cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patient function, long-term survival, and use of surgery in patients with kidney cancer.

BACKGROUND Beyond age and comorbidity, functionality can shape the long-term survival potential of patients with cancer. Accordingly, herein the authors compared mortality and receipt of cancer-directed surgery according to patient function among older adults with kidney cancer. METHODS Using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare data from 2000 through 2009, the authors studied 28,326 elderly subjects with primary kidney cancer. Patient function was quantified using function-related indicators, claims indicative of dysfunction and disability. Adjusting for patient and cancer characteristics, competing risk regression was used to assess the relationship between function-related indicator count and cause-specific mortality and then generalized estimating equations were used to quantify the probability of surgery. RESULTS A total of 13,619 adult patients (48.1%) with at least 1 function-related indicator were identified. A higher indicator category was associated with older age, greater comorbidity, female sex, unmarried status, lower socioeconomic status, and higher stage of disease (P<.001). Compared with patients with an indicator count of 0, those with an indicator count of 1 (hazard ratio, 1.10; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.04-1.16) and ≥2 (hazard ratio, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.39-1.53) were found to have higher other-cause mortality. Conversely, kidney cancer mortality varied minimally with patient function. Patients with ≥ 2 indicators received cancer-directed surgery less often than those without disability (odds ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.56-0.66), although treatment probabilities remained high for patients with locoregional disease and low for those with metastatic cancer. CONCLUSIONS Among older adults with kidney cancer, functional health stands as a significant predictor of long-term survival. However, receipt of cancer-directed surgery appears largely determined by cancer stage. Patient function should be considered more heavily when determining treatment for older adults with kidney cancer. Cancer 2016;122:3776-3784. © 2016 American Cancer Society.
Using Visual Metaphors in Health Messages: A Strategy to Increase Effectiveness for Mental Illness Communication.

Depression is highly prevalent among college students. Although treatment is often available on university campuses, many stigma-based barriers prevent students from seeking help. Communication strategies, such as the use of metaphors, are needed to reduce barriers. Specially, the use of visual metaphors, as a strategic message design tactic, may be an effective communication strategy to increase message appeal and engagement. Using a 2-phase approach, this study first identified common metaphors students use to conceptualize mental illness. Messages incorporating conceptual and visual metaphors were then designed and tested to determine their potential in reducing stigma. Participants (n = 256) were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 conditions in a between-subjects experiment: messages with visual and textual metaphors, messages with straightforward visuals and textual metaphors, text-based metaphor messages, or a control group. Overall, metaphorical messages are appealing, the use of visual metaphors leads to...
The Idea of Calling Presented in Light of High-Impact Practices in a General Education Course and Beyond

This article describes a course taught at a U.S. Christian college located in Pennsylvania that uses “high impact practices,” as described by Kuh and O'Donnell (2013), to educate students about cal...
A Randomized Trial of User-Controlled Text Messaging to Improve Asthma Outcomes: A Pilot Study:

We enrolled 64 patients age 12 to 22 years with a diagnosis of poorly controlled persistent asthma in a 6-month longitudinal crossover study. During the 3 intervention months, participants created personalized text messages to be sent to their phones. Adherence was objectively monitored in 22 of the participants. The adolescent participants gave high ratings on the acceptability of the text messaging system. Asthma control improved from baseline to month 1 regardless of whether teens were in the texting or control group. While participants were in the texting group, their quality of life improved and worry about their asthma decreased. Receiving the text intervention resulted in an increase in adherence of 2.75% each month relative to no intervention, but the improvements were not sustained. There was modest improvement in asthma control and quality of life outcomes, as well as improved adherence during the texting intervention.
Wirkstoffeliminationssysteme und Induktionschemotherapie

Seit Beginn der chemotherapeutischen Behandlung von Krebs Anfang der 1940er Jahre [1–3] wurden zahlreiche Wirkstoffe, Vorrichtungen und Methoden zur Behandlung fortgeschrittener solider Tumore entwickelt. Diese hatten eine Verbesserung der Wirkstoffzufuhr zum Ziel, wobei gleichzeitig sowohl die lokale/regionale als auch die systemische Toxizitat in vertretbaren Grenzen gehalten werden sollte. Die Toxizitat als dosisbeschrankender Faktor bei den meisten Chemotherapeutika ist nicht das einzige Hindernis fur bessere Tumoransprechraten und klinische Ergebnisse. Die Wirkstoffzufuhr in die Tumorzellen stellt jedoch weiterhin einen der Hauptfaktoren dar, der eine komplette Remission bei fortgeschrittenen malignen Erkrankungen verhindert.
Finding common ground: Aligning institutional and survivorship steering committee (SSC) goals.

