cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fast Fourier transform of externally stored data

Occasionally, arrays of data to be fast Fourier transformed (FFT'ed) are too large to fit in internal computer memory, and must be kept on an external storage device. This situation is especially serious for one-dimensional arrays, since they cannot be factored along the natural cleavage planes, as multi-dimensional arrays can. Two methods for FFT of such data are presented-one efficient when data storage is only slightly larger than available internal memory, and one when data is much larger. A FORTRAN program based on these methods is available.
Observational and interventional study design types; an overview

The appropriate choice in study design is essential for the successful execution of biomedical and public health research. There are many study designs to choose from within two broad categories of observational and interventional studies. Each design has its own strengths and weaknesses, and the need to understand these limitations is necessary to arrive at correct study conclusions.Observational study designs, also called epidemiologic study designs, are often retrospective and are used to assess potential causation in exposure-outcome relationships and therefore influence preventive methods. Observational study designs include ecological designs, cross sectional, case-control, case-crossover, retrospective and prospective cohorts. An important subset of observational studies is diagnostic study designs, which evaluate the accuracy of diagnostic procedures and tests as compared to other diagnostic measures. These include diagnostic accuracy designs, diagnostic cohort designs, and diagnostic randomized controlled trials.Interventional studies are often prospective and are specifically tailored to evaluate direct impacts of treatment or preventive measures on disease. Each study design has specific outcome measures that rely on the type and quality of data utilized. Additionally, each study design has potential limitations that are more severe and need to be addressed in the design phase of the study. This manuscript is meant to provide an overview of study design types, strengths and weaknesses of common observational and interventional study designs.
Use of damage in fire investigation: a review of fire patterns analysis, research and future direction

Fire investigators have historically relied upon damage as a means to conclude where a fire originated. This review evaluates the historical and current literature on the topic, with a specific emphasis towards the research conducted over the past 80 years related to fire patterns. The concept of fire patterns for this review has been broken into four components that better assist in evaluating their effectiveness in determining an area of origin. The first component evaluated is the ability to assess the varying degree of fire damage along the surfaces of the compartment and contents. Next, the ability to identify clusters of damage was evaluated. Interpretation of the causal factors for the generation of the fire patterns was next appraised. Finally, the availability of processes using fire patterns in determining an area of origin was assessed. This deconstruction of the problem provides a gap analysis of the current processes and identifies areas where future work is needed. A seven step reasoning process for evaluating damage for determining the area of origin, along with a new definition for the term fire pattern is proposed.
Chronic inflammation and risk of colorectal and other obesity-related cancers: The health, aging and body composition study.

Evidence of the association between chronic inflammation and the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) and other obesity-related cancers (OBRC) remains inconsistent, possibly due to a paucity of studies examining repeated measures of inflammation. In the Health ABC prospective study of 2,490 adults aged 70-79 years at baseline, we assessed whether circulating levels of three markers of systemic inflammation, IL-6, CRP and TNF-α, were associated with the risk of CRC and OBRC, a cluster including cancers of pancreas, prostate, breast and endometrium. Inflammatory markers were measured in stored fasting blood samples. While only baseline measures of TNF-α were available, IL-6 and CRP were additionally measured at Years 2, 4, 6 and 8. Multivariable Cox models were fit to determine whether tertiles and log-transformed baseline, updated and averaged measures of CRP and IL-6 and baseline measures of TNF-α were associated with the risk of incident cancer(s). During a median follow-up of 11.9 years, we observed 55 and 172 cases of CRC and OBRC, respectively. The hazard of CRC in the highest tertile of updated CRP was more than double that in the lowest tertile (HR = 2.29; 95% CI: 1.08-4.86). No significant associations were seen between colorectal cancer and IL-6 or TNF-α. Additionally, no significant associations were found between obesity-related cancers and the three inflammatory markers overall, but we observed a suggestion of effect modification by BMI and NSAID use. In summary, in this population, higher CRP levels were associated with increased risk of CRC, but not of OBRC. The findings provide new evidence that chronically elevated levels of CRP, as reflected by repeated measures of this marker, may play a role in colorectal carcinogenesis in older adults.
Ecocardiografía speckle tracking (rastreo de marcas) tridimensional en la amiloidosis cardiaca de cadenas ligeras: estudio de los parámetros de mecánica miocárdica ventricular izquierda y derecha

