cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estimating Nest Success: When Mayfield Wins

-The Apparent estimator of nest success may be severely biased because unsuccessful nests are less likely to be found than are successful nests. The Mayfield estimator is a preferred alternative. The situation is somewhat different for nests in colonies or on islands because of greater visibility of nests, higher synchrony of nesting, and often higher hatch rates than dispersed mainland nests. Also, destruction is more likely to occur catastrophically, which violates an assumption of the Mayfield method that the mortality rate is constant. By simulation we investigated the performance of the Apparent and Mayfield estimators under a variety of circumstances. We found that when mortality rate was constant, the Mayfield estimator generally performed well regardless of whether or not nesting was synchronous or whether mortality was high or low. The Apparent estimator required more searches and higher detectability of nests. When mortality was mostly catastrophic, the Mayfield method performed poorly. The Apparent method was better, but high levels of detectability were needed for accurate estimates. We reached similar conclusions for attempts to estimate the number of nests initiated. Received 31 July 1989, accepted 5 January 1990. ORNITHOLOGISTS have come to realize that the traditional estimate of nest success (the fraction of observed nests that are successful) may be severely biased. This unwelcome result exists because unsuccessful nests may be active only briefly and are less likely to be observed than are successful nests, which persist for the entire laying and incubation period. Although Snow (1955), Hammond and Forward (1956), and others alluded to the bias, it was not formally dealt with until Mayfield (1961, 1975) proposed a solution. Johnson (1979) provided the statistical underpinnings of the method, which is similar to estimating an exponential survival function with censoring (e.g. Gross and Clark 1975). Problems that require a Mayfield treatment are somewhat different for nests on islands or in nesting colonies for four reasons, some of which Ely and Raveling (1984) identified. First, nest success is often much higher on islands than on mainlands. This reduces the bias of the Apparent hatch rate, and minimizes the need for the Mayfield method. Second, nesting on islands or in colonies is often fairly synchronous, which facilitates nest finding in early stages, before many of them are destroyed. Third, mortality of clutches in island or colonial nests is more often catastrophic than in mainland or isolated nests. The Mayfield method assumes that a constant mortality rate applies. Fourth, the small size of the nesting area, and high density and high visibility of nests, often permit many destroyed clutches to be found, which reduces the bias in the Apparent hatch rate. Additionally, nests destroyed before discovery are not used in the Mayfield calculation. In island or colonial situations these may be numerous, and biologists are tempted to include them to enhance sample sizes.
Maternal Supplementation Differentially Affects the Mother and Newborn

Although studying the effect of supplementation on maternal health or the outcome of pregnancy was not a primary goal of the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama Oriente Longitudinal Study, many important findings in these areas were produced. As part of the study, a food supplementation program was implemented. Two villages received Atole, a gruel containing protein and energy, and 2 matched villages received a refreshing, low-energy drink containing no protein. Both drinks contained micronutrients. Some women did not choose to consume the supplements and those who did consumed widely varying amounts. More volume of Fresco was consumed than Atole. The energy in the supplements improved birthweight, with no apparent additional benefit from protein or micronutrients. Researchers identified several groups of women who benefited from supplementation more than others by having babies with higher birthweights, including those with poorer current nutritional status and those who consumed high amounts of the supplement continuously from one pregnancy to the next. Results from the study provided an early indication that supplementation might increase the duration of gestation and, thus, reduce preterm birth. On the other hand, maternal supplementation did not substantially alter the duration of postpartum amenorrhea once concurrent infant supplementation was taken into account. Finally, findings from this study provided evidence of a biological trade-off between maintenance of maternal nutritional status and increasing fetal size that was responsive to both current maternal nutritional status and supplement intake but not to the mother's nutritional status earlier in life.
Balance of Representation in Water Planning: An Assessment of Experience from North Carolina

Overrepresentation of private interests and underrepresentation of public interests has been endemic in citizen participation in water planning in the USA for many years. Attempts to correct imbalance in interest representation have not been successful. Such failure is explained by showing that traditional perceptions may not be valid. Empirical evidence from the North Carolina nonpoint pollution control planning program is used. Categories of public and private participants are developed. Agency staff interpretations of representation are reported—staff believed private participants were heavily overrepresented. The participant categories are tested. Staff interpretations are tested against participant attitudes. Surprisingly, participant attitudes do not support the staff interpretations. Possible explanations are considered. Conclusions identify limitations in traditional categorizations of interests and suggest that participants respond to a wide array of incentives and disincentives, not just materia...
The Gomphidiaceae revisited: a worldwide perspective

