cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phenomenology of Massive Vectorlike Doublet Leptons

Massive vectorlike electroweak doublets are generic in many extensions of the standard model. Even though one member of the doublet is necessarily electrically charged these particles are not easily detected in collider experiments. The neutral and charged states within the doublet are split by electroweak symmetry breaking. In the absence of mixing with other states, the radiatively generated splitting is in the range 200{endash}350 MeV for m{approx_gt} (1) /(2) thinspm{sub Z} . The charged state decays to the neutral one with an O()>cm decay length, predominantly by emission of a soft charged pion. The best possibility to detect these massive charged particles is to trigger on hard initial state radiation and search for two associated soft charged pions with displaced vertices. The mass reach for this process at LEPII is limited by luminosity rather than kinematics. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
Basinwide response of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation to interannual wind forcing

An eddy-resolving Ocean general circulation model For the Earth Simulator (OFES) and a simple wind-driven two-layer model are used to investigate the role of momentum fluxes in driving the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) variability throughout the Atlantic basin from 1950 to 2010. Diagnostic analysis using the OFES results suggests that interior baroclinic Rossby waves and coastal topographic waves play essential roles in modulating the AMOC interannual variability. The proposed mechanisms are verified in the context of a simple two-layer model with realistic topography and only forced by surface wind. The topographic waves communicate high-latitude anomalies into lower latitudes and account for about 50% of the AMOC interannual variability in the subtropics. In addition, the large scale Rossby waves excited by wind forcing together with topographic waves set up coherent AMOC interannual variability patterns across the tropics and subtropics. The comparisons between the simple model and OFES results suggest that a large fraction of the AMOC interannual variability in the Atlantic basin can be explained by wind-driven dynamics.
Initial Single-Pill Blood Pressure-Lowering Therapy: Should It Be for Most People?

The importance of lowering blood pressure (BP) to reduce cardiovascular risk and progression of chronic kidney disease is well established. Furthermore, clinical trials that randomized various monotherapies to evaluate outcomes ultimately required an average of 2 or more medications to achieve BP
Understanding and Classifying Online Amputee Users on Reddit

Accessibility researchers have difficulty recruiting representative participants with disabilities given their scarcity. The rich information on social media provides accessibility researchers with a new approach to collecting data about these populations. Because social media is used by multiple stakeholders, a major barrier to this approach is differentiating representative users who have disabilities from unrepresentative users who do not. We (1) introduce an empirical study that compares representative users who are amputees with unrepresentative users in terms of linguistic behavior, online interaction, and community characteristics on Reddit and (2) develop a feature extraction method based on statistical analyses and graph mining to classify representative users. Those features allow us to detect amputees using a supervised learning method with an overall accuracy of 88% in amputee-related subreddits. Our findings improve our understanding of anonymous online users with physical disabilities, and can inform better tools for online data collection for accessibility researchers.
Malignancy Does not Affect Outcomes of Pharmacomechanical Thrombolysis in Acute Symptomatic Iliofemoral Deep Vein Thrombosis.

Background Cancer patients demonstrate increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE), VTE recurrence, and anticoagulation-associated bleeding. Pharmacomechanical thrombolysis (PMT) aand thrombectomy improves venous patency, venous valve function, and quality of life in patients with acute iliofemoral deep vein thrombosis (DVT). It remains unknown whether pharmacomechanical thrombolysis can be used safely in patients with active cancer. We hypothesized that perioperative and short-term outcomes of pharmacomechanical iliofemoral DVT thrombolysis would not differ between patients with cancer and those without cancer. Methods A retrospective chart review of consecutive patients with symptomatic iliofemoral DVT undergoing PMT by AngioJet Power Pulse spray and thrombectomy at a single tertiary care university institution between December 2013 and December 2016 was performed. Outcomes between patients with cancer and without cancer were compared. Results We identified 22 limbs in 18 consecutive patients: 6 patients (7 limbs) with cancer and 12 patients (15 limbs) without cancer. Between these groups, the mean age was 60.5 ± 4.3 vs. 53.8 ± 26.8 years, respectively (P = 0.5593), and females comprised 66.7% vs. 25.0%, respectively (P = 0.0878). No significant difference in inferior vena cava (IVC) involvement between the groups (57.1% vs. 53.3%, P = 0.8676) was noted. Grade II (50–94% lysis) and III (95% complete lysis) thrombus lysis with restoration of venous patency was achieved in both the groups. Overnight catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) was rarely used. Notably, stenting was more frequently employed in cancer patients than in those without cancer (57.1% vs. 13.3%, P = 0.0316). The mean duration of follow-up was 3.42 ± 4.41 months for the cancer group and 4.50 ± 2.43 months for the noncancer group (P = 0.5060). Overall outcomes were excellent as no patient in both the groups experienced recurrent DVT, major bleeding, or postthrombotic syndrome. There was no mortality associated with the endovascular thrombolysis procedures. Conclusions The results of our study suggest that the presence of malignancy does not affect short-term outcomes of endovascular thrombolytic therapy in symptomatic DVT. Further follow-up is needed to evaluate long-term outcomes.
Inflammasome independent leukotriene-b4 production drives crystalline silica induced sterile inflammation.

