cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surgical Options in Postgastrectomy Syndromes

Postgastrectomy syndromes are a group of disorders resulting from the surgical treatment of peptic ulcer disease. The symptoms usually are mild and respond to conservative treatment, but a few patients will suffer disabling symptoms that necessitate surgical intervention. The Roux-en-Y procedure is the operation of choice in most instances, and good results usually can be expected. However, remedial operation is not universally successful, and prevention is the best treatment.
Review: low-molecular-weight heparin is effective and safe in the acute coronary syndromes.

Source Citation Wong GC, Giugliano RP, Antman EM. Use of low-molecular-weight heparins in the management of acute coronary artery syndromes and percutaneous coronary intervention. JAMA. 2003;289:33...
In situ surface topography of laser powder bed fusion using fringe projection

Abstract Being able to characterize the process signatures of powder bed based additive manufacturing process is key to improving the product quality. This paper demonstrates the implementation of a digital fringe projection technique to measure surface topography of the powder bed layers during the fabrication. We focus on developing the metrology tool and observing the types of information that can be extracted from such topographical data. The performance of the system is demonstrated with selected in situ measurements. Experimental results show this system is capable of measuring powder bed signatures including the powder layer flatness, surface texture, the average height drop of the fused regions, characteristic length scales on the surface, and splatter drop location and dimension.
Endoperoxide Drug Cross Resistance Patterns for Plasmodium falciparum Exhibiting an Artemisinin Delayed Clearance Phenotype.

The ring-stage susceptibility assay was modified to quantify the susceptibilities of multiple strains of control and delayed-clearance phenotype (DCP) Plasmodium falciparum strains to seven endoperoxide antimalarial drugs. The susceptibility of all of the DCP lines to six of the drugs was lower than that of the controls. In contrast, DCP parasites did not show reduced susceptibility to the synthetic endoperoxide drug OZ439. These data show that it is possible to circumvent emerging artemisinin resistance with a modified endoperoxide drug.
Infection with Some Infectious Bursal Disease Virus Pathotypes Produces Virus in Chicken Muscle Tissue and the Role of Humoral Immunity as a Mitigation Strategy

SUMMARY Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) causes important economic losses and negatively affects global trade in poultry and poultry products. This study determined the presence of IBDV in primary lymphoid tissues and muscle tissue of infected broilers and the role of vaccination as a mitigation strategy. In the first study, specific-pathogen-free (SPF) broiler chickens were challenged with STC (classical [cIBDV]), Indiana (variant [varIBDV]), rA (very virulent [vvIBDV]), or Ohio (serotype 2, avirulent) IBDV. Infection was confirmed in all groups, but only the cIBDV group experienced morbidity or mortality. Virus was only isolated in low titers from a few breast and/or thigh muscle tissue samples from cIBDV and vvIBDV-infected chickens. For the second study, SPF broilers from three different treatment groups were challenged with IBDV viruses that currently circulate in the United States, varIBDV or vvIBDV: 1) maternal antibody–positive (MAb+), vaccinated with recombinant HVT-IBDV vaccine (Vaxxitek®,...
Martial Spectacles of the Ming Court. By David M. Robinson. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Asia Center, 2013. Pp. xiv, 423. $52.95.)

This intriguing and important study examines the various imperial hunts, military reviews, archery contests, polo matches, and collections of exotic animals that may be found in China's Ming dynast...
Looking with ideas, not for ideas: Realist constructivism applied to technology-mediated science teaching

The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of technology for teaching the big ideas in science using an imaginative, metaphoric process known as “abduction.” We will report on a project that tested a curricular unit in science and how the use of technology, simulations, and metaphors enabled kids to grasp complex ideas about the phenomena of weather.
Comparing Drivers and Dynamics of Tuberculosis in California, Florida, New York, and Texas

Rationale: There is substantial state-to-state heterogeneity in tuberculosis (TB) in the United States; better understanding this heterogeneity can inform effective response to TB at the state level, the level at which most TB control efforts are coordinated.Objectives: To characterize drivers of state-level heterogeneity in TB epidemiology in the four U.S. states that bear half the country’s TB burden: California, Florida, New York, and Texas.Methods: We constructed an individual-based model of TB in the four U.S. states and calibrated the model to state-specific demographic and age- and nativity-stratified TB incidence data. We used the model to infer differences in natural history of TB and in future projections of TB.Measurements and Main Results: We found that differences in both demographic makeup (particularly the size and composition of the foreign-born population) and TB transmission dynamics contribute to state-level differences in TB epidemiology. The projected median annual rate of decline in ...
Effects of Nitrogen Supply on Growth and Nutrient Status of Containerized Crape Myrtle