80Background: Developing a Survivorship program goes beyond providing survivorship care plans to patients upon completion of cancer treatment. Programs can take many forms; ranging from very robust with long-term follow-up to minimal, with patients returning to the primary care provider when cancer-specific treatment is complete. To develop our program at an academic medical center with 2900 annual new cancer patients, we chose to enlist a SSC of survivors to help shape our program. Methods: In addition to fulfilling the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer Standard 3.3 requirements, we also desire to meet the needs of the patient. Thus, the survivorship program coordinator requested that providers within the Cancer Institute (CI) identify patients to form a SSC. 13 physicians contributed a total of 14 patients as candidates. Each patient was invited to participate and 7 accepted. The initial SSC meeting was held 6 months after initiation of our survivorship program. Results: SSC members repr...
Frequency-dependent models of overhead power lines for steady-state harmonic analysis: Model derivation, evaluation and practical applications

Abstract This paper presents a novel frequency-dependent model for electric power lines to be used in harmonic studies. First, the differential equations representing the distributed nature of the line electrical parameters are considered; frequency dependency due to the effect of ground return and the skin effect is then incorporated. These derived equations represent what in this paper is defined as the analytical model, used as benchmark for model comparison. The vector fitting technique is used here to approximate the analytical model and derive a frequency-dependent frequency domain model. A passive circuit realization of the proposed model in a PI structure is presented and can be directly implemented in steady-state analysis tools such as harmonic power flow solvers. This paper then presents the evaluation and verification of the proposed model for multiple test cases. The test cases of unbalanced three-phase lines for overhead and underground conductors are considered. Moreover, to evaluate system-level impacts of the proposed model, the IEEE 13 node test feeder is considered. Through the evaluation of the test results, it is shown that the proposed model is more accurate than currently-used steady state models such as the simple (nominal) PI or the constant PI (with constant parameters calculated at fundamental frequency) models in terms of steady state harmonic voltages and currents at the line terminals. Test results obtained using the proposed model are within comparable accuracy to the ones obtained using the electromagnetic and transient (EMT) model, without having to run computationally expensive time domain simulations.
Finite element study on the behavior of RC beams strengthened with PBO-FRCM composite under torsion

Abstract This paper describes the results of numerical simulation performed to investigate the torsional behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) beams strengthened with externally bonded fiber reinforced cementitious matrix (FRCM) composite. A nonlinear finite element analysis was performed using LS-DYNA. FE predictions were in reasonable agreement with experimental results of FRCM-strengthened beams under torsional loading in terms of failure mode, torsional strength, and corresponding twist per unit length. A parametric study was also carried out to study the influence of concrete compressive strength and FRCM composite strip width and spacing. Results showed that the torsional strength increases with increasing concrete compressive strength when failure is governed by crushing of the concrete strut. When failure is governed by fiber rupture, the torsional strength was not sensitive to concrete compressive strength. The parametric study also showed that the torsional strength increases with increasing fiber reinforcement ratio, although the increase in torsional strength is not directly proportional to the increase in fiber reinforcement ratio.
Advances in new drug therapies for the management of sickle cell disease.

Introduction: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an orphan disease in the United States, but is highly prevalent worldwide. Only two drugs, hydroxyurea and L-glutamine, are approved for this disease. Wit...
Healing bruises: Identity tensions in a beginning teacher’s use of formal and informal music learning:

The purpose of this narrative case study was to describe the developing teacher identity of Nicole Downing, a first-year teacher in the US, in her use of both formal and informal learning processes. As music education continues embracing approaches like informal music learning, it should also reflect on the voices of teachers in the field. Data collection included interviews, observations, and participant writings. Findings revealed that Nicole (a) questioned and eventually accepted her music teacher identity, (b) exhibited a dualism between her use of formal and informal music learning processes, and (c) broadened her community’s definition of school music. Nicole used the metaphor of a bruise to describe how she believed some in her undergraduate studies would judge her interest in popular music and creative musicianship, but as she became a music teacher she had agency to incorporate the informal learning she valued. Nicole exhibited a duality in her use of formal and informal learning processes, which...
Nature of T cell epitopes in lupus antigens and HLA-DR determines autoantibody initiation and diversification

Objectives The generation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-related autoantibodies have been shown to be T cell dependent and antigen driven with HLA-DR restriction. In this study, the initiating antigen(s) and the mechanism of autoantibody diversification were investigated. Methods T cell epitopes (T-epitopes) of SmD1 (SmD) were mapped by T-T hybridomas generated from DR3+AE0 mice immunised with SmD and with SmD overlapping peptides. TCRs from the reactive hybridomas were sequenced. The core epitopes were determined. Bacterial mimics were identified by bioinformatics. Sera from DR3+AE0 mice immunised with SmD peptides and their mimics were analysed for their reactivity by ELISA and immunohistochemistry. Samples of blood donors were analysed for HLA-DR and autoantibody specificities. Results Multiple HLA-DR3 restricted T-epitopes within SmD were identified. Many T-T hybridomas reacted with more than one epitope. Some of them were cross-reactive with other snRNP peptides and with proteins in the Ro60/La/Ro52 complex. The reactive hybridomas used unique TCRs. Multiple T-epitope mimics were identified in commensal and environmental bacteria. Certain bacterial mimics shared both T and B cell epitopes with the related SmD peptide. Bacterial mimics induced autoantibodies to lupus-related antigens and to different tissues. HLA-DR3+ blood donors made significantly more SLE-related autoantibodies. Conclusions The unique antigenic structures of the lupus-related autoantigens provide the basis for being targeted and for T and B cell epitope spreading and autoantibody diversification with unique patterns. SLE-related autoantibodies are likely generated from responses to commensal and/or environmental microbes due to incomplete negative selection for autoreactive T cells. The production of SLE-related antibodies is inevitable in normal individuals. The findings in this investigation have significant implications in autoimmunity in general.
Internal Model–Based Voltage Control of a Standalone Distributed Generator

