cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Safety of prior endoscopic mucosal resection in patients receiving radiofrequency ablation of Barrett's esophagus.

Background & Aims Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is safe and effective treatment for flat dysplasia associated with Barrett's esophagus (BE). However, there are limited data on the safety of RFA in patients who had prior endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), which might increase the risk of complications. We compared complications and histologic outcomes between patients who had EMR before RFA and those who received only RFA. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of data collected from patients treated for BE, associated with dysplasia or intramucosal cancer, at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, from 1998–2009. Patients were divided into groups that had RFA after EMR (group 1, n=44) or only RFA (group 2, n=46). We compared the incidence of complications (strictures, bleeding, and esophageal perforation) and histologic features (complete resolution of dysplasia and complete resolution of intestinal metaplasia [CR-IM]) between groups. Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess predictors of stricture formation. Results Stricture rates were 14% in group 1 and 9% in group 2 (odds ratio, 1.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.26–9.74). The rates of CR-IM were 43% in group 1 and 74% in group 2 (odds ratio, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.14–0.78). The rates of complete resolution of dysplasia were 76% in group 1 and 71% in group 2 (odds ratio, 1.28; 95% CI, 0.39–4.17). The adjusted odds ratio for CR-IM in group 1 (adjusting for age, segment length, and grade of dysplasia) was 0.50 (95% CI, 0.15–1.66). Conclusions Stricture rates among patients who receive only RFA are comparable to those of patients who had prior EMR. EMR appears safe to perform prior to RFA.
Machine learning-based anomaly detection for post-silicon bug diagnosis

The exponentially growing complexity of modern processors intensifies verification challenges. Traditional pre-silicon verification covers less and less of the design space, resulting in increasing post-silicon validation effort. A critical challenge is the manual debugging of intermittent failures on prototype chips, where multiple executions of a same test do not yield a consistent outcome. We leverage the power of machine learning to support automatic diagnosis of these difficult, inconsistent bugs. During post-silicon validation, lightweight hardware logs a compact measurement of observed signal activity over multiple executions of a same test: some may pass, somemay fail. Our novel algorithm applies anomaly detection techniques similar to those used to detect credit card fraud to identify the approximate cycle of a bug's occurrence and a set of candidate root-cause signals. Compared against other state-of-the-art solutions in this space, our new approach can locate the time of a bug's occurrence with nearly 4x better accuracy when applied to the complex OpenSPARC T2 design.
Communication Performance Changes as a Function of Ritalin Dosage: A Case Study

Measures of a 7-year-old child's communication performance were analyzed as a function of varying dosages of Ritalin (methylphenidate) prescribed by a physician for controlling an attentional deficit. Data were taken from videotaped segments of low-structured clinical interaction. Measures of (1) mean length of utterance in morphemes, (2) verbal spontaneity, (3) communication flow, and (4) topic perseveration were shown to vary as a function of dosage levels.
Comparison of photosynthetic damage from arthropod herbivory and pathogen infection in understory hardwood saplings

Arthropods and pathogens damage leaves in natural ecosystems and may reduce photosynthesis at some distance away from directly injured tissue. We quantified the indirect effects of naturally occurring biotic damage on leaf-level photosystem II operating efficiency (ΦPSII) of 11 understory hardwood tree species using chlorophyll fluorescence and thermal imaging. Maps of fluorescence parameters and leaf temperature were stacked for each leaf and analyzed using a multivariate method adapted from the field of quantitative remote sensing. Two tree species, Quercus velutina and Cercis canadensis, grew in plots exposed to ambient and elevated atmospheric CO2 and were infected with Phyllosticta fungus, providing a limited opportunity to examine the potential interaction of this element of global change and biotic damage on photosynthesis. Areas surrounding damage had depressed ΦPSII and increased down-regulation of PSII, and there was no evidence of compensation in the remaining tissue. The depression of ΦPSII caused by fungal infections and galls extended >2.5 times further from the visible damage and was ∼40% more depressed than chewing damage. Areas of depressed ΦPSII around fungal infections on oaks growing in elevated CO2 were more than 5 times larger than those grown in ambient conditions, suggesting that this element of global change may influence the indirect effects of biotic damage on photosynthesis. For a single Q. velutina sapling, the area of reduced ΦPSII was equal to the total area directly damaged by insects and fungi. Thus, estimates based only on the direct effect of biotic agents may greatly underestimate their actual impact on photosynthesis.
Dome-shaped whispering gallery mode laser for remote wall temperature sensing

In this paper, we carried out experiments to investigate dome-shaped microlaser based on the whispering gallery modes for remote wall temperature sensing. The dome-shaped resonator was made of Norland blocking adhesive (NBA 107) doped with a solution of rhodamine 6G and ethanol. Two different configurations are considered: (i) resonator placed on top of a thin layer of 10∶1 polydimethylsiloxane (10∶1 PDMS), and (ii) resonator encapsulated in a thin layer of 10∶1 PDMS. The microlaser was remotely pumped using a Q switch Nd:YAG laser with pulse repetition rate of 10 Hz, pulse linewidth of 10 ns, and pulse energy of 100 μJ/cm2. The excited optical modes showed an average optical quality factor of 104 for both configurations. In addition, the measurements showed sensitivity to temperature of ∼0.06 nm/°C and a resolution of 1°C for both configurations. This sensitivity was limited by the resolution of the experimental setup used in these studies.
In situ studies with asian clams (Corbicula fluminea) detect acid mine drainage and nutrient inputs in low-order streams