Abstract Containerized crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica x fauriei ‘Tonto’) plants were grown over a 9-month period using complete nutrient solutions, except during overwintering, that differed in N concentration: 15, 30, 60, 120, 210, and 300 mg/liter. Plant shoot biomass, leaf area and canopy diameter increased with applied N concentrations ([N]a) up to 60 mg/liter, but higher levels caused significant depressions in all these parameters. Root biomass and plant height were depressed linearly with increases in [N]a. Regardless of final plant biomass, increases in [N]a significantly favored shoot over root growth, with ratios increasing from 1.9 to 5.4 for 15 to 300 mg/liter, respectively. Soluble salts in the medium, monitored via leachates, increased with N supply and were identified as a key factor involved in the yield reductions observed at the higher [N]a. Leaf N concentration increased with N supply, stabilizing at [N]a above 120 mg/liter; concentrations of 2.6–2.7% were associated with maximum gr...
Highly Selective Dopamine D3 Receptor Antagonists with Arylated Diazaspiro Alkane Cores

A series of potent and selective D3 receptor (D3R) analogues with diazaspiro alkane cores were synthesized. Radioligand binding of compounds 11, 14, 15a, and 15c revealed favorable D3R affinity (Ki = 12–25.6 nM) and were highly selective for D3R vs D3R (ranging from 264- to 905-fold). Variation of these novel ligand architectures can be achieved using our previously reported 10–20 min benchtop C–N cross-coupling methodology, affording a broad range of arylated diazaspiro precursors.
Gestión de la información para la logística de operaciones offshore en Colombia

In offshore drilling process, it is necessary have systems to ensure the information flow, because the logistical failures resulting from miscommunication can increase costs and time in operation. The objective of this research is to design a system of information management for logistical support of offshore drilling to facilitate optimal supply and timely requirements of sea platforms located inside. The construction of the system was based on the identification of causes of failures of communication, through the review of secondary sources, which were subsequently validated using the Delphi method.
Spatial Filtering and Missing Georeferenced Data Imputation: A Comparison of the Getis and Griffith Methods

Spatial filtering first introduced independently by Getis and by Griffith is beginning to mature, with a third version now being developed by Legendre and his colleagues. Like the Getis formulation, this newest version is distance-based; like the Griffith formulation, it uses eigenfunctions, but extracted from a modified distance matrix – it is a mixture of the other two. Bivand (2002) comments that “the Getis filtering approach … seems to admit prediction to new data locations …. The Griffith eigenfunction decomposition approach …does not ….” Missing data prediction equations are presented for each of these two original formulations, and then compared with several popular datasets.
Live Donors: How to Optimally Protect the Donor

The purpose of this chapter is to offer evidence-based guidelines for donor selection practices – specific reasons to accept and specific reasons to refuse. This chapter also offers guidelines to assess the potential donor’s understanding of the risks and benefits of donation.
MDCT Radiation Dose: Recent Advances

The emergence of multi-detector-row computed tomography (MDCT) scanners in radiology practice has increased the number of CT studies being performed for different clinical applications. This has raised concerns about the risk of radiationinduced cancer following low-dose exposure associated with CT scanning. In order to optimize the radiation dose necessitated by MDCT scanning, it is important to understand the basic dose quantities and scanning parameters that can be modified to optimize radiation exposure. These aspects, together with the strategies for CT dose reduction, are discussed in this chapter. In addition, radiation dose considerations for cardiac CT are examined.
A Physical Explanation of Quasiperiodic Motion and the Onset of Chaos in Nonlinear Systems

The reader may have noticed that the subject broadly called classical and quantum nonlinear dynamics has lately gained considerable attention in many fields of physics and chemistry [1–4]. Of particular interest is the dynamics of systems of many oscillators coupled by nonlinear interactions. Such systems are used to model widely spread phenomena, for example, molecular vibrations, intra-molecular energy transfer, unimolecular reaction, and laser-matter interactions. In the latter case, the laser is viewed, using the classical idea of extended phase space, or quantum field theory, as an oscillator. Hence, multiphoton excitations of atomic, molecular and plasma systems are described using oscillators coupled in a nonlinear manner. In a completely different area we find the motion of galaxies is also modeled by nonlinear oscillators [5]. Recently the physics of light traveling in fibers (fiber optics) has been shown to obey similar equations. Atomic and molecular physics is far from left out. The nature of electronic excited states (e.g. doubly excited Rydberg states) and the whole question of the ability to assign quantum numbers to states and to corresponding spectra involves nonlinear ideas. The unusual behavior of electronic states in strong external fields is essentially governed by nonlinear equations.
Prevention of Free Radical Damage by Food Restriction