Improving transients of voltage and current allows more effective utilization of the electric power delivery infrastructure and prevents violation of the operation limits. This paper develops an internal model control (IMC)–based cascade voltage control strategy, which consists of an inner current control feedback loop and an outer voltage control feedback loop, to improve the transient behavior of the three-phase voltages of a distributed generation (DG) unit in an islanded microgrid. The inner control feedback loop is responsible for fast compensation of input disturbances and phase delays caused by the RLC filter, and the outer control feedback loop is responsible for providing the reference for the inner current control feedback loop to maintain the desired voltage. The proposed IMC-based cascade voltage controller shows significantly improved dynamic behavior compared with the conventional PI-based voltage control approach. Simulation results in PSCAD/EMTDC environment confirm the desirable dynamic performance of the proposed approach.
Quality: D.C.’s Museum of the Bible and Aesthetic Evaluation

The Museum of the Bible (MOTB) in Washington, D.C. is a widely reported-on religious attraction, arguably among the most attention-grabbing in recent memory.1 Since before its public opening in Nov...
Measurement of cultural competency: A pilot study of nurses' knowledge of religious practices

Background: Most studies assessing cultural competence inquire about attitudes and beliefs and do not measure mastery of information. In this study, we investigate how much nurses know about various religious practices they might encounter. Methods: An open response examination with 90 questions regarding Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Mormonism, Seventh Day Adventist and Evangelical Christianity was administered to 24 faculty members and 60 students. Results: The mean score on the exam was 22.8 out of 100 (students 23.3%; faculty 21.6%). The sub-scores were highest for questions about Judaism (mean 36.3%) and lowest for questions about Hinduism (12.7%). The answer “I don’t know” was offered in response to 67.3% of all questions. Discussion: Factual mastery by nurses regarding religious practices was seen to be low. Because providing culturally competent care demands nurses to be both willing and able, this preliminary finding suggests that delivering culturally competent care requires not only awareness and readiness but a better factual knowledge base.
George Lamming’s "The Boy and the Sea" : A Littoral Artist’s Experimentation with Language and a Postcolonial Examination of the Self

For a 1989 interview, posted on Banyan’s website and captured in the videotape Footprints (1992), George Lamming is photographed on the shores of his homeland. Lamming stands on the East Coast of Barbados as a littoral figure. In the first image, he smiles at the camera as he looks inland. The horizon is seen over his shoulders, along with a wave cresting against the large rock in the middle-right panel of the photograph. In the second photograph, he faces the horizon. In this latter image, pointing at the horizon, he directs his attention and that of his interviewer to the visual suggestion of the meeting of sky and sea. The powerful and evocative gesture may perhaps suggest that something can be discovered or imagined when an individual walks the coast, stands on the beach, and ponders the horizon. In this essay, “George Lamming’s ‘The Boy and the Sea' : A Littoral Artist’s Experimentation with Language and a Postcolonial Examination of the Sea,” I relate these images to Lamming’s poem, highlighting one of his earliest experimentation with shoreline iconography—a trope he will return to in Castle and other works. I argue that he uses the boy’s placement on the coast to highlight an alienated character’s introspection about social marginalization (for a boy in Barbados and a man in London), and it is through the created text—the poem and the essay in which the poem appears—that Lamming empowers the character (the boy of the poem or young man of the essay) to mediate the personal and cultural dilemmas he must reconcile in order to gain a self-actualized awareness.
Sex differences in the effects of early life stress exposure on mast cells in the developing rat brain