In situ Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea (Muller)) studies may effectively mirror resident community re- sponses to both acute toxicants and nutrient inputs in low-order streams. Clam survival and growth after 30 days in situ were compared with benthic macroinvertebrate community structural changes caused by acid mine drainage (AMD) and nutrient loading (measured as nitrate) in a small subwatershed of the North Fork Powell River, Virginia, U.S.A. Clam survival distinguished between two different levels of impact due to acidic, neutralized, and intermittent AMD inputs and was positively correlated with water column pH and negatively correlated with conductivity and metal con- centrations. Survival was also positively correlated with relative abundance of the order Ephemeroptera, the most sensi - tive macroinvertebrate taxonomic group to AMD in this system. Clam growth was not related to AMD inputs but was positively correlated with nitrate concentrations and the relative abundance of the collector-filterer functional feeding group. These results suggest that transplanted clam studies accurately reflect benthic macroinvertebrate community re - sponses to multiple stressors from point and nonpoint sources.
A computational analysis of the ballistic performance of light-weight hybrid composite armors

Abstract The ability of hybrid light-weight fiber-reinforced polymer–matrix composite laminate armor to withstand the impact of a fragment simulating projectile (FSP) is investigated using a non-linear dynamics transient computational analysis. The hybrid armor is constructed using various combinations and stacking sequences of a high-strength/high-stiffness carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy (CFRE) and a high-ductility/high-toughness Kevlar fiber-reinforced epoxy (KFRE) composite laminates of different thicknesses. The results obtained indicate that at a fixed thickness of the armor both the stacking sequence and the number of CFRE/KFRE laminates substantially affect the ballistic performance of the armor. Specifically, it is found that the armor consisting of one layer of KFRE and one layer of CFRE, with KFRE laminate constituting the outer surface of the armor, possesses the maximum resistance towards the projectile-induced damage and failure. The results obtained are rationalized using an analysis of the elastic wave reflection and transmission behavior at the inter-laminate and laminate/air interfaces.
Management of Noncancer Pain in Community-Dwelling Persons with Dementia

OBJECTIVES: To explore the pharmacological treatment of noncancer pain in persons with dementia and identify predictors associated with insufficient analgesia. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of an observational cohort study. SETTING: Academic outpatient geriatric clinic in Chicago, Illinois. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 115 dyads, mostly African American, consisting of community-dwelling persons with dementia and their caregivers. MEASUREMENTS: Patient report of demographics, noncancer pain, function, cognition, and depression. Caregiver report of patient agitation and over-the-counter and prescription medications. RESULTS: Sixty-two of 115 (54%) patients reported pain ‘‘on an average day.’’ The caregivers of more than half of persons with dementia who reported pain ‘‘on an average day’’ did not report analgesic use. The majority of caregivers who reported analgesic use reported that patients took a World Health Organization Class I medication. No patients had been prescribed a Class III (strong opioid) drug. Fiftythree of 115 (46%) patients had potentially insufficient analgesia. In the logistic regression, insufficient analgesia was associated with greater age, Mini-Mental StateExamination score of less than 10, and impairment in daily functioning. Insufficient analgesia was 1.07 times as likely (95% confidence interval (CI) 51.01‐1.14) for each additional year of age, 3.0 times as likely (95% CI 51.05‐9.10) if the subject had advanced dementia, and 2.5 times as likely (95% CI 51.01‐6.25) if the patient had any impairment in activities of daily living. CONCLUSION: In this conveniencesample from a geriatric clinic, many persons with dementia and noncancer pain were not receiving pharmacological treatment. Those at greatest risk for insufficient analgesia were older, had moderate to severe dementia, and experienced impairments in activities of daily living. J Am Geriatr Soc 54:1892–1897, 2006.
Integral equation solution for traveling&#8211;wave tube parameters

An integral equation method for evaluating the electronic behavior of traveling-wave amplifiers is given. This method is utilized to obtain the effects of a thick beam and variations in dc density and dc velocity across the beam. Curves of the space charge parameter 4QC and impedance K are obtained for thick beams, which compare favorably with those of Pierce.
Properties of Ionic‐Conducting β‐Bi2O3 Containing Mixed Dopants

β-Bi2O3 compositions were prepared to evaluate the effect on properties of using mixed dopants. Baseline compositions containing 28 mol% of the alkaline-earth oxides CaO, SrO, or BaO were used for comparison. When the alkaline earths were combined in pairs to dope the bismuth oxide, the resulting properties were intermediate between the baseline end members. The data suggest that the transformation temperature for forming the high-conductivity β1 phase can be varied continuously over a temperature range of about 565° to 750°C. Utilization of additional additives having different ionic size or valence charge compared with the alkaline earths resulted in no observed property changes that could be attributed to the additive alone. The most important variables influencing the conductivity level and phase transformation temperature of β-Bi2O3 were the type and the amount of the alkaline-earth dopant in the composition.
Image compression on FPGA using DCT

