cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clonidine and prazosin effects in hypernoradrenergic vasodilator–treated and β‐blocker–treated patients

Our subjects were seven severely hypertensive patients with blood pressures (BPs) over 140/90 who were using minoxidil, propranolol, and diuretics. Clonidine followed by prazosin was added to their regimen on an outpatient basis to establish the dose-response for BP and catecholamines. Plasma renin activity (PRA), body weight, and renal function were measured. Clonidine was given in doses of 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 mg/day. Supine and standing systolic BP decreased at all dose levels of clonidine (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Diastolic BP decreased in the standing position with doses of 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 mg (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Subjects were hypernoradrenergic initially with plasma norepinephrine (PNE) 895 ± 122 pg/ml. PNE was suppressed by 0.2 to 0.8 mg clonidine (P < 0.01) with near maximal suppression at 0.4 mg daily. Systolic BP correlated with PNE (r = 0.59, P < 0.001). Supine and standing PRA decreased after 0.2 mg clonidine (P < 0.05) but not after higher doses. Our findings suggest the antihypertensive action of clonidine is related to PNE suppression but not to that of PRA. Plasma epinephrine (PE), body weight, and renal function did not change. Prazosin was given after clonidine to the same patients in a dose range of 3 to 40 mg/day. With doses of 6 to 40 mg, systolic and diastolic and supine and standing BP fell (P < 0.001, P < 0.01). PNE remained elevated throughout all dose levels and did not correlate with BP. Weight rose with prazosin (P < 0.02) but PE, PRA, and renal function did not change. Hence, clonidine and prazosin induced additional lowering of BP but had different effects on PNE and weight. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1981) 30, 297–302; doi:10.1038/clpt.1981.163
Effects of Electrical Stimulation, Temperature of Boning and Storage Time on Bacterial Counts and Shelf‐Life Characteristics of Beef Cuts

Strip loins and eye of rounds from 16 beef carcasses were used to study the effects of electrical stimulation (ES), no stimulation (NS), hot-boning (HB), and cold-boning (CB) on bacteriological and shelf-life evaluations. Following 7 days of vacuum-packaged storage, coliform counts were higher in the drip fluid from strip loins and lean surfaces of eye of rounds from ES compared to NS carcasses. A major advantage for HB in this study was the additional time required in retail display before the occurrence of lean surface discoloration. A previously identified benefit of lighter lean color with ES beef in carcass and primal cut form was also found in this study during display of retail cuts.
On realizing measured foliations via quadratic differentials of harmonic maps toR-trees

We give a brief, elementary and analytic proof of the theorem of Hubbard and Masur [HM] (see also [K], [G]) that every class of measured foliations on a compact Riemann surfaceR of genusg can be uniquely represented by the vertical measured foliation of a holomorphic quadratic differential onR. The theorem of Thurston [Th] that the space of classes of projective measured foliations is a 6g—7 dimensional sphere follows immediately by Riemann-Roch. Our argument involves relating each representative of a class of measured foliations to an equivariant map from \( \tilde R \) to anR-tree, and then finding an energy minimizing such map by the direct method in the calculus of variations. The normalized Hopf differential of this harmonic map is then the desired differential.
A new treatment option for laryngeal sensory neuropathy.

Objectives/Hypothesis: Laryngeal sensory neuropathy (LSN) may produce a variety of symptoms, including chronic cough, globus sensation, odynophonia, and/or odynophagia. Etiologies are often iatrogenic, viral, or idiopathic, although the diagnosis is generally one of exclusion. The aim of this study is to introduce pregabalin (Lyrica, Pfizer Inc., New York, NY) as a potential new therapy for LSN. Study Design: Retrospective clinical investigation. Methods: Charts were reviewed from 12 consecutive patients who were prescribed pregabalin for symptoms of LSN. Outcomes were reviewed by analyzing pre and post-treatment questionnaires asking patients to rate symptoms on a scale from 0 to 5. Adverse effects and evidence of drug tolerance were also recorded. Results: Two patients did not tolerate pregabalin due to somnolence. Of those that tolerated the medication, mean pretreatment chief complaint symptom severity rating was 3.9, whereas mean post-treatment symptom rating was 1.2 after 1 month of pregabalin therapy. None of the patients developed drug tolerance effects over time. Conclusions: Pregabalin therapy appears to be an effective treatment option for laryngeal sensory neuropathy. Future prospective studies are needed to compare outcomes between pregabalin and other medications as treatments for LSN. Laryngoscope, 2009
Kinetics of induction of mannitol dehydrogenase in Azotobacter agilis

