cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coleoptera Collected from Rotting Fishhook Barrel Cacti (Ferocactus wislizeni (Engelm.) Britton and Rose), with a Review of Nearctic Coleoptera Associated with Succulent Necrosis

Sixteen dead Ferocactus wislizeni (Engelm.) Britton & Rose (Cactaceae), known variously as fishhook barrel cactus, candy barrel cactus, or compass plant, were discovered in various states of decay near Portal, Arizona during July 2011. A survey of the Coleoptera in the rotting cacti resulted in the collection of 976 specimens representing 11 families and 35 species. Volume of cactus was significantly positively correlated with moisture content and moisture content was significantly positively correlated with species richness and abundance. Findings indicated that there may be three distinct successional stages—wet (saturated), moist, and dry—during cactus late decomposition. A review of literature listing species collected from decaying cacti and succulents is provided with updated nomenclature. Photographs and basic biological information are provided for 20 taxa of interest and relevant literature containing descriptions, keys, distributional data, and biological/life history data is reviewed.
Ultrastructural aspects of mouse cecal epithelium.

The ultrastructure of the cecal epithelium of the mouse resembles that of more distal parts of the colon. A brief discussion is presented of the possible significance of apical cytoplasmic granules to the glycocalyx and of the close association of microorganisms with the lining epithelium.
Playing in the park: what school-age children tell us about imagery.

The purpose of this exploratory study was to describe children's use of imagery before and after ambulatory surgery (AS). The study sample was a subset of 75 children (7–12 years) who were randomly assigned to the treatment group ( n = 38) from five AS settings in a larger study on the effectiveness of imagery after surgery. They listened to an audiotape of imagery before surgery, after surgery, and after discharge from AS. Imagery use was evaluated with the Imagery Assessment Questionnaire and a home diary. Imagery tapes were used significantly more times at home after surgery than before surgery. There were no significant changes in the children's Imagery Assessment Questionnaire scores at any time point. Children most often imagined going to the park when they used the tape.
Family Influences on Treatment Refusal in School-Linked Mental Health Services.

This study analyzed family influences on treatment refusal in school-linked mental health services (SLMHS). Specifically, it assessed whether levels of family cohesion, conflict, and organization were related to whether a family refused to initiate recommended treatment. Children (N = 133) referred for emotional and behavioral problems and their families participated. Results indicated that (1) family environment factors explained a significant amount of variance in treatment refusal after controlling for demographic factors, (2) families of children with predominantly internalizing symptoms were at greater risk for refusing treatment than families of children with predominantly externalizing symptoms, and (3) lower level of family cohesion was an individual risk factor for refusing treatment. Incorporating an evaluation of family environment within SLMHS assessments may aid in the identification of areas wherein intervention may be beneficial in preventing treatment refusal.
Gravitational contribution to the Casimir energy in Kaluza-Klein theories☆

Abstract The Casimir energy of the gravitational field in Kaluza-Klein theories is investigated. The mathematical techniques needed to compute the contribution of a single graviton loop to the quantum effective potential on a background manifold of (Minkowski space) ⊗ ( N -sphere) are developed. In these computations the cosmological constant plays a dynamical role, acting like a mass for the graviton. The numerical work for the case N = 1 is done explicitly, and a solution to the one-loop corrected equations of motion is found, although it is not stable. The possibility of an imaginary part to the effective potential for N > 1 is noted, and its existence is attributed to tachyonic terms in the mode sum.
Causes of mortality and unintentional poisoning in predatory and scavenging birds in California.

Objectives: We documented causes of mortality in an opportunistic sample of golden eagles, turkey vultures and common ravens, and assessed exposure to several contaminants that have been found in carrion and common prey for these species. Methods: Dead birds were submitted for testing through wildlife rehabilitation centres and a network of wildlife biologists in California from 2007 to 2009. Results: The leading causes of mortality in this study were collision-related trauma (63 per cent), lead intoxication (17 per cent) and anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning (8 per cent). Elevated liver lead concentration (≥2 µg/g) and bone lead concentration (>6 µg/g) were detected in 25 and 49 per cent of birds tested, respectively. Approximately 84 per cent of birds tested had detectable rodenticide residues. The majority of rodenticide exposure occurred in peri-urban areas, suggesting that retail sale and use of commensal rodent baits, particularly in residential and semi-residential areas in California, may provide a pathway of exposure. Conclusions: Monitoring anthropogenic causes of mortality in predatory and scavenging bird species provides important data needed to inform on mitigation and regulatory efforts aimed at reducing threats to these populations.
Role of Microbiology in Epidemiology: Before and Beyond 2000

