cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
LIFE HISTORY AND TROPHIC BASIS OF PRODUCTION OF THE MAYFLY CALLIBAETIS FLUCTUANS (WALSH) (EPHEMEROPTERA: BAETIDAE) IN A MITIGATED WETLAND, WEST VIRGINIA, USA

We determined the life history, secondary production, and trophic basis of production for Callibaetis fluctuans in a mitigated wetland at the Green Bottom Wildlife Management Area, Cabell County, West Virginia, USA. Quantitative benthic samples were collected from three sites covering a range of water depths and vegetation types from January to December 1994. Length-frequency histograms were constructed for each sample date, and secondary production was calculated using the size-frequency method. Foregut analyses were conducted seasonally to determine diet. Callibaetis fluctuans had a multivoltine life cycle with at least three cohorts. Fast larval growth occurred during the spring and fall, whereas an overwintering cohort had slower growth. Total annual production was 208.0 mg·m−2·yr−1 (AFDM) with a production-to-biomass ratio of 12.6. Amorphous detritus comprised >80% of the diet in all seasons and accounted for 70% of total production. To account for this production, C. fluctuans consumed 3675 mg·m−2·yr−1 of detritus. This is one of the first studies to provide production estimates for an aquatic insect in a permanently inundated wetland.
Studies on human premature births

Abstract 1. To the best of our knowledge, for the first time, in 17 gravidas near term in vivo effect of cigarette smoking has been reported objectively on the spontaneous activity of the human uterus. The effect of nicotine, per se, has also been evaluated on human pregnant and nonpregnant myometrial strips. 2. In more than half of the gravidas near term a definite increment in uterine activity was noticed during cigarette smoking. However, nicotine in vitro experiments on human myometrial strips did not show any oxytocic effect. 3. The significance and the mechanism of action of smoking on uterine contractility have been discussed.
Medication and the Aging Organism

The elderly as an age group are major consumers of prescription medications. The total number of drugs prescribed for the elderly is disproportionately high, relative to their representation in the population. Individuals 65 years of age and older spend one-quarter of the total national expenditure for medication (Vestal, 1984), though they comprise under 12% of the population (Bureau of the Census, 1985). Nearly two-thirds of this group receive medications regularly (Guttmann, 1978). Physicians often simultaneously prescribe from three to twelve medications per day for elderly patients (Lamy, 1980) and more than thirteen prescriptions per year (Lamy & Vestal, 1976). Less than 5% of all individuals 65 years of age or older abstain from all drug use (Guttmann, 1978). The elderly also use over-the-counter preparations, but it is unclear from existing statistics whether or not they use them more than other age groups.
Long-term Outcomes of Patients With Giant Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations.

BACKGROUND Giant intracranial arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are rare cerebrovascular lesions that pose management challenges. OBJECTIVE To further clarify outcomes in patients with giant cerebral AVMs managed with conservative or interventional therapies. METHODS We performed a retrospective review of all patients diagnosed with AVMs evaluated at our institution from 1990 to 2013. Patients with a single intracranial AVM >6 cm were included. Patients were divided into 2 groups: conservative management or intervention (microsurgery, radiosurgery, or embolization). Functional outcome was assessed with the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS A total of 55 patients with giant AVMs were included, and 35 patients (63.6%) had clinical follow-up with a mean of 11.8 years. Spetzler-Martin grades were as follows: grade III, n = 2 (3.6%); grade IV, n = 15 (27.3%); and grade V, n = 38 (69.1%). Twenty-four patients (43.6%) were conservatively managed. The patients in the conservatively managed group had larger AVMs (P < .05) with more frequent involvement of the temporal lobe (P = .02). Five patients (26.3%) in the conservatively managed group and 5 (31.3%) in the intervention group experienced hemorrhage during follow-up, translating to an annualized risk of 2.7% and 4.1%, respectively. No significant difference in risk of first subsequent hemorrhage was observed (P = .78). Despite comparable mRS scores at presentation, we observed a trend toward better outcomes (mRS < 2) in patients undergoing conservative management (P = .06) compared with the intervention group at last follow-up. CONCLUSION This study suggests that interventions for giant AVMs should be considered cautiously because hemorrhagic risk is similar regardless of management strategy and functional outcome is likely to be same or better in the conservatively managed population. ABBREVIATIONS AVM, arteriovenous malformationmRS, modified Rankin Scale.
Temporal and spectral studies of large χ (2) induced in fused silica

Recently we have reported a permanent second order nonlinearity (χ(2) ~ 1 pm/V) induced in bulk fused silica by a combined temperature/static electric field poling process.1 Subsequently, a similar nonlinearity induced in a sputtered glass film by corona poling has been reported by Okada et al.2 We report time-resolved measurements of the formation and decay of the nonlinearity for a sample maintained at an elevated temperature, while the applied electric field is switched on and off. Second harmonic generation (SHG) provides a sensitive real time probe of the second-order nonlinearity. In addition, we report a spectral study on possible sources of the nonlinearity.
From Natural Fibers to Man-Made Plastics