Abstract Mannitol dehydrogenase is induced gratuitously by ribitol in Azotobacter agilis. In batch cultures the enzyme is synthesized at an increasing specific rate for several hours after addition of ribitol. Several possible explanations of the kinetics trivial to induced synthesis per se such as the requirement for synthesis of a specific transfort system were eliminated. The kinetics of induced synthesis of mannitol dehydrogenase in unrestricted and in sulfate-limited continuous cultures were comparable to the kinetics in batch culture; however, continuous cultures limited by the concentration of the carbon source formed mannitol dehydrogenase at a constant specific rate shortly after the addition of inducer.
Javert: fully automatic mining of general temporal properties from dynamic traces

Program specifications are important for many tasks during software design, development, and maintenance. Among these, temporal specifications are particularly useful. They express formal correctness requirements of an application's ordering of specific actions and events during execution, such as the strict alternation of acquisition and release of locks. Despite their importance, temporal specifications are often missing, incomplete, or described only informally. Many techniques have been proposed that mine such specifications from execution traces or program source code. However, existing techniques mine only simple patterns, or they mine a single complex pattern that is restricted to a particular set of manually selected events. There is no practical, automatic technique that can mine general temporal properties from execution traces.In this paper, we present Javert, the first general specification mining framework that can learn, fully automatically, complex temporal properties from execution traces. The key insight behind Javert is that real, complex specifications can be formed by composing instances of small generic patterns, such as the alternating pattern ((ab)) and the resource usage pattern ((ab c)). In particular, Javert learns simple generic patterns and composes them using sound rules to construct large, complex specifications. We have implemented the algorithm in a practical tool and conducted an extensive empirical evaluation on several open source software projects. Our results are promising; they show that Javert is scalable, general, and precise. It discovered many interesting, nontrivial specifications in real-world code that are beyond the reach of existing automatic techniques.
Direct Determination of Aroma Compounds as an Index of Pear Maturity

SUMMARY The production of esters of trans:2-cis:4-decadienoic acid, which have been identified as contributory flavor compounds of Bartlett pear, are shown to increase rapidly at the climacteric, and continue to increase as ethylene and CO2 production decline. The production of the decadienoates can he readily followed by ultraviolet spectrophotometry, and their measurement offers a simple and convenient criterion of fruit maturity that is a direct function of fruit flavor. Gamma irradiation of pears, which produces a flavorless and subnormal fruit, also severely inhibits the production of the decadienoates.
Pistachio vicilin, Pis v 3, is immunoglobulin E-reactive and cross-reacts with the homologous cashew allergen, Ana o 1.

Summary Background Patients allergic to cashew nuts often report allergy to pistachio, which could be a result of cross-reactivity between the two as both are members of the Anacardiaceae family. Objective Because cashew 7S globulin (vicilin, Ana o 1) is a recognized major allergen, we cloned the pistachio homologue and assayed it for IgE reactivity and cross-reactivity with Ana o 1. Methods Degenerate primers for 7S globulin were used in PCR to amplify DNA from a pistachio cDNA library. An isolate was sequenced, cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Reactivity to the allergen was screened by dot blot using 19 pistachio and/or cashew-allergic patients’ sera. Cross-reactivity was investigated by inhibition dot- and Western immunoblot assays using pistachio/cashew-allergic patients’ sera, and monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) raised against recombinant Ana o 1 (rAna o 1). Results An isolate was found that coded for a 7S vicilin-like protein, designated Pis v 3. IgE reactivity to Pis v 3 was found in the serum of seven of the 19 (37%) patients with histories of allergy to both pistachio and cashew or who were allergic to cashew but had never eaten pistachio. The seven patients with IgE that recognized rPis v 3 also recognized rAna o 1. Six of nine anti-rAna o 1 MAbs also showed reactivity to rPis v 3 on dot blots. Conclusion Of the 37% of pistachio/cashew-allergic patients’ sera that recognized the pistachio allergen, rPis v 3, all showed complete cross-reactivity with rAna o 1. The data does not identify the primary sensitizing agent but suggests that IgE reactivity to rPis v 3 and rAna o 1 is focused on the most conserved regions of the proteins. Clinical histories suggest that in some cases, cashew was the sensitizing agent. rPis v 3 is a likely contributor to the observed co-sensitivity to pistachio and cashew in some patients.
CS1 using Java language features gently

