cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in patients with primary brain tumors

• All histologically documented episodes of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in adult patients with primary brain tumors treated at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, since 1981, were retrospectively reviewed. Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia was histologically documented 11 times in 10 patients. During the same 8-year interval, approximately 587 adults were seen at the center for a brain tumor, 90% of whom received ongoing therapy. Therefore, in at least 1.7% (10/587) of our patients with brain tumors, P carinii pneumonia developed. The median duration of dexamethasone therapy at the onset of P carinii pneumonia symptoms was 2.75 months. Symptoms began during tapering of steroid therapy in eight episodes. Bronchoscopy was diagnostic in the eight cases in which it was performed. Four episodes (40%) were fatal. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole prophylaxis may be indicated in some patients with brain tumors, especially during tapering of steroid therapy.
More powerful significant testing for time course gene expression data using functional principal component analysis approaches

One of the fundamental problems in time course gene expression data analysis is to identify genes associated with a biological process or a particular stimulus of interest, like a treatment or virus infection. Most of the existing methods for this problem are designed for data with longitudinal replicates. But in reality, many time course gene experiments have no replicates or only have a small number of independent replicates. We focus on the case without replicates and propose a new method for identifying differentially expressed genes by incorporating the functional principal component analysis (FPCA) into a hypothesis testing framework. The data-driven eigenfunctions allow a flexible and parsimonious representation of time course gene expression trajectories, leaving more degrees of freedom for the inference compared to that using a prespecified basis. Moreover, the information of all genes is borrowed for individual gene inferences. The proposed approach turns out to be more powerful in identifying time course differentially expressed genes compared to the existing methods. The improved performance is demonstrated through simulation studies and a real data application to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell cycle data.
The psychological processing of traumatic experience: Rorschach patterns in PTSD

The Rorschach records of 13 Vietnam veterans with PTSD were compared with 11 matched combat controls and were analyzed for both content and structural features. These Rorschachs showed an unmodified reliving of traumatic material and revealed the biphasic cognitive processing of traumatic experiences of rigidly defended, affective numbing versus overwhelmed intrusive reliving. They demonstrated how trauma and its concomitant affects persist with little modification over time and confirm the clinical impression that people with severe PTSD have an impaired capacity for affect modulation. The lack of integration of the traumatic experience accounts for extreme reactivity to environmental stimuli: the initially overwhelming external event, through lack of assimilation, is perpetuated internally and continues to exert disorganizing effects on the psyche. The authors discuss the claims that the presence of mute, unsymbolized, and unintegrated experiences causes reenactment of the trauma, until the victim learns to put into words both the associated facts and the feelings.
A Linear Method for Analyzing Lightning Field Changes

A constrained, least-squares method for analyzing multiple-station measurements of lightning field changes (delta Es) is introduced. Previous methods have attempted to fit the spatial pattern of lightning delta Es using nonlinear models, such as a point charge (Q) or a point dipole (P) model. With the linear method, the delta Es are described not by models but by a general volume charge distribution that is deposited on a large (40 x 40 x 20 cu km) Cartesian grid above the measuring network. A linear system of equations is used to relate the measured delta Es to the charges that are deposited at each grid point. With this approach, the information content of the measurements can be quantified by an eigenanalysis of the covariance matrix of the linear system. Constraints can be used to reduce the infinity of possible solutions to the linear system and also to reduce systematic biases that can be introduced by the method of solution. It is shown that a Landweber iterative method, derived from the general method of steepest descent, can be used to solve the linear system and that the resulting volume charge distributions are generally consistent with computer-simulated charge sources, when these sources are over the measuring network. The Landweber iteration has also provided solutions for natural lightning events that are consistent with Q- and P-model results.
High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic Studies of Reaction of Hydralazine with Biogenic Aldehydes and Ketones

To understand hydrazone formation in hydralazine metabolism, the reaction of hydralazine with various biogenic aldehydes and ketones (acetone, pyruvic acid, acetoacetic acid, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde) in pH 7.4 buffer was studied for potential alterations in hydralazine pharmacokinetics secondary to alcoholism and diabetes. The corresponding hydrazones were isolated, and their structures were characterized. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to monitor the reactions. An aqueous solvent reversed-phase liquid chromatographic system was used to separate hydralazine and its derivatives. Reaction of hydralazine with formaldehyde or acetaldehyde produced the corresponding hydrazones. Formation of an s-triazolo ring system yielded the known s-triazolo[3,4-α]phthalazine and 3-methyl-s-triazolo[3,4-α]phthalazine metabolites, which also were isolated and characterized and suggested nonenzymatic metabolism.
A review and proposal for the etiology of acute necrotizing gingivitis.