Natural fibers were utilized by mankind considerably earlier than metals, alloys, and ceramics. Indeed, it can be reasonably assumed that fibers were applied by humans long before recorded history. Moreover, even some animals use fibers, for example, when building nests (birds, mammals), webs (spiders), for protection during pupation (caterpillars, silkworms), or for retrieving insects out of narrow holes (chimpanzees). In short, some animals produce fibers for their needs, whereas others collect them. The history of the utilization of fibers is, however, much harder to trace than that of metals and ceramics because fibers often deteriorate through rot, mildew, and bacterial action. In other words, only a few specimens of early fibers have been found so far.
International Financial Institutions and the Challenges of Global Business Ethics

Business ethics are moral principles and doctrines that determine behavior in the business world. Although the purpose of every business is to earn profits, it also ought to pay a major role in society by ensuring fair practices. Instead of fairness and equality, greed has taken over the present business scenario leading to unethical business practices. World Bank and International Monetary Fund have been criticized for harsh imposition of austerity measures on member borrower countries. IMF programs are connected with adverse social action like reduced investment in public health and education in the recipient countries resulting in ethical violation and lack of corporate social responsibility to the communities served. A number of World Bank financed projects have social and environmental effects for the people in the affected areas resulting in ethical issues criticism. The IMF and World Bank have also been criticized for violation of ethical issues of equity and fair play.
Microenvironmental changes in breast tumor progression: genetic or epigenetic?.

Abstract #PD-1 Increasing evidence suggests that changes in the cellular microenvironment contribute to tumorigenesis, but the molecular basis of these alterations is not well understood. We have characterized molecular alterations that occur during breast tumor progression in each cell type that compose normal breast tissue and in situ (DCIS-ductal Carcinoma In Situ) and invasive breast carcinomas using SAGE (Serial Analysis of Gene Expression) for gene expression profiling, SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) arrays and array CGH (Comprehensive Genomic Hybridization) for analyzing genetic changes, and MSDK (Methylation Specific Digital Karyotyping) for the characterization of DNA methylation profiles. Using these approaches we determined that gene expression and epigenetic changes occur in all cell types during breast tumor progression, whereas clonally selected genetic alterations are limited to tumor epithelial cells. We also determined that dramatic changes occur in the normal to DCIS transition, while we were not able to identify distinct in situ and invasive carcinoma molecular signatures. These findings suggest that the progression of in situ to invasive carcinoma may be influenced by non-epithelial cells composing the microenvironment. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(2 Suppl):Abstract nr PD-1.
Abstract LB-25: Global phosphoproteomics reveals crosstalk between Bcr-Abl and negative feedback mechanisms controlling Src signaling

In subtypes and late stages of leukemias driven by the tyrosine kinase fusion protein Bcr-Abl, signaling by the Src family kinases (SFKs) critically contributes to the leukemic phenotype. We performed global tyrosine phosphoprofiling using quantitative mass spectrometry of Bcr-Abl transformed cells in which the activities of the Src family kinases were perturbed to build a detailed context-dependent network of cancer signaling. Perturbation of the SFKs Lyn and Hck with genetics or inhibitors revealed Bcr-Abl downstream phosphorylation events either mediated by or independent of SFKs. We identified multiple negative feedback mechanisms within the network of signaling events affected by Bcr-Abl and SFKs, and found that Bcr-Abl attenuated these inhibitory mechanisms. The Csk binding protein Pag1 (also known as Cbp) and the tyrosine phosphatase Ptpn18 both mediated negative feedback to SFKs. We observed Bcr-Abl-mediated phosphorylation of the phosphatase Shp2 (Ptpn11) and this may contribute to the suppression of these negative feedback mechanisms to promote Bcr-Abl-activated SFK signaling. Csk and a kinase-deficient Csk mutant both produced similar globally repressive signaling consequences, suggesting a critical role for the adaptor protein function of Csk in its inhibition of Bcr-Abl and SFK signaling. The identified Bcr-Abl-activated SFK regulatory mechanisms are candidates for dysregulation during leukemia progression and acquisition of SFK-mediated drug resistance. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-25. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-LB-25
Safe Driving in the Multi-Tasking Generation

The objective of this discussion panel is to approach the teen driver distraction issue from the driver life-style point of view. As revealed in various focus groups and surveys, multi-tasking is “just what they do,” and what they have grown up doing. How (if at all) is the current generation of young drivers distinct in terms of multi-tasking? What are the implications and how might we deal with this? The approach here is to provide a multi-disciplinary panel that offers a range of expertise and perspectives on studying these issues. Each of five panelists will present a brief perspective of the problem from the point of view of their expertise. This will be followed by an open discussion period.
Reactivity Optimization of Prevulcanization Inhibitors

Abstract A series of phthalimide-based prevulcanization inhibitors has been used to probe the relationship between MBT reactivity and inhibitor performance efficiency in NR accelerated with TBBS. Based on these results, there appears to be a reactivity window for best performance. For the phthalimide series, it occurs with secondary alkyl mercaptans. Inhibitors with MBT reactivity below the optimum are less effective because they do not compete with the accelerator for the autocatalyst. The activity also falls off at higher reactivities. There are two explanations for this behavior. First, as proposed by others, the very reactive inhibitors may not completely survive mixing and precuring, so that some of the inhibitor is lost to unproductive side reactions. Over and above this effect, the performance declines because the MBT is trapped less securely when the BtSSR is derived from a more reactive mercaptan. Although other leaving groups were not evaluated in this work, it is clear that reactivity optimizat...
Bone marrow and blood findings after marrow transplantation and rhGM-CSF therapy.

