cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adsorption studies of xylenes and ethylbenzene on soil and humic acid by a purge and trap gas chromatographic method

Abstract A purge and trap gas chromatographic technique has been used to study the adsorption of xylene isomers and ethylbenzene from aqueous solution (ppb) onto a soil and solid phase humic acid. Experiments were performed to examine the effects of concentration, time of contact, pH and type of organic carbon on the adsorption behavior. Humic acid adsorbed much higher amounts of hydrocarbons ranging from 40 to 77 times greater than the soil. The association constants for the xylenes and humic acid were identical, and a comparison of these data with those of others suggests that this interaction was hydrophobic in nature and not site specific for compounds of similar molecular structures.
Comparison of linear, nonlinear and neural-network-based adaptive controllers for a class of fed-batch fermentation processes

Five different control strategies for controlling a complex nonlinear and time-varying fermentation process are compared. The main objective of the paper is to determine conditions under which neural-network-based controllers may prove superior to conventional linear and nonlinear adaptive controllers. Extensive computer simulations were performed under identical conditions using the five methods and were evaluated using the same set of criteria. Neural networks are found to be superior when adequate prior information concerning the dynamics of the process is not available and accuracy and robustness are critical issues.
Body mass index, height and risk of lymphoid neoplasms in a large United States cohort

AbstractResults from epidemiologic studies examining associations between body size and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) are inconsistent, and etiology may vary by histologic subtype of disease. Using Cox proportional hazards regression, multivariable relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed for associations of body mass index (BMI) and height with NHL in the prospective American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study-II Nutrition Cohort. From 1992 to 2007, 2074 incident cases of NHL were identified among 152 423 men and women. Obese individuals (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) had 23% higher incidence of NHL (95% CI 1.08–1.40) compared to those with normal weight (BMI 18.5–< 25 kg/m2). Height was positively associated with NHL (RR = 1.25, 95% CI 1.10–1.43, sex-specific quintile 5 vs. 1). BMI associations were strongest for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Height was most strongly associated with chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma and to a lesser extent with multiple myel...
Extramyocellular adipose tissue in type 2 diabetes.

| 303 cause lipolysis but not lipogenesis in mature fat cells, thus resulting in smaller, more metabolically active adipocytes. These findings suggest that chronic exposure to GCs in vivo would promote an increase in fat cell number but these adipocytes would be more metabolically active, resulting in an overall increase in circulating free fatty acids. Obesity: weight regulation, prevention, management, pathophysiology No conflict of interest
Save More Tomorrow™: Using Behavioral Economics to Increase Employee Saving

As firms switch from defined-benefit plans to defined-contribution plans, employees bear more responsibility for making decisions about how much to save. The employees who fail to join the plan or who participate at a very low level appear to be saving at less than the predicted life cycle savings rates. Behavioral explanations for this behavior stress bounded rationality and self-control and suggest that at least some of the low-saving households are making a mistake and would welcome aid in making decisions about their saving. In this paper, we propose such a prescriptive savings program, called Save More Tomorrow (hereafter, the SMarT program). The essence of the program is straightforward: people commit in advance to allocating a portion of their future salary increases toward retirement savings. We report evidence on the first three implementations of the SMarT program. Our key findings, from the first implementation, which has
Was Thomas Aquinas a Sociobiologist? Thomistic Natural Law, Rational Goods, and Sociobiology

Abstract. Traditional Darwinian theory presents two difficulties for Thomistic natural-law morality: relativism and essentialism. The sociobiology of E. O. Wilson seems to refute the idea of evolutionary relativism. Larry Arnhart has argued that Wilson's views on sociobiology can provide a scientific framework for Thomistic natural-law theory. However, in his attempt to reconcile Aquinas's views with Wilson's sociobiology, Arnhart fails to address a critical feature of Aquinas's ethics: the role of rational goods in natural law. Arnhart limits Aquinas's understanding of rationality to the Humean notion of economic rationality–that “reason is and ought to be the slave of the passions.” On Aquinas's view, rationality discovers goods that transcend the merely biological, viz., the pursuit of truth, virtue, and God. I believe that Aquinas's natural-law morality is consistent with some accounts of sociobiology but not the more ontologically reductionist versions like the one presented by Wilson and defended by Arnhart. Moreover, Aquinas's normative account of rationality is successful in refuting the challenges of evolutionary relativism as well as the reductionism found in most sociobiological approaches to ethics.
Antimicrobial Peptides Inhibit Polyinosinic-Polycytidylic Acid-Induced Immune Responses