One of the major building blocks in an image data compression system is the discrete cosine transform or DCT; which can be achieved using specialized algorithms. This paper presents a method to implement the DCT compression technique using the Lee algorithm. Rapid prototyping based on FPGA platform of the Spartan-3E family is used to validate the operation of the described DCT system. This system offers significant advantages: portability, rapid time to market and real time, continuing parametric change in the DCT transform.
General Relativity and the Standard Model: Why evidence for one does not disconfirm the other

General Relativity and the Standard Model often are touted as the most rigorously and extensively confirmed scientific hypotheses of all time. Nonetheless, these theories appear to have consequences that are inconsistent with evidence about phenomena for which, respectively, quantum effects and gravity matter. This paper suggests an explanation for why the theories are not disconfirmed by such evidence. The key to this explanation is an approach to scientific hypotheses that allows their actual content to differ from their apparent content. This approach does not appeal to ceteris-paribus qualifiers or counterfactuals or similarity relations. And it helps to explain why some highly idealized hypotheses are not treated in the way that a thoroughly refuted theory is treated but instead as hypotheses with limited domains of applicability.
Completion of replication map of Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosome III.

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosomal DNA replication initiates at intervals of ∼40 kb and depends upon the activity of autonomously replicating sequence (ARS) elements. The identification of ARS...
Ability of Regional Hospitals to Meet Projected Avian Flu Pandemic Surge Capacity Requirements

Introduction Hospital surge capacity is a crucial part of community disaster preparedness planning, which focuses on the requirements for additional beds, equipment, personnel, and special capabilities. The scope and urgency of these requirements must be balanced with a practical approach addressing cost and space concerns. Renewed concerns for infectious disease threats, particularly from a potential avian flu pandemic perspective, have emphasized the need to be prepared for a prolonged surge that could last six to eight weeks. Null hypothesis The surge capacity that realistically would be generated by the cumulative Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association (GDAHA) plan is sufficient to meet the demands of an avian influenza pandemic as predicted by the [US] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) models. Methods Using a standardized data form, surge response plans for each hospital in the GDAHA were assessed. The cumulative results were compared to the demand projected for an avian influenza pandemic using the CDC's FluAid and FluSurge models. Results The cumulative GDAHA capacity is sufficient to meet the projected demand for bed space, intensive care unit beds, ventilators, morgue space, and initial personal protective equipment (PPE) use. There is a shortage of negative pressure rooms, some basic equipment, and neuraminidase inhibitors. Many facilities lack a complete set of written surge policies, including screening plans to segregate contaminated patients and staff prior to entering the hospital. Few hospitals have agreements with nursing homes or home healthcare agencies to provide care for patients discharged in order to clear surge beds. If some of the assumptions in the CDC's models are changed to match the morbidity and mortality rates reported from the 1918 pandemic, the surge capacity of GDAHA facilities would not meet the projected demand. Conclusions The GDAHA hospitals should test their regional distributors' ability to resupply PPE for multiple facilities simultaneously. Facilities should retrofit current air exchange systems to increase the number of potential negative pressure rooms and include such designs in all future construction. Neuraminidase inhibitor supplies should be increased to provide treatment for healthcare workers exposed in the course of their duties. Each hospital should have a complete set of policies to address the special considerations for a prolonged surge. Additional capacity is required to meet the predicted demands of a threat similar to the 1918 pandemic.
Cytolethal Distending Toxin Is Essential for Helicobacter hepaticus Colonization in Outbred Swiss Webster Mice