Sustained attention to the epidemiology of classic and emerging infectious diseases is justified elsewhere in this issue (1) because, despite dazzling progress, infection will remain a major if not the leading cause of human mortality worldwide for the foreseeable future. As the handmaiden of infectious disease epidemiology, the science of microbiology has been educating us for decades about the ingenious microbial strategies that account for that epidemiologic reality. Her older lessons are worth reviewing in this millenial perspective on epidemiology because they involve not only the biologically critical exploration of the microbe-human interface but also the intellectually critical discovery of disease causation. There are also new lessons with equally wide ramifications. Insight into the behavior of transmissible, self-replicating biologic agents influences all of epidemiology, not just the domain of infectious diseases; microbiology imparts its wisdom about all disease in populations.
The many roles of c-Myc in apoptosis

The proto-oncogene c-myc encodes a transcription factor c-Myc, which is of great importance in controlling cell growth and vitality. The quantity of c-Myc is carefully controlled by many mechanisms, and its actions to induce and repress genes are modulated by interactions with other regulatory proteins. Understanding the kinetic and quantitative relationships that determine how and what genes c-Myc regulates is essential to understanding how Myc is involved in apoptosis. Reduction of c-myc expression and its inappropriate expression can be associated with cellular apoptosis. This review outlines the nature and regulation of the c-myc gene and of c-Myc and presents the systems and conditions in which Myc-related apoptotic events occur. Hypotheses of the mechanisms by which expression and repression of c-myc lead to apoptosis are discussed.
Clinical challenges and unmet needs in the management of complicated intra-abdominal infections.

ABSTRACT Background: Management of complicated intra-abdominal infections involves invasive procedures for control of the source of the infection and antimicrobial therapy directed against gram-negative and anaerobic pathogens. Application of these management principles to the individual patient is essential to optimize the patient's chances for recovery, while also avoiding unnecessary therapy that may have no clinical benefits, or that may carry risk. Methods: Based on a review of the literature, treatment guidelines, and expert opinion, the challenges of managing patients with complicated intra-abdominal infections are summarized using a patient stratification approach: “Lower risk” of treatment failure and death vs. “higher risk.” Results: Risk factors for treatment failure and death can be grouped into several categories, including the patient's pre-existing medical comorbidities and physiological response to the infection, the extent of the intra-abdominal infection, and the presence of specific pat...
The Hybrid Repair of a Penetrating Ulcer in a Patient With a Bovine Arch; Debranching Followed by Endovascular Stent Placement:

Aortic arch disease has conventionally been a subject for open surgical repair, which may require circulatory arrest, accompanied by a long perfusion and extended cross-clamp time. A 2-stage approach utilizing an elephant trunk procedure followed by a descending aortic replacement, or utilizing a frozen elephant trunk with endovascular extension is not well tolerated by multimorbid patients. On the other hand, the endovascular repair of an aortic arch disease is limited by aortic branching. Hybrid repair consists of revascularization of arch vessels followed by endovascular stenting.
Diversity in K-12 initiatives to attract a diverse pool of engineering students

Faculty and students at Clarkson University have developed a 10-week unit for middle school students to increase their awareness and aptitude for engineering. The unit, entitled "engineering for the environment", challenges students to reduce solid waste from their community by reusing the waste in the form of a valuable material. Science, engineering and math are integrated to help students learn to transform biodegradable materials into compost and to incorporate non-biodegradable materials as an aggregate in concrete. This unit shows young students that there is a wide diversity in the nature of work done by engineers, and that engineers can indeed help the environment and society - messages that are particularly important for young girls. The engineering for the environment curriculum is incorporated into project lead the way's middle school curriculum to balance existing units that focus on mechanical and electrical aspects of engineering.
Comparison of the Sensitivities of the Newer Detection Systems for Hepatitis B Antigen

Hemagglutination inhibition (HAI), reverse passive hemagglutination (RPH), and modifications of the radioimmunoassay (RIA) recently have been developed and proposed as sensitive screening tests for hepatitis B antigen, potentially capable of reducing the hepatitis risk of the nation's blood resource. In order to compare these newer tests with older methods (complement fixation, counterelectrophoresis), a multicenter collaborative study by laboratories active in developing hepatitis B antigen assays was undertaken to evaluate the tests' sensitivity and reproducibility in detecting HB Ag subtypes ad and ay. Virtually all modifications of the RIA for HB Ag appeared more sensitive than counterelectrophoresis, complement fixation, and HAI for the detection of HB Ag subtype ad, and, to a lesser extent, HB Ag subtype ay. RPH, a technic convenient for use in blood banks, most closely rivaled the RIA in sensitivity. Nevertheless, a lack of sufficient sensitivity by all methods evaluated in this study (including RIA) was inferred to be a major reason why their use cannot be expected to eliminate all posttransfusion type B hepatitis. Only controlled clinical studies with careful follow-up of patients can establish the effectiveness of new methods for detecting hepatitis B antigen and define the extent to which they result in an actual reduction in the incidence of hepatitis following blood transfusion.
Paraganglioma of the endolarynx: a rare tumor in an uncommon location