Sequential bone marrow biopsy specimens and peripheral blood findings were evaluated from patients treated with recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor after autologous bone marrow transplantation for recurrent non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Parallel increases were found in white blood cell count and marrow cellularity and in absolute neutrophil count, monocyte count, and marrow myeloid:erythroid ratio. Platelet count recovery and the reappearance of megakaryocytes occurred later than granulocyte/monocyte recovery. Elevated peripheral eosinophil counts and eosinophilic hyperplasia in the marrow were noted during recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor administration, as was the appearance of distinctive, prominently granulated and/or vacuolated neutrophils and neutrophilic precursors in the blood and bone marrow. No detrimental effects of recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor administration in the marrow or peripheral blood were observed.
Patient Understanding of HIV and Hepatitis C Testing in an Emergency Department with an Integrated Program.

INTRODUCTION We implemented triage nurse rapid HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening, in parallel with physician diagnostic testing, in our urban emergency department (ED). METHODS A 2-month cross-sectional survey was performed to determine the proportion of patients who correctly reported being tested for HIV and HCV. RESULTS A total of 492 patients were surveyed. Fifty-one (70%) of the 73 patients who reported being HIV tested and 372 (89%) of the 419 patients who reported not being HIV tested were correct. Thirty (60%) of the 50 patients who reported being HCV tested and 416 (94%) of the 442 patients who reported not being HCV tested were correct. CONCLUSION Although most ED patients correctly reported whether testing was performed, there were many who did not. Although ED screening programs for HIV and HCV serve as an important venue for screening, strategies to improve communication require attention.
Blood Concentrate on Monitoring of Anti-epileptic Drugs in Our Hospital during 2009: Analysis of Monitoring Data

Objective To analyze the blood concentration monitoring data of anti-epileptic drugs in our hospital,to guide rational use of drug.Methods High performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) was used to assay trough blood concentration of the drugs.Results 157 cases were determined by HPLC in total.For 112 VPA monitor data,30.4% were in the effective therapeutic window;For 36 CBZ monitor data,83.3% were in the effective therapeutic window;For 51 PHE,62.7% were in the effective therapeutic window.Conclusion Serum drug concentration monitor is important to guide the rational drug use.However,the monitor data showed most drug concentrations in our hospital were below the therapeutic window,especially for VPA.The monitor data should be combined with other clinical data to evaluate the efficacy of anti epilepsy drugs.
Bedside echo for chest pain: an algorithm for education and assessment.

Background Goal-directed ultrasound protocols have been developed to facilitate efficiency, throughput, and patient care. Hands-on instruction and training workshops have been shown to positively impact ultrasound training.
Bleeding Complications in the Patient with Cardiac Disease Following Thrombolytic and Anticoagulant Therapies

Thrombolytic and anticoagulant therapies are used frequently in the cardiac patient. Bleeding complications and other coagulation defects, such as heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HITP), can occur following the administration of these drugs. Nurses caring for the cardiac patient need to be aware of the potential for bleeding and know how to safely and effectively care for the patient who experiences a bleeding event.
Social Construction: Knowledge, Self, Others, and Continuing the Conversation

Social constructionism’s relevance to communication studies is demonstrated through the development of three arguments. First, as theories of knowledge presume a theory of human functioning with ot...
Jaccard Coefficients as a Potential Graph Benchmark

The processing of graphs is of increasing importancein many applications, with the size of such graphsgrowing rapidly. As with scientific computing, there is agrowing need to understand the relationship between systemarchitectures and graph algorithms, especially as both thescale of the system and the size of the graph increase. Todate there is one such graph benchmark that has severalhundred comparative reports available, namely Breadth FirstSearch, which has over the last few years fueled new algorithmsthat have improved typical performance very significantly. This paper suggests an additional benchmark based on thecomputation of neighborhoods and Jaccard coefficients thatis of both a different intrinsic complexity and can be recastin multiple ways that may be suitable for different classes of real-world applications.
Grain Refinement Mechanism of Aluminum by Al-Ti-B Master Alloys