Helicobacter hepaticus, which induces chronic hepatitis and typhlocolitis in susceptible mouse strains, produces a cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) consisting of CdtA, CdtB, and CdtC. A cdtB-deficient H. hepaticus isogenic mutant (HhcdtBm7) was generated and characterized for colonization parameters in four intestinal regions (jejunum, ileum, cecum, and colon) of outbred Swiss Webster (SW) mice. Inactivation of the cdtB gene abolished the ability of HhcdtBm7 to colonize female mice at both 8 and 16 weeks postinfection (wpi), whereas HhcdtBm7 colonized all of four intestinal regions of three of five males at 8 wpi and then was eliminated by 16 wpi. Wild-type (WT) H. hepaticus was detected in the corresponding intestinal regions of both male and female mice at 8 and 16 wpi; however, colonization levels of WT H. hepaticus in the cecum and colon of male mice were approximately 1,000-fold higher than in females (P < 0.0079) at 16 wpi. Infection with WT H. hepaticus, but not HhcdtBm7, at 8 wpi was associated with significantly increased mRNA level of ileal and cecal gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) in females (P < 0.016 and 0.031 between WT H. hepaticus-infected and sham-dosed females, respectively). In contrast, the mRNA levels of IFN-gamma were significantly higher in the colon (P < 0.0079) and trended to be higher in the cecum (P < 0.15) in the HhcdtBm7-colonized male mice versus the sham-dosed controls at 8 wpi. In addition, mRNA levels of ileal IFN-gamma were significantly higher in the control females than males at 8 wpi (P < 0.016). There were significantly higher Th1-associated immunoglobulin G2a (IgG2a), Th2-associated IgG1 and mucosal IgA (P < 0.002, 0.002, 0.002, respectively) responses in the mice infected with WT H. hepaticus when compared to HhcdtBm7 at 16 wpi. Colonic interleukin-10 (IL-10) expressions at 16 wpi were significantly lower in both female and male mice colonized by WT H. hepaticus or in males transiently colonized through 8 wpi by HhcdtBm7 versus control mice (P < 0.0159). These lines of evidence indicate that (i) H. hepaticus CDT plays a crucial role in the persistent colonization of H. hepaticus in SW mice; (ii) SW female mice are more resistant to H. hepaticus colonization than male mice; (iii) there was persistent colonization of WT H. hepaticus in cecum, colon, and jejunum but only transient colonization of H. hepaticus in the ileum of female mice; (iv) H. hepaticus colonization was associated with down-regulation of colonic IL-10 production.
Matrix signal flow graphs and an optimum topological method for evaluating their gains

Some properties of matrix signal flow graphs are investigated and an optimum topological method for evaluating the graph gains is presented. The method is optimum in the sense that the gain expression has the minimum number of distinct inverses. It is topological in the sense that the gain expression is obtained from the structure of the graph without graph reductions.
CELLULAR AND SUBCELLULAR STUDIES OF THE RADIATION EFFECTS OF AUGER ELECTRON-EMITTING ESTROGENS

We studied the effect of '231-labeled estrogen ("'I-E) in estrogen receptor (ER)-rich cells in culture and in cell free model systems in vitro to elucidate the nature of the radiotoxicity for ER+ cells of estrogens containing nuclides which emit Auger electrons. In cells the "'1-E caused a dose-dependent, unlabeled estrogen-inhibitable induction of chromosome aberrations. A dose of about 1 000 decays per cell, which is approximately the mean lethal dose for these cells, resulted in an average of 1 chromosome break per cell. This supports the hypothesis that the lethal lesion induced by 12'I-E is a chromosome break. Incubation of "'I-E/ER complex, but not '231-E alone, with 27-mer duplex estrogen response element (ERE) DNA produced a dose-dependent cleavage of the ERE. However, we were unable to detect any fragmentation of either the 66 kDa full length ER in cell extracts or a purified 31 kDa hormone binding domain when incubated with excess "'I-E. Thus it appears that "'I-E effects its radiotoxicity by binding to ER, associating with ERE DNA and, by directing high LET radiation to DNA, inducing lethal chromosome breaks.
Band Rejection Methods for Planar Log-Periodic Antennas

Full-wave modeling and measurements are utilized to propose three band rejection techniques integrated with a multi- octave wideband planar log-periodic antenna. Antennas presented in this paper are designed to operate between 1.8 and 11 GHz with rejection at 6 GHz. Demonstrated band-rejection techniques include the removal of resonant teeth also referred to as aperture rejection, integration of a dual band filter, and combination of the two above techniques. Aperture rejection is shown to produce greater than 25 dB realized gain reduction. Integrated filter and combined methods achieve over 30 dB and 55 dB rejections, respectively. Antennas are fabricated on a 0.508 mm RT/Duroid 6002 substrate and excellent agreement between theory and measurements is obtained.
Differential Accumulation of nif Structural Gene mRNA in Azotobacter vinelandii

Northern analysis was employed to investigate mRNA produced by mutant strains of Azotobacter vinelandii with defined deletions in the nif structural genes and in the intergenic noncoding regions. The results indicate that intergenic RNA secondary structures effect the differential accumulation of transcripts, supporting the high Fe protein-to-MoFe protein ratio required for optimal diazotrophic growth.
PROTEST ENGENDERED The Participation of Women Steelworkers in the Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Strike of 1985

This article examines the participation of women in the 1985 labor strike at Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel. The author views the strike as a deeply gendered act of protest where the issues, strategies, tactics, and resources used by women workers differ from those used by men, and simultaneously, as the occupational site that provided workers an opportunity to affirm, to modify, and to contest their understandings of gender. Paradoxically, women both challenge and conform to normative gender scripts for protest. They resisted the efforts of men to impose a gender division of labor and sought to mobilize the community in support of the strike.
Socializing with MYC: Cell Competition in Development and as a Model for Premalignant Cancer

Studies in Drosophila and mammals have made it clear that genetic mutations that arise in somatic tissues are rapidly recognized and eliminated, suggesting that cellular fitness is tightly monitored. During development, damaged, mutant, or otherwise unfit cells are prevented from contributing to the tissue and are instructed to die, whereas healthy cells benefit and populate the animal. This cell selection process, known as cell competition, eliminates somatic genetic heterogeneity and promotes tissue fitness during development. Yet cell competition also has a dark side. Super competition can be exploited by incipient cancers to subvert cellular cooperation and promote selfish behavior. Evidence is accumulating that MYCplaysakeyroleinregulationofsocialbehaviorwithintissues.Giventhehighnumberof tumors with deregulated MYC, studies of cell competition promise to yield insight into how the local environment yields to and participates in the early stages of tumor formation.
Analysis of a Circular Waveguide Cavity Loaded with Thick Ferrite Disks