Silicosis is a lung inflammatory disease caused by chronic exposure to crystalline silica (CS). Leukotriene B4 (LTB4) plays an important role in neutrophilic inflammation, which drives silicosis and promotes lung cancer. In this study, we examined the mechanisms involved in CS-induced inflammatory pathways. Phagocytosis of CS particles is essential for the production of LTB4 and IL-1β in mouse macrophages, mast cells, and neutrophils. Phagosomes enclosing CS particles trigger the assembly of lipidosome in the cytoplasm, which is likely the primary source of CS-induced LTB4 production. Activation of the JNK pathway is essential for both CS-induced LTB4 and IL-1β production. Studies with bafilomycin-A1- and NLRP3-deficient mice revealed that LTB4 synthesis in the lipidosome is independent of inflammasome activation. Small interfering RNA knockdown and confocal microscopy studies showed that GTPases Rab5c, Rab40c along with JNK1 are essential for lipidosome formation and LTB4 production. BI-78D3, a JNK inhibitor, abrogated CS-induced neutrophilic inflammation in vivo in an air pouch model. These results highlight an inflammasome-independent and JNK activation-dependent lipidosome pathway as a regulator of LTB4 synthesis and CS-induced sterile inflammation.
Introduction to Synthesis of Elastomers

Polymerization and crosslinking reactions used for the synthesis of elastomers are reviewed. Step and chain polymerizations are characterized in terms of the reaction variables which must be controlled to obtain an elastomer. Radical and ionic chain polymerizations are discussed as well as the structural variations possible through copolymerization and stereoregularity
Neuropathology of synuclein aggregates.

Beginning with the isolation of the fragment of alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn) known as the non-Abeta component of amyloid plaques (NAC peptide) from Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains, alpha-syn has been increasingly implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, which now are classified as synucleinopathies. Indeed, unequivocal evidence linking abnormal alpha-syn to mechanisms of brain degeneration came from discoveries of missense mutations in the alpha-syn gene pathogenic for familial Parkinson's disease (PD) in rare kindreds. Shortly thereafter, alpha-syn was shown to be a major component of Lewy bodies (LBs) and Lewy neurites in sporadic PD, dementia with LBs (DLB) and the LB variant of AD. Also, studies of brains from patients with AD caused by genetic abnormalities demonstrated many alpha-syn positive LBs. Further, alpha-syn was implicated in the formation of the glial (GCIs) and neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions of multiple system atrophy, and the LBs, GCIs and neuraxonal spheroids of neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation type 1. Recently, two other members of the synuclein family, beta- and gamma-synuclein, have also been recognized to play a role in the pathogenesis of novel axonal lesions in PD and DLB. Evidence for a role of alpha-syn in the formation of filamentous aggregates was reinforced by in vitro studies showing aggregation and fibrillogenesis of mutant and wild type alpha-syn. Indeed, since the aggregation of brain proteins into presumptively toxic lesions is emerging as a common but poorly understood mechanistic theme in sporadic and hereditary neurodegenerative diseases, clarification of the mechanism of synuclein aggregation could augment efforts to develop novel and more effective therapies for many neurodegenerative disorders.
Simulated climate warming and mitochondrial haplogroup modulate testicular small non-coding RNA expression in the neotropical pseudoscorpion, Cordylochernes scorpioides

Recent theory suggests that tropical terrestrial arthropods are at significant risk from climate warming. Metabolic rate in such ectothermic species increases exponentially with environmental temperature, and a small temperature increase in a hot environment can therefore have a greater physiological impact than a large temperature increase in a cool environment. In two recent studies of the neotropical pseudoscorpion, Cordylochernes scorpioides, simulated climate warming significantly decreased survival, body size and level of sexual dimorphism. However, these effects were minor compared with catastrophic consequences for male fertility and female fecundity, identifying reproduction as the life stage most vulnerable to climate warming. Here, we examine the effects of chronic high-temperature exposure on epigenetic regulation in C. scorpioides in the context of naturally occurring variation in mitochondrial DNA. Epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, histone modifications and small non-coding RNA (sncRNA) expression, are particularly sensitive to environmental factors such as temperature, which can induce changes in epigenetic states and phenotypes that may be heritable across generations. Our results indicate that exposure of male pseudoscorpions to elevated temperature significantly altered the expression of >60 sncRNAs in testicular tissue, specifically microRNAs and piwi-interacting RNAs. Mitochondrial haplogroup was also a significant factor influencing both sncRNAs and mitochondrial gene expression. These findings demonstrate that chronic heat stress causes changes in epigenetic profiles that may account for reproductive dysfunction in C. scorpioides males. Moreover, through its effects on epigenetic regulation, mitochondrial DNA polymorphism may provide the potential for an adaptive evolutionary response to climate warming.
Simulating the Legislative Process with LegSim

The use of active learning pedagogies gives students a more applied experience and aids in the retention of material, improvement of critical thinking, and overall student satisfaction. Among these...
Cost-Efficiency of Breast Cancer Care in the US Military Health System: An Economic Evaluation in Direct and Purchased Care.