Al-Ti-B type master alloys are routinely added into aluminum for a grain refinement purpose. However, a consensus about the mechanism of grain refinement is still yet to reach. This work is aiming at further understanding the grain refinement mechanism through studying the stability of TiB2 in pure aluminum and TiB2/Al3Ti interfaces in aluminum by transmission electron microscopic (TEM) techniques. It is found that TiB2 reacts with aluminum forming (Ti,Al)B2 solid solution and releasing titanium into aluminum. A crystallographic orientation relationship exists between TiB2 and Al3Ti in Al-Ti-B alloys. A dynamic nucleation theory for the grain refinement is therefore proposed as a dynamic Al3Ti layer in the thickness of a couple of atoms existing on the surface of (Ti,Al)B2 and being responsible for nucleating aluminum grains.
Bayesian Spline Regression When the Number of Knots is Unknown

SUMMARY The problem of selecting the model and coefficients for a spline regression curve with normal errors is considered. The locations of all possible knots are assumed to be known; which subset of these is the set of actual knots is unknown. Each subset forms a model. Priors of the form of a marginal distribution on the index of the model and a conditional distribution for each model on the coefficients and variance are allowed. The posterior distribution is explicitly derived for natural conjugate and vague priors. The optimal predictor is derived for a loss function which is a generalization of that appearing in Lindley (1968). All that is required of the opinion is the marginal distribution for the model and the mean vector for the coefficients.
Wind relaxation and a coastal buoyant plume north of Pt. Conception, CA: Observations, simulations, and scalings

In upwelling regions, wind relaxations lead to poleward propagating warm water plumes that are important to coastal ecosystems. The coastal ocean response to wind relaxation around Pt. Conception, CA is simulated with a Regional Ocean Model (ROMS) forced by realistic surface and lateral boundary conditions including tidal processes. The model reproduces well the statistics of observed subtidal water column temperature and velocity at both outer and inner-shelf mooring locations throughout the study. A poleward-propagating plume of Southern California Bight water that increases shelf water temperatures by ≈ 5°C is also reproduced. Modeled plume propagation speed, spatial scales, and flow structure are consistent with a theoretical scaling for coastal buoyant plumes with both surface-trapped and slope-controlled dynamics. Plume momentum balances are distinct between the offshore (>30 m depth) region where the plume is surface-trapped, and onshore of the 30 m isobath (within 5 km from shore) where the plume water mass extends to the bottom and is slope controlled. In the onshore region, bottom stress is important in the alongshore momentum equation and generates vertical vorticity that is an order of magnitude larger than the vorticity in the plume core. Numerical experiments without tidal forcing show that modeled surface temperatures are biased 0.5°C high, potentially affecting plume propagation distance and persistence.
The intersection of obesity and the longitudinal course of problem gambling

The purpose of this analysis was to assess the potential association between body mass index (BMI) and change in gambling symptom severity in a sample of non-treatment-seeking problem gamblers over a one year period. One-hundred sixty problem gamblers age 18-29 were recruited from the surrounding community and completed assessments of gambling behavior and related variables at baseline and one-year visits. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to examine the association between BMI and symptom change, while accounting for nicotine use, gender, age, and baseline gambling severity. The sample included 102 normal weight, 35 overweight, and 23 obese gamblers. Groups differed in sex, age, gambling risk level, and current nicotine use. There was a significant obesity x baseline gambling risk level interaction for the model predicting changes in GD-YBOCS scores over the 1-year follow-up. Obese participants with gambling disorder showed significantly smaller improvements in symptoms over one year than normal weight participants. Results suggest that obesity predicts smaller improvements in gambling symptoms over time in those meeting criteria for gambling disorder. Future research should clarify the possible influence of impulsivity on this association, and assess the clinical utility of weight management programs in treatments for gambling disorder.
Structural and functional alterations in the colonic microbiome of the rat in a model of stress induced irritable bowel syndrome

ABSTRACTStress is known to perturb the microbiome and exacerbate irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) associated symptoms. Characterizing structural and functional changes in the microbiome is necessary to understand how alterations affect the biomolecular environment of the gut in IBS. Repeated water avoidance (WA) stress was used to induce IBS-like symptoms in rats. The colon-mucosa associated microbiome was characterized in 13 stressed and control animals by 16S sequencing. In silico analysis of the functional domains of microbial communities was done by inferring metagenomic profiles from 16S data. Microbial communities and functional profiles were compared between conditions. WA animals exhibited higher α-diversity and moderate divergence in community structure (β-diversity) compared with controls. Specific clades and taxa were consistently and significantly modified in the WA animals. The WA microbiome was particularly enriched in Proteobacteria and depleted in several beneficial taxa. A decreased capacit...
A Response to the New Landscape Declaration: A Summit on Landscape Architecture and the Future

At the beginning of June 1966, at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, the newly established Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) convened five landscape architects_among whom Ian McHarg and Grady ...
Intergenerational impact of maternal overnutrition and obesity throughout pregnancy in sheep on metabolic syndrome in grandsons and granddaughters.