Recent studies in the Gomphidiaceae have clearly delimited two genera, Gomphidius and Chroo- gomphus, both of which are mycorrhizal associates only with the Pinaceae. Ecological studies show Chroogomphus as a mycorrhizal associate of Pinus (Pi- noideae), while Gomphidius is associated with the other three gymnosperm subfamilies Piceoideae, Lar- iceideae, and Abietoideae. The genus Brauniellula, which is based upon the secotioid habit and the pres- ence of orthotropic, statismosporic basidia, falls with- in Chroogomphus in a clade with ballistosporic species. Brauniellula is, therefore, placed in synonymy with Chroogomphus. Molecular and morphological studies of new material from Nepal, Russia, Korea, and the United States have delimited two new species in each genus. The morphologically identical Chroogomphus rutilus clades are separate, one European and one North American. The relationship of the two genera in the Gomphidiaceae, with their mycorrhizal asso- ciates, is related to similar host relationships within other genera in the Suilloid Clade.
The reactivity of the 2-deoxyribonolactone lesion in single-stranded DNA and its implication in reaction mechanisms of DNA damage and repair

The formal C1'-oxidation product, 2-deoxyribonolactone, is formed as a result of DNA damage induced via a variety of agents, including gamma-radiolysis and the enediyne antitumor antibiotics. This alkaline labile lesion may also be an intermediate during DNA damage induced by copper-phenanthroline. Oligo-nucleotides containing this lesion at a defined site were formed via aerobic photolysis of oligonucleotides containing a photolabile ketone, and were characterized by gel electrophoresis and electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Treatment of oligo-nucleotides containing the lesion with secondary amines produces strand breaks consisting of 3'-phosphate termini, and products which migrate more slowly in polyacrylamide gels. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry analysis indicates that the slower moving products are formal adducts of the beta-elimination product resulting from 2-deoxyribonolactone and one molecule of amine. The addition of beta-mercapto-ethanol to the reaction mixture produces thiol adducts as well. The stability of these adducts suggests that they cannot be the labile species characterized by gel electrophoresis in copper-phenanthroline-mediated strand scission. The characterization of these adducts by mass spectrometry also provides, by analogy, affirmation of proposals regarding the reactivity of nucleophiles with the beta-elimination product of abasic sites. Finally, the effects of this lesion and the various adducts on DNA repair enzymes are unknown, but their facile generation from oligonucleotides containing a photolabile ketone suggests that such issues could be addressed.
Unsteady Aerodynamics and Wing Kinematics Effect in Hovering Insect Flight

Insects are the undisputed masters of flapping flight in the micro-aerial world. It has been discovered that they rely on a wide array of unsteady aerodynamic mechanisms such as wake capture, leading-edge vortex, Weis–Fogh “clap-and-fling” mechanism, etc. to take off, hover, maneuver, and land. In the current study, we present a direct numerical simulation of a modeled fruitfly in hovering flight based on realistic morphologies of wing, body, and kinematics. Wingwing interaction, wing-body interaction, wing-wake interaction, and associated unsteady aerodynamics are of particular interests in this study. Simulations have shown that the vortex topologies in flow field are distorted due to the wing-wing interaction during the dorsal stroke reversal. Unbalanced lift production is observed on both wing and body between the downstroke and upstroke. Effect of wing kinematics on wing-wing interaction is investigated, too.
Cefotaxime treatment for women with community-acquired pelvic abscesses

Abstract Forty-one women with pelvic abscesses complicating salpingitis were treated with parenteral cefotaxime, a newer cephalosporin. Abscesses ranged in size from 4 by 4 to 13 by 15 cm, and in 10 women (24%) they were ≥10 cm. Neisseria gonorrhoeae was recovered from the endocervix in 17 women (41%). A mean of 26.7 gm of cefotaxime was given over a mean of 6.5 days, and operation was not required during initial therapy. Only two women (5%) required the addition of another antimicrobial. Chronic pelvic pain and recurrent infection were infrequent during the 31- to 43-month follow-up period. Five women (12%) were readmitted for elective surgical therapy because of persistent or recurrent adnexal mass 1 to 33 months following study entry. Six (15%) women became pregnant and were delivered of their infants a mean of 25 months following cefotaxime therapy.
Objectively Measured Physical Activity Is Negatively Associated with Plasma Adiponectin Levels in Minority Female Youth

Objective. To evaluate the relationship between adiponectin and physical activity (PA) in minority female youth. Methods. Plasma adiponectin was measured in 39 females (mean age 9.2 ± 0.9 years; 30 Latina, 9 African-American; 56% overweight). PA was assessed by accelerometry. Mean minutes per day spent in daily PA (DPA) (≥3 metabolic equivalents (METs)), moderate PA (MPA)(4–7 METs), vigorous PA (VPA)(≥7 METs), and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA)(≥4 METs) were calculated. The association between adiponectin and PA, controlling for age, fat weight, lean weight, and insulin sensitivity (SI) was analyzed using linear regression. Results. Adiponectin correlated with fat weight (r = −0.43, P < .01) and SI (r = 0.52, P < .01). Minutes spent in DPA (β = −0.40, P = .02), MPA (β = −0.36, P = .04), or MVPA (β = −0.37, P = .03) were predictors of adiponectin in the adjusted model. Conclusions. Higher PA levels were related to lower adiponectin levels. Potential mechanisms include upregulation of adiponectin receptors or an increase in high-molecular weight adiponectin with increasing PA.
Altered procollagen gene expression in mid-gestational mouse excisional wounds.