Teaching a new programming language in CS1 requires the instructor to make several important decisions regarding sequencing of topics. In teaching Java, the basic decisions center around how to perform input and output, when to teach the AWT (Abstract Window Toolkit) and threads, whether to begin with applets or applications, and how much detail about object-oriented programming and Java language features is required in the beginning. This paper describes a "language features gently" approach to teaching CS1 in Java.
Analysis and processing of ultra wide-band SAR imagery for buried landmine detection

Experimental and theoretical results are presented for ultra wide-band (UWB) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) signatures of buried anti-tank and anti-personnel mines. Such are characterized by resonance-like peaks as well as valleys, across the 50-1200 MHz bandwidth considered. Consequently, frequency subbanding is used to highlight one target over another, of application to discriminating targets (mines) from clutter.
Analysis of the role of trans-translation in the requirement of tmRNA for lambdaimmP22 growth in Escherichia coli.

The small, stable RNA molecule encoded by ssrA, known as tmRNA or 10Sa RNA, is required for the growth of certain hybrid λimmP22 phages in Escherichia coli. tmRNA has been shown to tag partially synthesized proteins for degradation in vivo by attaching a short peptide sequence, encoded by tmRNA, to the carboxyl termini of these proteins. This tag sequence contains, at its C terminus, an amino acid sequence that is recognized by cellular proteases and leads to degradation of tagged proteins. A model describing this function of tmRNA, the trans-translation model (K. C. Keiler, P. R. Waller, and R. T. Sauer, Science 271:990–993, 1996), proposes that tmRNA acts first as a tRNA and then as a mRNA, resulting in release of the original mRNA template from the ribosome and translocation of the nascent peptide to tmRNA. Previous work from this laboratory suggested that tmRNA may also interact specifically with DNA-binding proteins, modulating their activity. However, more recent results indicate that interactions between tmRNA and DNA-binding proteins are likely nonspecific. In light of this new information, we examine the effects on λimmP22 growth of mutations eliminating activities postulated to be important for two different steps in the trans-translation model, alanine charging of tmRNA and degradation of tagged proteins. This mutational analysis suggests that, while charging of tmRNA with alanine is essential for λimmP22 growth in E. coli, degradation of proteins tagged by tmRNA is required only to achieve optimal levels of phage growth. Based on these results, we propose that trans-translation may have two roles, the primary role being the release of stalled ribosomes from their mRNA template and the secondary role being the tagging of truncated proteins for degradation.
Applications of Topological Methods to Probabilistic Communication Networks

The reliability of a probabilistic communication network is considered. A probabilistic communication network is a network in which each branch is given a probability that the specific branch can perform its purpose successfully. This probability is called the reliability of this branch. The idea of the overall reliability of the simultaneous communication among all (or part of) the stations of a given network is introduced, rather than the pairwise reliability between any two stations as was discussed in previous works along this line. The overall reliability of a communication network is defined as the probability that simultaneous communication can be secured among all the stations; two formulas are given to enumerate it in terms of the branch reliabilities. An approximation is developed to calculate the overall reliability through the incidence matrix of the network when all the branch reliabilities are very small. Also, a criterion to compare relative importance of the roles played by all the branches is established by defining a quantity "load" for each branch. Two efficient algorithms are derived to find a most reliable subnetwork with no redundant branches. In addition, an exhausting method is furnished for the case of seeking simultaneous communication among only part of the terminals of the network.
Practical resource management for grid-based visual exploration

Computational grids are enabling collaboration between scientists and organizations to generate and archive extremely large datasets across shared, distributed resources. There is a need to visually explore such data throughout the life-cycle of projects. Practical exploration of large datasets requires visualization tools that can function in the same grid environment in which the data is created and stored. Resource management interfaces are an important structural component of grid computing environments because they enable uniform access to the wide variety of resources necessary for scientific work. We describe a new advance-reservation system for graphics resources; and an application of existing grid technology to create general-purpose active storage systems. We report our experience with prototype infrastructure and application components, involving experiments coupling end-to-end resources for interactive visual exploration of large data in representative distributed environments.
Behavioral effects of peripheral corticotropin-releasing factor during maternal separation may be mediated by proinflammatory activity.