We previously reported that maternal overnutrition and obesity (MO) throughout pregnancy and lactation in sheep (MOF0) decreases term fetal pancreatic β-cell numbers and increases perirenal adiposity producing hyperphagia, increased adiposity and insulin resistance in adult female offspring (MOF1) fed ad libitum. Pregnant female MOF1 exhibited increased blood glucose from mid to late gestation vs control F1 (CTRF1) though both groups ate only to NRC recommendations. MOF1 ewes delivered female offspring (F2) who like their MOF1 mothers exhibited increased abdominal adiposity and absent neonatal leptin surge. In the current work, we determined if adult MOF2 exhibited metabolic syndrome components when fed ad libitum. After weaning, MOF2 males (n = 5), MOF2 females (n = 6), CTRF2 males (n = 5), and CTRF2 females (n = 6) were fed to NRC requirements until 19 mo followed by 12-wk ad libitum feeding. Body weight and % fat increased (P < 0.01) in all F2 during this feeding trial. MOF2 males were heavier (P < 0.01) than CTRF2 males and females, and MOF2 females throughout the trial. By wk 8, baseline blood glucose concentrations increased (P < 0.001) in MOF2 females, but not other groups, remaining elevated throughout the trial. Baseline insulin was similar through wk 6, increasing (P < 0.05) at wk 8 in MOF2 females only. MOF2 female insulin returned to CTRF2 female levels during wk 10 and 12. The progressive increase of plasma glucose on wk 8 in association with increased insulin in MOF2 females but not other groups demonstrated a diet-induced increase (P < 0.001) in MOF2 female insulin resistance. The subsequent decline in insulin during wk 10 and 12 despite elevated glucose in MOF2 females is consistent with a decrease in glucose-stimulated pancreatic β-cell function. These data indicate that ad libitum feeding exceeds the pancreatic secretory response predisposing MOF2 females to hyperglycemia. Furthermore, there was a sex difference where MOF2 males increased body mass and MOF2 females displayed insulin/glucose dysregulation.
Multivariate Linear Regression

This chapter will show that multivariate linear regression with m ≥ 2 response variables is nearly as easy to use, at least if m is small, as multiple linear regression which has m = 1 response variable. Plots for checking the model are given, and prediction regions that are robust to nonnormality are developed. For hypothesis testing, it is shown that the Wilks’ lambda statistic, Hotelling Lawley trace statistic, and Pillai’s trace statistic are robust to nonnormality.
Noncircular Chainrings Do Not Influence Maximum Cycling Power.

Noncircular chainrings could increase cycling power by prolonging the powerful leg extension/flexion phases, and curtailing the low-power transition phases. We compared maximal cycling power-pedaling rate relationships, and joint-specific kinematics and powers across three chainring eccentricities (CON=1.0; LOWecc=1.13; HIGHecc=1.24). Part I: Thirteen cyclists performed maximal inertial-load cycling under three chainring conditions. Maximum cycling power and optimal pedaling rate were determined. Part II: Ten cyclists performed maximal isokinetic cycling (120rpm) under the same three chainring conditions. Pedal and joint-specific powers were determined using pedal forces and limb kinematics. Neither maximal cycling power nor optimal pedaling rate differed across chainring conditions (all p>.05). Peak ankle angular velocity for HIGHecc was less than CON (p<.05), while knee and hip angular velocities were unaffected. Self-selected ankle joint-center trajectory was more eccentric than HIGHecc with an opposit...
Cross-dehydrogenative coupling and oxidative-amination reactions of ethers and alcohols with aromatics and heteroaromatics.

Cross-dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) is a process in which, typically, a C–C bond is formed at the expense of two C–H bonds, either catalyzed by metals or other organic compounds, or via uncatalyzed processes. In this perspective, we present various modes of C–H bond-activation at sp3 centers adjacent to ether oxygen atoms, followed by C–C bond formation with aromatic systems as well as with heteroaromatic systems. C–N bond-formation with NH-containing heteroaromatics, leading to hemiaminal ethers, is also an event that can occur analogously to C–C bond formation, but at the expense of C–H and N–H bonds. A large variety of hemiaminal ether-forming reactions have recently appeared in the literature and this perspective also includes this complementary chemistry. In addition, the participation of C–H bonds in alcohols in such processes is also described. Facile access to a wide range of compounds can be attained through these processes, rendering such reactions useful for synthetic applications via Csp3 bond activations.
An Unusual Case of Cholestatic Hepatitis

Renal cell carcinoma can present with a variety of paraneoplastic syndromes. Reversible hepatic dysfunction in the setting of non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma is a rare paraneoplastic phenomenon that was first described by Stauffer in 1961. This clinical entity is characterized by reversal of liver chemistry abnormalities after resection of the primary tumor. Here we present an unusual case of non-metastatic hepatic dysfunction secondary to renal cell carcinoma, also known as Stauffer’s syndrome, in a 55-year old patient who presented with liver synthetic dysfunction and notable hyperbilirubinemia. Unlike earlier reports, the icteric variant of Staffer’s syndrome has been emerging as the predominantly reported variant in the recent literature. Moreover, poor correlation between the severity of hepatic dysfunction and the liver biopsy findings was noted. The variable and non-specific presenting symptoms and signs as well as the need for extensive evaluation for abnormal liver chemistry usually results in a delay in the diagnosis of the primary tumor. Therefore, physicians need to be familiar with this clinical entity as a possible reversible etiology of liver chemistry abnormalities in patients with renal and other solid tumors as this may guide further investigations, lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment of the primary tumor, and ultimately improve outcomes.
Molecular dynamics study of correlations between IR peak position and bond parameters of silica and silicate glasses: Effects of temperature and stress