Introduction With the rising costs of cancer care, it is critical to evaluate the overall cost-efficiency of care in real-world settings. In the United States, breast cancer accounts for the largest portion of cancer care spending due to high incidence and prevalence. The purpose of this study is to assess the relationship between breast cancer costs in the first 6 months after diagnosis and clinical outcomes by care source (direct or purchased) in the universal-access US Military Health System (MHS). Materials and methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of data from the Department of Defense Central Cancer Registry and MHS Data Repository administrative records. The institutional review boards of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the Defense Health Agency reviewed and approved the data linkage. We used the linked data to identify women aged 40-64 who were diagnosed with pathologically-confirmed breast cancer between 2003 and 2007 with at least 1 year of follow-up through December 31, 2008. We identified cancer treatment from administrative data using relevant medical procedure and billing codes and extracted costs paid by the MHS for each claim. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models estimated hazards ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for recurrence or all-cause death as a function of breast cancer cost in tertiles. Results The median cost per patient (n = 2,490) for cancer care was $16,741 (interquartile range $9,268, $28,742) in the first 6 months after diagnosis. In direct care, women in the highest cost tertile had a lower risk for clinical outcomes compared to women in the lowest cost tertile (HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.35, 0.96). When outcomes were evaluated separately, there was a statistically significant inverse association between higher cost and risk of death (p-trend = 0.025) for women receiving direct care. These associations were not observed among women using purchased care or both care sources. Conclusions In the MHS, higher breast cancer costs in the first 6 months after diagnosis were associated with lower risk for clinical outcomes in direct care, but not in purchased care. Organizational, institutional, and provider-level factors may contribute to the observed differences by care source. Replication of our findings in breast and other tumor sites may have implications for informing cancer care financing and value-based reimbursement policy.
An analysis of altitude, citizen science and a convolutional neural network feedback loop on object detection in Unmanned Aerial Systems

Abstract Using automated processes to detect wildlife in uncontrolled outdoor imagery in the field of wildlife ecology is a challenging task. In imagery provided by Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), this is especially true where individuals are small and visually similar to background substrates. To address these challenges, this work presents an automated feedback loop which can operate on large scale imagery, such as UAS generated orthomosaics, to train convolutional neural networks (CNNs) with extremely unbalanced class sizes. This feedback loop was used to help train CNNs using imagery classified by both expert biologists and citizen scientists at the Wildlife@home project. Utilizing the feedback loop dramatically reduced population count error rates from previously published work: from +150% to −3.93% on citizen scientist training data and +88% to +5.24% on expert training data. The system developed was then utilized to investigate the effect of altitude on CNN predictions. The training dataset was split into three subsets depending on the altitude of the imagery (75 m, 100 m and 120 m). While the lowest altitude was shown to provide the best predictions of the three (+11.46%), the aggregate data set still provided the best results (−3.93%) indicating that there is greater benefit to be gained from a large data set at this scale, and there is potential benefit to having training data from multiple altitudes. This article is an extended version of “Detecting Wildlife in Unmanned Aerial Systems Imagery using Convolutional Neural Networks Trained with an Automated Feedback Loop” published in the proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Computational Science (ICCS 2018) [1] .
On Being Caught Enacting White Normativity.

AbstractWhen a predominantly white organization decides to take on white normativity, it is cause for hope. However, havoc ensues when well-intended folks are caught enacting white normativity. Tak...
What is the role of executive function in the school readiness of Latino students

Abstract The number of Latino students in the U.S. is growing, and more attention is being given to this population of learners. The current paper focuses on the school readiness of Latino children, many of whom come from homes where English is not the primary language — referred to as language minority (LM). Specific attention is given to the roles that English oral language skills and executive function (EF) – working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control – play in relation to academic and social and behavioral skills at kindergarten entry. Two specific research questions are addressed: (1) how English oral language skills and EF vary based on socioeconomic (SES) and LM status; and (2) if English oral language skills and EF serve as mediators in the relationships between SES and LM status and other school readiness skills. A subsample of over 4000 Latino children from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Kindergarten Class of 2010-11 is used. Key findings suggest: a negative impact of low-SES and LM households on English oral language skills; SES as a significant predictor of all three EF domains; EF and English oral language skills as significant predictors of academic skills at school entry – as well as mediators of the impact of SES; the impact of working memory to be especially pronounced for early academic skills; and inhibitory control to be a large predictor of social and behavioral skills at school entry.
Feminist Economist’s Reflections on Economic Development: Theories and Policy Debates