It is a popular notion that oxidative damage of cellular constituents by free radicals is the underlying cause of many chronic diseases and physiological dysfunctions (Oberley and Oberley 1986; Harman 1986). This premise was formalized by D. Harman as the free radical theory of aging (Harman 1956). For the last three decades, many attempts to establish the quantitative relationship between free radical activity and age-related dysfunction have produced only marginal supporting data. The difficulty came from two major shortcomings: (1) the lack of techniques for in vivo measurement of free radicals and tissue damage, and (2) the unavailability of suitable experimental paradigms in which free radical activity can readily be modified. Although no technical breakthrough has been made, dietary restriction does provide a paradigm in which free radical metabolism can be effectively modulated. Recent data from several laboratories (Koizumi et al. 1987; Semsei et al. 1989) point to the fact that dietary restriction is probably the best free radical modulator that we know of at present (Yu 1990).
Time-Resolved Phonon Spectroscopy and Phonon Transport in Nanoscale Systems

Length scale-dependent phonon interaction is a key concept for the fundamental understanding of thermal transport in nanoscale materials. Thermally distributed phonons with various wavelengths belong to various transport regimes in nanoscale materials depending on the relative size of wavelength, mean-free-path vs. characteristic sizes of nanoscale materials. In this chapter, first a brief review is given on the phonon dispersion measurements using conventional scattering experiments and their limitations. Then a recently developed acoustic transport experiment is described. The method uses tunable acoustic source in GHz–THz frequency range which is excited by using ultrafast pulse shaping technique. Frequency-dependent mean-free-path and group velocity directly at the frequency range where phonon wavelength becomes comparable to the size of the nanoscale materials.
Functional Outcomes After Revascularization Procedures in Patients With Hemorrhagic Moyamoya Disease.

BACKGROUND Poor natural history of hemorrhagic Moyamoya disease (MMD) is related to high rehemorrhage rates between 32% and 61%. Postrevascularization, rehemorrhage rates reportedly decrease to 12% to 17%. OBJECTIVE To evaluate long-term functional outcomes and rehemorrhage rates of hemorrhagic MMD patients treated with surgical revascularization and examine these in relation to clinical and radiological factors. METHODS Patients treated surgically for hemorrhagic MMD over a 26-yr period were identified. Modified Rankin scale (mRS) was used to assess clinical status at presentation and functional outcomes. Multivariable regression analyses were performed to evaluate the risk factors associated with rehemorrhage rates and functional outcomes. RESULTS A total of 104 patients (mean age: 38.04 yr) were identified. The mean mRS score at baseline was 1.3. Of 172 revascularized hemispheres, 157 (91.3%) were direct superficial temporal artery (STA)-middle cerebral artery (MCA) bypasses and the rest indirect. Over the mean follow-up of 61.4 mo, 8 of 104 patients (7.7%) experienced rehemorrhage with rehemorrhage rate per person-years of 1.9%. A total of 4 patients died with 1 related to rehemorrhage. At the last follow-up, mean mRS score improved to 1.1. No significant risk factors were identified in relation to the rehemorrhage rates (P < .05). The patients' initial mRS score was positively associated with mRS scores at the final follow-up (P < .001). STA-MCA direct bypass was associated with better performance status (P = .033). CONCLUSION Rehemorrhage rate following surgical revascularization of the hemorrhagic MMD patients at 7.7% is lower compared with much higher natural history rates. Surgical revascularization improved patients' performance status. These outcomes support performing revascularization procedure with a preference for direct STA-MCA bypasses.
Abstract P1-08-05: Type 2 diabetes and survival outcomes among a multi-ethnic cohort of breast cancer patients