Introduction Many pathologic conditions are characterized by excessive tissue contraction and scar formation. Previously, we developed a murine model of excisional wound healing in which mid-gestational wounds heal scarlessly compared with late-gestational wounds. We theorized that variations in procollagen gene expression may contribute to the scarless and rapid closure. Methods Time-dated pregnant FVB strain mice underwent laparotomy and hysterotomy on embryonic days 15 (E15) and 18 (E18). Full-thickness, excisional wounds (3 mm) were made on each of 4 fetuses per doe and then harvested at 32, 48, or 72 h. Control tissue consisted of age-matched normal fetal skin. Procollagen types 1α1, 1α2, and 3 gene expressions were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction and normalized to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Trichrome staining was also performed. Results Procollagen 1α1 expression was decreased in E15 wounds at 32 h compared with their normal skin groups. Procollagen types 1α2 and 3 expressions were both increased in the E15 groups compared with the E18 groups at 48 h. At 72 h, the E15 wounds had a collagen density similar to the surrounding normal skin while E18 wounds exhibited increased collagen deposition in a disorganized pattern. Conclusions This study demonstrates that the pattern of gene expression for types 1 and 3 collagen varies between mid- and late-gestational mouse excisional wounds. These alterations in procollagen expression may contribute to a pattern of collagen deposition in the mid-gestational fetuses that is more favorable for scarless healing with less type 1 and more type 3 collagen.
Laser range scanning for cortical surface characterization during neurosurgery

In this work, preliminary quantitative results are presented that characterize the cortical surface during neurosurgery using a laser range scanner. Intra-operative cortical surface data is collected from patients undergoing cortical resection procedures and is registered to patient-specific pre-operative data. After the skull bone-flap has been removed and the dura retracted, a laser range scanner (LRS) is used to capture range data of the brain's surface. An RGB bitmap is also captured at the time of scanning, which permits texturing of the range data. The textured range data is then registered to textured surfaces of the brain generated from pre-operative images. Registration is provided by a rigid-body transform that is based on iterative-closest point transforms and mutual information. Preliminary results using the LRS during surgery demonstrate a good visual alignment between intra-operative and pre-operative data. The registration algorithm is able to register surfaces using both sulcal and vessel patterns. Target registration errors on the order of 2mm have been achieved using the registration algorithm in a clinical setting. Results from the analysis of laser range scan data suggest that the unique feature-rich cortical surface may provide a robust method for intra-operative registration and deformation measurement. Using laser range scan data as a non-contact method of acquiring spatially relevant data in a clinical setting is a novel application of this technology. Furthermore, the work presented demonstrates a viable framework for current IGS systems to computationally account for brain shift.
Active interaction force identification for atomic force microscope applications

In an effort to improve sub-molecular imaging precision, a general distributed-based modeling approach for the atomic force microscope system is proposed which allows for the design of a stabilizing controller/estimation scheme that stabilizes the micro-cantilever based system while asymptotically identifying the atomic interaction force, that is, the estimated interaction force asymptotically approaches the actual interaction force; hence the estimated interaction force can be utilized to generate high precision atomic-resolution images. Differing from current practices of simple lumped model sets of ordinary differential equations, the proposed approach attacks the more difficult distributed parameter model.
Modification and Application of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index (CCME WQI) for the Communication of Drinking Water Quality Data in Newfoundland and Labrador

In Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), drinking water quality monitoring is conducted by the provincial government on all public water supply systems and results are communicated to communities on a quarterly basis. This paper describes the application of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index (CCME WQI) as a communications tool for reporting the drinking water quality results. The CCME WQI simplifies the communication of results while integrating local expert opinion, without challenging the integrity of the data. The NL Department of Environment and Conservation successfully tested the use of the CCME WQI on selected drinking water quality data sets, and developed a phased approach for its implementation as a practical means of presenting available physical, chemical, organic and microbiological results to communities. The CCME WQI index categorization schema was modified by adding a new ranking category to incorporate local expert opinion. This paper describes the development of the phased approach for calculating water quality indices, the testing methodology used, the rationale for modifying the existing CCME WQI index categorization schema, and the implementation of an automated CCME WQI calculator in the provincial drinking water quality database. The paper also discusses the challenges encountered in using the CCME WQI especially with respect to incorporation of contaminants, microbiological and trihalomethanes data. The benefits and downfalls of this application are also discussed.
The comparation of different anesthesia for laparoscopic pyloromyotomy on neonates