Solutions with e-/sup + j theta/ azimuthal dependence are investigated, with the aid of the computer, for a circular waveguide cavity containing thick, axially magnetized ferrite disks. Such an investigation and investigations of related configurations may have an application in the theory of the E-plane circulator.
Regulation of carbonic anhydrase expression by zinc, cobalt, and carbon dioxide in the marine diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii.

TWCA1 is the major Zn-requiring isoform of carbonic anhydrase (CA) in the marine diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii. We have examined the roles that trace metals and CO2 play in the regulation of TWCA1 expression over ranges of concentrations that bracket those encountered in the marine environment. Both steady-state levels of TWCA1 and the kinetics of induction were measured by western analysis. TWCA1 levels correlated well with cellular CA activity levels. TWCA1 was induced at a low CO2 concentration but the level of induction, as determined by western analysis, was dependent on the availability of Zn. Co effectively substituted for Zn in regulating TWCA1 expression and promoting TWCA1 activity. Upon shift from low to high CO2, the concentration of TWCA1 decreased. The expression of TWCA1 is diel cycle regulated, and cellular TWCA1 decreased during the dark phase. These results provide the basis for studying the expression of CA in field populations and, taken together with previous radiolabeling studies, provide strong evidence of in vivo metal substitution of Co for Zn in a CA. Our data also support the conclusion that TWCA1 plays a central role in carbon acquisition in T. weissflogii.
Matrix formulation of the discrete Hilbert transform

The discrete Hilbert transform (DHT) of a periodic sequence is interpreted as a matrix product \bar{\phi} = \bar{C}\bar{A} . A new singleequation form of the DHT operation for any number of sample points N is shown and is used to establish the unique properties of the coefficient matrix \bar{C} . \bar{C} is shown to be highly symmetric in nature, and the determination of the elements of \bar{C} is shown to require a minimum of computation; i.e., less than N elements need to be computed for an N \times N \bar{C} matrix. For the N even case, the relatively sparse nature of \bar{C} is established; i.e., at least half the elements of \bar{C} are zeros.
Natural Science Applications

The possible applications of pattern recognition techniques to the natural sciences are limited only by the human imagination. All facets of science are generating reams of data which increases the need for more sophisticated methods of data reduction and analysis. The possibilities are infinite. Therefore, it is not the purpose of this chapter to give an exhaustive list of approaches and applications, but rather to give an idea of the possibilities that exist, and some insight into reference source materials.
Coupling Dynamic Programming with Machine Learning for Horizon Line Detection

In this paper, we consider the problem of segmenting an image into sky and non-sky regions, typically referred to as horizon line detection or skyline extraction. Specifically, we present a new approach to horizon line detection by coupling machine learning with dynamic programming. Given an image, the Canny edge detector is applied first and keeping only those edges which survive over a wide range of thresholds. We refer to the surviving edges as Maximally Stable Extremal Edges (MSEEs). The number of edges is further reduced by classifying MSEEs into horizon and non-horizon edges using a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier. Dynamic programming is then applied on the horizon classified edges to extract the horizon line. Various local texture features and their combinations have been investigated in training the horizon edge classifier including SIFT, LBP, HOG, SIFT-LBP, SIFT-HOG, LBP-HOG and SIFT-LBP-HOG. We have also investigated various nodal costs in the context of dynamic programming including binary edge scores, normalized edge classification scores, gradient magnitude and their combinations. The proposed approach has been evaluated and compared with a competitive approach on two challenging data sets, illustrating superior performance.
Lessons for the control of AIDS.

A balanced perspective that places acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in the context of the social needs of a global society is needed to overcome the hysteria and stigmatizing that presently surrounds this public health issue. The migration of poor rural sexually active young people to urban centers in the Third World has clearly played a role in the dissemination of AIDS and other infectious diseases. It is necessary however to examine the major cause of such population movement--private enterprise. Migrant workers are used to perform menial jobs in the urban labor force. Another cause of population movements is war and political repression. The fact that young people are becoming increasingly mobile has serious implications for the control of AIDS and this phenomenon cannot be addressed without looking at its causes. Similarly the disproportionate mortality of minorities- -seen in the AIDS epidemic as well--calls for discrimination. To prevent and control AIDS the 1st step is to increase understanding of its natural history and epidemiology. Then lessons must be learned from successful public health programs rooted in a primary health care system including the Expanded Program on Immunization and oral rehydration campaigns. Although funds should not be diverted from such programs to combat AIDS their logistic structure should be studied. Above all however it must be kept in mind that the constructive influence of health education will be thwarted as long as social inequities remain.
From Notations to Data: The Digital Transformation of Clinical Research