BACKGROUND: With increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes, it has become one of the common comorbidities among breast cancer patients. Few contemporary studies have examined the effect of preexisting diabetes on survival outcomes in breast cancer patients. Furthermore, both breast cancer mortality and diabetes prevalence are higher in African American women compared to Caucasian women, yet data on whether diabetes can explain racial disparity in breast cancer mortality is scarce. OBJECTIVE: To compare clinopathological characteristics and survival outcomes between breast cancer patients with and without co-existing diabetes, and to explore the contribution of diabetes to breast cancer survival differences between African Americans and Caucasians. METHODS: We analyzed data from the Chicago Multiethnic Epidemiologic Breast Cancer Cohort (ChiMEC) comprising of 3170 histologically confirmed breast cancer patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2017. The cohort consists of 55% Caucasians, 38% African Americans, and 7% other ethnicities. Cox models were used to analyze data on several clinical outcomes. RESULTS: 245 patients (8%) in the cohort had co-existing diabetes at time of breast cancer diagnosis, with African Americans having highest prevalence (14%). Patients with diabetes were older (mean 66 vs. 56 years old) and had higher proportion of obesity (67% vs. 34%) and Charlson comorbidity index >2 (27% vs. 10%) than those without diabetes. The two groups were similar in terms of surgery, radiation, and hormonal therapy received, while patients with diabetes had slightly more advanced stage (15% vs. 10%). After adjusting for multiple prognostic factors, patients with diabetes had a 97% higher risk of dying from breast cancer and a 62% fold higher risk dying from other causes than patients without diabetes (Table). The two groups had no significant difference in risk of recurrence. In addition, the hazard ratio (HR) comparing African Americans with Caucasians was 2.35 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.90-2.91), and it changed to 2.19 (95% CI 1.76-2.33) after the adjustment for diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-existing diabetes among breast cancer patients was associated with higher risk of breast cancer specific and all-cause mortality. About 11% of racial disparities in breast cancer mortality could be attributed to higher difference in diabetes prevalence in African American patients. Further research investigating how pre-existing diabetes may influence breast cancer treatment and survival are warranted. Citation Format: Neerukonda AR, Olopade OI, Huang E, Huo D. Type 2 diabetes and survival outcomes among a multi-ethnic cohort of breast cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-08-05.
Type 2 Diabetes: Multiple Genes, Multiple Diseases.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D), which accounts for the vast majority of diabetes cases, is essentially a diagnosis of exclusion in current clinical practice. Therefore, it is not surprising that T2D is heterogenous in terms of patients’ clinical presentation, disease course, and response to treatment. This review summarizes published attempts to improve diabetes subclassification, with a particular focus on the role of genetics. A handful of diabetes subclassification schemas have been proposed using clinical data (patient characteristics and laboratory values), with some subgroups associated with distinct management trends or complication risks. However, phenotypically driven classifications suffer from dependencies on time of variable measurement and are not readily linked to disease mechanism. Germline genetic data, in contrast, are essentially unchanged over a person’s lifetime and rooted in mechanism. Clustering of T2D genetic loci has identified at least five groupings of loci representing mechanisms of disease that may aid in deconstructing heterogeneity of T2D, but further work is needed to determine clinical utility. Exciting progress in subclassification of diabetes has demonstrated initial steps in deconstructing disease heterogeneity. Incorporation of genetics into classification schemas will require additional research but has the potential to improve our understanding and management of T2D, both as a single disease and as a part of an integrated metabolic disease network.
Flipping the Classroom in Introductory Apparel Studies

Postsecondary instructors are consistently seeking methods to effectively instruct students in the classroom and engage them in the learning process. One of the most recent trending instructional strategies designed to promote student engagement is the flipped classroom approach to teaching. This case study details the flipped classroom pedagogical strategy used in an introductory apparel course, and lessons learned from the approach.
Circulating-tumor DNA as predictor of enzalutamide response post-abiraterone treatment in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

Abstract Background The crossover from abiraterone acetate (AA) to enzalutamide (ENZA) is a frequent approach in clinical practice. Our aim was to explore the role of genomic alterations as putative biomarkers of response to sequential AA followed by ENZA in mCRPC and their association with clinical outcomes. Patients and methods This was a multi-center, retrospective analysis of mCRPC patients with circulating-tumor DNA (ctDNA) post-AA and prior to ENZA treatment. Objectives of this analysis were to assess PSA response, time to PSA progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS) in mCRPC patients treated with ENZA following progression on AA with respect to genomic aberrations detected by ctDNA. Results A total of 28 patients with mCRPC were identified. Median time between AA and ENZA was 3.1 months and median initial PSA prior to ENZA was 35.0 ng/mL. Nine patients (32.1%) achieved PSA responses to ENZA. Most patients (79.0%) achieved confirmed PSA progression with median TTP of 1.6 months (95% CI, 0.7–2.4). Somatic alterations in AR genes were detected in 36.0% of patients with other common alterations detected including 39.0% TP53, 11.0% DNA repair, and 11.0% PTEN. A lack of AR alterations was associated with better PSA response to ENZA (p = 0.04). Conclusion While lack of AR alterations in ctDNA was associated with more favorable outcomes, the present dataset is insufficient to recommend the use of ctDNA to impact clinical decision-making in this setting. Further understanding of the implications of the genomic phenotype in ctDNA of castration-resistant tumors and the potential therapeutic implications is required.
Gender Differences in Same-Day Return to Play Following Concussion Among Pediatric Soccer Players

Introduction. Over the past several decades, soccer has been growing in popularity in the US. Since 1990, there has been a 90% increase in registered youth soccer players, reaching greater than 3 million < 19 years of age as of 2014. This increase in participation has been accompanied by an increase in concussions. The annual incidence rate of reported concussions increased 1600% from 1990 to 2014. Concussions in high school soccer players were found to be 1.5 times more common …
Internalized HIV stigma predicts subsequent viremia in US HIV patients through depressive symptoms and antiretroviral therapy adherence.