Objective To compare the efficiency of the general anesthesia and general anesthesia combined with caudal block during laparoscopic pyloromyotomy for neonates.Methods 36 neonates with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis were divided into two group randomly.In group Ⅰ, the neonates were intubated and inhaled sevoflurane to sustain anes-thesia.In group Ⅱ, single caudal block and sevoflurane inhalation were adopted.Insufflation pressure, extubation time, op-eration time insufflation time were recorded.HR、MAP、SpO2、PETCO2 PIP were recorded continuously in both groups.Re-sults the extubation time in group Ⅱ(4.5±1.1)min is shorter than group Ⅰ(8.5±1.5)min (P0.05), the insufflation pres-sure in group Ⅱ(10.2±1.7)mmHg is lower than group Ⅰ(13.2±2.1)mmHg(P0.05), there is no difference of operation time and gas abdomen time in both groups(P 0.05).10 min PIP after gas abdomen in groupⅠ(28.3±5.6)cmH2O is higher than the one in groupⅡ(24.7±4.6)cmH2O(P0.05).20 min PIP after gas abdomen in groupⅠ(29.5±5.7)cmH2O is higher than the one in groupⅡ(25.5±4.9)cmH2O(P0.05).The difference of HR、MAP、PETCO2、SpO2 between both groups is not significant(P0.05).Conclusion Both general anesthesia and general anesthesia combined with caudal block are safe,effective and satisfactory ways for laparoscopic pyloromyotomy of neonates.
520 LOCATION OF POSITIVE CULTURES IN INFECTED TOTAL HIP ARTHROPLASTY: A REVIEW OF 50 CASES.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to describe the location of positive cultures in infected total hip arthroplasty, the infecting organisms, and their relation, if any, to systemic and local host factors using the USC staging system for prosthetic joint infection. Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis of 50 consecutive cases of periprosthetic total hip infections between 1993 and 2003 was performed. All patients were staged using the USC staging system for prosthetic joint infection. A specific protocol was implemented in the process of operating on each patient. A single surgeon performed all operations and obtained all cultures. At prosthesis resection, intraoperative cultures were obtained from the following locations: acetabular bone, femoral metaphysis, femoral proximal diaphysis, femoral distal diaphysis, joint fluid, hip capsule, synovium, and sinus tract if present. All specimens were sent for aerobic, anaerobic, AFB, and fungal cultures. The patients then underwent reimplantation, amputation, or permanent resection depending upon each individual clinical scenario. Results Intraoperative cultures were taken in all patients with an overall positive culture rate of 42%. Monomicrobial infections were prevalent in 50% of cases, polymicrobial infection were found in 43% of cases, and there was no culture growth in 7% of cases. Aspiration alone was 56% sensitive in detecting infection. The individual sensitivies of the bone cultures were acetabular bone at 62%, distal diaphyseal femur at 46%, proximal diaphyseal femur at 42%, and metaphyseal femur at 30%. The individual sensitivies of the soft tissue cultures showed the sinus tract at 50%, joint fluid at 36%, synovium at 29%, and joint capsule at 27%. The combination of cultures of acetabular bone, metaphyseal femur, and proximal and distal diaphyseal femur the sensitivity increased to 83%. Aspiration with bone cultures showed a sensitivity of 93%. Conclusions Alone, preoperative hip aspiration is not highly sensitive. Bone cultures increase the sensitivity in diagnosing total hip arthroplasty infection. We could not establish a relationship between culture results or polymicrobiality and systemic or local host factors.
Guessing at the Future

Rapid change has been, and undoubtedly will continue to be a salient feature of air transport. This characteristic is important for airport planning. It is difficult under the best of circumstances to design a system which can respond to the kind of high growth in traffic that has occurred in air transport. Rapid expansion requires one to plan the design, construction and operation of facilities for conditions that one has neither experienced nor had much time to think about. And airport planning is not carried out in favorable circumstances. Extreme variability in the rate, and frequently even in the nature or location of the growth in air traffic compounds the problems associated with the stress of rapid change.
Antibiotics and ribosomes: interaction and resistance.

This session was convened by Dr Joyce Sutcliffe (Pfizer Central Research, Groton, CT, USA) and Dr R Leclerq (Hopital Cote de Nacre, Caen, France), with the assistance of the Committee Member Advisor, Dr Patrice Courvalin (Institut Pasteur, Paris, France). It included several presentations in which recent advances on understanding interactions of antibiotics with the ribosome, and mechanisms of action of such drugs, were discussed. The majority of speakers focused on antibiotic interaction with the large ribosomal subunit. Exciting new developments in the field of ribosomal research were highlighted by publication, just several weeks before the conference, of high-resolution crystallographic structures of the large and small ribosomal subunits. With this in mind, several speakers discussed biochemical and genetic data on antibiotic-ribosome interactions within the context of newly available structural information.
Monetary Reform — Where Do the Problems Go When Assumed To Have Been Solved?