Background Less than 80 reported cases of paragangliomas of the larynx are reported in the literature. A role for external beam radiation in this disease has not yet been explored. We present four cases of laryngeal paragangliomas treated at a large tertiary-care cancer center over a 35-year period.
Cervical Cancer With Cardiac Metastasis

A 48-year-old woman presented with fatigue and vaginal spotting and was subsequently diagnosed with squamous cell cancer of the cervix. Computed tomography and positron emission tomography scans suggested widespread disease including possible involvement of the right ventricle. A 2D echocardiogram with Doppler showed a large right ventricular mass obstructing the tricuspid valve inflow. This report demonstrates the use of echocardiography and Doppler ultrasound in the diagnosis of a rare case of cardiac metastasis from cervical cancer.
Comparison of Growth Morphology in Ge (001) Homoepitaxy Using Pulsed Laser Deposition and MBE

Differences in the homoepitaxy of Ge(001) are explored using a dual MBE/PLD deposition system. With identical substrate preparation, temperature calibration, background pressure and analysis, the system provides a unique comparison of the processes arising only from kinetic differences in the flux and at the surface. All films show mounded growth. At substrate temperatures below 200oC, PLD films are smoother than MBE films, whereas they are similar at higher temperatures.
Understanding Care Coordination for Chronically ill Patients

Care coordination is important for chronically ill patients who need assistance from a variety of care professionals, and often transition through different care settings. This paper provides an ov...
Circulants and the Characterization of Vertex-Transitive Graphs.

In this paper, we extend the notion of a circulant to a broader class of vertex.transitive graphs, which we call multidimensional circulants. This new class of graphs is shown to consist precisely of those vertextransitive graphs with an automorphism group containing a regular abelian subgroup. The result is proved using a theorem of Sabidussi which shows how to recover any vertex-transitive graph from any transitive subgroup of its automorphism group. The approach also allows a short proof of Turner's theorem that every vertex-transitive graph on a prime number of nodes is a circulant.
Parametric study of the effect of phase anisotropy on the micromechanical behaviour of dentin-adhesive interfaces.

A finite element (FE) model has been developed based upon the recently measured micro-scale morphological, chemical and mechanical properties of dentin–adhesive (d–a) interfaces using confocal Raman microspectroscopy and scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM). The results computed from this FE model indicated that the stress distributions and concentrations are affected by the micro-scale elastic properties of various phases composing the d–a interface. However, these computations were performed assuming isotropic material properties for the d–a interface. The d–a interface components, such as the peritubular and intertubular dentin, the partially demineralized dentin and the so-called ‘hybrid layer’ adhesive-collagen composite, are probably anisotropic. In this paper, the FE model is extended to account for the probable anisotropic properties of these d–a interface phases. A parametric study is performed to study the effect of anisotropy on the micromechanical stress distributions in the hybrid layer and the peritubular dentin phases of the d–a interface. It is found that the anisotropy of the phases affects the region and extent of stress concentration as well as the location of the maximum stress concentrations. Thus, the anisotropy of the phases could effect the probable location of failure initiation, whether in the peritubular region or in the hybrid layer.
Lower crustal reflections in central Virginia, USA

Summary. Vibroseis reflection data across the Blue Ridge and Piedmont provinces in Virginia, acquired in 1981 by the United States Geological Survey, have been reprocessed at Virginia Tech. The 12-fold, 14–56 Hz vibrator data were originally 8 s in length, but were extended to 14 s during correlation. Interpretation of the data was further improved by using a well-defined crustal velocity model derived by previous workers from earthquake and blast analyses in the area. Low reflectivity areas on the seismic section are interpreted to represent Grenville-aged crust on the section, in contrast to highly reflective allochthonous units. These regions of reflectivity allow for mapping of the gross crustal structure. Strong, subhorizontal arrivals at 9 to 12 s in the reflection data are interpreted to be from lower crustal layering just above the Mohorovicic Discontinuity (Moho) defined by earlier refraction work. This layering may be reflective only beneath regions of deformed crust and not at the base of the undisturbed craton. The depth to these reflectors is approximately 35 km beneath Richmond, Virginia and increases gently westward until the reflections disappear beneath the Blue Ridge Mountains about 70 km west of Richmond. These thicknesses are in agreement with earlier refraction work which also indicated greater Moho depths to the west. A rethickening of the crust near the Atlantic coast is also interpreted from the refraction data but is not evident on the reflection line, probably due to an acquisition or energy penetration problem. The deep reflections consist of a subhorizontally layered package about 5 km in thickness, thinning slightly toward the craton. Their base coincides with the crust-mantle boundary determined from refraction data, indicating that the reflections lie within the lower crust. Lower crustal reflections were not recorded west of the Piedmont on the multichannel data. PmP arrivals recorded by earlier workers from beneath the Blue Ridge, however, are consistent with a Moho reflector about 8 km shallower than indicated by the refraction data. If the crust-mantle boundary is a second-order discontinuity (smooth transition zone) there, the PmP arrivals may have been reflected from near the upper boundary of the transition zone and the refracted waves may have travelled along the base. The discrepancy in depths may therefore be a measure of the transition zone thickness.
A novel mechanism for protein-assisted group I intron splicing.