Objective We sought to examine the prospective association between internalized HIV stigma and unsuppressed viral load and to investigate whether this relationship was sequentially mediated by depressive symptoms and antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence. Design Longitudinal study in a multisite observational clinical cohort. Methods The Center for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems patient-reported outcomes survey measures internalized HIV stigma yearly using a four-item assessment (response scale 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree). We obtained patient-reported outcome, lab, and appointment data from six center for AIDS research network of integrated clinical systems sites. We used multivariable logistic regression to examine the association between mean stigma and subsequent viremia. We then used Bayesian sequential mediation to fit a longitudinal sequential path model spanning four time points to test if depressive symptoms at T1 and ART adherence at T2 mediated the effect of stigma at T0 on viral load at T3, adjusting for baseline covariates. Results Between February 2016 and November 2018, 6859 patients underwent stigma assessment and were 81% cis-men, 38% Black, 16% Latinx, 32% heterosexual-identified, and 49% at least 50 years of age. Mean stigma level was 2.00 (SD 1.08). Stigma was significantly associated with subsequent viremia (adjusted odds ratio = 1.16, 95% confidence interval: 1.05-1.28, P = 0.004), as were younger age and Black race. The chained indirect effect from stigma to unsuppressed viral load through depressive symptoms and then adherence was significant (standardized β = 0.002; SD = 0.001). Conclusion Internalized HIV stigma positively predicts subsequent viremia through depressive symptoms and ART adherence. Addressing the link between stigma and depressive symptoms could help improve viral suppression.
A Phase Transition Model and Temporal Logic Specifications for Smart Energy Systems - Revisited

In this paper, we revisit the method of a phase transition model for representing hybrid systems and temporal logic specifications (TLSs) for specifying desired behaviors of systems, and discuss their usefulness for smart energy systems. On the one hand, the phase transition model incorporates the continuous model of the relay device action with a particular structural form that allows for the construction of a single, global differential-algebraic equation for hybrid systems (thus smoothed hybrid systems). On the other hand, the TLS allows sophisticated descriptions of control specifications addressing both magnitude and time simultaneously, which has recently been applied to the control strategy of several types of continuous and hybrid systems. We provide high-level descriptions of each of the two techniques and present simulation results in the context of smart energy systems.
Integrated Care Management to Improve Diabetes Outcomes in Refugee and Immigrant Patients (I-Care)

Purpose: Refugee and immigrant patients face significant barriers to health care and are more likely to have poorly controlled chronic disease than the general U.S. population. I-Care aims to improve health equity for refugees and immigrants who face a disproportionate burden of chronic disease. Methods: Refugees and immigrants with uncontrolled diabetes and associated cardiovascular risk factors were enrolled in a care management program within an academic adult medicine clinic. The program utilized a care manager to coordinate care and services between designated primary care providers, affiliated clinical teams, and community partners. Health literacy, chronic disease parameters, and care utilization were assessed at enrollment and 8–12 months later. Results: A total of 50 refugees and immigrants were followed for 8 to 12 months. Clinical parameters found a reduced mean HbA1c from 9.32 to 8.60 (p=0.05) and reduced low-density lipoprotein mean from 96.22 to 86.60 (p=0.01). The frequency of normal blood pressures was 9 (18%) at enrollment and 16 (32%) at 1 year. The cumulative frequency of emergency room visits decreased from 66% to 36% and hospitalizations from 22% to 8%. Rates of comprehensive care monitoring, including monofilament testing and one-time ophthalmology visits, increased from 60% to 82% and from 32% to 42%, respectively. Cumulative frequency of interdisciplinary support engagement with pharmacy and nutrition visits increased from 58% to 78% and from 26% to 38%, respectively. Conclusion: This program highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary community-engaged care model that has demonstrated improvement in quality metrics and health care costs for refugees and immigrants.
Microtubules in cultured cells; indirect immunofluorescent staining with tubulin antibody.

Publisher Summary The procedure of indirect immunofluorescence, when applied with careful staining controls, provides one of the most effective means available for the in situ localization of proteins within the cytoskeleton. Microtubules form an extensive network (CMTC) in the cytoplasm of most interphase cells. In well-spread cells, individual microtubules can be visualized by immunofluorescence and are very long structures that extend from one or more perinuclear initiation sites to the cell periphery. Microtubules are not straight, rigid organelles but bend gracefully to conform to the myriad shapes of cells and their processes. The centrosome appears to be a major microtubule organizing center but multiple organizing centers outside of the centrosome may exist in some cells. The organizing centers behave as autonomous sites that not only serve as assembly foci but also may influence microtubule pattern formation in cells. Two major microtubule complexes exist in proliferating cells, the mitotic spindle and the CMTC. The precision and regularity with which one complex is disassembled and the other is formed during the cell cycle indicates the existence of precise control mechanisms.
'Who Do I Call...?' Or Why the EU's Rise Has Gone Unchallenged

Why has the European Union’s (EU) rise to power gone unchallenged? In contrast to the conventional wisdom, which focuses on the EU's fledgling military capability, its disunity on matters of security, and the attractive force of its single market, this study shows that the EU’s rise has gone unchallenged as a result of its multi-level governance structure. This structure encourages a plurality of voices on all manner of issues, which complicates the process of signal interpretation in would-be balancing countries. The attendant fragmentation of elite consensus on threat results in underbalancing against the EU. To test the argument, this article process-traces elite reactions in the United States to the EU, with a focus on capability initiatives under the European Security and Defense Policy. The article concludes by outlining a controlled comparison case study between the EU and the Philadelphian system in order to determine the effects of federalizing centers of power with (U.S.) and without (EU) single decision-making centers.
Relationships between hydrothermal activity and axial magma chamber distribution, depth, and melt content