Introduccion y objetivos El estudio de la mecanica miocardica tiene un papel potencial en la deteccion de afectacion cardiaca en pacientes con amiloidosis. El objetivo de este estudio fue caracterizar la mecanica miocardica ventricular izquierda y derecha mediante ecocardiografia de rastreo de marcas (speckle tracking) tridimensional y examinar su relacion con el peptido natriuretico cerebral. Metodos Se estudio a pacientes con amiloidosis de cadenas ligeras y se obtuvieron los valores de deformacion (strain) longitudinal y circunferencial del ventriculo izquierdo (n = 40) y de strain longitudinal y desplazamiento radial del ventriculo derecho (n = 26) mediante ecocardiografia speckle tracking tridimensional. Se determinaron las concentraciones de peptido natriuretico cerebral. Resultados Todos los parametros de la mecanica miocardica mostraron diferencias al comparar los distintos grupos de terciles de peptido natriuretico cerebral. Los valores de strain longitudinal de los ventriculos izquierdo y derecho mostraron alta correlacion (r = 0,95; p < 0,001). Se observo una reduccion del strain longitudinal (–9 ± 4 frente a –16 ± 2; p < 0,001) y el strain circunferencial del ventriculo izquierdo (–24 ± 6 frente a –29 ± 4; p = 0,01) en los pacientes con afectacion cardiaca, y el deterioro mas notable fue en los segmentos basales. Se observo una disminucion del strain longitudinal (–9 ± 3 frente a –17 ± 3; p < 0,001) y el desplazamiento radial del ventriculo derecho (2,7 ± 0,8 frente a 3,8 ± 0,3; p = 0,002) en los pacientes con afectacion cardiaca. En el analisis multivariable, el strain longitudinal del ventriculo izquierdo se asocio a la presencia de afectacion cardiaca (odds ratio = 1,6; intervalo de confianza del 95%, 1,04-2,37; p = 0,03) con independencia de que el peptido natriuretico cerebral y la troponina I mostraran criterios de amiloidosis cardiaca. Conclusiones La mecanica miocardica ventricular izquierda y derecha obtenida mediante ecocardiografia speckle tracking tridimensional se altera de manera creciente a medida que aumenta el peptido natriuretico cerebral en la amiloidosis de cadenas ligeras. Parece que existe una asociacion intensa entre el strain longitudinal del ventriculo izquierdo y la afectacion cardiaca, mas alla de los biomarcadores como el peptido natriuretico cerebral y la troponina I.
Automated Sea Ice Segmentation (ASIS)

The authors describe a sea ice analysis tool called ASIS (Automated Sea Ice Segmentation). This tool integrates image processing, data mining, and machine learning methodologies to determine the number of visually separable classes in ERS and RADARSAT sea ice images. First, it performs dynamic local thresholding to obtain local details and preserve global information throughout the image. Second, it utilizes a data discretization or image quantization scheme to obtain significant classes of the image through multiresolution blurring and tracking. Third, it computes spatial attributes of each class and subjects the information to an unsupervised clustering technique based on the Aggregated Population Equalization (APE) concept. This concept self-organizes the population of classes by promoting the aggregation of different classes to obtain an equilibrium of population strengths within the environment and encouraging disintegration of any over-diverse population. The authors have designed ASIS as a pre-processor to help analyze sea ice images as well as to provide a basis for human classification of sea ice types that it identifies. Therefore, they have also implemented a JAVA-based graphical user interface that facilitates the computer-human interaction for this whole system. They have tested ASIS on more than 300 ERS-1, ERS-2 and RADARSAT SAR sea ice imagery. In general, the results are satisfactory. They have also conducted both qualitative and quantitative evaluations of ASIS and found that the segmentation classes correspond well to visually identifiable sea ice classes.
Lambert Guidance Routine Designed to Match Position and Velocity of Ballistic Target

A three-degree-of-freedom interceptor missile simulation designed to rendezvous with a ballistic target is presented. The guidance scheme is designed to match the position and velocity of a ballistic target so that the interceptor will follow the target after the rendezvous. The guidance routine uses Lambert guidance to control the missile during the boost phase and put it on course to meet the ballistic target trajectory. After a long ballistic coast phase, shortly before rendezvous with the ballistic target, a short fourth-stage burn is scheduled to match the velocity of the ballistic target. The two-dimensional Lambert guidance equations are generalized to a three-dimensional coordinate system with the appropriate transformation matrix. The derivation of the equations for the miss distance created by the ∆V maneuver and required modifications to Lambert guidance are presented. Powell’s method is used to optimize the missile time of flight to reduce the maneuver ∆V requirements. The missile simulation is used to produce several trajectories and explore the ∆V requirements as a function of downrange and crossrange launch position of the interceptor.
Pathophysiology of white-tailed deer vaccinated with porcine zona pellucida immunocontraceptive

White-tailed deer (n = 14 treated, n = 7 control) were examined postmortem to identify any possible pathophysiology resulting from PZP immunocontraception vaccination. Deer were treated twice in 1997; given a booster in 1998, with six being revaccinated in September 2000. Granulomas were found at injection sites of most deer, even 2 years post-treatment. Eosinophilic oophoritis occurred in 6 of 8 (75%) deer vaccinated in 1998, and 3 of 6 (50%) revaccinated in 2000. The 2000 revaccinates without oophoritis, had significantly fewer normal secondary follicles than control females (P = 0.03), and deer in the1998 treatment group (P = 0.04). PZP immunocontraceptive vaccine elicited ovarian pathologies in deer similar to those observed in other species. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Moving up the slippery slope: mandated genetic screening on Cyprus.