This chapter provides critical reflections from a gender lens on the economic development theories and the policy debates around the development trajectories undertaken by developing countries in the early eighties. It demonstrates that the pre-eminent theories of economic development are overwhelmingly androcentric or male-centered, in terms of the values they assert and the underlying premises upon which the theories are built. Since these models serve as framework for policymaking and analyses, their predictions and policy prescriptions also reflect male-centered predilections and biases. The chapter then introduces the gender dimensions of economic development processes, which have been largely neglected in economic models and theories. It highlights the contributions of gender scholars and feminist economists to the analysis of economic development and to contemporary policy debates around globalization and market liberalization. Finally, it presents a forward-looking agenda towards the development of a feminist theory of sustainable development. Such a development framework not only incorporates non-market activities and women’s experiences in its description of economic processes but also captures the underlying power relations including gender relations that underlie production, consumption and distributive processes. It also depicts the interdependence between human systems and ecological systems and the importance of accounting for the different impacts and outcomes for women and men.
SUR1-TRPM4 channels, not K ATP, mediate brain swelling following cerebral ischemia

Abstract Background Preclinical and emerging clinical data show that glibenclamide reduces space occupying edema and brain swelling following cerebral ischemia. Glibenclamide is a potent inhibitor of numerous sulfonylurea receptor (SUR)-regulated channels, including KATP (SUR1-KIR6.2, SUR2A-KIR6.2, SUR2B-KIR6.2, SUR2B-KIR6.1) and SUR1-TRPM4. Here, we used molecularly specific oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) to investigate the role of various SUR-regulated ion channel subunits in post-ischemic brain swelling. Methods Focal cerebral ischemia was induced in adult male rats by permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAo). We used this model to study the effects of antisense-ODNs (AS-ODNs) directed against Abcc8/SUR1, Trpm4/TRPM4, Kcnj8/KIR6.1 and Kcnj11/KIR6.2 on hemispheric swelling, with sense or scrambled ODNs used as controls. We used antibody-based Forster resonance energy transfer (immuno-FRET) and co-immunoprecipitation to study the co-assembly of SUR1-TRPM4 heteromers. Results In the combined control groups administered sense or scrambled ODNs, pMCAo resulted in uniformly large infarct volumes (mean ± SD: 57.4 ± 8.8 %; n = 34) at 24 h after onset of ischemia, with no effect of AS-ODNs on infarct size. In controls, hemispheric swelling was 23.9 ± 4.1 % (n = 34), and swelling was linearly related to infarct volume (P Conclusions Post-ischemic hemispheric swelling can be decoupled from infarct volume. SUR1-TRPM4 channels, not KATP, mediate post-ischemic brain swelling.
Alemtuzumab Precision Dosing in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Background Alemtuzumab is frequently used as part of reduced-intensity and reduced-toxicity conditioning regimens. High alemtuzumab levels at day 0 are associated with decreased rates of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) but increased rates of mixed chimerism, viral reactivation and delayed immune reconstitution. Prior studies performed at our center identified an ideal therapeutic range of 0.15-0.6 mcg/mL at day 0. We aimed to determine if precision dosing of alemtuzumab is feasible in the pediatric HCT setting. Methods Twelve patients with non-malignant diseases were enrolled. Alemtuzumab was dosed, and levels were checked per the schema in Figure 1. Pharmacokinetic modeling was performed on Day -5 to predict Day 0 levels. If patients were predicted to fall below 0.15 mcg/mL, simulations were performed, and a top-up dose of alemtuzumab was given on Day -3. Conditioning also included fludarabine 150 mg/m2 or 5 mg/kg if Results Observed alemtuzumab level was within predicted range for 6 (50%) patients, and 6 (50%) patients were within the ideal therapeutic range (Figure 2). This is double the percent of patients within the ideal therapeutic range with traditional dosing (Figure 3). Four patients received a top-up dose of alemtuzumab on day -3. One patient developed acute cholecystitis, and conditioning was halted after alemtuzumab. The patient was included in alemtuzumab level analysis but excluded from clinical outcomes. Ten (91%) patients engrafted on median day +12 (range 10-15). One (9%) patient had primary graft failure with autologous neutrophil recovery and was successfully re-transplanted 8 months later. There was one (9%) case of Grade II aGVHD. Six (55%) patients had full (>95%) donor chimerism at day +100. Four (36%) patients with day 0 alemtuzumab levels ranging from 0.35-1.12 mcg/mL developed mixed chimerism (lowest chimerism 29.6-78.7% prior to Day +100). Three of these received CD34+ cell boosts, and one went on to second transplant. All 11 patients are alive and well at a median of 16 months (range 10-24) follow-up. Conclusions Our results confirm the feasibility of successful alemtuzumab precision dosing in HCT. Further dose de-escalation is needed to target the majority of patients to the goal range, and additional myelosuppression may decrease the incidence of mixed chimerism.
Abstract TP153: Differences in Detection of Late Complications After Stroke in Young Stroke Survivors With Active Surveillance versus Usual Care