The financial crisis that began in 2007 has led to several more or less standard remarks. One is the fear of protectionism — governments tend to favor domestic residents over foreigners when the supply of good-paying jobs is much smaller than the demand. The second is the need for more regulation, especially of financial institutions. (It is not as if the financial institutions were not regulated or abundantly regulated — the question is why the regulators failed to forestall the series of financial crises and the bubbles that preceded these crises.) The third is the need for a ‘new Bretton Woods.’
Multi-Hazard Multi-Objective Optimization of Building Systems with Isolated Floors Under Seismic and Wind Demands

Traditionally, structural design standards or retrofit guidelines have been geared toward meeting the demand of individual hazards based on probability of exceedance of a certain event level. Performance requirements of the collective effects of individual hazards, however, acting simultaneously or spatially over time, may significantly increase the potential for substantial damage, collapse, and/or economic and life losses. In addition, performance-based earthquake engineering has recently evolved from its basic concept of defining performance objectives to prevent structural collapse, with acceptable high level of damage, to minimizing structural loss without compromising on performance. One way to achieve this objective is to make traditional seismic force-resisting systems stiffer (which also implies higher strength). However, it is neither effective nor economical to embrace such an approach. Moreover, while stiffening a structure may improve its performance under earthquake loading, the added stiffness may compromise the performance under wind loading. Therefore, it is necessary to create new seismic force-resisting systems that satisfy higher performance goals for multiple hazards and can be easily repaired, with minimal cost, after major events. Motivated by the mentioned objectives, the concept of sliding slab systems is introduced and discussed in this chapter where curved slabs are isolated from their respective bays and utilized to act as tuned mass dampers. The decision on which slab to optimize in order to achieve a superior performance under the multiple hazards of wind and earthquake is arrived at using a nested optimization approach. The optimization strategy and the modifications implemented are discussed in detail. Results of the study highlight the effectiveness of the proposed sliding slab system and the optimization scheme in configuring building systems that can withstand the multiple hazards.
Applied Gamification: Creating Reward Systems for Organizational Professional Development

The authors will explore using digital badges as a form of motivation within an organization. In order to do this the authors will examine three different psychology theories; humanistic psychological theory, behavioral psychological theory, and Gestalt psychological theory, showing the relationship between motivation and digital badges. The position of this paper is implementing digital badges, leaderboards, and points, in an organization’s human resource development strategy will result in the influencing of behaviors an organization wants to target or change. The authors will discuss the overall application of digital badges, leaderboards, and points within the organizational context, specifically, internal gamification, where game mechanics are use to motivate staff to improve productivity, foster team work, or to create other positive changes in the organization.
Analytical modeling of current gain-Earth voltage products in Si/Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x//Si heterojunction bipolar transistors

The tradeoff between common emitter current gain beta and Early voltage V/sub A/ in heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs), where both bandgap and doping can vary in the base, has been studied. The Early voltage depends exponentially on the difference between the bandgap at the collector side of the base and the largest bandgap in the base, allowing very high Early voltages with only very thin narrow bandgap regions. Using Si/Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x//Si narrow gap base HBTs with a two layer stepped base, beta V/sub A/ products of over 100000 V have been achieved for devices with a base width of only 400 AA. However, the presence of parasitic potential barriers for minority carriers at the base-collector junction of a HBT degrades V/sub A/ because changing the base-collector voltage affects not only the width but also the height of these barriers. They can be caused, e.g., by base dopant outdiffusion into the collector due to high-temperature processing. An analytical model of the effect of such barriers on the Early voltage is presented. >
Preparation of balanced trichromatic white phosphors for solid-state white lighting

High quality white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) employ multi-component phosphor mixtures to generate light of a high color rendering index (CRI). The number of distinct components in a typical phosphor mix usually ranges from two to four. Here we describe a systematic experimental technique for starting with phosphors of known chromatic properties and arriving at their respective proportions for creating a blended phosphor to produce light of the desired chromaticity. This method is applicable to both LED pumped and laser diode (LD) pumped white light sources. In this approach, the radiometric power in the down-converted luminescence of each phosphor is determined and that information is used to estimate the CIE chromaticity coordinate of light generated from the mixed phosphor. A suitable method for mixing multi-component phosphors is also described. This paper also examines the effect of light scattering particles in phosphors and their use for altering the spectral characteristics of LD- and LED-generated light. This is the only approach available for making high efficiency phosphor-converted single-color LEDs that emit light of wide spectral width.
Nutrient concentrations in tidal creeks as indicators of the water quality role of mangrove wetlands in Southwest Florida.