Many social scientists and bioethicists have argued that genetic screening is a new form of eugenics. Examination of the development of the quasi-mandated screening program for b-thalassemia in the Republic of Cyprus (1970–1984) demonstrates that there is nothing eugenic about modern genetic screening practices. The Cypriot screening program involves mandated premarital carrier screening, voluntary prenatal diagnosis (originally through fetoscopy, now through CVS), and voluntary termination of afflicted pregnancies—all at public expense. In the Republic of Cyprus, the mandating agency for genetic screening is the established church, so this examination also demonstrates that religious authorities with profound objections to abortion can balance that moral precept against others, such as the imperative to reduce suffering that sometimes conflict with it. 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
What do we know about IDH1/2 mutations so far, and how do we use it?

Whole genome analyses have facilitated the discovery of clinically relevant genetic alterations in a variety of diseases, most notably cancer. A prominent example of this was the discovery of mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenases 1 and 2 (IDH1/2) in a sizeable proportion of gliomas and some other neoplasms. Herein the normal functions of these enzymes, how the mutations alter their catalytic properties, the effects of their d-2-hydroxyglutarate metabolite, technical considerations in diagnostic neuropathology, implications about prognosis and therapeutic considerations, and practical applications and controversies regarding IDH1/2 mutation testing are discussed.
Design of fault-tolerant systems

Design features (e.g. reliability, maintainability, and testability) of systems designed to tolerate faults which could compromise the safe and secure operation of a system are discussed. Design automation issues are discussed with a focus on the future. The reliability of proposed systems is assessed using HARP, the hybrid automated reliability predictor, a software package for reliability prediction. >
Moving the field: the sensorimotor perspective on autism (Commentary on "Rethinking autism: implications of sensory and motor differences," an article by Anne Donnellan, David Hill, and Martha Leary).

This triad of clinicians and researchers has been advancing a sensorimotor perspective on autism for years; at last, the scientific community is beginning to catch up. Since the article's initial publication in Disability Studies Quarterly, the sensorimotor hypothesis has garnered even more support (Donnellan et al., 2010). For example, a meta-analysis from 2010 concluded, “ASD is associated with significant and widespread alterations in motor performance” (Fournier et al., 2010). The article went so far as to propose that motor differences constitute a “core element” of autism and that “interventions aimed at improving … motor coordination (i.e., gait and balance, arm functions, and movement planning)” should be considered. A study from 2011 found that gross and fine motor differences in autistic children increased significantly with “each 6-month period of chronological age” (Lloyd et al., 2011). It recommended “addressing motor development in early intervention treatments.” And a study from 2012 reported that “motor skills were substantially impaired among ASD-affected children and highly correlated with autistic severity and IQ” (Hilton et al., 2012). By looking at the siblings of autistic children and finding in them no equivalent impairment, the study was able to directly link sensorimotor disturbances with ASD. It, too, contended that motor impairment is a “core characteristic” of autism and that treatment should reflect this fact. The tide has clearly shifted with respect to the sensorimotor hypothesis; what was once dismissed out of hand by an earlier generation of autism researchers is now increasingly being taken up for its superior explanatory power.
Civic Intelligence and CSCW

Civic intelligence is a form of existing — and potential — collective intelligence that is dedicated towards the reconciliation of problems that affect society collectively. The civic intelligence perspective has helped spawn various frameworks and models that can be used to inform CSCW analysis and design. This paper examines the particular relevance of civic intelligence to CSCW and discusses the implications and utility of its employment.
Dynamic Brain Network Correlates of Spontaneous Fluctuations in Attention

Human attention is intrinsically dynamic, with focus continuously shifting between elements of the external world and internal, self-generated thoughts. Communication within and between large-scale brain networks also fluctuates spontaneously from moment to moment. However, the behavioral relevance of dynamic functional connectivity and possible link with attentional state shifts is unknown. We used a unique approach to examine whether brain network dynamics reflect spontaneous fluctuations in moment-to-moment behavioral variability, a sensitive marker of attentional state. Nineteen healthy adults were instructed to tap their finger every 600 ms while undergoing fMRI. This novel, but simple, approach allowed us to isolate moment-to-moment fluctuations in behavioral variability related to attention, independent of common confounds in cognitive tasks (e.g., stimulus changes, response inhibition). Spontaneously increasing tap variance ("out-of-the-zone" attention) was associated with increasing activation in dorsal-attention and salience network regions, whereas decreasing tap variance ("in-the-zone" attention) was marked by increasing activation of default mode network (DMN) regions. Independent of activation, tap variance representing out-of-the-zone attention was also time-locked to connectivity both within DMN and between DMN and salience network regions. These results provide novel mechanistic data on the understudied neural dynamics of everyday, moment-to-moment attentional fluctuations, elucidating the behavioral importance of spontaneous, transient coupling within and between attention-relevant networks.
Perception Is Reality: quality metrics in pancreas surgery – a Central Pancreas Consortium (CPC) analysis of 1399 patients