Background: Many stroke survivors develop late medical complications that impair function and return to pre-stroke responsibilities. Optimal strategies for detection of late complications after str...
Restoring Trust in Journalism: An Education Prescription:

The practice of journalism has long been based on the premise that a receptive audience awaits the content and that citizens—as participants in a democracy—will use the news to make sound decisions...
Twining plant inspired pneumatic soft robotic spiral gripper with a fiber optic twisting sensor

The field of soft robotics has been significantly advanced with the recent developments of pneumatic techniques, soft materials, and high-precision motion control. While comprehensive motions can be achieved by sophisticated soft robots, multiple coordinated pneumatic controls are usually required to achieve even the simplest motions. Furthermore, most soft robotics are lacking the ability to sense the environment and provide feedback to the pneumatic control system. In this work, we design a twining plant inspired soft-robotic spiral gripper that requires only one single pneumatic control to perform the twining motion and to firmly hold onto a target object. The soft-robotic spiral gripper has an embedded high-birefringence fiber optic twisting sensor to provide critical information, including twining angle, presence of external perturbation, and physical parameter of the target object. Furthermore, finite element analyses (FEA) in parametric studies of the spiral gripper are performed for module design optimization. The unique single pneumatic channel design enables easy manipulation of the soft spiral gripper with a maximum of 540° twining angle and allows a firm grip of a target object as small as 1-mm in diameter. The embedded fiber optic sensor provides useful information of the target object as well as the twining angle of the soft robotic spiral gripper with high twining angle sensitivity of 0.03nm. The unique fiber-optic sensor embedded single-channel pneumatic spiral gripper that is made from non-toxic silicone rubber allows parallel and soft gripping of elongated objects located in a confined area, which is an essential building block for twining and twisting motions in soft robot.
Privacy Challenges in Wireless Communications of the Internet of Things

Also known as the Internet of Things (IoT), the proliferation of connected objects offers unprecedented opportunities to consumers. From fitness trackers to medical assistants, through smarthome appliances, the IoT objects are evolving in a plethora of application fields. However, the benefits that they can bring to our society increase along with their privacy implications. Continuously communicating valuable information via wireless links such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, those connected devices support their owners within their activities. Most of the time emitted on open channels, and sometimes in the absence of encryption, those information are then easily accessible to any passive attacker in range. In this thesis, we explore two major privacy concerns resulting from the expansion of the IoT and its wireless communications: physical tracking and inference of users information. Based on two large datasets composed of radio signals from Bluetooth/BLE devices, we first defeat existing anti-tracking features prior to detail several privacy invasive applications. Relying on passive and active attacks, we also demonstrate that broadcasted messages contain cleartext information ranging from the devices technical characteristics to personal data of the users such as e-mail addresses and phone numbers. In a second time, we design practical countermeasures to address the identified privacy issues. In this direction, we provide recommendations to manufacturers, and propose an approach to verify the absence of flaws in the implementation of their protocols. Finally, to further illustrate the investigated privacy threats, we implement two demonstrators. As a result, Venom introduces a visual and experimental physical tracking system, while Himiko proposes a human interface allowing to infer information on IoT devices and their owners.
The Consumption of History in the Legal Academy: Science and Synthesis, Perils and Prospects, Review Essay

History is busting out all over the U.S. law school world. More than 513 law teachers in the 2010–11 AALS Directory of Law Teachers name legal history as a subject of interest, well above the mean number per subject (381 teachers), and far more than the median (201). Legal history is situated at the 74th percentile of teacher interest, between civil rights (603 teachers) and employment discrimination (457). Measured by expressed teacher interest, it is far and away the most heavily populated “theory and perspective” subject in the contemporary law school curriculum, outpolling law and social science (342 teachers), law and economics (294), law and literature (165), and critical race theory and feminist legal theory (86 and 60 respectively). Indeed, legal history outpolls major substantive law subjects such as criminal justice (429 teachers), labor law (369), antitrust (339), women and the law (287), and immigration law (231).1
Habitat selection by nesting Eared Grebes (Podiceps nigricollis) along Great Salt Lake, Utah