Viral proteins and nucleic acids stimulate TLRs to elicit production of cytokines, chemokines, and IFNs. Because of their immunostimulatory activity, several TLR agonists are being developed as vaccine adjuvants and cancer immunotherapeutics. However, TLR signaling is modified by disease state, which could enhance or impair therapeutic efficacy. For example, in the skin of psoriasis patients, the human cationic antimicrobial peptide LL37 is highly expressed and binds to host DNA. Association with LL37 enhances DNA uptake into intracellular compartments, where it stimulates TLR9-dependent overproduction of IFNs. Polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)), an analog of viral dsRNA, is recognized by TLR3 and is currently in preclinical trials as an inducer of type I IFN. If LL37 similarly enhanced IFN production, use of poly(I:C) might be contraindicated in certain conditions where LL37 is elevated. In this study, we show that TLR3 signaling was not enhanced, but was dramatically inhibited, by LL37 or mouse cathelicidin-related antimicrobial peptide in macrophages, microglial cells, and dendritic cells. Inhibition correlated with formation of a strong complex between antimicrobial peptides and poly(I:C), which partially inhibited poly(I:C) binding to TLR3. Therefore, after injury or during existing acute or chronic inflammation, when LL37 levels are elevated, the therapeutic activity of poly(I:C) will be compromised. Our findings highlight the importance of using caution when therapeutically delivering nucleic acids as immunomodulators.
Electoral Gender Quotas: A Conceptual Analysis

Electoral gender quotas have become the subject of a growing literature in comparative politics, with the potential to affect how scholars study a wide range of electoral and representative processes. Yet, debates have emerged over how to define and categorize these policies, with implications for the ability to compare cases and draw broader conclusions about their impact in countries around the globe. Reviewing these perspectives, this article draws on work on concept formation to propose a pragmatic approach, focused on matching typologies to research questions. It emphasizes the advantages of this solution for promoting cumulative research and concludes with some thoughts for future research on gender quotas and comparative politics.
Conformal mapping calculation of railgun skin inductance

The common rail arrangement consisting of two long, parallel, rectangular rails is discussed. The authors calculate the inductance per unit length L' in the short flight time limit where the skin depth is much smaller than any rail dimensions, the current is all on the rail surface, and the magnetic field does not penetrate the rails. The solution given is based on the Schwartz-Christoffel transformation that maps the boundaries of the problem into a simpler shape. >
Colorectal neoplasia goes with the flow: prostaglandin transport and termination.

The past 10 to 15 years have witnessed major advances in our understanding of polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism involving synthesis, activity, and degradation of prostaglandin (PG), especially prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), in neoplasia, in particular colorectal neoplasia. Little is known, however,
Delivering Influenza Vaccine to Pregnant Women

Pregnant women have an increased risk of influenza infection and complications. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices currently recommends vaccination for women who are pregnant during influenza season. The authors review the literature concerning influenza vaccine safety, effectiveness, and coverage rates during pregnancy, as well as opportunities to improve vaccination rates during pregnancy. No study has demonstrated an increased risk of maternal complications or adverse fetal outcomes associated with inactivated influenza vaccine. Few studies have examined the effectiveness of vaccination during pregnancy, and the results from these studies are inconsistent, with some showing a protective effect and others showing no effect. Despite the proven safety of vaccination and the possible benefits to women and their infants, reported vaccination rates during pregnancy are generally less than 10%. Mothers frequently cite concerns about vaccine safety as a barrier to vaccination. Lack of adequate information about the risks and benefits of vaccination is reported by both patients and obstetric care providers. Organizational factors such as lack of vaccine storage facilities may also limit vaccination during pregnancy. Effective interventions should target factors pertaining to patients or providers, or they should address organizational or logistic barriers. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices currently recommends standing orders programs or reminders for patients and providers as strategies to improve vaccination rates.
Compact Bilinear Operators and Commutators

First published in Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society, volume 141, published by the American Mathematical Society. Also available electronically from http://www.ams.org/journals/proc/2013-141-10/S0002-9939-2013-11689-8/home.html
Bone marrow stem cell and progenitor response to injury

Hematopoietic stem cells represent a long term reservoir of cells to populate blood with multiple formed cells. These hematopoietic stem cells proliferate and mature into lymphoid, erythroid, and myeloid precursor cells, with the balance of these cell populations modulated by major thermal injury, with or without sepsis. Recent studies indicate that thermal injury shifts this balance to favor the monocyte/macrophage lineage at the expense of neutrophil production. The mechanisms for these changes are now being elucidated with the results of clinical importance, because understanding the dynamics of the different precursor pools could be used to identify patients at greater risk for systemic inflammatory sequelae following major thermal injury.
Read my lips: no new models!