Introduction Several groups have defined pancreatic surgery quality metrics that identify centers delivering quality care. Although these metrics are perceived to be associated with good outcomes, their relationship with actual outcomes has not been established.
Sociodemographic risk, parenting, and executive functions in early childhood: The role of ethnicity

Abstract The current study examined whether parenting behaviors in early childhood mediated the effects of cumulative risk on executive functions at school entry, and whether these effects differed as a function of ethnicity. Risk and parenting were assessed in infancy (3–12 months) and toddlerhood (24–36 months) using parent-report and observational measures; executive functions were assessed at 60 months using a battery of behavioral tasks. A series of structural equation models revealed that while risk predicted lower levels of maternal sensitivity and higher levels of negative intrusiveness in a manner that was consistent across ethnic subsamples, the effects of parenting behaviors on executive functions varied by ethnicity. Higher levels of sensitivity predicted higher levels of executive functions only among European American participants, while higher levels of negative intrusiveness predicted lower levels of executive functions only among African American participants. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating an understanding of parenting behaviors in their cultural context into early-education programs designed to improve executive functions among children at risk.
Study on Cultivation Technique for Late-rice Variety E-xiang No.1

By using special cultivation techniques,E-xiang No.1 can get 6 000kg yield perhectare and increas 1016 Yuan(RMB) than common cultivation techniques,the increase rate is 15.8%.It can be used for free-pollution rice production in Xiaogan Area,Hubei.
Analysis on Mortality of Diabetes Mellitus in China during 1990~1999 and Its Tread Forecasting

Objective To explore the variation of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) mortality among urban and rural residents during 1990~1999, and forecast the trend of DM mortality in the near future. Methods With data derived from the annual report of Chinese health statistics, epidemiological method and Grey dynamic model GM(1,1) were introduced to analyze and forecast DM mortality respectively. Results There was a clear increasing trend towards mortality of DM from 1990 to 1999. DM mortality was 15.37 per 100 000 in city and 5.13 per 100 000 in countryside in 1999, up to 1.89 times and 1.71 times respectively compared with those in 1990. Furthermore, DM mortality among female is much higher than male, and sex ratio is 1∶0.6 and 1∶0.7~0.8 in urban and in rural areas respectively. If no effective measures were taken to prevent its development, DM mortality would rise to 25.24 per 100 000 in urban and 8.15 per 100 000 in rural in 2 005 by calculated with the Equations that we found and validated ( t=-106.4817(1-e~ 0.07458 t)Y 0(t-1)(t=1,2…,N) of city; t=-33.6053(1-e~ 0.07537 t)Y 0(t-1)(t=1,2,…,N) of country). Conclusion ①Due to the trend of DM mortality increasing quickly in China, government should pay more attention to the prevention of DM.②Grey dynamic model GM (1,1) may be applied to forecast DM mortality in the near future.
STUDY OF INTERFACIAL TENSION BETWEEN NNMB/NAPS BINARY SYSTEM AND CRUDE OIL

Based on the choice of NNMB/NAPS as a new binary system, the interfacial tension between NNMB/NAPS binary system and crude oil has been studied under imitating conditions of Zhongyuan oilfield, including effects of thickness of NNMB, NAPS and NaCl on the interfacial tension. Results show that NAPS has no obvious effect on the interfaciai tension NNMB so- lution, adding NaCI to NNMB/NAPS binary system helps surfacrant reduce interfacial tension, the interfacial tension between NNMB/NAPS binary system and crude oil is as low as 10~(-3) mN/ m. The new kind of binary system has wide application prospect in enhancing oil recovery of high - salty reservoir.
Gambling and Fantasy: An Examination of the Influence of Money on Fan Attitudes and Behaviors

The sports gambling industry represents a multi-billion dollar enterprise composed of a variety of activities, the composition of which is under constant debate. Among the topics of importance is the effect of sports gambling (both legal and illegal) on the attitudes and behaviors of sport fans. In particular, investigation into the nature and extent of involvement in activities such as betting on sport events and fantasy sport participation — along with any resultant effects on attitudes and more 'traditional' forms of sport fan behavior — could be of interest to sport marketing scholars and practitioners alike. To that end, the current study used an online questionnaire to survey self-identified sports fans on participation in fantasy sports, sports betting, as well as spending habits related to sports. Results suggested that fantasy sports and sports betting appear to serve as complementary investments by fans. The implications for both scholars and practitioners are also discussed.
Carcinoid tumors of the gut