In the IR spectra of silica and silicate glasses, the shifts of the maximum intensity position of the νSi-O-Si,as band upon heating or applying mechanical stress could be attributed to changes in the distribution of bond parameters such as bond length and bond angle. Upon heating, isotropic expansion occurs and the density changes; upon applying mechanical stress, anisotropic strain is induced and a significant change in the Si-O-Si bond angle is observed. From molecular dynamics simulations of silica glasses, we show that the peak position shift correlates better with the asymmetric change in the Si-O bond length distribution, rather than the Si-O-Si bridge angle, the O-Si-O tetrahedral angle, or the density change. This new finding provides an insight into how and why the νSi-O-Si,as IR peak of soda lime silica (SLS) glass shifts upon chemical strengthening via ion exchange and thermal tempering. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Gas Flaring in Niger Delta Region of Nigeria: Cost, Ecological and Human Health Implications

The study examines the relationship between total gas produced, utilized and flared, also the social cost, economic cost and the public health consequences resulting from gas flaring in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The environmental and economic impacts caused by gas flaring activities in this part of the world between 1999 and 2015 were analyzed to establish the relationship gas flaring has with lost economic opportunities, ecological damage and human health challenges. The study examined and discussed the gas flaring cost, the volume of gas produced, public health cost, the cost of pollution abatement technology, social cost-benefit, the regulatory policies, and the reason why oil companies still flare gases. There is no single empirical approach, estimation technique or emission index to quantify the exact impact of gas flaring. The impact of gas flaring on the Niger Delta region is not an assumption but a reality that is supported by verifiable evidence. We find that gas flaring has a devastating impact on human health and the natural ecology. Available cost-effective technological solutions can be deployed by the oil companies to abate the flaring, expand revenue and improve the environmental quality in the Niger Delta area.
Prediction of Protein Backbone Torsion Angles Using Deep Residual Inception Neural Networks

Prediction of protein backbone torsion angles (Psi and Phi) can provide important information for protein structure prediction and sequence alignment. Existing methods for Psi-Phi angle prediction have significant room for improvement. In this paper, a new deep residual inception network architecture, called DeepRIN, is proposed for the prediction of Psi-Phi angles. The input to DeepRIN is a feature matrix representing a composition of physico-chemical properties of amino acids, a 20-dimensional position-specific substitution matrix (PSSM) generated by PSI-BLAST, a 30-dimensional hidden Markov Model sequence profile generated by HHBlits, and predicted eight-state secondary structure features. DeepRIN is designed based on inception networks and residual networks that have performed well on image classification and text recognition. The architecture of DeepRIN enables effective encoding of local and global interatcions between amino acids in a protein sequence to achieve accruacte prediction. Extensive experimental results show that DeepRIN outperformed the best existing tools significantly. Compared to the recently released state-of-the-art tool, SPIDER3, DeepRIN reduced the Psi angle prediction error by more than 5 degrees and the Phi angle prediction error by more than 2 degrees on average. The executable tool of DeepRIN is available for download at http://dslsrv8.cs.missouri.edu/~cf797/MUFoldAngle/.
Ecological factors associated with pre-dispersal predation of fig seeds and wasps by fig-specialist lepidopteran larvae

Abstract In brood pollination mutualisms, predation of developing fruit can have large negative repercussions for both plant and pollinator population dynamics. The Sonoran Desert rock fig Ficus petiolaris and its highly-coevolved wasp pollinator are subject to frequent attack by lepidopteran larvae that consume fig fruit and the developing seeds and larval pollinators they contain. We used generalized linear mixed models to investigate how the phenology, quantity, and spatial distribution of fig fruits is associated with variation in lepidopteran damage intensity on individual trees at nine geographic locations spanning a 741 km latitudinal transect along Mexico's Baja California Peninsula. We found lepidopteran damage to be strongly positively associated with more synchronous fig crops and larger trees, and only weakly associated with lower local host tree density. These results imply that fruit production that is asynchronous within trees and spread out over time, as observed in several fig species, benefits female and male components of fitness (pollen disperser and seed production, respectively) by reducing pre-dispersal predation by frugivores.
Paying for Energy

