both theoretical and experimental challenges to exploit the full capability of neutron spin echo to study protein dynamics.
On Testing and Developing Cognitive Models

The target article, "Robust Modeling in Cognitive Science", proposes a number of recommended practices in computational modeling in response to the growing "crisis of confidence" facing many scientific disciplines, including psychology and neuroscience. Those of us who do modeling, write about modeling, teach modeling, and mentor modelers worry deeply about best practices and any new suggestions for making modeling more transparent, trusted, and robust is welcome. Many of the recommendations seem uncontroversial. My commentary focuses on forms of preregistration and postregistration, which constitute three of the four key ideas highlighted as take-home recommendations at the conclusion of the target article. I have chosen to consider these recommendations by reflecting on my own past experiences developing new models and modeling approaches.
Clustering, morphology, and treatment resistance of Bacillus globigii spores recovered from a pilot-scale activated sludge system.

ABSTRACT This study examines the organization and morphology of Bacillus globigii (BG) spores, a common surrogate for Bacillus anthracis, which were seeded and then recovered at various times from several points within a conventional, pilot-scale activated sludge system. Recovered BG spores were enumerated, microscopically examined, and tested for resistance to chemical (i.e. 5% H2O2 for 8 min), thermal (80oC for 30 min), and ultraviolet light (8 watts, 254nm UV for 1 min) inactivation. Spores exposed to activated sludge germinated, sporulated, and exhibited unique multilayer clustering patterns and statistically significant changes (p 0.05) to inactivation than those collected on the first day of testing. These results have direct consequences for sludge treatment requirements at wastewater treatment plants that receive spore-containing waste streams.