BACKGROUND: Carcinoid tumors are the most frequently encountered endocrine tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. They are most often found in the appendix, although they can arise in any location of the gut. Carcinoid tumors may secrete a variety of bioactive substances, which can cause the complex of symptoms associated with the carcinoid syndrome. METHODS: The authors reviewed the pathology, clinical presentation, and management of carcinoid tumors with an emphasis on the surgical management. RESULTS: The primary treatment for a carcinoid tumor located anywhere in the gut is surgical. Those who have widely metastatic disease or who are anatomically unresectable may undergo cytoreductive surgical debulking and/or hepatic arterial embolization followed by palliation of symptoms with octreotide, the long-acting somatostatin analog. CONCLUSIONS: The prognosis for patients with carcinoid tumors that are fully resected is excellent. Those with hepatic metastases and the carcinoid syndrome have a less favorable prognosis.
Habituation of the infant arousal response.

Study Objectives-Arousal is considered to be an important protective response in a sleeping infant and its depression could leave an infant vulnerable to a life threatening stimulus. We found previously that arousal to a non-respiratory (tactile) stimulus occurs in a sequence of events that begins with spinal, followed by brainstem responses, and then a cortical electroen-cephalographic (EEG) arousal response. We hypothesized that repeated stimuli would depress the arousal responses by habituation and that spinal and brainstem responses would be more resistant to habituation than cortical responses. Participants-We studied 22 normal infants. Interventions-The infants underwent polysomnographic monitoring during a daytime nap. Tactile stimuli was applied to the infants foot at 5-second intervals. Measurements and Results-We found that spinal, brainstem, and cortical responses occurred on the first trial of each test. Repeated trials during non-rapid eye movement (N REM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep resulted in a decrease in the incidence of each individual response and eventually elimination of the arousal responses. Cortical responses were eliminated first, followed by brainstem responses and finally spinal responses. The elimination of each of the responses occurred more rapidly during REM sleep than during NREM sleep. Conclusions-Habituation of the infant arousal sequence occurs with repeated tactile stimulation. There is a serial habituation of responses from the cortical to the spinal level, which occurs more rapidly during REM sleep. Rapid habituation to innocuous stimuli is probably beneficial in avoiding detrimental sleep disruptions. However, in situations requiring the protective functions of arousal, such habituation could be detrimental to an infant.
Rydel-Seiffer fork revisited: Beyond a simple case of black and white

In 1903, A. Rydel and F.W. Seiffer published the use of what is now commonly known as the Rydel-Seiffer tuning fork.1 In their paper, they described an adaptation of the standard tuning fork to make it semiquantitative on an 8-point scale in measuring vibration sensing. The Rydel-Seiffer tuning fork has been used extensively over the past century and normative values have been published.2 It has also been validated with the use of more modern sensory nerve action potentials.3 Vibration threshold measurement with the Rydel-Seiffer tuning fork is therefore increasingly used in outcome measures assessing neuropathy from diverse etiologies: chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy,4 Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease,5 multifocal motor neuropathy,6 and immune-mediated neuropathies.7
The irradiation of poly (ethylene terephthalate) films

The exposure of a polymer to high energy radiation causes excitation and the formation of reactive species (ions and free radicals). These reactive species may further react in two ways. They may proceed through a chain termination step, resulting in chain scission, or they may react further through recombination. If recombination is not geminate, cross-linking results. Both chain scission and cross-linking occur simultaneously, their relative extents depending on the material and experimental conditions.
Discussion of the advanced LIGO sensitivity

Advanced LIGO has directly observed gravitational waves during its first science run. In this talk I will discuss the astrophysical reach of LIGO interferometers during the run and prospects for the future.
Availability of Long‐Acting Reversible Contraception in Kansas Health Departments

PURPOSE: Unintended pregnancy persists as a public health problem in the United States. Local health departments (LHDs) could play an important role in preventing unintended pregnancy by promoting and providing long-acting reversible contraception (LARC intrauterine devices [IUDs] and implants) particularly in rural states that may lack robust family planning service infrastructure. The objective of this study was to determine availability of LARC in LHDs in Kansas. METHODS: From October 2015 to January 2016 LHD administrators in Kansas were contacted to participate in a structured cross-sectional phone survey assessing LARC availability staff trained to place LARC the process for obtaining LARC and barriers to offering LARC. The main outcome measure was the proportion of Kansas LHDs offering LARC. FINDINGS: Of 101 eligible LHDs staff from 98 agreed to be interviewed (97.0%). Of 69.4% providing family planning services 20.6% provided LARC (20.6% provided IUDs 11.8% provided implants and IUDs and none provided implants only). Overall only 29.4% of LHDs reported discussing contraception routinely regardless of reason for visit. Rural health departments were less likely to offer testing for sexually transmitted infections and LARCs and less likely to have trained staff on site to insert LARCs when compared to nonrural LHDs. CONCLUSIONS: LARC methods are not commonly available in Kansas LHDs. Small LHDs in a rural state like Kansas could benefit from increased capacity to provide LARC to populations with limited access to health care. An increase in funding to prevent unintended pregnancy through expanded LARC access could result in substantial state savings and lead to fewer unintended pregnancies. (c) 2017 National Rural Health Association.
Environmental impacts of irrigated and rain-fed barley production in Iran using life cycle assessment (LCA)