The history of clinical research, in the broadest sense of the term, is long and distinguished. From the pioneering work of William Harvey to the modern modalities of translational research, a common thread has been the collection and interpretation of information. Thus, informatics has played a prominent role, if not always recognized as such. Accepting that an allowable definition of informatics is the processing and interpretation of information that permits analyses or inferencing, the science of informatics can and does predate the advent of modern computing. Informatics has always been a multidisciplinary science, blending computer science with biology and medicine. Reasonable people may inquire whether distinguishing such a hybrid as a science is needed, though this is reminiscent of parallel debates about epidemiology, which to some had merely coordinated clinical medicine with biostatistics; few question the legitimacy of epidemiology as a distinct discipline today. Similarly, in the past decade, informatics, including clinical research informatics as a recognized subfield, has come into its own.
Ultrahigh-Speed Electronic Device Technologies for Lightwave Communication Systems

Ultrahigh-speed integrated-circuit technology is one of the key technologies for achieving ultralarge-capacity optical communication systems. Technological breakthroughs in circuit and packaging design as well as improved transistor performance are needed to reach the over-40-Gbit/s operating region. This paper describes InP-based device, high-speed circuit, and broadband packaging technologies developedto boost the speed of lightwave communication ICs. By using these technologies, we could make 40-Gbit/s lightwave communication ICs. Future prospects and a number of other related technological issues are also addressed.
New Species of Batodonoides (Lipotyphla, Geolabididae) from the Early Eocene of Wyoming: Smallest Known Mammal?

A new early Eocene insectivore, Batodonoides vanhouteni , sp. nov., has molar teeth indicating a body size smaller than that of any mammal known to date. B. vanhouteni is the oldest known species assigned to the genus, which was known previously from the middle Eocene of California. The type, an associated maxilla and mandible, preserves P2–M2 and cl-p2, dp4, p4–m3, with alveoli for il–3. Some teeth (P4, c1, and p4) are still erupting, indicating that the specimen is a juvenile at about the age of dispersal. B. vanhouteni had two sets of functional teeth, unlike extant mammals of very small size. It retains the primitive pattern of cheek-tooth replacement, erupting P3 before P4, unlike the P4-before-P3 sequence of almost all Lipotyphla. The distribution of body masses for Clarkforkian and Wasatchian insectivores indicates that late Paleocene and early Eocene lipotyphlans occupied a lower range of body masses (ca. 1.3–53 g) compared to extant Lipotyphla (ca. 2.5– 1,100 g); the upper range of insectivore body masses was occupied by now-extinct “Proteutheria”.
Goosebeak Whale from North Carolina

The goosebeak whale, Ziphius cavirostris Cuvier, is of world-wide distribution but there are few records of its occurrence along the eastern coast of North America. In his summary of records …
On College English Teaching Research and Practice under the Multimedia Network Technology

Network influences people's lives, work and the way of thinking, multimedia network teaching has become the important teaching means of modern education. Higher vocational college students are less conscious, their English foundation is poor, but they are happy to accept new things. Using multimedia network technology the new teaching mode of higher vocational college English can break through the limitation of the traditional English teaching mode, arouse students' enthusiasm of learning English, and cultivate students' ability of autonomous learning.
Eyelash Loss Secondary to Escitalopram But Not to Sertraline: A Case Report.

To the Editor: Alopecia is a recognized side effect of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).1 To our knowledge, no episodes of eyelash loss related to the use of escitalopram or any SSRI have been recorded before.
Enhancement of dispersion due to optical coherence in multilevel rubidium atoms

The effect of enhanced dispersion with suppressed absorption due to optical coherence and quantum interference in multilevel atomic systems has attracted great attention in recent years.1,2 Although many theoretical papers have been published on this subject, few experiments have been reported. Harris and co-workers demonstrated suppression of absorption in Pb atomic vapor with a coherent pumping field in a three-level cascade system.3 Recently, they performed an experiment to reduce group velocity of a laser pulse in the same multilevel system of Pb atomic vapor by inducing optical coherence between another transition that shares one level with the transition near resonance with the probe beam.4
Why Professors Have Tenure and Business People Don’t

Academic tenure has become, understandably, the holy grail of newly employed assistant professors in the country’s colleges and universities. Without tenure, faculty members must, as a general rule, be dismissed after 7 years of service, which means they must seek other academic employment or retreat from academic life. With tenure, professors have the equivalent of lifetime employment. Rarely are they fired by their academies, even if they become incompetent to teach and/or conduct research.1
Inter-Dependencies Between Insider Ownership, Capital Structure, Investment Decisions and Corporate Valuation1:

This study empirically tests the interrelationships among ownership structure, capital structure, investment decisions and corporate valuation. The Hausman specification tests show that these varia...
Event classification and reconstruction of single pixel multiple interaction events