Abstract Coastal mangroves have the potential to improve the water quality of urban and rural runoff before it is discharged into adjacent coastal bays and oceans; but they also can be impaired by excessive pollutants from upstream. Nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen), salinity, and other water quality parameters were measured in five mangrove tidal creeks in different hydrogeomorphic and urbanization settings during high and low tides over a calendar year of wet (June and August 2015) and dry (February and April 2016) seasons in the Greater Naples Bay area in Southwest Florida, USA. Nutrient concentrations (ave. ± std error) in the tidal creeks were 0.055 ± 0.008 mg-P/L for total phosphorus (TP) and 0.610 ± 0.020 mg-N/L for total nitrogen (TN), with an average N:P ratio of 11.4:1. Average wet season TP (0.075 ± 0.010 mg-P/L) was significantly higher than the dry season TP (0.033 ± 0.003 mg-P/L; p f = 15.17, f crit = 3.89) and the average wet season TN (0.75 ± 0.03 mg-N/L) was significantly higher than dry season TN (0.52 ± 0.02 mg/L; p f = 64.14, f crit = 3.89), suggesting that urban stormwater runoff is directly or indirectly affecting the nutrient conditions in these mangroves. Significant differences in nutrient concentrations between low tide and high tide were not found for either TP ( p = 0.43, f = .63, f crit = 3.88) or TN ( p = 0.20, f = 1.66, f crit = 3.89). These differences were confirmed by a PCA and cluster analyses, which found differences to be seasonal. We could not conclude from these results whether these five mangrove wetlands were sources nor sinks of nutrients based simply on the measurement of nutrient concentrations. But we illustrated that nutrient concentrations were indicators of the mangroves’ hydrogeomorphic settings, their tidal fluxes from Naples Bay, and the Bay's upstream watersheds, and less by direct urban runoff.
Using information theory principles to schedule real-time tasks

The purpose of this paper is to present a scheduling solution based on information theory principles to schedule real-time tasks. We propose the mathematical background for using information as a parameter in real-time systems as well as the relationship between information and utilization. We present a new dynamic priority scheduling solution that selects the task with the highest amount of information per studied interval. We propose the feasibility analysis of the scheduling solution and we compare its performance against the Earliest Deadline First (EDF) scheduling algorithm using as dependent variables the number of context switches and the number of preemptions. We generated 16 test files (with 100 synthetic task sets per file) using as independent variables: (a) Utilization (from 70% to 100%), (b) Number of tasks per Task set (from 2 to 5) and (c) Hyper-period (fixed at 40). The results showed that: (a) Our scheduling solution improves the performance of EDF by 1.1384% in terms of the number of context switches and 2.0428% in terms of the number of preemptions for the studied task sets; (b) The similarity ratio (number of similar schedules) between the two algorithms was 42.68%.
Heavy Traffic and Optimal Control Methods for a Communications System

There has been much work on the heavy traffic analysis of queueing systems, but very little on controlled problems. The paper deals with the heavy traffic approach to the control problem for multiplexing-type systems, a basic component of communications systems. There are many mutually independent sources which feed into a single channel. Due to the random and widely varying data rates, control over admission or bandwidth is needed for acceptable performance. Optimal control and heavy traffic analysis has been shown to yield systems with greatly improved performance, and the general techniques provide a useful and practical approach to problems of analysis and control arising in modern telecommunications.
Oral budesonide was effective for Crohn disease

Source Citation Greenberg GR, Feagan BG, Martin F, et al., and the Canadian Inflammatory Bowel Disease Study Group. Oral budesonide for active Crohn's disease. N Engl J Med. 1994 Sep 29;331:836-41.
Low‐intensity extracorporeal shock wave therapy promotes myogenesis through PERK/ATF4 pathway

Aim Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a significant health problem for women. Treatments employing muscle derived stem cells (MDSCs) may be a promising approach to this prevalent, bothersome condition, but these treatments are invasive and require collection of cells from one site for injection into another. It is also unknown whether or not these cells establish themselves and function as muscle cells in the target tissues. Alternatively, low-intensity extracorporeal shock wave therapy (Li-ESWT) is non-invasive and has shown positive outcomes in the treatment of multiple musculoskeletal disorders, but the biological effects responsible for clinical success are not yet well understood. The aim of this study is to explore the possibility of employing Li-ESWT for activation of MDSCs in situ and to further elucidate the underlying biological effects and mechanisms of action in urethral muscle. Methods Urethral muscle derived stem cells (uMDSCs) were harvest from Zucker Lean (ZUC-LEAN) (ZUC-Leprfa 186) rats and characterized with flow cytometry. Li-ESWT (0.02 mJ/mm2, 3 Hz, 200 pulses) and GSK2656157, an inhibitor of PERK pathway, were applied to L6 rat myoblast cells. To assess for myotube formation, we used immunofluorescence staining and western blot analysis in uMDSCs and L6 cells. Results The results indicate that uMDSCs could form myotubes. Myotube formation was significantly increased by the Li-ESWT as was the expression of muscle heavy chain (MHC) and myogenic factor 5 (Myf5) in L6 cells in vitro. Li-ESWT activated protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (PERK) pathway by increasing the phosphorylation levels of PERK and eukaryotic initiation factor 2a (eIF2α) and by increasing activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4). In addition, GSK2656157, an inhibitor of PERK, effectively inhibited the myotube formation in L6 rat myoblast cells. Furthermore, GSK2656157 also attenuated myotube formation induced by Li-ESWT. Conclusion In conclusion, this experiment reveals that rat uMDSCs can be isolated successfully and can form myotubes in vitro. PERK/ATF4 pathway was involved in myotube formation, and L6 rat myoblast cells were activated by Li-ESWT to form myotubes. These findings suggest that PERK/ATF4 pathway is activated by Li-ESWT. This study elucidates one of the biochemical pathways responsible for the clinical improvements seen after Li-ESWT. It is possible that this information will help to establish Li-ESWT as an acceptable treatment modality and may help to further refine the use of Li-ESWT in the clinical practice of medicine.
Utilizing clinical pathways and web-based conferences to improve quality of care in a large integrated network using breast cancer radiation therapy as the model.