The author outlines several sets of software engineering and management practices that, in his experience, are still not being routinely applied across the industry. He discusses the creation of new models and considers: software process improvement; software testing; software design methods; software inspection; risk management; and software metrics.
Discriminant Interest Points are Stable

A study of the performance of recently introduced discriminant methods for interest point detection [6,14] is presented. It has been previously shown that the resulting interest points are more informative for object recognition than those produced by the detectors currently used in computer vision. Little is, however, known about the properties of discriminant points with respect to the metrics, such as repeatability, that have been traditionally used to evaluate interest point detection. A thorough experimental evaluation of the stability of discriminant points is presented, and this stability compared to those of four popular methods. In particular, we consider image correspondence under geometric and photometric transformations, and extend the experimental protocol proposed by Mikolajczyk et al. [13] for the evaluation of stability with respect to such transformations. The extended protocol is suitable for the evaluation of both bottom-up and top-down (learned) detectors. It is shown that the stability of discriminant interest points is comparable, and frequently superior, to those of interest points produced by various currently popular techniques.
Fallopian tube carcinoma with multiple tumor nodules seen on transvaginal sonography.

Primary fallopian tube carcinoma is a very rare malignancy, accounting for 0.18 to 1.6% of gynecologic cancers.1 The disease usually is unilateral, with the prevalence of bilateral disease ranging between 0 and 26% of cases.2 This report describes a case of fallopian tube carcinoma with bilateral involvement, in which three separate tumor nodules were found in one tube and in situ disease was present in the opposite tube.
Evo-devo of Child Growth: The Role of Weaning in the Transition from Infancy to Childhood.

Homo sapiens are unique in having a life history phase of childhood, which follows infancy, as defined by breastfeeding. This review uses evolutionary life history theory in understanding child growth in a broad evolutionary perspective, using the data and theory of evolutionary predictive adaptive growth-related strategies for transition from infancy to childhood. We have previously shown that a delayed infancy–childhood transition has a lifelong impact on stature. Feeding practices during infancy are fundamental elements of nutrition as they program for future growth and body composition. A relationship between the duration of breastfeeding and the nature of weaning has been suggested as a possible cause for later obesity and growth patterns. This review highlights the role that breast milk feeding and variations in the weaning age have on transition to childhood, growth, and body composition.
Gender Analysis of a Large Scale Survey of Middle Grades Students' Conceptions of Computer Science Education

This paper summarizes findings from a Student Motivation Survey (SMS) developed to monitor students' dispositions toward CS education. This survey was administered as part of the iDREAMS project, which involved creating in-school computer programming opportunities for middle school students. The analysis reported here is based on survey responses collected over 3.5 years from 2,473 girls and 3,247 boys. Results include students' use of technology, computer courses completed, and dispositions towards CS education. Our findings reveal several significant differences between boys and girls regarding their use of technology and dispositions toward CS education.
How to Mainstream Feminist Studies by Raising Questions: The Case of the Introductory Course

“Religious Myths and Rituals,” a course I teach once a year, is a lower division undergraduate course designed to introduce students to the academic study of religion. Its purpose is to acquaint students with the wide range of scholarly views regarding the meanings, origins, and functions of religion, the mythic and ritual components of religion, the widespread presence of religious symbols, the metaphoric character of religious language, diverse crosscultural images of transcendence, sacrality, and the like. In order to introduce the theoretical materials or to test or illuminate them, we focus on the specific religious expressions of American Indian and African tribal societies. Although examples from other religions are cited in the course of class lectures, these two tribal cultural settings serve as our primary reference points for understanding the phenomenon of religion. On the course syllabus and early in the quarter, I articulate the following questions as a way of describing the task of the course: What is religion? What are the origins and functions of religion? What can we learn about myths and mythologies and the functions they have in human experience? Why do rituals arise in human behavior? (How do they take shape and what are they for?) Do any of the myths and rituals of traditional, tribal religions have any bearing on contemporary American life? How might we discern the meaning of religious symbols? What are some of the predominant myths and rituals that both reflect and affect our own lives as individuals or as a people (as Christians, Jews, Buddhists, atheists—as students, Americans, Westerners, as women or men)?
Spectroscopic tracking of mechanochemical reactivity and modification of a hydrothermal char

A glucose hydrothermal char (HTC) was synthesized and ball milled to break chemical bonds, generate defects, and form new chemical structures. To follow the chemical transformations, the physical, chemical, and structural characteristics of the milled HTC were studied using a variety of imaging and spectroscopic techniques. Scanning electron microscopy showed that milling initially induced agglomeration of HTC microspheres accompanied by a more gradual shift in particle shape from spherical to plate-like. The elemental composition of the synthesized HTC was comparable to lignite; ball milling converted the material to a more coal-like composition. Infra-red spectroscopy indicated increasing aromatic and carboxylic acid content after milling. Raman microspectroscopy indicated an increase in graphitization during ball milling and a decrease in edge sites. ESR measurements indicated the production of carbon radicals with ball milling that reached a maximum after 90 min. Based on these results, we outline a mechanism of mechanochemical HTC modification whereby weak aliphatic and ether bonds are cleaved to form edge sites bearing carbon radicals, which then recombine to form graphene basal planes. In the transition state, the surface composition of hydrothermal char is readily modified – here, we demonstrate introduction of carboxylic acids as surface oxygen groups.
Causation in the Argument for Anomalous Monism