[1] Hydrothermal activity, especially high-temperature discharge, is commonly thought to require the presence of an axial magma chamber (AMC), but this association has not been examined systematically. The availability of six lengthy (170–560 km) ridge sections with continuous surveys of both AMCs and hydrothermal plumes now makes it possible to quantitatively compare the distribution and intensity of hydrothermal activity to AMC extent, depth, and, at a few locations, melt content. These six ridge sections span spreading rates from 55 to 145 mm/a and total 20 second-order segments. At the section (multisegment) scale the linear incidence of hydrothermal plumes increases with AMC incidence (AMCI, r2 = 0.64), excluding the hot spot–affected Galapagos spreading center. For all six sections, plume incidence increases as AMC depth below the seafloor decreases (AMCZ, r2 = 0.66). At the second-order segment scale, plume incidence is poorly correlated with both AMCI (r2 = 0.12) and AMCZ (r2 = 0.25). Finally, at the subsegment, or local, scale (0.75-km-long bins), plume intensity increases as AMCZ shallows (r2 = 0.85). Of bins where plumes are most intense and thus closest to their seafloor sources, 68 ± 13% lie directly over an AMC, as do at least 37 of the 40 known high-temperature vent fields. The data also allow tests of other hypotheses linking AMC properties and hydrothermal activity. Existing data, though still sparse, do not support the hypothesis that lenses of melt-rich magma preferentially support vigorous, long-lasting venting. Also, the suggestion that increased hydrothermal cooling within a segment locally depresses AMCZ finds no support within any ridge section. Evidence for magma bodies is much scarcer on slow spreading ridges, but the data are nevertheless consistent with those from faster ridges. Observations from all spreading rates thus demonstrate that high-temperature vent fields are almost universally associated with the presence or inference of magma; “hot rock” or other nonmagmatic heat sources are insufficient.
Analysis of the Predictors of Environmentally Sensitive Behavior

This article investigates factors influencing environmentally sensitive behavior of individuals by empirically testing the effects of their socioeconomic status, gender, age, environmental values, and willingness to protect the environment. Theoretically guided hypotheses were formulated and tested with multiple linear regression models by employing a dataset from the NORC 2010 General Social Survey (GSS). Empirical results conclude that while socioeconomic status and age significantly (and inversely) influence environmental values, gender differences indicate no significant effect. Results also confirm that environmental values lead to willingness to protect the environment (WPE), and show a positive relationship between WPE and environmentally sensitive behavior (ESB). These results contribute to untangling the confusing research evidence on the effects of socio-economic status, age, and gender on environmental values, by introducing a multi-layered model with environmental values and attitudes as mediating factors.
Bridging Calculus and Statistics: Null - Hypotheses Underlain by Functional Equations

Statistical interpretation of Cauchy functional equation f(x+y)=f(x)+f(y) and related functional equations is suggested as a tool for generating hypotheses regarding the rate of growth: linear, polynomial, or exponential, respectively. Suggested approach is based on analysis of internal dynamics of the phenomenon, rather than on finding best-fitting regression curve. As a teaching tool, it presents an example of investigation of abstract objects based on their properties and demonstrates opportunities for exploration of the real world based on combining mathematical theory with statistical techniques. Testing Malthusian theory of population growth is considered as an example.
In situ visualization of newly synthesized proteins in environmental microbes using amino acid tagging and click chemistry

Here we describe the application of a new click chemistry method for fluorescent tracking of protein synthesis in individual microorganisms within environmental samples. This technique, termed bioorthogonal non-canonical amino acid tagging (BONCAT), is based on the in vivo incorporation of the non-canonical amino acid L-azidohomoalanine (AHA), a surrogate for L-methionine, followed by fluorescent labeling of AHA containing cellular proteins by azide-alkyne click chemistry. BONCAT was evaluated with a range of phylogenetically and physiologically diverse archaeal and bacterial pure cultures and enrichments, and used to visualize translationally active cells within complex environmental samples including an oral biofilm, freshwater, and anoxic sediment. We also developed combined assays that couple BONCAT with rRNA-targeted FISH, enabling a direct link between taxonomic identity and translational activity. Using a methanotrophic enrichment culture incubated under different conditions, we demonstrate the potential of BONCAT-FISH to study microbial physiology in situ. A direct comparison of anabolic activity using BONCAT and stable isotope labeling by nanoSIMS (^(15)NH_4^+ assimilation) for individual cells within a sediment sourced enrichment culture showed concordance between AHA positive cells and ^(15)N enrichment. BONCAT-FISH offers a fast, inexpensive, and straightforward fluorescence microscopy method for studying the in situ activity of environmental microbes on a single cell level.
PT-symmetry breaking and ubiquitous maximal chirality in a PT-symmetric ring