Abstract There are numerous correlations between features of acute necrotizing gingivitis (ANG) and virus infections, notably cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections. The age range of occurrence of seroconversions to CMV positive and occurrence of ANG correlate both in industrialized countries (young adults) and in underdeveloped countries (young children). A depression in cell-mediated immunity, as evidenced by a decrease in T-lymphocyte helper/suppressor ratio and decreased responsiveness to the mitogen ConA, has been shown to occur in both CMV infection and ANG. There is a higher incidence of both CMV infection and ANG in young male homosexuals. These and other correlations, taken together, argue for a fundamental role for virus in ANG etiology.
The Impact of Atrial Fibrillation and Its Treatment on Dementia

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a very common tachyarrhythmia and is becoming increasingly prevalent, while dementia is a neurological condition manifested as loss of memory and cognitive ability. Both these conditions share several common risk factors. It is becoming increasingly evident that AF increases the risk of dementia. There are several pathophysiological mechanisms by which AF can cause dementia. AF increases the stroke risk and strokes are strongly associated with dementia. Besides stroke, altered cerebral blood flow in AF and cerebral microbleeds from anticoagulation may enhance the risk of dementia. Maintaining sinus rhythm may therefore decrease this risk. Catheter ablation is emerging as an effective alternative to maintain patients in sinus rhythm. This procedure has also shown promise in decreasing the risk of all types of dementia. Besides maintaining sinus rhythm and oral anticoagulation, aggressive risk factor modification may reduce the likelihood or delay the onset of dementia.
Recent results on new particle search from TRISTAN

Abstract Results on new particle search based on data collected at the TRISTAN e+e− storage ring at √S ≅ 56 GeV are reported. Production of top quark, fourth generation b′ quark, fourth generation leptons, non-minimal Higgs and supersymmetric particles were searched for by AMY, TOPAZ and VENUS experiments. No evidence of new particle was observed. 95% CL Limits on new particles production are presented.
Laser-induced interface reactions of copper thin films on sapphire substrates

The interface of a copper-sapphire couple that was irradiated with a nanosecond pulsed-excimer laser was studied by transmission electron microscopy. Deposited layers of 30 or 100 nm thickness were laser treated with energy densities in the range of 0.5 to 0.75 J/cm{sup 2}. Two different atmospheres were used during these treatments, viz., air or a mixture of argon-4 vol.% hydrogen. The copper film and a thin alumina layer were melted by the laser pulse. Two well differentiated regions could be observed in the modified layer. The region closer to the unmodified substrate consisted of epitaxially regrown alumina with crystallites misoriented up to 10{degree} relative to the substrate sapphire orientation, while precipitate particles could be seen closer to the resolidified copper. The nature of the precipitates generated in the second region was dependent on the atmosphere present during the treatment. In air a trirutile-like compound was obtained which is either oxygen or copper deficient. In an argon atmosphere a compound having a hexagonal structure closely related to sapphire was observed, where copper substituted for some aluminum. These observations are in agreement with a previously developed mathematical model that predicts melting of a thin substrate layer.
Corrosion under stress of materials composing dental amalgam.

Corrosion potentials of materials composing dental amalgam have been measured in artificial saliva as the specimens were subjected to an increasing tensile load. Further, tensile tests have been carried out on specimens which had been previously subjected to controlled corrosion. The corrosion potentials of Cu, Ag, Zn, Ag2Hg3, Ag3Sn and finished dental amalgam showed only a slight increase in the anodic direction as the load increased. The potentials of Sn and Sn amalgams, on the other hand, showed a considerable increase. Most of the above results were explained as being a consequence of the rupture and repair of protective films as stress was applied or released. For Sn, however, it was necessary to postulate a complex attack by the corrodant to explain the large potential change. Of the phases of dental amalgam whose tensile strengths were measured after subjection to controlled corrosion, only the γ2 or Sn-Hg phase was affected. Its strength was lowered by corrosion, whether or not stress was applied. It was concluded that stress, as such, probably is not a direct factor in the corrosion of dental amalgam under oral conditions.
AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF STANDARDIZING SCORES IN THE FORMATION OF LINEAR COMPOSITES1

Component scores with specified means, standard deviations and intercorrelations were generated by computer. Two linear composites were calculated; one using a given set of nominal weights with the raw component scores and the second using the same nominal weights with the standard component scores. Both sets of composite scores were scaled to the same mean and standard deviation. The distribution of differences between the two scaled composite scores was examined to determine the effect of standardization. Specifically, the standard deviation of the difference scores, the largest single difference, and the number of differences greater than two were related to the number and characteristics of the original components. Implications for practice are discussed.
POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS TRACE ELEMENTS IN THE MONTEREY FORMATION, CALIFORNIA