Donald Davidson has two central aims in his celebrated paper ‘Mental Events.’ First, he argues for the impossibility of ‘strict … laws on the basis of which mental events can be predicted and explained’ (ME, 208). I shall call the resulting view ‘mental anomalism.’ Second, he argues, based partially on this impossibility, for a version of monism which holds that every (causally interacting) mental event is token-identical with some physical event. This second aim puts constraints on how the argument for mental anomalism can plausibly proceed. That argument cannot assume anything that presupposes monism or adversely affects the argument for it. When elaborated, this constraint by itself rules out otherwise attractive conceptions of how the argument for mental anomalism works. More generally, in order to be compelling, the overall argument for anomalous monism ought not to incorporate excessively controversial presuppositions even if they do not themselves beg any questions about monism. The argument needs to be built upon relatively intuitive premises.
Epidemiology of moderate-to-severe injury patterns observed in rollover crashes

Abstract Background Previous epidemiological studies have highlighted the high risk of injury to the head, thorax, and cervical spine in rollover crashes. However, such results provide limited information on whole-body injury distribution and multiple region injury patterns necessary for the improvement and prioritization of rollover-focused injury countermeasures. Methods Sampled cases representing approximately 133,000 U.S. adult occupants involved in rollover crashes (between 1995 and 2013) sustaining moderate-to-severe injuries were selected from the National Automotive Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System database. A retrospective cohort study, based on a survey of population-based data, was used to identify relevant whole body injury patterns. Results Among belted occupants injured in rollover crashes, 79.2% sustained injuries to only one body region. The three most frequently injured (AIS2+) body regions were head (42.1%), upper extremity (28.0%), and thorax (27.1%). The most frequent multi-region injury pattern involved the head and upper extremity, but this pattern only accounted for 2.3% of all of occupants with moderate or worse injuries. Conclusions The results indicated that for rollover-dominated crashes, the frequently observed injury patterns involved isolated body regions. In contrast, multi-region injury patterns are more frequently observed in rollovers with significant planar impacts. Identification of region-specific injury patterns in pure rollover crashes is essential for clarifying injury mitigation targets and developing whole-body injury metrics specifically applicable to rollovers.
Public Attitudes toward Biomedical Research Issues

This chapter focuses on the development, maintenance, and change in an individual's attitudes toward biomedical research and related topics. The analysis focuses on the substantive attitudes held by the citizens toward biomedical research generally, and about specific issues or controversies. It also supports the proposition that schema is a useful and functional part of the process through which adults receive, process, and organize information and form attitudes. Given the high volume of biomedical information included in the reports in newspapers and magazines and on radio and television, the typical citizen needs an organizational scheme to integrate incoming information with previous experiences and his or her existing knowledge base. The implication for communicators is that there is more to be gained from focusing on the reservations or concerns of the less well-educated than trying to persuade them of the potential benefits of science and technology. The chapter concludes with a discussion of communication strategies for influencing public attitudes toward biomedical research issues.
EXAFS Study of (GaSb)1−x(Ge2)x

The nature of the metastable compounds (GaAs)1-x(Ge2)x and (GaSb)1-x(Ge2)x has been the subject of recent speculation. Phase separation which would normally occur in thermal equilibrium is inhibited during the sputtering process by low-energy ion bombardment of the growing film [1]. Both single-crystal GaAs and Corning 7059 glass have been used as substrates producing single-crystal and preferentially oriented polycrystalline films, respectively. Optical absorption and x-ray diffraction measurements have led NEWMAN et al. [2] to adopt a zincblende-diamond order-disorder transition model for the structure of the film as a function of concentration x. This model predicts a direct band gap consistent with their optical results, and the superlattice lines associated with the zincblende structure were also observed to decay in a consistent manner.
Impaired red blood cell deformability after transfusion of stored allogeneic blood but not autologous salvaged blood in cardiac surgery patients.

Background Both cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and red blood cell (RBC) storage are associated with detrimental changes in RBC structure and function that may adversely affect tissue oxygen delivery. We tested the hypothesis that in cardiac surgery patients, RBC deformability and aggregation are minimally affected by CPB with autologous salvaged blood alone, but are negatively affected by the addition of stored allogeneic blood.
Food guides in the United States. An historical review.