Eared Grebes (Podiceps nigricollis) are colonial-nesting waterbirds that use waterbodies along Great Salt Lake (GSL), Utah, during the breeding season. We examined the habitat characteristics of nesting colonies established by Eared Grebes, including water depth, invertebrate biomass density, vegetation species, vegetation cover, waterbody area, distance to shore, distance to nearest emergent vegetation, and distance to GSL. Samples and measurements were taken during the summer of 2018 from inside Eared Grebe nesting colonies, outside colonies but within the same waterbody, and unused waterbodies that did not contain colonies. We compared colonies sites to non-colonies sites that were within the same waterbody using logistic regression to build models and found no differences between them, suggesting that space for a colony is not lacking within a colony waterbody. Colony waterbodies differed from unused waterbodies (those not containing a colony) in having deeper water and higher percent cover of submerged aquatic vegetation. Results from Eared Grebe colonies around GSL were compared to colonies found in a literature review. Water depth in colonies around GSL were shallower than colonies located elsewhere. All of the colonies in this study were established on mats of submerged aquatic vegetation as opposed to colonies in other studies that were built on emergent vegetation. Wildlife biologists around GSL can manage for nesting Eared Grebes by maintaining a water depth (35–55 cm) that is conducive for submerged aquatic vegetation growth and high invertebrate densities. Climate change models predict that the American Southwest, which is already arid, will become drier in the future. When combined with increasing diversions of water for human uses, the waterbodies where Eared Grebes currently locate their colonies may become entirely dry or too shallow in the future to sustain them.
Decreased myelin content of the fornix predicts poorer memory performance beyond vascular risk, hippocampal volume, and fractional anisotropy in nondemented older adults.

Alterations to cerebral white matter tracts have been associated with cognitive decline in aging and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In particular, the fornix has been implicated as especially vulnerable given that it represents the primary outflow tract of the hippocampus. Despite this, little work has focused on the fornix using a potential early marker of white matter degeneration—myelin water fraction (MWF; an in vivo marker of myelin content). Therefore, we sought to (1) clarify associations between MWF in the fornix and memory functioning, and (2) examine whether fornix MWF relates to memory performance above and beyond hippocampal volume and conventional imaging measures of white matter that may not be as specific to alterations in myelin content. Forty nondemented older adults (mean age = 72.9 years) underwent an MRI exam and neuropsychological assessment. Multicomponent driven equilibrium single pulse observation of T1 and T2 (mcDESPOT) was used to quantify fornix MWF and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to measure fornix fractional anisotropy (FA). Adjusting for age, sex, education, and vascular risk factors, linear regression models revealed that, lower fornix MWF was significantly associated with poorer memory functioning (β = 0.405, p = .007) across our sample of older adults. Notably, fornix MWF remained a significant predictor of memory functioning (β = 0.380, p = .015) even after adjusting for fornix DTI FA and hippocampal volume (in addition to the above covariates). Given the observed associations between myelin and memory in older adults without dementia, MWF may be a useful early marker of dementia risk.
SU‐F‐BRD‐03: Evaluation of Head‐Neck IMPT Plans Quality Using a Knowledge Based Model

Purpose: To develop and evaluate a model that predicts the dose volume histogram (DVH) of head and neck IMPT plans based on knowledge of prior plans. Methods: Total of forty Head-Neck cancer patients underwent IMPT were used in the study. Using thirty patient CT, contours, IMPT treatment plans and calculated dose as input, significant factors that predicts the dose volume histogram (DVH) for organs at risks (OARs) including right/left parotid, oral cavity, esophagus, brain stem, larynx, and spinal cord were identified using principle component analysis (PCA) method. The model was then evaluated by comparing model predicted DVH for with planned DVH for ten additional IMPT plans. Results: Combined distance-to-target Histogram (DTH) Principal Components (PCs) were found to be the most important in the first principal component of parotids, oral cavity, and esophagus. The quality of the model prediction is correlated to the knowledge or quantities of the plans that model learned. For patients with tumor and OARs geometry deviates from the training data set, the predicted DVH may be inferior to the actual treatment plans. For patients with tumor and OARs geometry similar to the training data set, the model was able to predict the performance of the actual treatment plan. Conclusion: The quality of DVH prediction knowledge base model was investigated using head-neck plans. The results indicated that the performance of the model is dependent on the quality and quantity of the training data set. The prediction model may provide real time evaluations for plan optimization in complex patient geometries such as head and neck cancer with multiple dose levels. Supported by Research agreement with Varian Medical Systems.
Vascular endothelial growth factor enhances cancer cell adhesion to microvascular endothelium in vivo.