The energy sector is amid an expensive transformation, especially in the United States and Europe. As aging coal and nuclear power plants are replaced by natural gas and renewable energy, it is worth asking how energy consumers will pay for the infrastructural overhaul that lies ahead. The way that energy costs are borne has important consequences: some technologies are underused because agreement about how to pay for them cannot be secured, while others are overused simply because their costs may easily be imposed on ratepayers or taxpayers. This article begins with a brief historical survey of energy policy to demonstrate the importance of the various ways to pay for energy. It then moves to an analysis of some of today’s most vexing energy problems, and demonstrates that the adoption of acceptable cost-sharing mechanisms is crucial to the upgrade of energy infrastructure . To identify such mechanisms, one must look not only to the distribution and magnitude of costs—who will pay, and how much—but also to the operation of the relevant political, legal, and regulatory institutions. The key point is that superior technologies are not self-executing. Clean, safe and abundant energy depends not simply on technological improvement, but on securing a viable way to pay for it.
Digital Humanities in the Teaching of Narrative

In this chapter I distill some of the benefits that can be realized in the undergraduate literature classroom by replacing one or more traditional writing assignments with group (crowd-sourced) or individual projects employing Digital Humanities (DH) techniques of analysis, visualization and interpretation of narrative. I describe a modest mapping exercise in a course about London novels, with a frank account of the start-up effort required and the surprising cognitive gains realized by its incorporation into a traditional English syllabus. In a brief account of a pedagogically focused Digital Humanities Initiative at a small liberal arts college, I show how undergraduates gain a digital skill set and more acute engagement with narrative texts by participating in Text Encoding Initiative markup of a digital edition of a medieval epic poem. I refer to colleagues’ DH projects, for example involving undergraduate students in research that maps characters’ movements in space, leading to new interpretations of canonical texts. The centerpiece of the chapter shares an original discovery about the sources and influences on Joseph Conrad’s The Secret Agent that came out of DH pedagogy.
Generalized H 2 / H ∞ Control

In this paper we consider the problem of finding a controller that minimizes an upper bound on the worst case overshoot of a controlled output in response to arbitrary but bounded energy exogenous inputs subject to an inequality constraint on the H ∞ norm of another closed loop transfer function. This problem, which we define as the generalized H 2/H ∞ control problem, can be interpreted and motivated as a problem of optimal nominal performance subject to a robust stability constraint. We consider both state-feedback and output feedback problems. It is shown that in the state-feedback case one can come arbitrarily close to the optimal performance measure using memory-less state-feedback. Moreover, the state-feedback generalized H 2/H ∞ problem can be converted into a convex optimization problem over a set of matrices defined in terms of affine matrix inequalities. For output feedback problems, we show that the generalized H 2/H ∞ control problem is equivalent to a state-feedback generalized H 2/H ∞ control problem of a suitably constructed auxiliary plant. An output feedback controller that solves the generalized H 2/H ∞ synthesis problem may be readily constructed from the solution to the auxiliary state-feedback problem and the solution to the standard H ∞ filtering algebraic Riccati equation. The structure of this controller is similar to that of the so-called central H ∞ controller.
A novel local search algorithm for the traveling salesman problem that exploits backbones

We present and investigate a new method for the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) that incorporates backbone information into the well known and widely applied Lin-Kernighan (LK) local search family of algorithms for the problem. We consider how heuristic backbone information can be obtained and develop methods to make biased local perturbations in the LK algorithm and its variants by exploiting heuristic backbone information to improve their efficacy. We present extensive experimental results, using large instances from the TSP Challenge suite and real-world instances in TSPLIB, showing the significant improvement that the new method can provide over the original algorithms.
Co-Localization by Immunofluorescence of the α Subunit(S) of Gi with Cytoplasmic Structures

GTP-binding proteins established in signal transduction (G proteins) are hetemtrimers consisting of α, β, and γ subunits. From the initial discovery Gs, the family of G proteins has expanded in both number and scope of action. Arrangements of G proteins within the plasma membrane and among subcellular structures, however, remain largely uncharacterized. Compartmentation within the plasma membrane may indeed provide the means by which agonists can operate selectively on particular enzymes or channels (Brass et al., 1988; Neer et al., 1988). G proteins have also been detected within the cytosol (Bokoch et al., 1988; Rotrosen et al., 1988; Spicher et al., 1988) and in granule membranes (Toutant et al., 1987; Rotrosen et al., 1988). While cytoplasmic populations of G proteins may simply represent internal stores bound for recruitment to the plasma membrane, there is evidence that they may perform more active roles critical to normal cell function. The existence of guanine nucleotide-sensitivity, for example, has been demonstrated in transport of protein within the Golgi apparatus (Melancon et al., 19871, degranulation (Cockroft et al., 1987; Lindau and Nusse,1987), release of Ca++ from endoplasmic reticulum (Nasmith and Grinstein, 1987), and perhaps translocation of nascent proteins (Audigier et al., 1988; Connolly and Gilmore, 1986; Hoffman and Gilmore, 1988). In parallel to these findings, a recent study has shown that a 41-kDa, Giα-like protein co-fractionates with rough endoplasmic reticulum (Audigier et al, 1988). Clearly, knowledge of the distributions of G proteins within the cell will be critical to our understanding of G protein function.
Glassware Washing Operations