With the “Basic 4” currently under fire, this historical review gives perspective to the question.
Self-Tuned Stochastic Approximation Schemes for Non-Lipschitzian Stochastic Multi-User Optimization and Nash Games

We consider multi-user optimization problems and Nash games with stochastic convex objectives, instances of which arise in decentralized control problems. The associated equilibrium conditions of both problems can be cast as Cartesian stochastic variational inequality problems with mappings that are strongly monotone but not necessarily Lipschitz continuous. Consequently, most of the currently available stochastic approximation schemes cannot address such problems. First, through a user-specific local smoothing, we derive an approximate map that is shown to be Lipschitz continuous with a prescribed constant. Second, motivated by the need for a robust scheme that can be implemented in a distributed fashion, we develop a distributed self-tuned stochastic approximation scheme (DSSA) that adapts to problem parameters. Importantly, this scheme is provably convergent in an almost-sure sense and displays the optimal rate of convergence in mean squared error, i.e., ${\mathcal O}(1/k)$ . A locally randomized variant is also provided to ensure that the scheme can contend with stochastic non-Lipschitzian multi-user problems. We conclude with numerics derived from a stochastic Nash-Cournot game.
Preservation of the cultural patrimony

Since the 19th century, a developing awareness of cultural patrimony has been accompanied by advances in conservation, by the growth of a body of literature on conservation, and by the establishment of bodies, including agencies at the international level, dedicated to conservation. But not everything can be preserved: choices have to be made of what most merits preservation. Art librarians are involved, both as conservers of the documentary heritage (which contributes to the ethos in which decisions are made) and, sometimes, as members of teams responsible for the preservation of artefacts and buildings. There is a need for specialists of all kinds who are involved in the preservation of the cultural patrimony to work closely together, to discuss priorities, and to ensure that nothing escapes attention.
The Hypoxic Microenvironment in Acute Myelogenous Leukemia: Critical Role of CXCR4 in the Induction of HIF-1α.

The bone marrow microenvironment provides functional and structural support for both normal and leukemic hematopoietic stem cells. Importantly, the marrow microenvironment is known to be hypoxic. Given the many critical functions of HIF-1α, we investigated HIF-1α levels in leukemic cell lines and primary AML blasts. Surprisingly, HIF-1 α expression was non-detectable in AML cells grown in suspension cultures under normoxic (21% O 2 ) or hypoxic (1% O 2 ) conditions. Normoxic co-cultures with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal (MSC) or MS5 cells likewise did not induce HIF-1α, but hypoxic co-culture conditions induced HIF-1α protein without changes in HIF-1α mRNA levels, suggesting post-transcriptional regulation. Functionality of HIF-1α was confirmed by concomitant increase in the levels of glucose transporter glut-1, the HIF-1α downstream target. Inhibition of stroma-leukemia cell interactions with the small molecule CXCR4 inhibitor AMD3465 (Genzyme/Anormed) at 100 nM completely abrogated the induction of HIF-1α in HL-60 and MOLM13 AML cells. While SDF-1 was unable to induced HIF-1α under normoxic conditions, it did so under both physical (1% O 2 ) and chemical (COCl 2 ) hypoxic conditions, in two different cell lines. Inhibition of P13K (with LY294002) or MEK/ERK signaling (with CI-1040) abrogated HIF-1α induction under hypoxic conditions. Immunohistochemical staining of bone marrow samples from primary AML confirmed the presence of HIF-1α in leukemic cells localized adjacent to bone-lining stromal elements. Results suggest that the bone marrow microenvironment of AML is hypoxic in vivo ; in leukemia cells HIF-1α induction under low oxygen tension depends on the presence of stromal cells; HIF-1α induction is dependent on SDF-1/CXCR4 and is mediated by activation of P13K and MAPK signaling. Altogether these findings suggest that SDF-1α/CXCR4 interactions contribute to the survival of leukemic cells via specific induction of HIF-1α signaling by the bone marrow microenvironment. Disruption of these interactions via CXCR4 inhibition strategies may suppress multiple pro-survival HIF-1α targets in leukemic cells.
The Origins of the Food Desert: Urban Inequality as Infrastructural Exclusion

This article develops the concept of infrastructural exclusion as a form of urban inequality through the case of the origins of the food desert in Philadelphia. Infrastructural exclusion refers to the reorganization of spatial and material interdependence into a semi-autonomous and path-dependent force that separates resources from those reliant on them. Building on archival research, it emphasizes how social problems arise out of taken-for-granted relationships between urban development, population settlements, and distribution systems. Grocery chains were interdependent with urban neighborhoods in the early 1900s, but they came to participate in a fiercely competitive industry during a precarious period of urban decline, suburban growth, and changes in transportation systems. New industry conventions about profitability, involving higher-volume supplies and lower transaction costs, became embedded into the sociotechnical infrastructure. The reorganization of infrastructural interdependence as a semi-autonomous force constrained local business decision-making, led to high rates of financial insolvency, and contributed to the overall decline of urban grocery markets. This approach to infrastructural exclusion provides insights into the causes of a unique form of urban inequality.
Omega 3, 6, 9 Enhanced Goat Meat (Omega-Chevon) from Flaxseed and Canola Fed Meat Goats

With growing obesity and cardiovascular disease concerns, the meat industry aims to reduce fat content in meat products. Currently Omega Fatty Acid (FA) enhanced beef and eggs are being marketed in the US, but Omega enhanced goat meat (Omega-Chevon) has not been developed. Meat goats were fed ground flaxseed and canola supplemented feed for 90 days. There were no palatability, weight, or health issues in meat goats fed canola and flaxseed supplemented feed. Chevon from goats fed canola and flaxseed had significant (P
Robotic Resection of a Symptomatic Parasitic Leiomyoma From the Obturator Fossa.