Previously it was shown that the Aspergillus nidulans (A.n.) mitochondrial COB intron maturase, I-Ani I, facilitates splicing of the COB intron in vitro. In this study, we apply kinetic analysis of binding and splicing along with RNA deletion analysis to gain insight into the mechanism of I-Ani I facilitated splicing. Our results are consistent with I-Ani I and A.n. COB pre-RNA forming a specific but labile encounter complex that is resolved into the native, splicingcompetent complex. Significantly, kinetic analysis of splicing shows that the resolution step is rate limiting for splicing. RNA deletion studies show that I-Ani I requires most of the A.n. COB intron for binding suggesting that the integrity of the I-Ani I-binding site depends on overall RNA tertiary structure. These results, taken together with the observation that A.n. COB intron lacks significant stable tertiary structure in the absence of protein, support a model in which I-Ani I preassociates with an unfolded COB intron via a “labile” interaction that facilitates correct folding of the intron catalytic core, perhaps by resolving misfolded RNAs or narrowing the number of conformations sampled by the intron during its search for native structure. The active intron conformation is then “locked in” by specific binding of I-Ani I to its intron interaction site.
Energy Management for a Power-Split Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle Based on Dynamic Programming and Neural Networks

This paper focuses on building an efficient, online, and intelligent energy management controller to improve the fuel economy of a power-split plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). Based on a detailed powertrain analysis, the battery current can be optimized to improve the fuel economy using dynamic programming (DP). Three types of drive cycles, i.e., highway, urban, and urban (congested), are classified, and six typical drive cycles are analyzed and simulated to study all the driving conditions. The online intelligent energy management controller is built, which consists of two neural network (NN) modules that are trained based on the optimized results obtained by DP methods, considering the trip length and duration. Based on whether the trip length and duration are known or unknown, the controller will choose the corresponding NN module to output the effective battery current commands to realize the energy management. Numerical simulation shows that the proposed controller can improve the fuel economy of the vehicle.
Cohort Analysis of Survey Data: A Procedure for Studying Long-term Opinion Change

Two or more surveys taken a number of years apart may show a trend in opinion or at least a major change. However, such a change may be due to a shift in opinion among the members of a population, a change in the composition of the population itself, or a combination of these two types of change. An attempt to disentangle the two types of change is presented in the following article. The author is Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at Columbia University. This study is related not only to the development of panel procedures at Columbia but also to the author's studies of the engineering, legal, and other professions.
Solid-State Microwave Amplifiers

The maser and the parametric amplider form a new class of microwave amplifiers which can exploit the properties of bound electrons in a solid. These amplifiers have several common characteristics, among them being their very low-noise performance. This paper reviews the method of operation of these amplifiers, discusses the performance achieved and achievable by the various versions, and points up some of the difficulties involved in effectively utilizing the extremely low-noise figures obtainable. A bibliography is included in which an attempt has been made to include all published papers on masers and parametric amplifiers.
A New Species of Cybianthus (Myrsinaceae) from Tobago and Venezuela

Abstract. Cybianthus pittierianus Pipoly & Ricketson (Myrsinaceae) is described from Tobago, and its taxonomic relationships are discussed. This species is often confused with C. rostratus (Hassk.) G. Agostini owing to its free portions of the filaments being longer than the anthers, and leaves with similar elliptic shapes and with petioles less than 1.2 cm. However, C. pittierianus is easily distinguished from C. rostratus by the former's leaf blade apices abruptly acute to short-acuminate (vs. long-acuminate to caudate), with secondary veins in 18 to 24 pairs (vs. 28 to 32 pairs), corollas 2.4–3 mm (vs. 2.1–2.5 mm), and corolla lobes chartaceous (vs. carnose) and adaxially glabrous (vs. densely glandular-granulose). Cybianthus pittierianus is known from the Coastal Cordillera of Venezuela and Tobago, in cloud forests on potassium- and magnesium-rich but nitrogen- and organically poor soils over metamorphic gneiss or schist rocks.
Trafficking of intracellular folates