Marine organic-carbon-rich rocks, intensively studied as sources of petroleum, are commonly enriched in trace elements that are potentially hazardous to aquatic life, human health, and the environment. Compared to World Shale Average (WSA) abundance, the Miocene Monterey Formation, the most widespread petroleum source rock in California, is enriched in numerous trace elements. Our prior studies have shown that elements highly positively correlated (r2 > 0.75) with organic carbon in these rocks include chromium, copper, nickel, antimony, selenium, uranium, vanadium, and zinc; elements significantly correlated (r2 = 0.4–0.75) include arsenic, barium, cadmium, and molybdenum. Of these 12 elements, selenium poses a particular environmental hazard, but arsenic, cadmium, copper, molybdenum, nickel, antimony, uranium, and zinc are also of environmental concern. New chemical analyses of borehole cuttings from 5 wells in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara areas show similar patterns of trace-element enrichment and indicate that selenium-enriched stratigraphic zones in the Monterey Formation can be reliably identified from the association of selenium with uranium, a natural gamma-ray emitter. Calibration of selenium with uranium content and gamma-ray response allows the bedrock concentration of selenium and other potentially hazardous trace elements to be estimated with the use of gamma-ray logs. This method is proposed for making regional subsurface maps showing the distribution of potentially hazardous trace-element-enriched bedrock in California and other areas of North America where petroleum source rocks, such as the Cretaceous Pierre Shale of the mid-continent and Great Plains region, may represent similar potential environmental hazards.
The friction factor–Reynolds number relation for the steady flow of pseudoplastic fluids through rectangular ducts. Part I. Theory

A finite difference technique is used to calculate the velocity profile, maximum shear stress, and friction factor-Reynolds number product for a power-law, pseudoplastic fluid flowing through a cylindrical duct of rectangular cross section. It is assumed that the motion is rectilinear. A very simple friction factor-Reynolds number correlation is obtained for the special case of a square duct.
Toxicant- and response-specific comparisons of statistical methods for estimating effective concentrations

Standard U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) statistical analyses of whole effluent toxicity tests involve the estimation of the concentration associated with a specified level of inhibition relative to control responses. Current U.S. EPA estimation methods (linear interpolation or probit-based methods) are compared to a recently developed parametric regression-based estimator, the relative inhibition concentration estimator RIp. The RIp estimation technique, with level of inhibition p = 25%, is applied to a series of chronic toxicity test data from a U.S. EPA Region 9 database of reference toxicity tests. Tests on marine species are conducted with one reference toxicant, while the freshwater tests are conducted with several reference toxicants. While the U.S. EPA estimators and the RIp estimator are highly correlated for red abalone larval shell development, the degree of correlation for fathead minnow responses varies with reference toxicant tested. The strength of the relationship between the RIp and the standard U.S. EPA estimators varies as a function of the reference toxicant. Correlations range between 0.67 and 0.99. For all biological responses included in this evaluation (fathead minnow growth or survival and red abalone larval development), experiments occurred where the RIp is estimable, while the standard U.S. EPA estimators are not. Nonestimability of the standard EPA methods appears to be related, in part, to the failure of models to account for enhanced responses, such as a hormesis effect prior to toxicity being manifest. The ability to account for such enhanced responses is a strength of the RIp method. Finally, a variance component analysis suggests that lab-to-lab variability is relatively low for the red abalone but relatively high for the fathead minnow.
Electronic Measurement of Medication Adherence

The measurement of medication adherence is important in both clinical practice and research settings to offer effective medical therapy, improve clinical outcomes, and determine the efficacy of therapy. The aims of this article are to (a) present an overview of current and developing electronic methods of medication measurement, (b) explore the advantages and disadvantages to each approach, and (c) discuss the implications of using electronic monitoring devices for clinical practice and research. A comprehensive review of electronic forms of medication measurement was performed. A description of each method is presented including oral medication monitors, personal electronic devices, electronic blisters, wirelessly observed therapy, inhaled medication monitors, mobile phones, video/photo-assisted observation, and electronic health records. Familiarity with using electronic devices and advances in technology will continue to develop and influence the measurement of medication adherence.
Stochastic Speculative Price

Because a commodity like wheat can be carried forward from one period to the next, speculative arbitrage serves to link its prices at different points of time. Since, however, the size of the harvest depends on complicated probability processes impossible to forecast with certainty, the minimal model for understanding market behavior must involve stochastic processes. The present study, on the basis of the axiom that it is the expected rather than the known-for-certain prices which enter into all arbitrage relations and carryover decisions, determines the behavior of price as the solution to a stochastic-dynamic-programming problem. The resulting stationary time series possesses an ergodic state and normative properties like those often observed for real-world bourses.
The Diagnosis of Asynchronous Sequential Switching Systems