Abstract Study Objective To demonstrate a technique for robotically resecting a parasitic leiomyoma from the obturator fossa. Design Case report and a step-by-step video demonstration of resection of a symptomatic parasitic leiomyoma (Canadian Task Force classification III). Setting Tertiary referral center in New Haven, Connecticut. Interventions This 48-year-old Caucasian female had undergone a previous total abdominal hysterectomy for uterine leiomyomas. She presented to her primary care provider with lower back pain radiating to the right groin and with a burning sensation on the medial aspect of the inner thigh. She denied any decrease in leg muscle strength. Pelvic magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 3.3-cm mass in the obturator fossa compressing the obturator nerve. She was subsequently referred to gynecologic oncology for resection of the mass, and was brought to the operating room for robotic resection. Once retroperitoneum on the right pelvic sidewall was explored, ureterolysis was performed. The external iliac artery and vein were then mobilized medially to access the obturator fossa. The mass was visualized at the sidewall. Safe resection of the obturator fossa mass requires identification of the obturator nerve. The specimen was resected off the right pelvic sidewall with traction-countertraction, gentle wiping, and grasping-tenting techniques. It was then placed in a laparoscopic bag and removed from the peritoneal cavity in a contained manner. The procedure was performed without any complications. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course and was discharged to home on postoperative day 0. Pathology revealed a benign leiomyoma. The patient was symptom-free at her 4-week postoperative visit. Conclusion Robotic resection of a symptomatic retroperitoneal mass in the obturator fossa was successfully performed, with resulting resolution of obturator neuropathy. Parasitic leiomyomas should be considered in the differential diagnosis for a patient presenting with an intraperitoneal or retroperitoneal mass with a history of previous surgery for leiomyomas.
TREM2: Keeping Microglia Fit during Good Times and Bad

Microglia are the macrophages of the brain and play an important role in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In Cell, Ulland et al. (2017) recently reported that mutations in TREM2, a protein implicated in AD, disrupt microglial energy state and function, thus sabotaging the microglia's ability to defend the brain against amyloid plaques.
Adsorption, desorption and persistence of fomesafen in soil

Background Fomesafen provides control of glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth in cotton but frequent seedling injury has been reported. This study evaluated soil adsorption, desorption, and field persistence of fomesafen. Results The Freundlich distribution coefficient (Kf ) for fomesafen on seven US soils varied from 1.30 to 9.28 µg1-1/n g-1 mL1/n . The pesticide distribution coefficient (Kd ) and soil organic carbon normalized adsorption coefficient (KOC ) varied from 1.11 to 12.76 mL g-1 and 58 to 1467 mL g-1 , respectively. The soils evaluated had desorption rates of 11.06% to 81.31% after a single desorption cycle. Soil pH, organic matter, sand, silt and clay content had a significant impact on fomesafen adsorption and desorption. Fomesafen field half-lives (DT50 ) in Cecil sandy loam were 47 and 34 days, compared with 6 and 4 days in Tifton loamy sand when fomesafen was applied at 1× and 2× the label rate, respectively. The fomesafen dissipation rate decreased significantly under low-density polyethylene (LDPE) mulch compared with bare ground. Conclusion Fomesafen soil adsorption to soils was not strong and was affected by multiple soil properties. Fomesafen field persistence varied significantly between soil types and under ground cover. The data suggest that soils with a lower pH and higher clay content are less likely to produce crop injury due to greater fomesafen adsorption. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.
THE POSITION OF BACTERIA AND THEIR PRODUCTS IN FOOD WEBS

When examining a drop of pond water under the microscope, an observer may see in it different kinds of bacteria, algae, protozoa, and even occasional invertebrates, such as rotifers, cladocerans, copepods, nematodes, turbellarians, and others. The presence of these very different organisms together in the pond water sample is not mere coincidence. They are the members of a food web, in which each organism, its secretions and excretions, or its dead remains represent food for one or more of the other organisms in the assemblage.
COMPUTING AND VISUALIZING THREE-DIMENSIONAL QUASICRYSTALS