We investigate the properties of an $N$-site tight-binding lattice with periodic boundary conditions (PBCs) in the presence of a pair of gain and loss impurities $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}i\ensuremath{\gamma}$ and two tunneling amplitudes, ${t}_{0}$ and ${t}_{b}$, that are constant along the two paths that connect them. We show that the parity and time-reversal ($\mathcal{P}\mathcal{T}$)-symmetric phase of the lattice with PBCs are robust, insensitive to the distance between the impurities, and that the critical impurity strength for $\mathcal{P}\mathcal{T}$-symmetry breaking is given by ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{\mathrm{PT}}=|{t}_{0}\ensuremath{-}{t}_{b}|$. We study the time-evolution of a typical wave packet, initially localized on a single site, across the $\mathcal{P}\mathcal{T}$-symmetric phase boundary. We find that it acquires nonzero chirality for $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\ne}0$, and the associated momentum reaches a universal maximum value at the threshold, $\ensuremath{\gamma}={\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{\mathrm{PT}}$, irrespective of the initial location of the wave packet and the lattice parameters. Our results imply that $\mathcal{P}\mathcal{T}$-symmetry breaking on a lattice with PBCs has consequences that have no counterpart in open chains.
The business culture of the community college: Students as consumers; students as commodities

The increased economic ends of the community college have eroded its traditional focus on student access, student development, and a comprehensive curriculum.
Frontal cell activity during delayed response performance in squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus)

Abstract Single cell activity was recorded from dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in squirrel monkeys during performance of a delayed response task and two variants thereof. Cellular reactions to visual and acoustic stimuli unrelated to the behavioral tasks were also investigated. Several types of reactions were observed in relation to the behavioral events of delayed response. Some of the reactions were found to be related to the spatial position (right or left) of the cue. Others were dependent on task-specific conditions of cue presentation and on the interposition of a temporal discontinuity (delay) between cue and response. The activity of some cells seemed to change in relation to emotional or arousing properties of test stimuli. In the context of lesion studies, present results are indicative of the participation of prefrontal neurons in attentive and mnemonic processes that mediate performance of spatial delay tasks. Differences of prefrontal cell activity between Saimiri and Rhesus are discussed in relation to behavioral differences between the two species.
Another look at linear programming for feature selection via methods of regularization

We consider statistical procedures for feature selection defined by a family of regularization problems with convex piecewise linear loss functions and penalties of l 1 nature. Many known statistical procedures (e.g. quantile regression and support vector machines with l 1-norm penalty) are subsumed under this category. Computationally, the regularization problems are linear programming (LP) problems indexed by a single parameter, which are known as `parametric cost LP' or `parametric right-hand-side LP' in the optimization theory. Exploiting the connection with the LP theory, we lay out general algorithms, namely, the simplex algorithm and its variant for generating regularized solution paths for the feature selection problems. The significance of such algorithms is that they allow a complete exploration of the model space along the paths and provide a broad view of persistent features in the data. The implications of the general path-finding algorithms are outlined for several statistical procedures, and they are illustrated with numerical examples.
Posterior transsphincteric approach for surgery of the rectum: the Bevan operation.

This report presents the history and technique of, and some clinical experience with, the posterior transsphincteric approach for surgery of the rectum. On the basis of an extensive historial review, it is suggested that the procedure be called the Bevan operation. The method deserves a definite place in the armamentarium of the rectal surgeon, especially in the management of villous tumors.
Demographic change and its public sector consequences

It is widely believed that projected changes in the age structure of the U.S. population will create serious fiscal pressures at the federal level. Irrespective of any reforms undertaken at the federal level, these demographic trends also will have a direct impact on the way state and local governments operate. A review of recent population projections to 2020 reveals a great deal of heterogeneity in demographic trends at lower levels of government. Population aging will accompany overall population growth in some localities, and shrinkage in others. It also will coincide with a broad range of changes in the proportion of children under 18. The authors consider several responses to these demographic developments in the realm of public management: First, they consider major fiscal implications, which may prompt a range of managerial responses pertaining to the scope and mix of public services and the design of public programs. Second, they discuss the effects of demographic change on the composition of the state and local government workforce. Finally, the authors revisit the alleged “exogeneity” of demographic forces and suggest new and fruitful areas for future research.
Nuclear magnetic resonance signal from flowing nuclei in rapid imaging using gradient echoes

A theoretical description of the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal from flowing nuclei has been developed for rapid imaging sequences that use small flip angles and gradient refocused echoes. Both laminar and plug flow models have been considered and formulas derived relating mean image signal intensity to flip angle, pulse sequence repetition interval (T R), and flow velocity. It is shown that the rate of approach to steady‐state conditions determines the degree of flow enhancement. Experimental measurements have been performed on a flow phantom in a whole‐body NMR imaging system operating at 0.15 T using the spoiled FLASH sequence with different radiofrequency pulse flip angles and flow rates. There is excellent agreement between the experimental results and the theoretical predictions up to the onset of turbulence.
LOCUS AND STATE OF AGGREGATION OF MYOSIN IN TISSUE SECTIONS OF VERTEBRATE SMOOTH MUSCLE