Summary When guinea pig pups are separated from their mothers in a novel environment, an initial period of active behavior (vocalizing, locomotor activity) wanes after an hour or so and is replaced by a second, passive stage characterized by a crouched stance, closed eyes, and extensive piloerection. If pups are given a peripheral injection of 7–14 μg of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) prior to testing, the passive behaviors occur immediately upon separation. We found that intracerebroventricular infusion of 1–10 μg of CRF did not increase passive behavior relative to vehicle infusion, but that peripheral injection of the anti-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-10, attenuated the passive behavior induced by peripheral CRF injection. These results together with previous findings suggest that peripheral CRF administration affects behavior of separated guinea pig pups through a mechanism that involves peripheral proinflammatory activity. The possible role of endogenous peripheral CRF in the behavioral response of untreated pups during maternal separation is considered.
Metabolic Effects of Angulation, Compression, and Reduced Mobility on Annulus Fibrosis in a Model of Altered Mechanical Environment in Scoliosis

Study Design: Comparison of disc tissue from rat tails in 6 groups with different mechanical conditions imposed. Objectives: To identify disc annulus changes associated with the supposed altered biomechanical environment in a spine with scoliosis deformity using an immature rat model that produces disc narrowing and wedging. Background: Intervertebral discs become wedged and narrowed in a scoliosis curve, probably partly because of an altered biomechanical environment. Methods: We subjected tail discs of 5-week-old immature Sprague-Dawley rats to an altered mechanical environment using an external apparatus applying permutations of loading and deformity for 5 weeks. Together with a sham and a control group, we studied 4 groups of rats: A) 15 angulation, B) angulation with 0.1 MPa compression, C) 0.1 MPa compression, and R) reduced mobility. We measured disc height changes and matrix composition (water, deoxyribonucleic acid, glycosaminoglycan, and hyaluronic acid content) after 5 weeks, and proline and sulphate incorporation and messenger ribonucleic acid expression at 5 days and 5w eeks. Results: After 5 weeks, disc space was significantly narrowed relative to internal controls in all 4 intervention groups. Water content and cellularity (deoxyribonucleic acid content) were not different at interventional levels relative to internal controls and not different between the concave and convex sides of the angulated discs. There was increased glycosaminoglycan content in compressed tissue (in Groups B and C), as expected, and compression resulted in a decrease in hyaluronic acid size. We observed slightly increased incorporation of tritiated proline into the concave side of angulated discs and compressed discs. Asymmetries of gene expression in Groups A and B and some group-wise differences did not identify consistent patterns associating the discs’ responses to mechanical alterations. Conclusions: Intervertebral discs in this model underwent substantial narrowing after 5 weeks, with minimal alteration in tissue composition and minimal evidence of metabolic changes. 2013 Scoliosis Research Society.
Geometrical similarities of the Orlov and Tuy sampling criteria and a numerical algorithm for assessing sampling completeness

Tuy (1983) and others have derived a sufficiency condition for complete sampling using a cone-beam geometry. Herein, we express Tuy's cone-beam condition in the language and geometry of Orlov's (1975) condition for parallel-beam collimation. One may determine from this condition what volume is completely sampled. This inversion has been implemented in software. The software determines a lower bound on the completely sampled volume for arbitrary orbits.
Minimum sum of distances estimator: Robustness and stability

We consider the problem of estimating a state x from noisy and corrupted linear measurements y = Ax + z + e, where z is a dense vector of small-magnitude noise and e is a relatively sparse vector whose entries can be arbitrarily large. We study the behavior of the l1 estimator x = arg min x ||y - Ax|| 1 , and analyze its breakdown point with respect to the number of corrupted measurements ||e|| 0 . We show that the breakdown point is independent of the noise. We introduce a novel algorithm for computing the breakdown point for any given A, and provide a simple bound on the estimation error when the number of corrupted measurements is less than the breakdown point. As a motivational example we apply our algorithm to design a robust state estimator for an autonomous vehicle, and show how it can significantly improve performance over the Kalman filter.
EFFECT OF COCAINE ON MITOCHONDRIAL ELECTRON TRANSPORT CHAIN EVALUATED IN PRIMARY CULTURES OF NEONATAL RAT MYOCARDIAL CELLS AND IN ISOLATED MITOCHONDRIAL PREPARATIONS