In 1984, solid-state materials were discovered that had diffraction pattern symmetries that are forbidden for three-dimensional crystalline structures. The structures of these materials have become...
Ground-Based Observations of Terrestrial Gamma Ray Flashes Associated with Downward-Directed Lightning Leaders

Terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs) are bursts of gamma-rays initiated in the Earth’s atmosphere. TGFs were serendipitously first observed over twenty years ago by the BATSE gamma ray satellite experiment. Since then, several satellite experiments have shown that TGFs are produced in the upward negative breakdown stage at the start of intracloud lightning discharges. In this proceeding, we present ground-based observation of TGFs produced by downward negative breakdown occurring at the beginning of negative cloud-to-ground flashes.The Terrestrial gamma-ray flashes discussed in this work were detected between 2014-2017 at ground level by the Telescope Array surface detector (TASD) together with Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) and the slow electric field antenna (SA). The TASD detector is a 700 km2 ultra high energy cosmic ray detector in the southwestern desert of Utah. It is comprised of 507 (3 m2 ) plastic scintillator detectors on a 1.2 km square grid. The LMA detector, a three-dimensional total lightning location system, is comprised of nine stations located within and around the array. The slow electric field antenna records the electric field change in lightning discharges.The observed Gamma ray showers were detected in the first 1-2 ms of downward negative breakdown prior to cloud-to-ground lightning strikes. The shower sources were observed by the LMA detector at altitudes of a few kilometers above ground level. The detected energetic burst showers have a footprint on the ground typically ~ 3-5 km in diameter. The bursts comprise of several (2-5) individual pulses, each of which have a span of a few to tens of microseconds and an overall duration of several hundred microseconds. Using a forward-beamed cone of half-angle of 16 degrees, GEANT simulation studies indicate that the showers are consistent with gamma rays of 1012 - 1014 primary photons. We hypothesize that the observed terrestrial gamma-ray flashes are similar to those detected by satellites, but that the ground-based observations are closer to the source and therefore are able to observe weaker sources and report on the structure of the temporal distribution at the source. This result and future studies will enable us to better identify and constrain the mechanisms of downward TGF production.
Results of a feasibility randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the Toolkit for Optimal Recovery (TOR): a live video program to prevent chronic pain in at-risk adults with orthopedic injuries

Orthopedic injuries are the leading cause of hospital admissions in the USA, and many of these patients transition into chronic pain. Currently, there are no evidence-based interventions targeting prevention of chronic pain in patients with orthopedic injuries. We iteratively developed a four-session intervention “The Toolkit for Optimal Recovery” (TOR) which we plan to subsequently test for efficacy in a phase III hybrid efficacy-effectiveness multi-site clinical trial. In order to prevent methodological weaknesses in the subsequent trial, we conducted a feasibility pilot to evaluate the TOR delivered via secure live video versus usual care (UC) in patients with orthopedic injuries from an urban, level I trauma clinic, who screen in as at risk for chronic pain and disability. We tested the feasibility of recruitment, acceptability of screening, and randomization methods; acceptability of the intervention, treatment adherence, and treatment fidelity; satisfaction with the intervention; feasibility of the assessment process at all time points; acceptability of outcome measures for the definitive trial; and within-treatment effect sizes. We aimed to recruit 50–60 participants, randomize, and retain them for ~ 4 months. Assessments were done electronically via REDCap at baseline, post-intervention (approximately 5 weeks after baseline), and 3 months later. We followed procedures we intend to implement in the full-scale hybrid efficacy-effectiveness trial. We recruited 54 participants and found that randomization and data collection procedures were generally acceptable. The majority of participants were white, educated, and employed. Warm hand-off referrals were more effective than research assistants directly approaching patients for participation without their providers’ engagement. Feasibility of recruitment, acceptability of screening, and randomization were good. Satisfaction with the program, adherence to treatment sessions, and treatment fidelity were all high. There were no technical issues associated with the live video delivery of the TOR. There was minimal missing data and outcome measures were deemed appropriate. Effect sizes for improvement after participation in TOR were moderate to large. There were many lessons learned for future trials. This study provided evidence of the feasibility of the planned hybrid efficacy-effectiveness trial design when implemented at our home institution. Establishing feasibility of the intervention and study procedures at other trauma centers with more diverse patient populations and different clinical practices is required before a multi-site phase III efficacy-effectiveness trial. ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03405610 . Registered on January 28, 2018—retrospectively registered.
Does Travel Distance Affect Readmission Rates after Cardiac Surgery