Structures with the characteristics of molecular myosin were identified by electron microscopy in tissue sections of vertebrate smooth muscle. No thick filaments of myosin were found regardless of preparative procedures, which included fixation at rest and in contraction, glycerine extraction, and storage at low pH prior to fixation. Absence of thick myosin filaments and presence of what appear to be myosin molecules is in accord with conclusions based on X-ray diffraction (3, 12) and birefringence data (4) from living smooth muscles at rest and in contraction. Explanations are provided for appearances thought by others (6, 20, 21) to represent thick myosin filaments. Our present observations are in accord with the model for smooth muscle contraction which we have previously proposed (1).
An integrated methodology for dynamic routing in evacuation planning

Evacuation planning involves an iterative process to identify the best routes and to estimate the time required to evacuate the areas at risk. The ultimate goal of any evacuation planning effort is to minimise the number of casualties against possible threats and risks. One important factor leading to minimising the number of causalities is total evacuation time, i.e., the time from the start of evacuation until the time the last evacuee reaches safety. The scope of this paper is on the development of a unified and integrated model as a decision support tool to plan for alternative evacuation routes and schedules for evacuees in order to minimise total evacuation time. The potential contribution of this model is in overcoming previous research shortcomings that assume constant travel parameters. An assumption that is shown in this paper to produce impractical results and in case of actual evacuation can generate life threatening recommendations.
A Necessary and Sufficient Condition for the Liveness and Reversibility of Process-Resource Nets With Acyclic, Quasi-live, Serializable, and Reversible Process Subnets

The first part of this paper develops a linear characterization for the space of the Petri net markings that are reachable from the initial marking M0 through bounded-length fireable transition sequences. The second part discusses the practical implications of this result for the liveness and reversibility analysis of a particular class of Petri nets known as process-resource nets with acyclic, quasi-live, serializable, and reversible process subnets. Note to Practitioners-One of the main challenges in the analysis and design of the resource allocation taking place in modern technological systems is the verification of certain properties of the system behavior such as liveness and deadlock freedom. The last decade has seen the development of a number of computational tests that can evaluate the aforementioned properties for a large class of resource allocation systems. The tests that are most promising essentially verify the target properties by establishing the absence of some undesirable structure from the states that are reachable during system operation. As a result, the effective execution of these tests necessitates the effective representation of the underlying reachability space. Yet, in the past, the development of a concise and computationally manageable representation of the system reachability space has been considered to be a challenging proposition and a factor that compromises the resolution power of the aforementioned tests. The work presented in this paper establishes that for a very large class of the considered resource allocation systems, the underlying reachability space admits a precise and computationally efficient characterization, which subsequently leads to more powerful verification tools of the target behavioral properties
Interactions between toluene and alcohol

Weanling male Fischer-344 rats were exposed by inhalation to air or 2000 ppm toluene for 8 hours each day for 2 weeks. Subgroups had access to water or 6% alcohol as their only fluid sources, respectively. Rats exposed to both toluene and alcohol subsequently showed a marked preference for 6% alcohol in two-bottle choice tests that persisted for up to 20 days for some rats. Rats exposed to toluene without access to alcohol and control rats (exposed to air and water) showed a marked aversion to the alcohol solution, and only 2 of 12 rats forced to drink alcohol without exposure to toluene preferred alcohol in the preference tests. Exposure to both toluene and alcohol also caused greater inhibition of weight gain than exposure to either substance alone, accompanied by greater signs of organ toxicity as indicated by clinical blood chemistries. Exposure to toluene caused marked hearing loss as assessed by a behavioral technique (conditioned avoidance), and there was a trend toward enhancement of this ototoxic effect by forced consumption of alcohol.
Monitoring epilepsy in the intensive care unit: current state of facts and potential interest of high density EEG.

AbstractPrimary objective: To assess the current state of the art of epilepsy monitoring in intensive care unit (ICU).Research design: Review article.Methods and procedures: A review of current scientific literature, as well as an illustrative case report.Main outcomes and results: Recent continuous electroencephalography (cEEG) monitoring studies revealed that non-convulsive seizures are very common in ICU. Conventional EEG is insufficient to detect them. However, very long recordings, of more than 24 hours, are needed to reach a good sensitivity. Even if cEEG improves monitoring of epileptic patients in the intensive care unit (ICU), studies using intracranial recordings show that conventional montage cEEG is, however, insufficient to detect all neurological deterioration in patients in the ICU. This review discusses the potential interest of dense array scalp EEG recordings to increase the sensitivity of detection of epileptic events in non-responsive patients in the ICU and to possibly help improve th...