The role of metabolic compartmentation in spatially organizing metabolic enzymes into pathways, regulating flux through metabolic pathways, and controlling the partitioning of metabolic intermediates among pathways is appreciated, but our understanding of the mechanisms that establish metabolic architecture and mediate communication and regulation among interconnected metabolic pathways and networks is still incomplete. This review discusses recent advancements in our understanding of metabolic compartmentation within the pathways that constitute the folate-mediated one-carbon metabolic network and emerging evidence for a need to regulate the trafficking of folates among compartmentalized metabolic pathways.
U.S.-Mexican energy relationships : realities and prospects

The idea for the conference grew out of a concern that, although much was being written to describe the new Mexican petroleum reserves and their potential for adding to US and global supplies, fostering Mexican economic development, and influencing bilateral US and Mexican foreign policy, no attempt was being made to make an authoritative and comprehensive statement on the realities of the situation. Nevertheless, policy was being made and decisions formulated on the basis of existing information. Thus, to fill this hiatus, the idea emerged of a conference as a forum in which a number of recognized experts from Mexico and the United States would gather to present papers and prepared comments as well as to discuss in depth the ideas and issues related to oil. This book makes the resulting information available for policymakers, scholars, and the interested public. Separate abstracts have been prepared for each chapter for inclusion in the Energy Data Base. (DMC)
Numerical Study of Convection Observed during the Winter Monsoon Experiment Using a Mesoscale Two-Dimensional Model

Abstract A two-dimensional version of the Pennsylvania State University mesoscale model has been applied to Winter Monsoon Experiment data in order to simulate the diurnally occurring convection observed over the South China Sea. The domain includes a representation of part of Borneo as well as the sea so that the model can simulate the initiation of convection. Also included in the model are parameterizations of mesoscale ice phase and moisture processes and longwave and shortwave radiation with a diurnal cycle. This allows use of the model to test the relative importance of various heating mechanisms to the stratiform cloud deck, which typically occupies several hundred kilometers of the domain. Frank and Cohen's cumulus parameterization scheme is employed to represent vital unresolved vertical transports in the convective area. The major conclusions are: Ice phase processes are important in determining the level of maximum large-scale heating and vertical motion because there is a strong anvil componen...
Characterization of a Novel Human-Specific STING Agonist that Elicits Antiviral Activity Against Emerging Alphaviruses

Pharmacologic stimulation of innate immune processes represents an attractive strategy to achieve multiple therapeutic outcomes including inhibition of virus replication, boosting antitumor immunity, and enhancing vaccine immunogenicity. In light of this we sought to identify small molecules capable of activating the type I interferon (IFN) response by way of the transcription factor IFN regulatory factor 3 (IRF3). A high throughput in vitro screen yielded 4-(2-chloro-6-fluorobenzyl)-N-(furan-2-ylmethyl)-3-oxo-3,4-dihydro-2H-benzo[b][1,4]thiazine-6-carboxamide (referred to herein as G10), which was found to trigger IRF3/IFN-associated transcription in human fibroblasts. Further examination of the cellular response to this molecule revealed expression of multiple IRF3-dependent antiviral effector genes as well as type I and III IFN subtypes. This led to the establishment of a cellular state that prevented replication of emerging Alphavirus species including Chikungunya virus, Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis virus, and Sindbis virus. To define cellular proteins essential to elicitation of the antiviral activity by the compound we employed a reverse genetics approach that utilized genome editing via CRISPR/Cas9 technology. This allowed the identification of IRF3, the IRF3-activating adaptor molecule STING, and the IFN-associated transcription factor STAT1 as required for observed gene induction and antiviral effects. Biochemical analysis indicates that G10 does not bind to STING directly, however. Thus the compound may represent the first synthetic small molecule characterized as an indirect activator of human STING-dependent phenotypes. In vivo stimulation of STING-dependent activity by an unrelated small molecule in a mouse model of Chikungunya virus infection blocked viremia demonstrating that pharmacologic activation of this signaling pathway may represent a feasible strategy for combating emerging Alphaviruses.
Local adaptation in an estuarine foundation species: Implications for restoration

Abstract Understanding the extent of local adaptation is critical for conservation and restoration planning in an era of environmental change. Adaptive differentiation among populations may mediate a species' response to environmental stress, yet these evolutionary processes are seldom studied in marine systems. We used native Olympia oysters (Ostrea lurida) as a model organism for studying local adaptation with applications to marine restoration. We tested whether populations of oysters in California estuaries are locally adapted to their home sites and to stressful low salinity events, which are predicted to increase in frequency with climate change. We spawned oysters from three sites in San Francisco Bay and raised their offspring under common laboratory conditions. These oysters were then reciprocally transplanted among the three field sites. At two of the three sites, oysters of local origin tended to survive better than those from other populations, suggesting that local adaptation may occur even within a single estuary. In a subsequent experiment, we raised oysters from two sites in San Francisco Bay and one site in Tomales Bay through two generations under common conditions and then subjected these oysters to a low salinity challenge in the laboratory. Oysters with the highest survival originated from the site with the lowest field salinity, suggesting that natural selection may favor stress tolerant phenotypes in certain regions. As interest grows in restoring heavily impacted native species, our results indicate that considering local adaptation may be essential to deciding how and where to conserve and restore species faced with changing conditions.
Examining how regulation enforcement impacts firm self-regulation activities