Single pixel multiple interaction events have been studied based on the preamplifier signals from each anode pixel since a conventional ASIC readout system is not capable to identify the unique interaction locations and energy depositions of those events. An algorithm has been developed to identify this kind of events and a new reconstruction method has been employed to extract the interaction location and energy deposition information of each individual electron cloud of those events. More than 85% of this kind of events can be identified correctly for 662 keV gamma-ray based on the simulation results. Simple back projection algorithm has been applied to these single pixel multiple interaction events to reconstruct Compton imaging.
Reconstruction of spatio-temporal temperature from sparse historical records using robust probabilistic principal component regression

Abstract. Scientific records of temperature and precipitation have been kept for several hundred years, but for many areas, only a shorter record exists. To understand climate change, there is a need for rigorous statistical reconstructions of the paleoclimate using proxy data. Paleoclimate proxy data are often sparse, noisy, indirect measurements of the climate process of interest, making each proxy uniquely challenging to model statistically. We reconstruct spatially explicit temperature surfaces from sparse and noisy measurements recorded at historical United States military forts and other observer stations from 1820 to 1894. One common method for reconstructing the paleoclimate from proxy data is principal component regression (PCR). With PCR, one learns a statistical relationship between the paleoclimate proxy data and a set of climate observations that are used as patterns for potential reconstruction scenarios. We explore PCR in a Bayesian hierarchical framework, extending classical PCR in a variety of ways. First, we model the latent principal components probabilistically, accounting for measurement error in the observational data. Next, we extend our method to better accommodate outliers that occur in the proxy data. Finally, we explore alternatives to the truncation of lower-order principal components using different regularization techniques. One fundamental challenge in paleoclimate reconstruction efforts is the lack of out-of-sample data for predictive validation. Cross-validation is of potential value, but is computationally expensive and potentially sensitive to outliers in sparse data scenarios. To overcome the limitations that a lack of out-of-sample records presents, we test our methods using a simulation study, applying proper scoring rules including a computationally efficient approximation to leave-one-out cross-validation using the log score to validate model performance. The result of our analysis is a spatially explicit reconstruction of spatio-temporal temperature from a very sparse historical record.
Temporal variability in large grazer space use in an experimental landscape

Citation: Raynor, E. J., Joern, A., Skibbe, A., Sowers, M., Briggs, J. M., Laws, A. N., & Goodin, D. (2017). Temporal variability in large grazer space use in an experimental landscape. Ecosphere, 8(1), 18. doi:10.1002/ecs2.1674
Gender and Deployment Effects on Pro-Organizational Behaviors of U.S. Soldiers:

This study examines whether gender moderates the relationships between deployment and both organizational identification and pro-organizational behaviors. The broader context motivating this study ...
MRI-visible perivascular spaces in cerebral amyloid angiopathy and hypertensive arteriopathy.

Objective To assess MRI-visible enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS) burden and different topographical patterns (in the centrum semiovale [CSO] and basal ganglia [BG]) in 2 common microangiopathies: cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) and hypertensive arteriopathy (HA). Methods Consecutive patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) from a prospective MRI cohort were included. Small vessel disease MRI markers, including cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), cortical superficial siderosis (cSS), and white matter hyperintensities (WMH), were rated. CSO-EPVS/BG-EPVS were assessed on a validated 4-point visual rating scale (0 = no EPVS, 1 = 40 EPVS). We tested associations of predefined high-degree (score >2) CSO-EPVS and BG-EPVS with other MRI markers in multivariable logistic regression. We subsequently evaluated associations with CSO-EPVS predominance (i.e., CSO-EPVS > BG-EPVS) and BG-EPVS predominance pattern (i.e., BG-EPVS > CSO-EPVS) in adjusted multinomial logistic regression (reference group, BG-EPVS = CSO-EPVS). Results We included 315 patients with CAA-ICH and 137 with HA-ICH. High-degree CSO-EPVS prevalence was greater in CAA-related ICH vs HA-related ICH (43.8% vs 17.5%, p Conclusions Different patterns of MRI-visible EPVS provide insights into the dominant underlying microangiopathy type in patients with spontaneous ICH.
92: Raising the Cefoxitin MIC Cutoff Reduces Unnecessary Confirmatory AmpC Testing and Improves Turnaround Time to Antimicrobial Susceptibility Results

Background: The double disk AmpC test is a manual phenotypic test for the detection of AmpC β-lactamases in the Enterobacteriaceae . There is no Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guideline on the use of AmpC testing, though some laboratories still choose to perform such mechanism-based resistance testing. At our institution, a cefoxitin (FOX) minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of >4 µg/mL (4 being the lowest MIC reported by our automated instrument, the Vitek 2) was chosen as the criterion triggering follow-up AmpC confirmatory testing by the …
Response time studies of a new, portable mass spectrometer