Current intensive grain crops production is often associated with environmental burdens. However, very few studies deal with the environmental performance of both current and alternative systems of barley production. This study was undertaken to evaluate energy consumption and environmental impacts of irrigated and rain-fed barley production. Additionally, three alternative scenarios were examined for irrigated barley fields including conservation tillage and biomass utilization policies. The findings showed that around 25 GJ/ha energy is needed in order to produce 2300 kg/ha irrigated barley and 13 GJ/ha for 1100 kg/ha rain-fed barley. Life cycle assessment (LCA) results indicated that irrigated farms had more environmental impacts than rain-fed farms. Electricity generation and consumption had the highest effect on the abiotic depletion potential, human toxicity potential, freshwater and marine aquatic ecotoxicity potential. However, alternative scenarios revealed that using soil conservation tillage systems and biomass consumption vs. gas for electricity generation at power plants can significantly mitigate environmental impacts of irrigated barley production similar to the rain-fed conditions while higher yield is obtained.
An Inexpensive Discriminative Y-Maze

A Y-shaped maze, designed to minimize the handling of Ss and to increase operating efficiency, is described. Construction is simple and inexpensive.
Lexicographic Preferences, Rationality and the Fallacies of Behavioral Economics

In this paper the differences between traditional economic theory and the relatively newer behavioral economic theory, which is a blend of economics and psychology, is discussed. The traditional assumptions regarding consumer preferences are explained and elaborated upon. This includes reflexivity, completeness, transitivity and continuity. Auxiliary assumptions, such as local nonsatiation and strict convexity, regarding preferences are also introduced. Lexicographic preferences in a two good world are explicated and demonstrated to encompass rational behavior even though they do not generate a well defined utility function. If a consumer has lexicographic preferences behavioral economists can be mistaken in thinking that consumer behavior is irrational.
The Association Between Trajectories of Physical Activity and All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality.

Background The benefits of physical activity (PA) for health have primarily been evaluated during midlife. Whether patterns of change in late-life PA associate with overall and cause-specific mortality remains unclear. Methods We examined the association between PA trajectories and subsequent mortality among 3,767 men aged ≥65 years. Men self-reported PA using the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) at up to four time points from 2000 through 2009 (Year 7); mortality was assessed over an average of 7.1 years after the Year 7 contact. Group-based trajectory modeling identified patterns of PA change. Cox proportional hazards models described associations between patterns of change in PA, Year 7 PA, and subsequent mortality risk. Results Three discrete PA patterns were identified, all with declining PA. Compared to low-activity declining men, moderate (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.70, 0.88) and high-activity (HR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.57, 0.83) declining groups were associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality. Among models with a single time point, the last time point (Year 7 PA score) was a strong predictor of mortality with HR = 0.85 (95% CI: 0.78, 0.93) per SD increase in PASE score. PA patterns were not a risk factor for mortality after adjustment for the Year 7 PA score. Conclusions Recent PA levels are a stronger indicator of subsequent mortality risk than PA patterns reported over the prior 7 years or prior PA level, suggesting that current PA rather than history of PA is the most relevant parameter in clinical settings.
Risk Sharing in a Politically Divided Union

We document stark asynchronicity across U.S. states whose populations have voted consistently Democrat or consistently Republican in national elections, and we show that their risk-sharing channels differ substantially. However, we find that these groups of states – even swing states, where the role of fiscal flows is small (on par with Europe's) – do share risk. Indeed, we halve previous estimates of states' residual risk by using new data to account for sharing risk through changes in population, prices, and durable goods consumption. These findings indicate that political differences alone do not preclude macroeconomic risk sharing within economic and monetary unions.
Abstract B17: Utility of MRI and PET/CT to differentiate benign versus malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST)