The current research explores how surveillance-based regulatory programs contribute to firm self-regulation activities. Examining product recalls in the U.S automobile industry from 1966-2010 revea...
Laboratory Techniques for Rearing the Sugarcane Borer on an Artificial Diet

The sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.), has been reared in the labaratory on a small scale with a variety of techniques. Pan and Long (1961) reared larvae of this species aseptically on autoclaved sugarcane tops and on artificial diets modeled after those used by Beck (1950) and Ishii (1956) for rearing the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner), and the Asiatic rice borer, Chilo suppressalis (Walker), respectively. Isa compared development of sugarcane borer larvae reared on corn, sugarcane, and artificial diets, and found that those reared on corn were larger and developed more quickly than specimens reared on sugarcane or artificial diets. Wongsiri and Randolph (1962) obtained more than 80% survival of sugarcane borer larvae reared on an artificial diet similar to that developed by Adkisson et al. (1960) for rearing the pink bollworm, Pectinophora Gossypiella (Saunders).
LOW FLOW, LOW GRADIENT AORTIC STENOSIS IN THE CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION LAB

Low-Flow, Low-Gradient (LF, LG) aortic stenosis (AS) is diagnosed based on a high degree of suspicion and can be confirmed non-invasively by low dose Dobutamine echocardiography (echo). Invasive hemodynamic study of the aortic valve may be necessary in certain circumstances. 82 year old man
Evaluation of Iodine Deficiency Disorders Status in 10 Counties of Jiangsu Province,China

Objective To assess the iodine deficiency disorder(IDD)status in 10 counties of Jiangsu Provinc Methods IDD status was self-evaluated by each of ten county authorities in 1997,and a special verification survey was conducted in 1997-1998 by a provincial multisectoral team Results Regular monitoring of counties indicated that the goiter rate in schoolchildren had progressively decreased from 41 9% in 1983 to 3 9% in 1997,while the median urinary iodine concentrations of the population had remained above 100 μg/L since 1985 More than 90% of the edible salt supplied to households had been iodized at≥20 mg I/kg during the previous five years The data obtained by the provincial verification confirmed the county findings of≥90% adequate iodized salt in households, 5% goiter rate,and adequate urinary iodine excretions in schoolchildren Conclusions The established mechanisms for salt iodization and supply and iodine information management is potentially sustainable The high variability of the iodine content of household salt indicates that improved quality assurance of iodized salt at production and continued monitoring of population iodine indicators are needed
Diaphragm Use and Urinary Tract Infections: Analysis of Urodynamic and Microbiological Factors

AbstractTo investigate how diaphragm use predisposes to urinary tract infection we studied 22 women who experienced 1 or more urinary tract infections while using a diaphragm and 21 who used a diaphragm and did not have a urinary tract infection. For women with and without a prior urinary tract infection the mean peak urine flow rate was significantly less with than without a diaphragm. However, the mean decrease in peak urine flow rate with a diaphragm was not significantly greater for women with a prior urinary tract infection. There also was no significant increase in time to peak flow with the diaphragm in place. Women who reported a sensation of obstruction to voiding with a diaphragm demonstrated a significant decrease in peak urine flow rate and this finding was particularly apparent in those with a history of urinary tract infection in whom the peak urine flow rate decreased by an average of 10.0ml. per second.Current users of a diaphragm with a history of urinary tract infection had heavier growt...
Pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum: Surgical approach based on ventricular size and coronary anatomy

Pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum has continued to have a high surgical mortality. This may relate to the nonuniformity of the anomaly. We have developed a management algorithm based on the right ventricular size and coronary anatomy. Patients with a well-developed ventricle and normal coronary arteries have undergone right ventricular outflow procedures. The adequacy of their right ventricles is subsequently evaluated; some patients are candidates for a four-chamber repair, whereas others are candidates for a Fontan procedure. Patients with severe hypoplasia of the right ventricle frequently have extensive ventriculo-coronary connections, and for these patients we have developed the technique of right ventricular obliteration. Over the past 7 years, we have treated 20 patients with pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum. Fourteen of the 20 patients underwent outflow tract procedures, with no operative mortality. There were two late deaths in this group. Six patients had hypoplasia of the ventricle with ventriculo-coronary connections and underwent right ventricular obliteration. There was one operative death and one late death in the group. Overall, 95% survived the neonatal period, and 80% were still alive at the time this article was written with an average follow-up of 32 months. We conclude that pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum can be successfully managed with the use of an algorithm based on ventricular size and coronary anatomy.
The Utility and Grid of the Future: Challenges, Needs, and Trends