This paper considers the problem of automatically testing a sequential switching circuit. It is assumed that the sequential circuit is nonclocked in order that the same automatic tester may be used for a wide class of circuits. The program for the tester is to be generated by an IBM 7090 computer from the logical description of the circuit to be tested. The specific problem considered here is to write a program for the 7090 in order to accomplish this purpose. A method of solution and a brief description of the program are given and a worked example is supplied.
Impact of Medicare's Hospital-Acquired Condition Policy on Infections in Safety Net and Non-Safety Net Hospitals

BACKGROUND Policymakers may wish to align healthcare payment and quality of care while minimizing unintended consequences, particularly for safety net hospitals. OBJECTIVE To determine whether the 2008 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Hospital-Acquired Conditions policy had a differential impact on targeted healthcare-associated infection rates in safety net compared with non–safety net hospitals. DESIGN Interrupted time-series design. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Nonfederal acute care hospitals that reported central line–associated bloodstream infection and ventilator-associated pneumonia rates to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health Safety Network from July 1, 2007, through December 31, 2013. RESULTS We did not observe changes in the slope of targeted infection rates in the postpolicy period compared with the prepolicy period for either safety net (postpolicy vs prepolicy ratio, 0.96 [95% CI, 0.84–1.09]) or non–safety net (0.99 [0.90–1.10]) hospitals. Controlling for prepolicy secular trends, we did not detect differences in an immediate change at the time of the policy between safety net and non–safety net hospitals (P for 2-way interaction, .87). CONCLUSIONS The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Hospital-Acquired Conditions policy did not have an impact, either positive or negative, on already declining rates of central line–associated bloodstream infection in safety net or non–safety net hospitals. Continued evaluations of the broad impact of payment policies on safety net hospitals will remain important as the use of financial incentives and penalties continues to expand in the United States. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2015;00(0): 1–7
Applying Social Psychological Concepts Outside the Classroom

This article evaluates a writing assignment in which social psychology students gathered examples from outside the classroom (e.g., cartoons, movies) and analyzed them with course material. Compared to a control group, students who completed the assignment learned that it was easier to apply social psychology to the real world. A follow-up survey 9 months later demonstrated that this effect persisted. Students who completed the assignment also valued social psychology more and believed they had learned more in their social psychology course.
A Switched Decoupling Capacitor Circuit for On-Chip Supply Resonance Damping

A low power switched decoupling capacitor circuit is proposed to suppress on-chip resonant supply noise. Compared to previous analog techniques, the proposed digital implementation achieves a 9X reduction in quiescent power with improved tolerance to PVT variation and tuning capability for optimal switching threshold. Measurements from a 0.13 mum test chip show an 11X boost in effective decap value and a 9.8 dB suppression in resonant supply noise by using the proposed circuit.
Withdrawal-emergent dyskinesia in patients with schizophrenia during antipsychotic discontinuation

We examined whether patients exhibiting withdrawal-emergent dyskinesia (WE-D) represent a group vulnerable to subsequent development of tardive dyskinesia (TD). WE-D was defined as moderate abnormal movements during antipsychotic withdrawal in persons without persistent TD. We assessed patients with schizophrenia-spectrum illness participating in withdrawal from antipsychotic medication. Patients with WE-D were compared to those without dyskinesia and to those with persistent TD. Clinical measures included duration of illness and antipsychotic exposure, negative symptoms, and neurologic soft signs. We hypothesized that WE-D patients would not differ from persistent-TD patients across the above variables, but would differ from non-TD patients. Patients without TD significantly differed from persistent TD in duration of illness, medication exposure and neurologic soft signs. WE-D did not differ from TD across these measures. No-TD patients also showed less duration of medication exposure and neurologic soft signs than those with WE-D.
NeuroD1 mediates nicotine-induced migration and invasion via regulation of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits in a subset of neural and neuroendocrine carcinomas

Cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for acquisition of small cell lung cancer (SCLC). A role has been demonstrated for the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor NeuroD1 in the pathogenesis of neural and neuroendocrine lung cancer, including SCLC. In the present study we investigate the possible function of NeuroD1 in established tumors, as well as actions early on in pathogenesis, in response to nicotine. We demonstrate that nicotine up-regulates NeuroD1 in immortalized normal bronchial epithelial cells and a subset of undifferentiated carcinomas. Increased expression of NeuroD1 subsequently leads to regulation of expression and function of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit cluster of α3, α5, and β4. In addition, we find that coordinated expression of these subunits by NeuroD1 leads to enhanced nicotine-induced migration and invasion, likely through changes in intracellular calcium. These findings suggest that aspects of the pathogenesis of neural and neuroendocrine lung cancers may be affected by a nicotine- and NeuroD1-induced positive feedback loop.
THE MOLECULAR GENETICS OF WILMS TUMOR : A PARADIGM OF HETEROGENEITY IN TUMOR DEVELOPMENT