Early life stress leads to long lasting effects on behavior. Neuroimmune cells have been implicated as key mediators of experience-induced changes in brain and behavioral development, in that they are highly responsive to stress. Mast cells are one such type of neuroimmune cell, but little is known about their role in brain development or following early life stress. Here, we assessed the impact of three different early life stress exposure paradigms on mast cell dynamics in the developing brain of male and female rats, focusing on the hippocampus and hypothalamus, where most mast cells reside. We found that exposure to two weeks of chronic variable stress during gestation led to increased mast cell number and activation in the female offspring hypothalamus on the day of birth. Acute exposure to maternal separation stress on postnatal day (PN) 2 led to significant decreases in mast cells within the hypothalamus and hippocampus of females, but not males. In contrast, one week of exposure to brief daily maternal separation stress (e.g., handling), increased mast cell numbers in the female, but not male, hippocampus. We found significant sex differences in mast cell number and activation, including males having more mast cells than females in the hippocampus on the day of birth and males having significantly more degranulated mast cells on PN11. Thus, mast cells may be an unappreciated mediator of sex-specific brain development in response to early life perturbations.
Reports from the Potomac Technical Processing Librarians (PTPL) 93rd Annual Conference

The 93rd annual meeting of the Potomac Technical Processing Librarians (PTPL) was held at the University of Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland on October 20, 2017. The theme of the conference was “Disc...
Epileptic Seizure Detection for Imbalanced Datasets Using an Integrated Machine Learning Approach

Epileptic Seizure (Epilepsy) is a neurological disorder that occurs due to abnormal brain activities. Epilepsy affects patients’ health and lead to life-threatening situations. Early prediction of epilepsy is highly effective to avoid seizures. Machine Learning algorithms have been used to classify epilepsy from Electroencephalograms (EEG) data. These algorithms exhibited reduced performance when classes are imbalanced. This work presents an integrated machine learning approach for epilepsy detection, which can effectively learn from imbalanced data. This approach utilizes Principal Component Analysis (PCA) at the first stage to extract both high- and low- variant Principal Components (PCs), which are empirically customized for imbalanced data classification. Conventionally, PCA is used for dimension reduction of a dataset leveraging PCs with high variances. In this paper, we propose a model to show that PCs associated with low variances can capture the implicit pattern of minor class of a dataset. The selected PCs are then fed into different machine learning classifiers to predict seizures. We performed experiments on the Epileptic Seizure Recognition dataset to evaluate our model. The experimental results show the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed model.
Would weight parity on interstate highways improve safety and efficiency of timber transportation in the US South

In the US, weight limits on interstate highways are established by the federal government while weight limits on other roadways are established by state or local governments. State weight limits fo...
Metal–Organic Phase-Change Materials for Thermal Energy Storage

The development of materials that reversibly store high densities of thermal energy is critical to the more efficient and sustainable utilization of energy. Herein, we investigate metal-organic compounds as a new class of solid-liquid phase-change materials (PCMs) for thermal energy storage. Specifically, we show that isostructural series of divalent metal amide complexes featuring extended hydrogen bond networks can undergo tunable, high-enthalpy melting transitions over a wide temperature range. Moreover, these coordination compounds provide a powerful platform to explore the specific factors that contribute to the energy density and entropy of metal-organic PCMs. Through a systematic analysis of the structural and thermochemical properties of these compounds, we investigated the influence of coordination bonds, hydrogen-bond networks, neutral organic ligands, and outer-sphere anions on their phase-change thermodynamics. In particular, we identify the importance of high densities of coordination bonds and hydrogen bonds to achieving a high PCM energy density, and we show how metal-dependent changes to the local coordination environment during melting impact the entropy and enthalpy of metal-organic PCMs. These results highlight the potential of manipulating order-disorder phase transitions in metal-organic materials for thermal energy storage.
Bibliometric Analysis and Visualization of the Consequences of Marital Union Dissolution on Parents and Children

This paper utilizes visual analytics and bibliometric analysis techniques to evaluate the temporal trends and visualization of the consequences of marital union dissolution on parents and children using data from 1339 documents retrieved from the Web of Science between 1979 and 2019. The results highlight five outcomes. First, the past three decades show a direct upward trend in scientific production and the rate of divorce. Second, the clusters of terms identify various negative consequences of divorce on the household members, with severe economic effects on women and children. Parental divorce causes severe damaging effects on the offspring than the parents are aware or willing to acknowledge. Third, divorce causes children’s social, behavioral, psychological, and health problems, and social and economic problems to divorced spouses. Fourth, visual analytics show that adversities from divorce are not linear but highlight significant inter-play among the items. Finally, considerable research output originates from countries with a high rate of divorce. The paper contributes to the scholarship of integration in marital breakdown, parental divorce consequences, and offspring adversities.
Resource Utilization and Emergency Medicine Advisors' Approach to Video Interview Preparation.