Objective. Mass spectrometers are frequently used by anesthesiologistsperioperatively to monitor patients’ respiratory function and levels ofinhaled anesthetics. Due to size, complexity and expense, they are typicallyused in a time-sharing manner which degrades their performance. We assessedthe accuracy of the Random Access Mass Spectrometer (RAMS, MarquetteElectronics) which is small enough to be dedicated to a single patient.Methods. We compared the 10–90% rise times for O2,CO2, N2O and isoflurane for the RAMS withdifferent catheter configurations to those of a MedSpect mass spectrometer(Allegheny International Medical Technology) operating under ideal conditions.For CO2 the lag of the RAMS relative to the MedSpect was alsomeasured. Next, perioperative conditions were simulated by ventilatinganesthetized dogs with a variety of inhalatory gases and ventilatoryparameters, and the interchangability of the two devices was assessed.Results. When fitted with a catheter with minimal dead space the MedSpect hadrise times of 0.11–0.12 sec while the RAMS had rise times of0.07–0.12 sec and a delay of 0.19 sec compared to the MedSpect. The risetimes and delay of the RAMS increased when using a larger catheter and watertrap. Although there were statistically significant differences in some valuesfor inhaled and end-tidal gases under simulated perioperative conditions,particularly at the higher frequencies, these differences were small and formost purposes not clinically significant. Conclusions. Our results demonstratethat the RAMS configured for clinical conditions performs nearly as well asthe MedSpect under ideal conditions. The small differences between the two,confined almost entirely to their end-tidal CO2 values, couldbe due to differences in instrument calibration, by the larger samplingcatheter commonly used in clinical settings, or by a combination of bothfactors. Therefore the RAMS is sufficiently accurate for clinical use andwould alleviate problems associated with time-shared mass spectrometers.
Reduction in Firearm Injuries during NRA Annual Conventions

Decline in Firearm Injuries during NRA Conventions Analyses of a large national database show reductions in firearm injuries during annual conventions of the National Rifle Association, which are attended by thousands of firearm owners.
Prevalence of confusing code in software projects: atoms of confusion in the wild

Prior work has shown that extremely small code patterns, such as the conditional operator and implicit type conversion, can cause considerable misunderstanding in programmers. Until now, the real world impact of these patterns - known as 'atoms of confusion' - was only speculative. This work uses a corpus of 14 of the most popular and influential open source C and C++ projects to measure the prevalence and significance of these small confusing patterns. Our results show that the 15 known types of confusing micro patterns occur millions of times in programs like the Linux kernel and GCC, appearing on average once every 23 lines. We show there is a strong correlation between these confusing patterns and bug-fix commits as well as a tendency for confusing patterns to be commented. We also explore patterns at the project level showing the rate of security vulnerabilities is higher in projects with more atoms. Finally, we examine real code examples containing these atoms, including ones that were used to find and fix bugs in our corpus. In total this work demonstrates that beyond simple misunderstanding in the lab setting, atoms of confusion are both prevalent - occurring often in real projects, and meaningful - being removed by bug-fix commits at an elevated rate.
Assessment of human exposure to triclocarban, triclosan and five parabens in U.S. indoor dust using dispersive solid phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

Abstract Antimicrobials in indoor dust pose concerns due to their endocrine disrupting activities and potential promotion of antibiotic resistance. We adopted dispersive solid phase extraction (d-SPE) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) to quantify antimicrobials in dust. The method showed favorable linearity (R2 >0.99), recovery (83–115%), and method detection limits (1.2–5.6 ng/g, dry weight). All seven analytes were found at median concentrations in ng/g in each of the 80 U.S. dust samples collected from athletic facilities and residential homes: methyl paraben (1920) > propyl paraben (965) > triclosan (390) > triclocarban (270) > ethyl paraben (195) > butyl paraben (80) > benzyl paraben (6). Triclosan levels in dust from athletic facilities were significantly higher than those in private homes (p
Reliability of tumor segmentation in glioblastoma: Impact on the robustness of MRI-radiomic features

Purpose The use of radiomic features as biomarkers of treatment response and outcome or as correlates to genomic variations requires that the computed features are robust and reproducible. Segmentation, a crucial step in radiomic analysis, is a major source of variability in the computed radiomic features. Therefore, we studied the impact of tumor segmentation variability on the robustness of MRI radiomic features. Method Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted (T1WICE ) MRI of 90 patients diagnosed with glioblastoma were segmented using a semiautomatic algorithm and an interactive segmentation with two different raters. We analyzed the robustness of 108 radiomic features from five categories (intensity histogram, gray-level co-occurrence matrix, gray-level size-zone matrix (GLSZM), edge maps, and shape) using intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland and Altman analysis. Results Our results show that both segmentation methods are reliable with ICC ≥ 0.96 and standard deviation (SD) of mean differences between the two raters (SDdiffs ) ≤ 30%. Features computed from the histogram and co-occurrence matrices were found to be the most robust (ICC ≥ 0.8 and SDdiffs ≤ 30% for most features in these groups). Features from GLSZM were shown to have mixed robustness. Edge, shape, and GLSZM features were the most impacted by the choice of segmentation method with the interactive method resulting in more robust features than the semiautomatic method. Finally, features computed from T1WICE and FLAIR images were found to have similar robustness when computed with the interactive segmentation method. Conclusion Semiautomatic and interactive segmentation methods using two raters are both reliable. The interactive method produced more robust features than the semiautomatic method. We also found that the robustness of radiomic features varied by categories. Therefore, this study could help motivate segmentation methods and feature selection in MRI radiomic studies.