Glassware washing is perhaps the most critical research support procedure performed in laboratories involved in biomedical research, especially in those laboratories involved in tissue culture. Errors in processing glassware that allow contamination to remain on supposedly clean glassware can have devastating results for research operations. All laboratories need to have a standardized glassware washing procedure in order to save processing time, minimize chance of error, identify sources of contamination when problems occur, and ensure that similar glassware items are handled in the same manner, thus minimizing the need for custom treatment of common-use glassware. Special treatments should be kept to a minimum to avoid introduction of variables, thereby defeating the purpose of a standardized procedure.
The Language of Romance: An Open Vocabulary Analysis of the Highest Rated Words Used in Romance Novels:

What are the common linguistic features of top-rated romance novels? The open vocabulary method was performed on 703 romance novels to determine what words were commonly used in the highest rated r...
Upset-conscious scheduling for continuous parallel-process and performance decaying unit system

Abstract Olefin plants employ multi-type cracking furnaces in parallel to convert various hydrocarbon feeds into products such as ethylene and propylene. The cracking process of each furnace is a performance-decaying batch operation, which needs periodic shutdowns for decoking operations and thus involves inherently frequent upsets to downstream process. Therefore, the furnace feed allocation, batch processing time and decoking sequence of the entire furnace system must be optimally scheduled to maximize the plant profitability; meanwhile, the induced upset of the main product yields also needs to be restricted within an appropriate range at any time for the sake of the plant operability. Facing this challenge, a new MILP (mixed-integer linear programming) model has been developed in this paper for the upset-conscious scheduling of cracking furnace systems. The study can not only benefit both profitability and operability for the entire olefin plant operation, but also be applied to other continuous parallel-process and performance-decaying unit systems. The efficacy of the developed scheduling model has been demonstrated by various case studies.
Antibiotics and Resistance in the Environment

Antibiotic use has steadily increased since these agents were introduced in the 1940s. Millions of metric tons of antibiotics have been produced and used worldwide, which has led to contamination of both natural and man-made environments. Antibiotics are used on domestic animals, aquacultured fish, crops, and man. Because of the widespread use of antibiotics, wildlife is exposed either directly or indirectly through contamination of their food. This widespread contamination by antibiotics and their residues has influenced and selected for increasing numbers of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic-resistant genes over time. It is widely recognized that a global “One Health” approach is needed to understand how antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance genes spread among and between animals, humans, and the environment.
Characteristics of the deforming bed: till properties on the deglaciated Antarctic continental shelf

Contemporary ice stream flow is directly linked to conditions at the ice/bed interface, yet this environment is logistically difficult to access. Instead, we investigate subglacial processes important for ice stream flow by studying tills on the deglaciated Antarctic continental shelf. We test currently-accepted hypotheses surrounding subglacial processes and till properties with a Ross Sea dataset. Till shear strengths indicate a continuum of simultaneous processes acting at the bed, rather than discrete ‘deformation’ and ‘lodgement’ end-members. We identify a threshold water content representing saturated pore spaces, leading to basal sliding and meltwater channelization. Based on observations of till properties relative to glacial landforms, we challenge the assumption that low shear strength is linked to intense deformation. Spatial variability in landform morphology reflects variability in deforming processes at the sub-ice stream scale and suggests a maximum deforming bed thickness of 2 m at the grounding line. Regional till properties generally correlate with seafloor geology and deglacial history; the western Ross Sea is characterized by higher and more variable shear strengths and water contents, while lower-shear strength till was preserved in the Eastern Basin. These observations inform till interpretation and provide context for deforming beds beneath the modern ice sheet and on glaciated continental shelves.
Predicting Individual-Level Call Arrival from Online Account Customer Activity

The data collected from a firm’s online account enables enterprises to understand their consumers better and accordingly adjust their business processes. The development of effective customer relationship management strategies and the enhancement of consumers’ experience with customer service centers require accurate prediction of future customer telephone queries. In this paper, we leverage the collected big data from customers’ activities at a firm’s online account to estimate the likelihood that an individual customer will phone the firm’s contact centers within the next thirty days. Our predictive modeling approach has two distinguished characteristics: (i) predicting calls at an individual customer level, and (ii) incorporating the big data from online account activities, in addition to the customer’s past telephone queries. The individual-level data used in this study is from contact centers of a major U. S. insurance firm. Various classes of features specifying the customer segment, recency and frequency of customer interactions are considered. Different neural network architectures are investigated to achieve the best prediction accuracy. Out-of-sample performance analyses evince the capability of the developed model to accurately predict future policyholders’ calls at both the individual and aggregate levels.
Outcomes and utilization of adjuvant chemotherapy (AT) for stage II colon cancer (CC-II) in elderly population.

701Background: The use of AT in elderly patients (pts) with CC-II is controversial. We used Surveillance Epidemiology End Results (SEER) linkage with Medicare claims to explore the patterns of AT a...