Introduction The Standardized Video Interview (SVI) was a residency application component introduced by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) as a supplement to the existing process, which aimed to measure knowledge of professional behaviors and interpersonal skills. Given its novelty in both aim and execution, little advice or experience was available to inform preparation strategies. We sought to perform a cross-sectional analysis to explore advisors' practices in guiding students' preparation for the SVI. Methods An electronic questionnaire was developed and piloted for flow and usability, then distributed to all members of the Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine (CORD EM), the professional society for emergency medicine educators, via listserv, comprised of 270 residency programs. Questions were both open- and closed-ended and therefore analyzed in a mixed-method fashion. Results We received 56 responses from a listserv representing 270 residency programs. Respondents cited personal experience and consensus opinions from national organizations as the primary sources for their advice. The most common resources offered to students were space for completing the SVI (41%) or technical support for completing the SVI (47%). The time committed to student advising specifically for the SVI ranged from zero to 20 hours. Estimated associated costs of preparation ranged from zero up to $10,000 (time plus resources). Two individuals reported recommending commercial preparation resources to students. Conclusion The SVI was a novel attempt to augment the resident application process. We found variability in resources and advice offered to students, including broad ranges of time dedicated, the monetary value of resources contributed, and the types of resources utilized. As the global COVID-19 pandemic has inspired a wave of innovation and process changes, we present this data for consideration as a snapshot of the variable responses to a single uniform process change.
Cooling Technology for High Performance Computers: IBM Sponsored University Research

This paper focuses on the role of university research in advancing basic heat transfer technology for application in cooling computers. Twenty-five years of IBM sponsored university research projects directed at enhancing heat transfer and establishing basic heat transfer data for application to computer cooling are summarized. Examples and results of research in heat transfer directed towards air and direct liquid immersion cooling applications are discussed.
Genetic and Structural Studies of a V-Region Marker in Mouse Immunoglobulin Light Chains

This chapter describes the characteristics and strain distribution of a genetic marker discovered by Edelman and Gottlieb (1970) in the V regions of serum Ig L chains of unimmunized mice. Gottlieb (1974) demonstrated that expression of this V-region marker (called the IB-peptide marker) is closely linked to the Ly-3 genetic locus governing expression of a thymocyte surface antigen (Boyse et al., 1971). The Ly-3 locus resides in linkage group XI on chromosome 6 of the mouse (Itakura et al., 1972). If the locus governing expression of the IB-peptide marker is a structural locus for L-chain V regions, then it too resides in linkage group XI, and this would be the first instance in any species in which structural genes for an Ig chain have been placed in a particular linkage group. The possibility exists, however, that the locus which maps in linkage group XI does not contain structural genes for light-chain V regions, but rather is a regulatory locus which governs the expression of structural genes encoded in this linkage group or elsewhere in the genome.
Evaluation of the acute and sub-acute toxicity of the ethanolic extract of Pericampylus glaucus (Lam.) Merr. in BALB/c mice

Abstract Objective To evaluate the safety dose range of ethanolic extract from the leaves of Pericampylus glaucus (Lam.) Merr. by acute and sub-acute oral toxicity study on animal model. Methods The acute and sub-acute toxicity study was carried out as per Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development guidelines 423 and 407. In acute toxicity study, the oral dose (300, 2000 and 4 000 mg/kg) of tested plant extract was administered to three groups in single dose and general behavior, adverse effects and mortality were determined up to 72 h and compared to normal group. In sub-acute study, the tested crude plant extract was administered orally at doses of 600 and 1 000 mg/kg for 28 days to the two animals groups and their body weight, hematological, serum hepatic biochemical parameters were evaluated and compared to normal group by sacrificing all group animals. Results In acute toxicity, all treated groups’ revealed neither mortality nor any significant alteration in behavior only drowsiness, sedation and lethargy were observed in two group, i.e. 2 000 and 4 000 mg/kg of the tested plant extract. In sub-acute toxicity study no change in hematological, biochemical parameter and organ body weight were observed during study compared to the normal group. The kidney function parameters [serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (aspartate transaminase), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (alanine transaminase)] were significantly increased following administration of tested crude plant extract (600, 1 000 mg/kg). Conclusions The result indicates that the oral administration of Pericampylus glaucus (Lam.) Merr. extract did not produce any significant toxic effect in BALB/c mice. Hence, the extract can be utilized safely for therapeutic use in pharmaceutical formulations.
Dealing with Data Deluge at National Funding Agencies: An Investigation of User Needs for Understanding and Managing Research Investments

This paper provides in-depth, applied and contextualized insights about the particular challenges members of federal government funding agencies face when dealing with data deluge. We present the findings of qualitative research conducted with members of a federal US funding agency. The findings point out specific needs for understanding investment portfolios broadly and tracking the evolution and impact of ideas. They show limitations of existing solutions and their negative effects on labor, time, and personal stress. Based on these findings, we make specific suggestions for the design of automated tools that can help funding agencies understand and manage their portfolios.
Functional Infrared Imaging for Biomedical Applications

Blood oxygenation is a key measure of the physiological activity of an organ or tissue at any given time. Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and spectroscopic imaging of tissue can provide blood oxygenation information based on differences in absorption spectra of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin. Real-time, in vivo NIR spectroscopic imaging of tissue can generate maps showing changes in activity as a function of time and location. The technique has been used to image the brain in action (with capabilities complementary to those of magnetic resonance imaging) and to study the response of skin to damage and disease. This article discusses instrumentation and methods, reviews NIR imaging studies of the brain, skin, and other organs (to 1999 December), and speculates on future developments. Keywords: near-infrared; imaging; biomedical applications; spectroscopic imaging; blood oxygenation; brain; skin; physiology
Integration of tactics for management of Eucalyptus herbivores: influence of moisture and nitrogen fertilization on red gum lerp psyllid colonization.