The evidence that genes on chromosome 11 are involved in Wilms tumor development is convincing; however, it is also evident that the mechanisms of tumorigenesis are more complex than the two-mutation model originally proposed. Potentially several genetic loci participate in Wilms tumor development. This should not be too surprising considering the complexity of pathways regulating growth and differentiation in nephrogenesis. It is possible that these various genes act at different points in the differentiation pathway and disruption of their normal function contributes to tumorigenesis. In fact, these loci may interact with one another in tumor formation. Certain types of genetic alterations may be the rate-limiting steps, but other changes may also contribute or be necessary for tumor development. Homozygous inactivation of specific genes, combinations of mutated alleles, and relaxation of genetic imprinting, or even interactions between different mutated alleles may all be part of the process for individual tumors. It has been found that some patients with the WAGR syndrome who are hemizygous for WT1 at 11p13 have in addition loss of heterozygosity within 11p15, and a sporadic tumor has been shown to have a WT1 mutation and loss of heterozygosity at loci at both 11p15 and 11p13 (59,85). These observations suggest the potential for interaction among the various Wilms tumor loci. Not only are there likely to be a number of different genetic loci linked to Wilms tumor development, but the mechanisms underlying altered gene function may be more variable than originally believed. It is probably not correct to think of Wilms tumor as a homogeneous entity. Mutations at different loci or various combinations of genetic lesions could well be responsible for the different categories of Wilms tumors. This apparent genetic complexity of Wilms tumor development is a concept that can very likely be applied to many other types of neoplasms. A complete understanding of Wilms tumorigenesis awaits identification of all members of the Wilms tumor gene family and the functional significance of their alterations.
Glycation and RAGE: Common Links in the Pathogenesis of Microvascular and Macrovascular Complications of Diabetes

ABSTRACT Experimental evidence is mounting to link the receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE) to the pathogenesis of complications in diabetes. The multiligand nature of RAGE, a defining property of this receptor, has led to the elucidation that hyperglycemia-stimulated cellular activation ensues, not only consequent to the formation of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs), which signal through RAGE, but also via the recruitment and activation of inflammatory cells to AGE-laden tissues in diabetes. Such activated inflammatory cells may release the proinflammatory ligands of RAGE—S100/calgranulins and high mobility group box-1 —thereby contributing to the initiation and amplification of perturbation in both micro-and macrovascular tissues in diabetes. Strong support for the role of RAGE in the pathogenesis of diabetes-related complications has been shown by antagonizing the ligand-RAGE axis in animal models, and, as well, by testing the impact of RAGE deletion in diabetic mice. This review summarizes current strategies by which RAGE antagonism has been tested in animal models and highlights results of recent studies in which homozygous RAGE-null models are protected, at least in part, from the adverse consequences of diabetes.Taken together, these findings suggest that RAGE antagonism may be a novel approach to the treatment of diabetic complications.
Perioperative Cognitive Protection-Cognitive Exercise and Cognitive Reserve (The Neurobics Trial): A Single-blind Randomized Trial.

Abstract Purpose The Neurobics Trial is a single-blind, parallel-group, randomized, controlled trial. The main study objective is to compare effectiveness of preoperative cognitive exercise versus no intervention for lowering the incidence of postoperative delirium. Enrollment began March 2015 and is ongoing. Methods Eligible participants include patients older than 60 years of age scheduled for nonemergent, noncardiac, nonneurological surgery at our institution. Patients provide consent and are screened at our Outpatient Preoperative Assessment Clinic to rule out preexisting cognitive dysfunction, significant mental health disorders, and history of surgery requiring general anesthesia in the preceding 6 months. Participants meeting criteria are randomized to complete 1 hour daily of electronic tablet–based cognitive exercise for 10 days before surgery or no preoperative intervention. Compliance with the effective dose of 10 total hours of preoperative exercise is verified on return of the patient for surgery with time logs created by the software application and by patient self-reporting. After surgery, patients are evaluated for delirium in the postanesthesia recovery area, and then twice daily for the remainder of their hospitalization. Additionally, postoperative quality of recovery is assessed daily, along with pain scores and opiate use. More comprehensive cognitive assessments are completed just before discharge for baseline comparison, and quality of recovery is assessed via telephone interview 7, 30, and 90 days post-surgery. The primary outcome is the incidence of delirium during the postoperative hospitalization period. Randomization is computer generated, with allocation concealment in opaque envelopes. All postoperative assessments are completed by blinded study personnel. Findings The study is actively recruiting with 19 patients having provided consent to date, and a total of 264 patients is required for study completion; therefore, no data analysis is currently under way ( www.clinicaltrials.gov ; NCT02230605). Implications To our knowledge, the Neurobics Trial is the first randomized, controlled study to investigate the effectiveness of a significant preoperative cognitive exercise regimen for the prevention of delirium after noncardiac, nonneurological surgery in elderly patients.
Tree species influence woodland canopy characteristics and crown fire potential