Clinical pathways outline criteria for dose homogeneity and critical organ dosimetry. Based upon an internal audit showing suboptimal compliance with dosimetric parameters in whole breast irradiation (WBI), we conducted a mandatory web-based teaching conference for the network. This study reports the impact of this initiative on subsequent treatment plans. Radiation treatment plans were collected for the 10 most recent patients receiving WBI at 16 institutions within the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center network. Subsequently, a web-based conference was conducted to educate staff physicians, physicists, and dosimetrists with goals for dose homogeneity and critical organ dosimetry. Six months post-conference, another 10 plans were collected from each site and compared to pre-conference plans for deviations from dosimetric criteria. Dose homogeneity significantly improved after the conference with breast V105% decreasing from 15.6% to 11.2% (p = 0.004) and breast V110% decreasing from 1.3% to 0.04% (p = 0.008). A higher percentage of cases were compliant with dosimetric criteria, with breast V105% > 20% decreasing from 22.5% to 7.5% of cases (p = 0.0002) and breast V110% > 0% decreasing from 13.8% to 4.4% of cases (p = 0.003). Implementation of a web-based teaching conference helped improve adherence to clinical pathway dosimetric guidelines for WBI. In radiation oncology networks, this may be an effective model to ensure quality in routine practice and can be extrapolated to other disease sites.
Extracellular vesicles from mice with alcoholic liver disease carry a distinct protein cargo and induce macrophage activation through heat shock protein 90

A salient feature of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is Kupffer cell (KC) activation and recruitment of inflammatory monocytes and macrophages (MOs). These key cellular events of ALD pathogenesis may be mediated by extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs transfer biomaterials, including proteins and microRNAs, and have recently emerged as important effectors of intercellular communication. We hypothesized that circulating EVs from mice with ALD have a protein cargo characteristic of the disease and mediate biological effects by activating immune cells. The total number of circulating EVs was increased in mice with ALD compared to pair-fed controls. Mass spectrometric analysis of circulating EVs revealed a distinct signature for proteins involved in inflammatory responses, cellular development, and cellular movement between ALD EVs and control EVs. We also identified uniquely important proteins in ALD EVs that were not present in control EVs. When ALD EVs were injected intravenously into alcohol-naive mice, we found evidence of uptake of ALD EVs in recipient livers in hepatocytes and MOs. Hepatocytes isolated from mice after transfer of ALD EVs, but not control EVs, showed increased monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 mRNA and protein expression, suggesting a biological effect of ALD EVs. Compared to control EV recipient mice, ALD EV recipient mice had increased numbers of F4/80hi cluster of differentiation 11b (CD11b)lo KCs and increased percentages of tumor necrosis factor alpha-positive/interleukin 12/23-positive (inflammatory/M1) KCs and infiltrating monocytes (F4/80int CD11bhi ), while the percentage of CD206+ CD163+ (anti-inflammatory/M2) KCs was decreased. In vitro, ALD EVs increased tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-1β production in MOs and reduced CD163 and CD206 expression. We identified heat shock protein 90 in ALD EVs as the mediator of ALD-EV-induced MO activation. Conclusion Our study indicates a specific protein signature of ALD EVs and demonstrates a functional role of circulating EVs containing heat shock protein 90 in mediating KC/MO activation in the liver. (Hepatology 2018;67:1986-2000).
Calculatinged Tear Volumes Under Thin Hydrogel Contact Lenses

The effective power of a hard contact lens on the eye is generally considered to be the sum of the powers of the plastic lens, and the tear fluid “lens” separating it from the cornea [1]. Hydrogel or soft lenses on the other hand presumably conform to the anterior corneal surface. Nevertheless it is known that hydrogel lenses ordered on the basis of keratometry readings (instead of over-refracting) may not adequately correct the eye. For example they tend to undercorrect aphakia but not myopia. It has therefore been proposed that because soft lenses are pliable, they bend or flex. Such flexure can not only alter effective power but create a tear lens as well.
The Biologic Activity of Water-Soluble Polymers

Polymers as structural entities are derived from natural and synthetic sources. Their role in biology within the organism relates to their development as insoluble or soluble forms in tissue and tissue fluid, some of which resemble blood proteins or nucleotides (1,2).
Status of Superconductivity

Superconductivity is potentially one of the most important scientific developments of this decade because it permits the attainment of very high magnetic fields with almost negligible cost in electrical power dissipation.
Firearm legislation, gun violence, and mortality in children and young adults: A retrospective cohort study of 27,566 children in the USA.