To investigate whether vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) enhances cancer cell adhesion to normal microvessels, we used in vivo video microscopy to measure adhesion rates of MDA-MB-435s human breast cancer cells and ErbB2-transformed mouse mammary carcinomas in the postcapillary venules of rat mesentery. An individual postcapillary venule in the mesentery was injected via a glass micropipette with cancer cells either in a perfusate of mammalian Ringer solution containing 1% bovine serum albumin as a control, or with the addition of 1 nm VEGF for test measurements. Cell adhesion was measured as either the number of adherent cells or the fluorescence intensity of adherent cells in a vessel segment for ∼60 min. Our results showed that during both control and VEGF treatments, the number of adherent cells increased almost linearly with time over 60 min. The VEGF treatment increased the adhesion rates of human tumour cells and mouse carcinomas 1.9-fold and 1.8-fold, respectively, over those in control conditions. We also measured cancer cell adhesion after pretreatment of cells with an antibody blocking VEGF or an antibody blocking α6 integrin, and pretreatment of the microvessel with VEGF receptor (KDR/Flk-1) inhibitor, SU1498, or anti-integrin extracellular matrix ligand antibody, anti-laminin-5. All antibodies and inhibitor significantly reduced adhesion, with anti-VEGF and SU1498 reducing it the most. Our results indicate that VEGF enhances cancer cell adhesion to the normal microvessel wall, and further suggest that VEGF and its receptor, KDR/Flk-1, as well as integrins of tumour cells and their ligands at the endothelium, contribute to mammary cancer cell adhesion to vascular endothelium in vivo.
From Operational to Denotational Semantics

In this paper operational equivalence of simple functional programs is defined, and certain basic theorems proved thereupon. These basic theorems include congruence, least fixed-point, an analogue to continuity, and fixed-point induction. We then show how any ordering on programs for which these theorems hold can be easily extended to give a fully abstract cpo for the language, giving evidence that any operational semantics with these basic theorems proven is complete with respect to a denotational semantics. Furthermore, the mathematical tools used in the paper are minimal, the techniques should be applicable to a wide class of languages, and all proofs are constructive.
Same sex, different cultures : gays and lesbians across cultures

* Introduction: Gays and Lesbians Across Cultures * Cultural Myths About Homosexuality * Same-Gender Relations in Nonwestern Cultures * Coming of Age and Coming Out Ceremonies Across Cultures * Sexual Lifeways and Homosexuality in Developing Countries * Lesbians, Gays, and Bisexuals in Contemporary Society * Conclusion: Culture and Empowerment in Sexual Minorities
Reply regarding thymic sail sign

Sir, I and my co-authors appreciate Dr. Han’s careful reading of our article on pitfalls of chest imaging in children [1] and his comments on visualization of the sail sign on chest radiographs in adults, which mainly represent fat tissue extending from the anterior mediastinum [2]. We are aware that thymic remnants may exist beyond the age of 8 years and are not usually identified on chest radiographs, although they can be visualized on chest CT, as we have encountered in our experience with children over this age. Our intent with the time frame of 8 years was to alert paediatric radiologists to the fact that widening of the anterior mediastinum (the thymus does not always manifest as a sail sign) on plain films in older children should not be assumed to be due to the normal thymus. Other causes should be investigated.
Novel Cholesteric Glassy Liquid Crystals Comprising Benzene Functionalized with Hybrid Chiral-Nematic Mesogens

With 4′-cyanobiphenyl-4-yl benzoate nematogens chemically bonded to a benzene core via enantiomeric 2-methylpropyl spacers, a new series of cholesteric glassy liquid crystals has been synthesized for an investigation of structure−property relationships. Glass-forming ability, phase-transition temperatures, and stability against crystallization are affected by both the number and the position of substituent groups on the benzene ring with 1,3,5-trisubstituted system possessing the most favorable set of properties, Tg at 73 °C and Tc at 295 °C. With (S)-3-bromo-2-methylpropanol as the chiral precursor, left-handed helical stacking was observed for all the cholesteric GLCs reported herein. Films of the 1,3,5-trisubstituted and meta-disubstituted systems show a selective reflection wavelength, λR, at 413 and 422 nm, respectively, whereas that of the ortho-isomer exhibits a λR at 860 nm. Replacing one of the hybrid chiral-nematic mesogen in the 1,3,5-trisubstituted system by a nematogen loosens the helical pit...
Spectral methods to distinguish ventricular fibrillation from artefact in implantable cardioverter-defibrillators.

Background Despite the proven benefit of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), inappropriate shocks remain a significant problem. Recent trends have shown an increased incidence of lead failure and an increased exposure of devices to extreme electromagnetic interference environments. Aims The goal of the current study is to evaluate the spectral characteristics of ventricular fibrillation (VF) detected in an ICD at time of defibrillation threshold testing and use of the findings to predict event types from a population of clinical VF and artefact events. Methods and results A modelling group was created from induced VF and artefact events at time of ICD implantation and DFT testing. Power spectral density evaluation was performed on each event and used to calculate an energy ratio (ER; the ratio of energy under the first three harmonics to the entire spectrum). The model was then applied to a database of clinical VF and artefact events to determine its sensitivity and specificity. The far-field ER of the modelling group was significantly larger for VF (0.888 ± 0.110) than artefact (0.265 ± 0.156, P 0.526, the far-field ER had a sensitivity of 100% [confidence interval (CI) 100–100%] and a specificity of 92.4% (CI 84.9–98.5%) to distinguish clinical VF from clinical artefact. Conclusion Far-field signal during VF detected by an ICD has a distinct spectral pattern that can distinguish VF from artefact.
Fordlandia: the rise and fall of Henry Ford's forgotten jungle city

The focus of Greg Grandin's Fordlandia is on the Ford Motor Company's unsuccessful effort to produce rubber profitably in the Amazon. The book highlights the environmental obstacles that made life ...
Expert radiation oncologist interpretations of involved-site radiation therapy guidelines in the management of Hodgkin lymphoma.