Aim: To assess the utility of MRI and PET/CT to differentiate benign versus malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST). Methods: We retrospectively identified 68 patients with histologically confirmed nerve sheath tumors. All of these patients had pretreatment magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies and 17 patients had pretreatment 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET/CT). Age, history of neurofibromatosis, maximum size of the tumor, MR features, and maximum standardized uptake values (SUV) from PET/CT were obtained. We used Wilcoxon-Rank sum or Fisher9s exact tests to compare benign versus malignant nerve sheath tumors. Results: There was no significant difference in the mean age of the patients with benign versus MPNST (P=0.85). Patients with NF1 had higher odds of MPNSTs (OR=26.7, P=2.6 x10-7). There was no difference in the mean size of the benign versus MPNSTs (P=0.44). Homogeneous enhancement of a lesion after intravenous contrast (OR=0.08, P=0.008) and the target sign (OR=0.0, P=0.041), were both associated with decreased odds of MPNST. Bone destruction seen on MRI (P=5.7x10-4) and an enlarged nerve (OR = 3.89, P=0.048) were associated with increased odds of MPNST. MPNSTs had significantly higher mean maximum SUV than benign nerve sheath tumors (P=0.0272). The previously published threshold maximum SUV of 3.5 had 100% sensitivity and 50% specificity to exclude MPNST as 50% (4/8) of the benign nerve sheath tumors had a maximum SUV >3.5. Conclusion: MRI and PET/CT are useful for differentiating benign from MPNST, but neither is specific. A maximum SUV of 3.5 is highly sensitive for identifying MPNST; however, tissue sampling is often necessary to confirm the diagnosis since using this threshold results in a large proportion of false positives. Citation Format: Ronnie Sebro, Paul Niziolek. Utility of MRI and PET/CT to differentiate benign versus malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Conference on Advances in Sarcomas: From Basic Science to Clinical Translation; May 16-19, 2017; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2018;24(2_Suppl):Abstract nr B17.
SURGICAL ANATOMY OF THE MALE AND FEMALE URETHRA

The urethra is lined by transitional and stratified columnar epithelium. The urethra can be divided into both anatomic (prostatic, membranous, bulbar, and pendulous) and functional (anterior and posterior) segments. In the male, the anterior urethra is contained within the corpus spongiosum and penis. The urethra in the male and female is located within the urogenital triangle and pierces the superficial and deep perineal spaces of the pelvic floor. The urethra is surrounded by perineal and pelvic musculature that provide support and also form the urethral sphincter mechanism. Cancers of the anterior urethra preferentially drain into superficial inguinal lymph node channels. Those of the posterior urethra (prostatic, membranous, and bulbar segments in the male and the proximal two thirds of the urethra in the female) generally drain into pelvic lymphatic channels. A thorough knowledge of urethral and regional anatomy allows for complete tumor excision, optimal reconstruction, and in selected cases, restoration of urinary tract function.
Successful Management of Giant Placental Chorangioma by Microcoil Embolization.

Optimal prenatal management of giant placental chorangioma (also known as chorioangioma, angiomyxoma, fibroangiomyxoma, or fibroma) has yet to be determined. Interventions intended to devascularize the tumor such as interstitial laser, bipolar coagulation, fetoscopic laser photocoagulation, and chemical embolization have met mixed results. We report a minimally invasive, extra-amniotic approach, technically similar to cordocentesis, of microcoil embolization of the feeding vessel. These percutaneously placed microcoils initiate clot formation at the site of insertion and are unable to migrate through the tumor, thereby minimizing fetal harm by downstream embolic phenomena. Intervention at 26 and 22 weeks resulted in intraoperative fetal loss in the former and vaginal delivery at term of a healthy neonate in the latter. Preoperative, intraoperative, and placental findings are highlighted. The ease and safety of this procedure may alter the risk–benefit equation toward earlier intervention with potentially better clinical outcomes.
Sex- and Sport-Specific Epidemiology of Cervical Spine Injuries Sustained During Sporting Activities.

Background Although several investigations have examined the epidemiology of cervical spine injuries in sports, few studies have analyzed the nationwide incidence and sex-specific epidemiology of cervical spine injuries. Method The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database, which collects information on patients presenting to the emergency department at 100 hospitals across the United States, was queried for neck sprains and cervical fractures associated with sporting activities from 2000–2015. Result A total of 26,380 neck sprains and 1166 fractures were identified. Compared with females, the incidence for injuries in males was 1.7 times greater for neck sprains and 3.6 times greater for fractures (P Conclusions Football is the leading cause of cervical sprains in the United States. The most common cause of cervical fracture in men is cycling, while in women it is horseback riding. The incidence of sport-related cervical fractures has increased by 35% from 2000 to 2015, which has been driven by an increase in cycling-related injuries.
Reliability Analysis for Disjoint Paths

Our contemporary society survives on the services provided by several network infrastructures, such as communication, power, and transportation, so their reliability should be accurately evaluated from various aspects. While past studies defined network reliability in terms of connectivity, some of the network connections that have been established may suffer from insufficient resources, i.e., vertices may be connected on a network but flows might fail due to resource contention. As a first step to address resource protection, this paper introduces path disjointness to the field of network reliability analysis, i.e., we evaluate the probability that given terminals are connected via edge- or vertex-disjoint paths. In addition, we also deal with identifying critical links under path disjointness. Since network reliability analysis is a computationally tough problem, we propose efficient algorithms utilizing the data structure of binary decision diagrams. Numerical experiments show that our method scales up to a network with 189 links. We show that network reliability and the criticality of links are greatly dependent on path disjointness; this validates the importance of the proposed method.
Techno-Economic optimization of Grid-Tied Hydrogen-Renewable-Based Power Plant with Management Strategy