Moisture stress and fertilization have been reported to both increase or decrease susceptibility of plants to herbivory. In the Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae) system in California, cultural practices that maintain sufficient moisture levels in the living outer bark contribute to the resistance of the trees to the invasive eucalyptus longhorned borer, Phoracantha semipunctata (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). However, a community of fluid-feeding psyllids has also been introduced into the state and it was unclear if water management practices that reduce susceptibility to the borer enhanced susceptibility to the psyllids. The results of irrigation and fertilization field trials demonstrated that low water applications and high levels of fertilization resulted in higher levels of red gum lerp psyllid, Glycaspis brimblecombei Moore (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), populations on the foliage than on trees treated with higher levels of irrigation and no fertilization. There were no differences in levels of parasitization of the psyllids by Psyllaephagus bliteus Riek (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) under the various treatment regimes. Consequently, it is possible to integrate compatible cultural practices and the use of natural enemies to manage populations of both the borer and the psyllid.
Seeded lateral epitaxial SOI using

Summary form only given. In addition to the traditional advantages of SOI devices, improved subthreshold slope, elimination of kink effect and enhancement in conductance have been reported for thin-film SOI devices. To achieve these characteristics, defect-free and orientation-controlled SOI is needed. In laser recrystallization using seeded lateral epitaxy, this has been achieved by
Precision Extruding Deposition for Freeform Fabrication of PCL and PCL-HA Tissue Scaffolds

Computer-aided tissue engineering approach was used to develop a novel Precision Extrusion Deposition (PED) process to directly fabricate Polycaprolactone (PCL) and composite PCL/Hydroxyapatite (PCL-HA) tissue scaffolds. The process optimization was carried out to fabricate both PCL and PCL-HA (25% concentration by weight of HA) with a controlled pore size and internal pore structure of the 0°/90° pattern. Two groups of scaffolds having 60 and 70% porosity and with pore sizes of 450 and 750 microns, respectively, were evaluated for their morphology and compressive properties using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and mechanical testing. The surface modification with plasma was conducted on PCL scaffold to increase the cellular attachment and proliferation. Our results suggested that inclusion of HA significantly increased the compressive modulus from 59 to 84 MPa for 60% porous scaffolds and from 30 to 76 MPa for 70% porous scaffolds. In vitro cell–scaffolds interaction study was carried out using primary fetal bovine osteoblasts to assess the feasibility of scaffolds for bone tissue engineering application. In addition, the results in surface hydrophilicity and roughness show that plasma surface modification can increase the hydrophilicity while introducing the nano-scale surface roughness on PCL surface. The cell proliferation and differentiation were calculated by Alamar Blue assay and by determining alkaline phosphatase activity. The osteoblasts were able to migrate and proliferate over the cultured time for both PCL as well as PCL-HA scaffolds. Our study demonstrated the viability of the PED process to the fabricate PCL and PCL-HA composite scaffolds having necessary mechanical property, structural integrity, controlled pore size and pore interconnectivity desired for bone tissue engineering.
Role of radiation in the treatment of non-metastatic osseous Ewing sarcoma.

Introduction Local control, either with surgery, radiation (RT) or both, is essential in the management of localised Ewing sarcoma; however, the relative role of RT remains controversial. Methods Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, 612 patients treated for non-metastatic skeletal Ewing sarcoma between the years 1988 and 2010 were identified. Results Median age and follow-up were 13 years (range: 0–21) and 56 months (range: 0–287), respectively. Five-year overall survival (OS) for the cohort was 74.4 ± 2.0%. Patients received surgery alone (51.3%), RT alone (21.6%) or both (27.1%). Patients with skeletal Ewing sarcoma had improved OS with surgery alone compared with other treatments. However, in subset analyses, RT was not inferior to surgery alone for appendicular (5-year OS: 80.0% vs. 79.3%), non-pelvic (84.3% vs. 79.9%) or localised disease (confined to cortex or periosteum; 79.7% vs. 80.6%). After controlling for stage and site, no increase in mortality was observed with RT versus surgery alone (hazard ratio = 0.77 (95% confidence interval: 0.49–1.19)). Conclusions In regard to survival, RT did not appear to be inferior to surgery alone for most patients, particularly those with disease at favourable sites (localised, appendicular, non-pelvic). In select patients with Ewing sarcoma, RT may be an appropriate strategy for local control that does not necessarily compromise survival outcomes.
Design and implementation of a hybrid series active filter system