Abstract Differences in canopy structure and biomass of trees are due to evolved morphologies particular to each species, interactions with neighboring trees during stand development, and environmental constraints on growth. In this paper we examine, how foliage shape and size coupled with distribution within the canopy are important theoretical factors affecting crown fire rate of spread. To accomplish this, we sampled leaves and measured leaf area index within woodland canopies dominated by four tree species ( Juniperus ashei , Quercus buckleyi , Quercus fusiformis , and Quercus sinuata var. brevifolia ). We found that mean leaf mass per unit area ( LMA ) of the four species were significantly different affecting maximum estimated canopy mass ranging in value between 41.61 and 85.46 g m −2 for Q. buckleyi and J. ashei , respectively. We found no evidence that LMA was affected by whether a tree was grown with same species or different species indicating that this was an intrinsic, species character. Canopy mass, and therefore fuels, was calculated by multiplying LMA and leaf area index at different levels within the canopies. From this we found significant differences between the species measured, particularly Q. buckleyi and J. ashei ranging between 208.2 and 572.2 g m −2 and canopy bulk density ( CBD ) ranging between 15.21 and 26.06 g m −3 , respectively. Using a canopy fire behavior model, we found that all canopies could potentially sustain active crown fires based on recent average wind speeds (1997–2015); however a large range in critical wind speed values for these fires was found with J. ashei having the lowest value of 14.8 km h −1 and Q. buckleyi the highest, 44.4 km h −1 indicating importance of the dominance of different species in the canopy. Current management of these woodlands may be increasing dominance of J. ashei thereby impacting potential crown fire behavior.
Navigating Government Service as a Physician

Working in government can be a remarkable life experience for anyone but particularly for those who have trained in the worlds of medicine and public health. This article describes some lessons learned from a physician initially based in academic medicine and public health who has since spent more than a decade serving in leadership positions at the state and federal levels. Many of the described themes about policy making can guide health professionals who wish to understand and ultimately contribute to the public sector. Certainly, the challenges and risks are noteworthy. However, for those willing and able to take the leap, government service can offer extraordinary opportunities not only for tremendous personal growth but also for making broader contributions to public health.
New Concepts in Glucagon Physiology

A decreased renal clearance of glucagon contributes to the hyperglucagonemia of uremia and of starvation. Thus, hyperglucagonemia does not necessarily reflect altered glucagon secretion. Experimental hyperglucagonemia produced in normal human subjects by means of intravenous infusions of glucagon resulted in fleeting elevations of splanchnic glucose production and blood glucose level. No changes in glucose tolerance were noted, even though there was no compensatory hyperinsulinism. The IV administration of glucagon in physiologic doses to insulin-treated diabetic patients did not alter the level of blood glucose and ketone bodies, or the urinary excretion of glucose and nitrogen, but caused marked hyperglycemia in insulin-deprived juvenile diabetics. Prolonged infusions of somatostatin cause temporary hypoglycemia followed by hyperglycemia. The latter is due to suppression of insulin secretion and occurs despite the concomitant persistent suppression of glucagon. Thus, basal glucagon secretion is not essential for the development of fasting hyperglycemia in diabetes and hyperglucagonemia worsens the diabetic state only when insulin is not available. The results underscore the primary role of insulin deficiency rather than glucagon excess in the pathogenesis of diabetes and suggest that by further suppressing insulin secretion, somatostatin may worsen metabolic control in adult-onset diabetic patients.
Analysis of Lg spectral ratios from NTS explosions: Implications for the source mechanisms of spall and the generation of Lg waves

Spectral ratios between normal-depth and over-buried nuclear explosions are investigated for purposes of detecting the effects of spall on the amplitude spectra of regional seismic signals. Lg and Pg spectral ratios in the frequency band 0.2 to 2.0 Hz are found to correlate with the strength of spall for explosions on Yucca Flats. The Lg ratios are characterized by spectral scalloping and a pronounced null at 0.55 Hz. The spectral null does not shift in frequency for explosions with significantly different spall dwell times. This observation, and the fact that a corresponding null is absent in the spectral ratios of Pg waves, are strong evidence against an interference effect in the spall time function as the cause of the spectral null. We examine the effects of Green's function excitation and spall source mechanism for models in which a normal-depth explosion is assumed to be a linear superposition of a spherical source (monopole) and spall. A tensile crack model for spall cannot reproduce the salient features of the spectral ratios. The only linear, equivalent elastic model in general agreement with the observations is one where spall is represented by a compensated linear vector dipole (CLVD), and Lg is generated by near-source scattering of Rg waves into body waves, which become trapped in the crust. In this model, the Rg spectrum is imprinted onto the scattered P and S waves. A spectral null at 0.55 Hz is caused by an excitation null for Rg waves for a CLVD source buried in the upper 500 m of the crust. While monopole and spall sources can excite Lg waves directly, the results of this study suggest that scattering of large-amplitude Rg waves in the near field is the most important source of Lg waves with frequencies near 1 Hz for explosions on Yucca Flats. This model is discussed in light of several outstanding observations documented for regional discriminants using Lg waves.
Pattern-driven parallel I/O tuning