Purpose Recently, involved-site radiation therapy (ISRT) guidelines have been developed and published to replace the previous concept of involved-field radiation therapy for patients with lymphoma. However, these ISRT guidelines may be interpreted in different ways, posing difficulties for prospective clinical trials. This study reports survey results regarding interpretation of the ISRT guidelines. Methods and Materials Forty-four expert lymphoma radiation oncologists were asked to participate in a survey that included 7 different cases associated with 9 questions. The questions pertained to ISRT contouring and asked respondents to choose between 2 different answers (no “correct” answer) and a third write-in option allowed. Results Fifty-two percent of those surveyed responded to the questionnaire. Among those who responded, 72% have practiced for >10 years, 46% have treated >20 Hodgkin lymphoma cases annually, and 100% were familiar with the ISRT concept. Among the 9 questions associated with the 7 cases, 3 had concordance among the expert radiation oncologists of greater than 70%. Six of the questions had less than 70% concordance (range, 56%-67%). Conclusions Even among expert radiation oncologists, interpretation of ISRT guidelines is variable. Further guidance for ISRT field design will be needed to reduce variability among practicing physicians.
Commodity Price Cycles: The Perils of Mismanaging the Boom

Commodity-exporting countries have significantly benefited from the commodity price boom of recent years. At the current juncture, however, uncertain global economic prospects have raised questions about their vulnerability to a sharp fall in commodity prices and the policies that can shield it from such a shock. To address these questions, this paper takes a long term (4 decade) view at emerging markets’ commodity dependence, the history of commodity price busts and the role of policies in mitigating or amplifying their economic impact. The paper highlights the stark difference in trends between Latin America - one of the most vulnerable regions given its high, and rising, commodity dependence - and emerging Asia - which has evolved from being a net exporter to a net importer of commodities in the last 40 years. We find evidence, however, that while commodity dependence is an important ingredient, a country’s ultimate degree of vulnerability to commodity price shocks is to a great extent determined by the flexibility and quality of its policy framework. Policies in the run-up of sharp terms-of-trade drops - especially when those are preceded by booms - play a particularly important role. Limited exchange rate flexibility, a weak external position, and loose fiscal policy tend to amplify the negative effects of these shocks on domestic output. Financial dollarization also appears to act as a shock "amplifier."
R69-28 Dynamic Storage Allocation Systems

A primary objective of modern computer systems is to enable a user to program problems whose storage requirements may exceed the system's capacity, without imposing on him the intricate responsibilities of storage management. Thus, an essential service provided by these computer systems is automatic management of storage (termed "dynamic storage allocation"). There are two important aspects involved in implementing this service: the mechanisms by which it may be provided, and the policies for using the mechanisms. This paper classifies the dynamic storage allocation systems according to the possible ways in which they approach these two aspects.
A North Atlantic deep-water eddy in the Agulhas Current system

One hundred and twelve stations of CTDO2 and LADCP were collected in the Agulhas Current system as part of the Agulhas Undercurrent experiment (AUCE) in March 2003. Along an offshore section, at approximately 35.61S and 27.31E to the northwest of the tip of the Agulhas Plateau, an unusual feature was revealed between 2200 and 3500 m depth, imbedded in the northward moving NADW layer. An anomalously high salinity of 34.83, 0.03 saltier than the surrounding water, was observed. Maximums in the potential temperature and oxygen were also found, with isotherms dropping by about 250 m over 50 km and a doming of the oxygen layers. From the convex lens structure of the neutral surfaces, we conclude that we sampled an anticyclonic eddy of NADW. Since the LADCP data reveal deep velocities up to 20 cm s 1 , yet no anticyclonic circulation, whereas the geostrophic velocity referenced to the bottom shows a weak anticyclonic circulation, we inferred that we sampled the outer edge of the eddy and not its core. From an analysis of the water properties within the eddy and a comparison with known properties in the SE Atlantic Ocean and SW Indian Ocean, we conclude that the eddy was formed in the Agulhas Retroflection region. We speculate that the eddy was the result of an instability in the NADW slope current, which flows from the SE Atlantic around the Agulhas Bank. A deeply penetrating Agulhas Ring spun up the deep waters, pinching off an eddy, which later detached from the slope current and was carried southward. Once offshore, it coupled with the surface Agulhas Return Current, whose meandering path advected the eddy northeastward and ejected it over the Agulhas Plateau. r 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.