Abstract Background Firearm violence results in the death of thousands of children in the US annually. The effects of firearm legislation on gun violence are published but widely contested. Materials and Methods The Kid's Inpatient Database from 2000 to 2009 were queried to capture hospitalizations of children diagnosed with a firearm-related injury. Cases were categorized into five levels of firearm legislation strictness by Brady State Scorecard. Trends of injuries were explored in terms of legislative strength, age, and race. Results 27,566 children analyzed in the study. Most were adolescents aged 15–19 (87.3%), male (89.7%), and black (53.7%). The proportion of accidental injuries increased relative to state law leniency (R2 = 0.90), with highest percentage in lenient states (33.2%) compared to strict (16.7%). The proportion of suicide attempts were higher in states with lenient laws (4.4%) compared to strict (1.3%). Accidents were inversely related to age (59.3% in ages 0–4 compared to 22.0% in adolescents), while assaults were positively related to age (31.6% in ages 0–4 compared to 66.6% in adolescents). Whites were most likely to present with accidental injuries (44.6%), and Blacks and Hispanics with assaults (68.2% and 75.6%). Race (p = 0.009), age (p Conclusions Firearm-related injuries types in hospitalized children are associated with age, race, and state level legislation. Accidents are most prevalent in young children, Whites, and states with lenient gun laws, while suicide attempts are more common in adolescents, Whites, and states with lenient gun laws. Suicide attempts are also associated with the greatest odds of in-hospital mortality. To address firearm violence, consideration should be given to legislation that promote safe gun storage behaviors and restrict firearm accessibility to children.
Multiresolution Analysis of the Intensity Axis of Symmetry

The previous three chapters defined the intensity axis of symmetry (IAS), described an implementation of the IAS and illustrated the application of this shape description to the problem of image segmentation. This chapter describes the multiresolution behavior of the IAS and outlines two methods for calculating a quasi-hierarchical shape description based on this information. The first method uses the close relationship between symmetry and maximal curvature while the second approach makes use of the approximate relationship between symmetry and watershed boundaries. This chapter concludes with a summary of unsolved problems and suggestions for future work.
Citalopram overdose and severe serotonin syndrome in an intermediate metabolizing patient.

Abstract Introduction Citalopram is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor used for treatment of depression. Metabolism is primarily through CYP3A4 and CYP2C19; activity of the latter can vary depending on genetics. Although rare after single agent exposure, large citalopram ingestions can lead to serotonin syndrome. We report a case of citalopram overdose in an intermediate CYP2C19 metabolizer complicated by severe serotonin syndrome. Case details A 25-year-old female presented after intentional citalopram overdose with seizures, tachycardia, persistent neuromuscular findings, and severe hyperthermia requiring aggressive sedation and cooling. Protracted symptoms required critical care services throughout a 14 day hospital stay despite traditional treatment of serotonin syndrome. Pharmacogenomic studies revealed intermediate CYP2C19 metabolism which reduces citalopram inactivation and may cause increased levels and toxicity. Discussion In the majority of serotonin syndrome cases, symptoms resolve rapidly after treatment initiation and discontinuation of the offending agents. Severe cases are typically associated with ingestion of multiple serotonergic agents. Our patient had severe toxicity after single agent ingestion. Pharmacogenetic testing identified abnormal CYP2C19 activity and previous cases have associated enzyme dysfunction and citalopram toxicity. Conclusion Citalopram overdose may be associated with severe serotonin syndrome and further investigation is warranted to understand the impact of enzyme genotype on toxicity.
Deep Learning Based Energy Efficiency Optimization for Distributed Cooperative Spectrum Sensing

Deep learning has achieved remarkable breakthroughs in the past decade across a wide range of application domains, such as computer games, natural language processing, pattern recognition, and medical diagnosis, to name a few. In this article, we investigate the application of deep learning techniques for wireless communication systems with a focus on energy efficiency optimization for distributed cooperative spectrum sensing. With the continuous development of today's technologies and user demands, wireless communication systems have become larger and more complex than ever, which introduces many critical challenges that the traditional approaches can no longer handle. We envision that deep learning based approaches will play a pivotal role in addressing many such challenges in the next-generation wireless communication systems. In this article, we focus on cognitive radio, a promising technology to improve spectrum efficiency, and develop deep learning techniques to optimize its spectrum sensing process. Specifically, we investigate the energy efficiency of distributed cooperative sensing by formulating it as a combinatorial optimization problem. Based on this formulation, we develop a deep learning framework by integrating graph neural network and reinforcement learning to improve the overall system energy efficiency. Simulation studies under different network scales demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed approach.