The contemporary parallel I/O software stack is complex due to a large number of configurations for tuning I/O performance. Without a proper configuration, I/O becomes a performance bottleneck. As high performance computing (HPC) is moving towards exascale, poor I/O performance has a significant impact on the runtime of large-scale simulations producing massive amounts of data. In this paper, we focus on developing a framework for tuning parallel I/O configurations automatically. This auto-tuning framework first traces high-level I/O accesses and analyzes data write patterns. Based on these patterns and historically available tuning parameters for similar patterns, the framework selects best performing configurations at runtime. If previous history for a pattern is unavailable, the framework initiates model-based training to acquire efficient set of tuning parameters. Our framework includes a runtime system to apply the selected configurations using dynamic linking, without the need for changing application source code. In this paper, we describe this framework and evaluate it using multiple I/O kernels extracted from real applications and demonstrate substantial I/O performance improvement.
On Growing, Old

Beginning from an examination of the cultural baggage and pejorative meaning attached to the word “old,” this article explores the dimensions of positive aging through the lens of the author’s blog, which was undertaken as both an example and an expression of her commitment to remaining an active participant in life as she ages. Following a discussion of the sometimes-disorienting transition to retirement, the article explores the theme of “Writing a Life,” addressing the value of being present, being engaged, and being responsible. This discussion leads to a consideration of the meaning and impact of approaching life’s end, “Finding My Place in the Cycle of Life,” which examines the (rightful) press of younger generations and the merits of ongoing attention to embracing aging and acknowledging death. The article closes with a discussion of the implications of these experiences and observations for psychotherapeutic practice.
A Comparison of Recovery Times from Exercise and Ischemic Dilations at Constant Pressure and Flow

SummaryRecovery times from exercise and ischemic dilation in gracilis muscle were compared during constant pressure (natural flow) and constant flow perfusion. Recovery times were longer at constant flow. This finding provides additional support for the metabolic hypothesis for the regulation of blood flow in skeletal muscle.The authors wish to thank Dr. Paul C. Johnson for suggesting this study.
Multiscale Modeling of Solidification

Computational modeling is now a well-established technique in solidification science. It has increasingly gained ground as a form of numerical experimentation as well as a predictive tool in casting processing. Modeling is not a stand-alone theoretical technique, as effective modeling is directly related to theory and physical experimentation.
The Use of Haptics to Predict Preclinic Operative Dentistry Performance and Perceptual Ability

The aim of this study was to test whether performance on a range of manual dexterity haptic simulator exercises was associated with preclinical operative dentistry examination and Perceptual Ability Test (PAT) scores. Thirty-nine first-year dental students were tested with three haptic exercises--straight line, circle, and mirror line--each performed twice. Haptic exercise outcomes for accuracy, time, and success rate were measured using commercially available computer software. Spearman correlation coefficients and Student's t-test were used to assess the results. PAT and exam scores were not significantly correlated. Significant correlations were observed between exam scores and both time and accuracy scores for the circle and mirror exams. These results suggest that haptic devices have a potential role in predicting performance in preclinical dental education. Further studies are warranted to develop and validate diagnostic testing strategies for dental students and to evaluate implementation of haptics in the dental teaching environment.
Acute septic complications in gastrointestinal emergencies.

SUMMARY Gastrointestinal emergencies associated with sepsis require early decisions concerning antimicrobial drugs. Empirical selection should not be random, but rather based on a reasonable assessment of the pathogenesis and microbiology. Most bacterial pathogens have predictable antimicrobial susceptibilities. Such knowledge can guide the initial therapy, to be modified by laboratory results in the form of culture reports and antibiotic testing.
When Good Randomness Goes Bad: Virtual Machine Reset Vulnerabilities and Hedging Deployed Cryptography.