In the present work, grid-tied hybrid renewable hydrogen production system (HRHPS) is completely modelled and optimized from the techno-economic point of view. HRHPS consists of a PV array and wind turbines (WT) for the production of clean energy. Electrical grid can be utilized as a backup energy source and/or a virtual energy storage system (VESS) as it is the case in building integrated PV systems. This can contribute to reduce the cost of energy storage devices. Energy and hydrogen management strategy (EHMS) is proposed and designed according to the system functionality and the possibility of operating electrolyzer at partial load or steady-power. The main objective of this investigation is to identify the optimal configuration of a grid-tied HRHPS leading to the minimum cost of hydrogen (COH). Three configurations of HRHPS based on both solar PV and wind energy sources, only PV energy source and only wind energy source are examined. Economic optimization is performed based on the method of net present cost (NPC). This method is used to determine the total annual cost (AC T ), cost of energy (COE) and cost of hydrogen. These two latter parameters are calculated using the total annual amount of energy and hydrogen produced. In the case study, meteorological data taken from the meteorological and radiometric station of CDER at Algiers and a typical demand profile of hydrogen are utilized. optimization results reveal that the most cost-effective configuration of HRHPS is based on only PV energy source where the values of COE and COH are 0.42 $/kWh and 25.17 $/kg, respectively.
1035 - DECODING THE MOLECULAR CUES THAT REGULATE HSC SPECIFICATION.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) underlie the continued production of blood and immune cell lineages for the lifetime of an organism. In all vertebrate embryos examined, HSCs arise from the unique transdifferentiation of hemogenic endothelium comprising the floor of the dorsal aorta during a brief developmental window. To date, this process has not been replicated in vitro from pluripotent precursors, both because the full complement of required signaling inputs remains to be determined and because the lineage relationships among each subtype of arterial endothelium remain to be elucidated. Our recent efforts to elucidate the signaling pathways required to generate HSC fate have demonstrated that Notch signaling is needed iteratively, with both environmental and intrinsic requirements. The earliest known requirement is present within the somite to generate the sclerotome, the ventromedial domain of each developing somite. The sclerotome, in turn, is necessary to present Notch ligand to the shared vascular precursors of HSCs as they migrate across the ventral face of the somites. These studies provide the earliest known molecular cue required for HSC development. We have followed upon this work to demonstrate additional roles of the somite in patterning HSC formation and function. Wnt9a is produced from the somites and received via Frizzled9b / EGF receptors present upon HSC precursors, which regulates the first proliferative events within nascent HSCs. Finally, we have also shown that the somite produces endothelial cells that migrate and incorporate into the developing dorsal aorta. Thus, it appears that three different classes of endothelial cells are present at the time of HSC emergence – hemogenic endothelium, arterial endothelium, and somite-derived endothelial cells. What regulates production of each subset, and how each contributes to HSC generation are topics of our ongoing studies.
Abstract 070: The Prostaglandin Ep4 Receptor in Endothelium Modulates eNos Expression and Aortic Integrity

Prostaglandin EP4 receptor (EP4R) plays pivotal role in mediating PGE2-induced vasodilation and blood pressure homeostasis. Our previous work demonstrated that absence of EP4R in all tissues was as...
Role of Alternative Splicing in Prostate Cancer Aggressiveness and Drug Resistance in African Americans.

Alternative splicing, the process of removing introns and joining exons of pre-mRNA, is critical for growth, development, tissue homeostasis, and species diversity. Dysregulation of alternative splicing can initiate and drive disease. Aberrant alternative splicing has been shown to promote the “hallmarks of cancer” in both hematological and solid cancers. Of interest, recent work has focused on the role of alternative splicing in prostate cancer and prostate cancer health disparities. We will provide a review of prostate cancer health disparities involving the African American population, alternative RNA splicing, and alternative splicing in prostate cancer. Lastly, we will summarize our work on differential alternative splicing in prostate cancer disparities and its implications for disparate health outcomes and therapeutic targets.
Fatty Infiltration of Mitral Valve: A Rare Case Report and Review of Literature.

Adipose tissue is a normal anatomical finding in the heart but fat infiltration in cardiac valves is extremely rare with very few cases reported in the literature. We report a case of fatty infiltration in a mitral valve replaced for mitral valve prolapse causing severe mitral regurgitation in a 65-year-old male who presented with shortness of breath and upper respiratory tract infection. The histopathological examination of the mitral valve revealed sheets of mature adipocytes in the spongiosa layer leading to replacement of collagen and elastic fibers. The presence of adipocytes in the prolapsed valve could be considered to arise from the proliferation of pluripotent valvular interstitial cells. Herein, we have reviewed the previously reported cases of fatty infiltration in the mitral valve and discussed the pathogenesis and effect on valvular function.