The electric utility industry is evolving at a pace that is reminiscent of the transformations that occurred at the beginning of the 20th century. This evolution is driven by various factors, mainly by the emergence of distributed energy resources (DER s) to satisfy societal concerns regarding the utilization of renewable energies and reduction of greenhouse emissions as well as the introduction of a plethora of new communications, control, automation and power electronics technologies and solutions. The latter have emerged as a consequence of the unprecedented growth of computing power and are enabling the long pursued objective of end-to-end real-time system awareness and operation, covering generation, transmission, and distribution systems as well as the grid edge.
Individual and Institutional Predictors of Faculty Mentoring Undergraduate Researchers: Findings from a Multi-Institutional Research Collaboration

Undergraduate research is an experience that cultivates creative and intentional learners in and out of the classroom. Using unique data from an online survey of faculty members at three diverse colleges and universities, we investigate the individual and institutional factors that facilitate or inhibit faculty membersA¢â¬â¢ willingness to provide undergraduates with research opportunities.AÂ We focus our analysis on individual and institutional explanations for faculty participation or non-participation as a research mentor to one or more undergraduates.AÂ We examine the influence of demographic (e.g., gender, race, tenure status, discipline) and institutional characteristics (e.g., type of institution, perceived institutional supports) to statistically model the likelihood that faculty members had previously mentored undergraduates in independent research projects. We draw upon these findings to discuss implications for institutions desiring to increase student (and therefore faculty) undergraduate research experience.AÂ AÂ
Support for hands-on optics immersions(Conference Presentation)

The Advanced Laboratory Physics Association (ALPhA) is an official affiliate organization of the AAPT, supporting upper-level undergraduate instructional lab education in physics. The ALPhA Immersions program is intended to be an efficient use of an instructor’s time: with expert colleague-mentors on hand they spend 2.5 days learning a key new instructional experiment (of their choice) well enough to confidently teach it to the students at their home institutions. At an ALPhA Immersion, participants work in groups of no more than three per experimental setup. Our follow-up surveys support the notion that this individualized, concentrated focus directly results in significant updating and improvement of undergraduate laboratory instruction in physics across the country. Such programs have the effect of encouraging investment, on the part of individual institutions. For example, we have disseminated ideas, training, and equipment for contemporary single-photon-based instructional labs dealing with core, contemporary issues in Quantum Mechanics. By the time this paper is presented, ALPhA will have delivered at least 420 single-photon detectors to a wide variety of educational institutions. We have also partnered with the non-profit Jonathan F. Reichert Foundation to support equipment acquisition by institutions participating in our wide variety of training programs.
Probabilistic Planning and Risk Evaluation Based on Ensemble Weather Forecasting

Weather analysis and support plays an important role in mission planning and risk evaluation of aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles. The impact of adverse weather on the aviation industry has been well documented. Although long-term efforts have made tremendous progress in this area, the current weather support tools rely on deterministic weather analysis that cannot meet the increasing requirements. A more flexible, accurate, and reliable probabilistic analysis is desirable for probabilistic aviation decision aid. To achieve this goal, this paper proposes an ensemble forecasting-based framework in which the probabilistic analysis of adverse weather, 3-D receding horizon field $\text{D}\ast $ mission planning, and mission risk evaluation are integrated for a robust and flexible decision aid. The innovations of the proposed system include advanced multiple parameter probabilistic data analysis for probabilities of adverse weather and its confidence analysis, planning, and risk evaluation. Real ensemble weather forecasting data are used to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed approach. Note to Practitioners —This paper presents a comprehensive solution for integrating mesoscale ensemble weather forecasting in aviation aid, including probabilistic weather data analysis, mission (route) planning, and mission risk evaluation with simulations based on real data. This paper proposes a flexible and comprehensive solution that is based on real mesoscale ensemble weather forecasting data with two different variables, which can be easily extended and scaled to multiple variable cases. The analysis can integrate inputs from meteorologists, operators, and commanders, so that the knowledge of experts from different domains can be combined to arrive at the decision best for risk management of aircraft or systems. The proposed method is generic and can be applied to various applications, such as motion planning problems in the manufacturing process that are affected by multiple factors.
Overexpression of Ribosomal Proteins Is Insufficient for p53 Pathway Induction in Cell Lines and Primary CD34+ Cells