Random number generators (RNGs) are consistently a weak link in the secure use of cryptography. Routine cryptographic operations such as encryption and signing can fail spectacularly given predictable or repeated randomness, even when using good long-lived key material. This has proved problematic in prior settings when RNG implementation bugs, poor design, or low-entropy sources have resulted in predictable randomness. We investigate a new way in which RNGs fail due to reuse of virtual machine (VM) snapshots. We exhibit such VM reset vulnerabilities in widely-used TLS clients and servers: the attacker takes advantage of (or forces) snapshot replay to compromise sessions or even expose a server’s DSA signing key. Our next contribution is a backwards-compatible framework for hedging routine cryptographic operations against bad randomness, thereby mitigating the damage due to randomness failures. We apply our framework to the OpenSSL library and experimentally confirm that it has little overhead.
Something to Compete with ‘Gunsmoke’: ‘The Big Picture’ Television series and selling a ‘modern, progressive and forward thinking’ Army to Cold War America

Airing from 1951 until 1971, ‘The Big Picture’ was the United States Army’s primary means of marketing itself to the U.S. public, particularly between the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Drawing for the first time on archival records concerning the show’s production, this paper documents how information officers sought to escape the stock-footage straightjacket embedded in the show’s origins and showcase an Atomic Age Army standing sentry at the Cold War’s ramparts. Ultimately, they fought dual losing battles against parsimonious budgets and public indifference, while their insistence on content control hampered potential exposure in more appealing prime-time entertainment programmes.
Good Instruction Is Motivating

Publisher Summary This chapter attempts to integrate just two sets of child outcomes that are central to teaching and learning—academic skills and achievement motivation. This chapter examines both of them, with particular attention to how well findings that suggest the value of particular classroom practices in one dimension support or contradict findings on the value of those same practices in the other dimension. It is natural for achievement motivation researchers to study the effects of educational practices on children's motivation and for subject matter specialists to study the effects of instructional practices on children's learning. The analyses described in this chapter represent a very modest attempt to look across two domains of development that are assumed to be related, motivation and learning. Another study suggests that instruction endorsed by early childhood education experts may promote kindergartners', and perhaps older children's, social-motivational development at the expense of basic academic skills. The early childhood study, in particular, illustrates the value of simultaneously examining the effects of different practices on different child outcomes to determine whether any trade-offs exist. This chapter concludes that in addition to knowing which instructional strategies promote positive outcomes on average, good teachers must know their own students well and adapt generally effective instructional approaches to meet the needs of particular children.
Epigenetic Regulation of the Thermogenic Adipose Program

In contrast to white adipose tissue (WAT), which stores energy in the form of triglycerides, brown adipose tissue (BAT) dissipates energy by producing heat to maintain body temperature by burning glucose and fatty acids in a process called adaptive thermogenesis. The presence of an inducible thermogenic adipose tissue, and its beneficial effects for maintaining body weight and glucose and lipid homeostasis, has raised intense interest in understanding the regulation of thermogenesis. Elucidating the regulatory mechanisms underlying the thermogenic adipose program may provide excellent targets for therapeutics against obesity and diabetes. Here we review recent research on the role of epigenetics in the thermogenic gene program, focusing on DNA methylation and histone modifications.
How Come the Best Job I Ever Had Was When I Worked at a Summer Camp?: Understanding Retention Among Camp Counselors

When attempting to discover a manner in which to maintain employment during the summer, many individuals have realized the job of camp counselor. What begins as a seasonal position may transform into a lifelong commitment to both person and place. For years, individuals have come to appreciate and understand the experiences that occur when approaching particular places. Data, for this study, was collected via in-depth interviews from twenty-four camp counselors from three separate, but similar camps. Phenomenological analysis on the qualitative data was performed to explore the staff retention amongst counselors. This study links sense of place as a salient component of employee retention among camp counselors. By developing a strong sense of community amongst staff, camp administrators may be promoting a deeper, more long-term, commitment among the staff and towards the camp.
Test-Retest Reliability of Traumatic Brain Injury Outcome Measures: A Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems Study.

Objective Evaluate the test-retest reliability of measures that comprise the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems follow-up data set. Participants A total of 224 persons with a moderate-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) enrolled in the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems National Database. Design Following standard administration of the follow-up interview, a second interview was administered 14 to 28 days later using the same interviewer and the same mode of administration. Main measures Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems follow-up interview that includes 66 variables comprised (a) single item measures of demographics; employment; general health as well as specific health conditions; rehospitalization; tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use; transportation; and mental health and (b) multi-item instruments: FIM; Participation Assessment With Recombined Tools-Objective; Disability Rating Scale; Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended; Supervision Rating Scale; Satisfaction With Life Scale; TBI Quality of Life Anxiety and Depression items; and The Ohio State University TBI Identification Method. Results Intraclass correlation coefficient values ranged from 0.65 to 0.99, weighted kappa values ranged from 0.54 to 0.99, and kappa values ranged from 0.43 to 1.00. Four kappa/weighted kappa estimates fell below 0.60: arrested, psychiatric hospitalization, number of days not in good physical health, and rating of general emotional health. Conclusions With few exceptions, good to excellent test-retest reliability estimates were obtained. The findings support the use of these measures in prior and future studies and indicate that persons with moderate-severe TBI can provide reliable self-report.
Sport as meaningful narratives

Though many scholars have made claims as to the nature of sport, this article argues that these claims tend to narrowly focus on modern ideas derived primarily from Western competitive sport. Thus,...