A hybrid series active filter system has been designed, built and installed at Beverly Pump Station in New England Electric Power Company utility for 765 kVA, 480 V adjustable speed drive load to comply with IEEE 519 recommended harmonic standards. The series active filter has a small rating-35 kVA which is 4% of the load kVA-and is controlled by a synchronous reference frame (SRF) based controller. The hybrid series active filter system is controlled to act as a "harmonic isolator" between the supply and load. This paper discusses the SRF controller implementation issues, design considerations of the series coupling transformer and protection issues of the small rating series active filter inverter. Operation of the series active filter under off-tuned passive filter conditions is investigated. The effectiveness of the series active filter to provide harmonic damping and the use of simpler and low cost passive filter structures such as power factor correction capacitors is demonstrated by laboratory experimental results. Field installation results demonstrate the practical and economic viability of hybrid series active filter systems for harmonic compensation of large nonlinear loads to comply with IEEE 519 recommended harmonic standards. >
The morphogenesis of Yaba monkey tumor virus in a cynomolgus monkey kidney cell line.

The morphogenesis of Yaba monkey tumor virus (YMTV) was investigated in a cynomolgus monkey kidney cell line. YMTV has been shown to grow less rapidly in high-passage cells (i.e., 65 passages) than in low-passage cells (i.e., between 30 and 60 passages). This prolonged growth cycle in high-passage cells allows for a more detailed analysis of the events in morphogenesis. Samples of YMTV-infected cells were prepared for analysis at 2, 3, 4, and 5 days postinfection. At least 12 “stages” of virus morphogenesis can be identified.
Context-based semantic labeling of human-vehicle interactions in persistent surveillance systems

The improved Situational awareness in Persistent Surveillance Systems (PSS) is an ongoing research effort of the Department of Defense. Most PSS generate huge volume of raw data and they heavily rely on human operators to interpret and inference data in order to detect potential threats. Many outdoor apprehensive activities involve vehicles as their primary source of transportation to and from the scene where a plot is executed. Vehicles are employed to bring in and take out ammunitions, supplies, and personnel. Vehicles are also used as a disguise, hide-out, a meeting place to execute threat plots. Analysis of the Human-Vehicle Interactions (HVI) helps us to identify cohesive patterns of activities representing potential threats. Identification of such patterns can significantly improve situational awareness in PSS. In our approach, image processing technique is used as the primary source of sensing modality. We use HVI taxonomy as a means for recognizing different types of HVI activities. HVI taxonomy may comprise multiple threads of ontological patterns. By spatiotemporal linking of ontological patterns, a HVI pattern is hypothesized to pursue a potential threat situation. The proposed technique generates semantic messages describing ontology of HVI. This paper also discusses a vehicle zoning technique for HVI semantic labeling and demonstrates efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed technique for identifying HVI.
Evidence for very strong electron-phonon coupling in YBa2Cu3O6

, in quantitative agreement withangle-resolved photoemission data, optical conductivity data, and the parameter-free theoretical estimate. Thelarge polaron binding energies in the insulating parent compounds suggest that electron-phonon couplingshould also be strong in doped superconducting cuprates and play an essential role in high-temperaturesuperconductivity.DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.75.104511 PACS number s : 74.20.Mn, 74.25.Kc, 74.72. h
Some conditions maximizing eyewitness accuracy: A learning/memory analogy

Jurors continue to rely heavily on eyewitness testimony despite numerous demonstrations that it is often inaccurate. As part of the effort to provide jurors with good estimates of the accuracy of any specific testimony, a study was designed to test the proposal that eyewitness accuracy is governed by the same variables and in the same way as is retention of much simpler material in classical learning and memory paradigms. Prior exposure to the criminal (trials), arousal value of the incident (drive), and delay between prior exposure and incident, and between incident and test (inner-trial intervals) all affected eyewitness accuracy in the expected manner. Correct recognitions of the criminal in a line-up ranged from 14 percent to 86 percent, depending on the particular conditions under which the incident was observed.
Ultra-sounds in three inbred strains of young mice

Ultrasonic vocalizations of young mice of three inbred strains: C57B1/6/J, BALB/c/J, and C3H/He/J; were recorded at 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 days of age. Recordings were made under conditions of separation from the nest and isolation, at room temperature (23.5 ± 1.5°C) which produces a mild degree of hypothermic stress. The modal peak frequencies of signals emitted from pups of all the strains were between 70 and 80 kHz. The major strain differences obtained were differential age functions of signaling. The C57B1/6/J signaled frequently at 3 days of age but had virtually ceased signaling by 6 days of age. The BALB/c/J displayed a similar age function, except that signaling persisted until 9 days of age. The C3H/He/J increased their rate of signaling from 3 to 9 days of age, with a marked reduction in signaling by 12 days of age. No signals were detected at 15 or 18 days of age. The strains also differed in terms of peak frequencies and mean durations of signals. These differences in signaling characteristics suggest a basis for strain differences in mother-infant interactions which have been reported previously. Further, they should be useful indices for monitoring responsiveness to various environmental manipulations by neonatal mice.
Changes in Water Structure Induced by the Guanidinium Cation and Implications for Protein Denaturation