With emphasis on value-based health care, empiric models are used to estimate expected readmission rates for individual institutions. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between distance traveled to seek surgical care and likelihood of readmission in adult patients undergoing cardiac operations at a single medical center. All adults undergoing major cardiac surgeries from 2008 to 2015 were included. Patients were stratified by travel distance into regional and distant travel groups. Multivariable logistic regression models were developed to assess the impact of distance traveled on odds of readmission. Of the 4232 patients analyzed, 29 per cent were in the regional group and 71 per cent in the distant. Baseline characteristics between the two groups were comparable except mean age (62 vs 61 years, P < 0.01) and Caucasian race (59 vs 73%, P < 0.01). Distant travel was associated with a significantly longer hospital length of stay (11.8 vs 10.5 days, P < 0.01) and lower risk of readmission (9.5 vs 13.4%, P < 0.01). Odds of readmission was inversely associated with logarithm of distance traveled (odds ratio 0.75). Travel distance in patients undergoing major cardiac surgeries was inversely associated with odds of readmission.
Error Estimation and Uncertainty Quantification Based on Adjoint Methods in Computational Electromagnetics

We present a summary of applications of adjoint-based methods in computational electromagnetics. We highlight the use of adjoint-informed error estimation for targeted, adaptive discretization refinement. Results are based on the higher-order finite element method in one- and three-dimensions.
Role regulation and normative expectations: the discursive erasure of Middle Eastern forced migrants in U.S. news outlets

ABSTRACTThis thematic analysis of 510 news articles – spanning the leftist-rightist ideological spectrum – examines media rhetoric surrounding President Trump’s 27 January 2017 Executive Order (EO)...
Spatial frequency domain Mueller matrix imaging to distinguish between birefringent materials in depth

Mueller matrix polarimetry (MMP) is a technique capable of determining a material’s effect on polarized light. However, there are limiting factors that can be optimized to improve the quality of information that is collected using traditional MMP. One such issue lies in the full-field assessment of samples which gives a bulk assessment of a sample’s polarimetric properties and disallows specific structures to be distinguished between different depths as there would be in any non-uniform or multilayered sample. Spatial Frequency Domain Imaging (SFDI) is a well-documented technique that can be used to manipulate depth of penetration of an investigating light source through use of different [sinusoidal] frequency patterns. Higher frequency patterns can be used to restrict the depth of penetration for more superficial structure. The combined technique was used to investigate and differentiate between birefringent samples with varied depth-dependent structure.
Implications of Pyrosoma atlanticum range expansion on phytoplankton standing stocks in the Northern California Current

Abstract Coinciding with the marine heat wave in 2014 and a strong El Nino in 2016, blooms of the tropical-temperate pelagic colonial tunicate, Pyrosoma atlanticum, expanded into the Northern California Current (NCC). Given the high densities of P. atlanticum colonies observed in the NCC, and their potential for high grazing rates, we hypothesized that the species could have a substantial negative effect on the phytoplankton standing stock in the Northeastern Pacific Ocean. In the late winter, spring and early autumn of 2018, we measured abundances and length frequencies of P. atlanticum colonies off the coast of Oregon and estimated their spring grazing impact on the local phytoplankton standing stock. Abundances of P. atlanticum peaked in late winter (0.7 colonies m−3), dropped off in spring (0.42 colonies m−3), and declined to near-absent in early autumn (0.07 colonies m−3). We observed a doubling in the median size of P. atlanticum colonies from late winter to spring, followed by a decline in size in early autumn. With their high individual colony gut pigment contents and bloom densities, the overall spring grazing impact of P. atlanticum was substantial, reaching a maximum of 22% of the available phytoplankton standing stock.
Designing Computing System Architecture and Models for the HL-LHC era

This paper describes a programme to study the computing model in CMS after the next long shutdown near the end of the decade.
Using In Situ Simulation to Develop a Prone Positioning Protocol for Patients With ARDS

Background Acute respiratory distress syndrome carries a 40% mortality rate. Prone positioning remains underused owing to clinicians' low degree of confidence, concern about the risk of adverse outcomes, and lack of staff competency training. Local problem and purpose A prone positioning protocol and educational program were needed in an intensive care unit to achieve compliance with best practices for treating acute respiratory distress syndrome patients. Methods An initial survey was conducted to measure staff confidence and competency in prone positioning. A literature review was performed, and a plan-do-study-act approach was used to develop a protocol through in situ simulation involving mock patients. A training video and a simulation scenario using a high-fidelity manikin were developed to facilitate staff education. Staff were surveyed again after training. Interventions During the simulation scenario, interdisciplinary clinicians learned to apply the protocol and resupinate the patient during a simulated emergency. The training video was later used for "just in time" education minutes before actual prone positioning events. Results A total of 25 critical care nurses, 11 respiratory therapists, and 10 physicians completed the initial survey and simulation training. The survey showed that staff lacked confidence and competency in prone positioning. Staff demonstrated competence during the simulation sessions, and posttraining surveys indicated increased confidence. After the educational program, prone positioning was successfully used for 6 critically ill acute respiratory distress syndrome patients. Conclusions In situ simulation and interdisciplinary collaboration increase standardization of high-risk, underused procedures, improving staff confidence and competence as well as patient safety.