Abstract 3479 Diseases of ribosome dysfunction (ribosomopathies), such as Diamond-Blackfan anemia and 5q- syndrome, are caused by deficiencies in one or more ribosomal proteins (RPs) and are characterized by impaired erythropoiesis. The p53 pathway has been identified as a central player in the ribosomopathy disease phenotypes, but the precise mechanism by which p53 is aberrantly induced in the setting of RP deficiency has not been fully elucidated. The current hypothesis for this induction is that, in the context of RP deficiency, cellular levels of free (non-ribosome bound) RPs rise, and a subset of RPs with MDM2-binding ability interact with and inhibit the negative regulatory activity of MDM2 on p53, resulting in p53 stabilization. RPs that have been implicated in this capacity include rpL5, rpL11, rpL23a, and rpS7. This hypothesis also suggests that overabundance of these free ribosomal proteins might be sufficient to induce p53 activity, even in the absence of ribosome protein deficiency. To test this specific aspect of this hypothesis, we generated lentiviral expression vectors carrying the full-length cDNAs for rpL5, rpL11, rpL23a, and rpS7, as well as ARF (which served as a positive control, as ARF is known to induce p53 by binding and inhibiting MDM2), and we used each virus to individually infect A549 cells. Despite increased levels of transcript and protein observed for each of the cDNAs expressed, only ARF overexpression resulted in p53 stabilization and p21 induction. Similarly, when RPs were overexpressed in each pairwise combination, none of the RP pairs tested induced p53 above baseline levels. We also tested all of the overexpression constructs in primary human cord blood-derived CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), and p53 pathway induction was only observed with overexpression of ARF. These data suggest that overabundance of these specific ribosomal proteins alone is insufficient for p53 pathway induction via MDM2 inhibition. Disclosures: Ebert: Celgene: Consultancy; Genoptix: Consultancy.
Motion compensation in extremity cone-beam CT using a penalized image sharpness criterion.

Cone-beam CT (CBCT) for musculoskeletal imaging would benefit from a method to reduce the effects of involuntary patient motion. In particular, the continuing improvement in spatial resolution of CBCT may enable tasks such as quantitative assessment of bone microarchitecture (0.1 mm–0.2 mm detail size), where even subtle, sub-mm motion blur might be detrimental. We propose a purely image based motion compensation method that requires no fiducials, tracking hardware or prior images. A statistical optimization algorithm (CMA-ES) is used to estimate a motion trajectory that optimizes an objective function consisting of an image sharpness criterion augmented by a regularization term that encourages smooth motion trajectories. The objective function is evaluated using a volume of interest (VOI, e.g. a single bone and surrounding area) where the motion can be assumed to be rigid. More complex motions can be addressed by using multiple VOIs. Gradient variance was found to be a suitable sharpness metric for this application. The performance of the compensation algorithm was evaluated in simulated and experimental CBCT data, and in a clinical dataset. Motion-induced artifacts and blurring were significantly reduced across a broad range of motion amplitudes, from 0.5 mm to 10 mm. Structure similarity index (SSIM) against a static volume was used in the simulation studies to quantify the performance of the motion compensation. In studies with translational motion, the SSIM improved from 0.86 before compensation to 0.97 after compensation for 0.5 mm motion, from 0.8 to 0.94 for 2 mm motion and from 0.52 to 0.87 for 10 mm motion (~70% increase). Similar reduction of artifacts was observed in a benchtop experiment with controlled translational motion of an anthropomorphic hand phantom, where SSIM (against a reconstruction of a static phantom) improved from 0.3 to 0.8 for 10 mm motion. Application to a clinical dataset of a lower extremity showed dramatic reduction of streaks and improvement in delineation of tissue boundaries and trabecular structures throughout the whole volume. The proposed method will support new applications of extremity CBCT in areas where patient motion may not be sufficiently managed by immobilization, such as imaging under load and quantitative assessment of subchondral bone architecture.
Intellectual Structure of Business Analytics in Information Systems

Business Analytics is arguably the most dominant topic of discussion among both academics and practitioners. As organizations scramble to derive insights from rapidly growing data, we see an exponential growth in the number of articles related to Business Analytics. The purpose of this article is to examine the conceptual foundations of the field of analytics based on an analysis of articles that have appeared in the IS senior scholars’ basket of eight journals during the last 25 years (1992 - 2016). Using a combination of citation analysis and text mining, our study: (a) reveals the disciplines that influence Business Analytics research in information systems; and (b) explicates dominant themes latent in the corpus. Concepts related to Predictive Analytics, Business Intelligence, the Web, IT Management, Firm Performance and Decision Support were found to be at the heart of analytics research conducted by IS scholars in the basket of eight journals.
Circularity, Trans-Situationality, and the Law of Effect

Classical arguments for and against the circularity of the law of effect are reviewed. Demonstrations are made in some detail that the law is circular neither by definition nor by proof. The trans-situationality criterion of MeehPs (1950) “Weak Law of Effect” is evaluated. It is argued that trans-situationality has no crucial bearing on the circularity issue, and that it is only one of many criteria warranting reference to the law of effect as a covering law. Arguments that explanations by reference to covering laws are by their nature circular do not speak to the law of effect as such; rather, they are general critiques of the nature of scientific explanation.