The effect of the guanidinium cation on the hydrogen bonding strength of water was analyzed using temperature-excursion Fourier transform infrared spectra of the OH stretching vibration in 5% H2O / 95% D2O solutions containing a range of different guanidine-HCl and guanidine-HBr concentrations. Our findings indicate that the guanidinium cation causes the water H-bonds in solution to become more linear than those found in bulk water, and that it also inhibits the response of the H-bond network to increased temperature. Quantum chemical calculations also reveal that guanidinium affects both the charge distribution on water molecules directly H-bonded to it as well as the OH stretch frequency of H-bonds in which that water molecule is the donor. The implications of our findings to hydrophobic solvation and protein denaturation are discussed.
Interrupting synoviolin play at the ER: a plausible action to elevate mitochondrial energetics and silence obesity

Obesity is a global concern, which has been linked to increased risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, non‐alcoholic fatty liver, and cancer. In this issue of The EMBO Journal , Fujita et al ([2015][1]) describe the role of an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)‐resident E3 ubiquitin ligase, synoviolin, and its ability to control body weight and energy expenditure by targeting PGC‐1β, a transcriptional modulator of mitochondrial oxidative metabolism. [1]: #ref-2
Determination of specific CD4 and CD8 T cell epitopes after AAV2- and AAV8-hF.IX gene therapy.

Abstract The application of AAV2 or AAV8 vectors for delivery of human coagulation factor IX (hF.IX) is a promising gene therapy for hemophilia B. One major limitation of this therapy is the development of antibodies and a cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response against both the vector capsid and the transgene. We determined the class I and class II MHC peptide epitopes for AAV2, AAV8, and hF.IX after administration of AAV-2-hF.IX or AAV8-hF.IX in H2 b (C57BL/6), H2 d (BALB/c), or H2 k (C3H) strains of mice. The results indicate that the AAV2 capsid peptide AA 373–381 , the AAV8 capsid peptide AA 50–58 , and the hF.IX transgene peptide AA 311–319 can elicit a CTL response as indicated by an IFN-γ ELISPOT assay and an in vivo CTL assay. Furthermore, a strong H2 k MHC II-restricted Th1 response can be elicited in C3H mice by the AAV8 capsid peptide AA 126–140 and the hF.IX peptide AA 108–122 , whereas a strong Th2 response can be elicited by the AAV2 peptide AA 475–489 . These results show that specific CTL responses are generated to both AAV capsid epitopes and hF.IX epitopes after injection of AAV-hF.IX, and MHC class II epitopes derived from AAV-hF.IX promote development of either Th1 or Th2 cells.
Cellular and Extracellular Matrix Basis for Heterogeneity in Mitral Annular Contraction

Regional heterogeneity in mitral annular contraction, which is generally ascribed to the fibrous vs. muscular annular composition, ensures proper leaflet motion and timing of coaptation. It is unknown whether the fibroblast-like cells in the annulus modulate this heterogeneity, even though valvular interstitial cells (VICs) can be mechanically “activated.” Fourteen sheep underwent implantation of radiopaque markers around the mitral annulus defining four segments: septal (SEPT), lateral (LAT), and anterior (ANT-C) and posterior (POST-C) commissures. Segmental annular contraction was calculated using biplane videofluoroscopy. Immunohistochemistry of annular cross sections assessed regional matrix content, matrix turnover, and cell phenotype. Micropipette aspiration measured the effective modulus of the leaflets adjacent to the myocardial border. Whereas SEPT contained more collagen I and III, LAT demonstrated more collagen and elastin turnover as shown by greater decorin, lysyl oxidase, and matrix metalloprotease (MMP)-13 and smooth muscle alpha-actin (SMaA). This greater matrix turnover paralleled greater annular contraction in LAT vs. SEPT (22.5 vs. 4.1%). Similarly, POST-C had more SMaA and MMP13 than ANT-C, consistent with greater annular contraction in POST-C (18.8 vs. 11.1%). Interestingly, POST-C had the greatest effective modulus, significantly higher than LAT. These data suggest that matrix turnover by activated VICs relates to annular motion heterogeneity, maintains steady-state mechanical properties in the annulus, and could be a therapeutic target when annular motion is impaired. Conversely, alterations in this heterogeneous annular contraction, whether through disease or secondary to ring annuloplasty, could disrupt this normal pattern of cell-mediated matrix remodeling and further adversely impact mitral valve function.
Esthetics for denture patients

Denture esthetics has been discussed in terms of the anatomic-physiologic and artistic phases. It is the responsibility of the dentist to apply the principles discussed in an effort to produce a natural appearing denture. Excessive dependence on auxiliary personnel in meeting the esthetic needs of the patient can only encourage the denturist movement and quick, low-cost denture clinics. Faced with this threat, we must not shirk our responsibilities.