Cardiotoxicity is commonly associated with cocaine abuse. Previous studies have indicated that cocaine alters myocardial mitochondrial function. This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of cocaine on activity of the mitochondrial electron transport chain in cultures of neonatal rat cardiomyocytes and in isolated myocardial mitochondria. Cocaine concentrations (10(-5) to 10(-3) M) were used, and these concentrations have been reported in human cocaine users and are within a similar range of cocaine concentrations used in studies in vivo. After 24 hr treatment of cocaine, there was a slight increase in lactate dehydrogenase leakage in the cells treated with cocaine (10(-3) M). Reduction of tetrazolium compounds, neotetrazolium chloride (NTC) and triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) was analyzed in intact cells to assess activity of the mitochondrial electron transport chain. Cocaine (10(-3) M) did not significantly change TTC and NTC reduction. In isolated mitochondria, cocaine (10(-3) M) significantly inhibited glutamate/malate-mediated respiration. These data suggest that cocaine at high concentrations may inhibit complex I of the mitochondrial electron transport chain of myocardial cells.
After Political Turmoil: The Lessons of Rebuilding Tourism in Three Asian Countries

Rebuilding tourism requires more than a technical process of repairing facilities, negotiating investments, and marketing. The nature of the political unrest and what if any role tourism played in it must be understood. This article uses the experiences of the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan to demonstrate the complexity of the issues involved. With each case the factors that exacerbated the problem for tourism development are noted and suggestions are made as to what steps need to be taken to provide a better foundation for future tourism.
Respiratory Distress in a Neonate.

A full-term4260-g infantwas transferred to a neonatal intensive care unit on day 1 of life after he had respiratory distress in thedelivery suite requiring endotracheal intubation.He was delivered by cesarean delivery following a maternal history of cesarean delivery. Prenatal ultrasonography showed polyhydramnios and a fetus that was large for gestational age. In the neonatal intensive care unit, 6F catheters would not pass through either side of the nose, and fiberopticnasalendoscopydemonstratedafirm,mucosalcoveredposteriorwall of thebilateralnasal cavitieswithout opening into the nasopharynx. The infant also had zygomatic hypoplasia, micrognathia, and bilateral grade III microtia with atresia of the external auditory canals. Echocardiogram demonstrated large left patent ductus arteriosus andpatent foramenovalewith left to right shunt,milddecrease inRVsystolic function, and elevatedpulmonaryarterypressures.Results fromheadandabdominalultrasonographand an ophthalmologic evaluation were unremarkable. Computed tomographic (CT) imaging was performed to plan transnasal repair of clinically suspected choanal atresia. This scan showedbonyposteriornasalobstruction,withthehardpalateextendingdirectly tothesphenoid bone, with irregular shape and inferior position of the basisphenoid (Figure). The infant remained intubated until, at 11 days of age, he underwent tracheotomy and examination of the nose and nasopharynx under general anesthesia. Quiz at jamaotolaryngology.com Sagittal view A Axial view B
Problems at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae: Too Big to Fail?

Fannie Mae (the Federal National Mortgage Association) and Freddie Mac (the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation) are Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs), whose federal charters confer certain benefits - most notably an implicit guarantee that the Treasury stands behind their securities.The basic problem at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae - from the taxpayers' perspective - is their aggressive investment strategy that attempts to leverage their implicit guarantee to accumulate vastly increasing amounts of mortgage investments with a huge amount of debt.To insure against the failure of either or both GSE, Congress should: improve disclosure requirements and transparency; increase risk-based regulatory oversight; and begin to consider how to create a greater separation between the taxpayers and the business operations of these firms without causing financial dislocation or upsetting the mortgage markets.
Ordered Join Geometries

In this chapter, as in the previous one, a new postulate is introduced. The postulate is equivalent to the familiar Euclidean property of linear order: If three distinct points are collinear, then one of the three is between the other two. Join geometries which satisfy the new postulate are called ordered join geometries or ordered geometries. Ordered geometries are exchange geometries studied in the last chapter, but the results there will not be used in the present investigation. A flood of results is produced. First come formulas for lines, rays and segments, expressing how they are divided into subrays and subsegments by their points. Next come many properties of polytopes familiar in Euclidean geometry and easily accessible to intuition. Then follow properties of convex sets, less familiar in classical geometry but no less important, the theorems of Radon, Helly and Caratheodory and related results. These flow from a sharpened expansion formula for the linear hull of a finite set mediated by a new type of dependence of points. This new type of dependence is defined in terms of the convex hull operation and is called convex dependence. It implies linear dependence in any join geometry and is equivalent to linear dependence in an ordered geometry. Finally, separation of linear spaces by linear subspaces is studied, and results familiar in Euclidean geometry are obtained for ordered geometries.
Measurement of reaction plane correlations in Pb-Pb collisions with the ATLAS detector

Abstract Recently flow harmonics v 1 – v 6 have been measured in heavy-ion collisions at the LHC. The magnitude of these coefficients and their centrality dependence suggest that they are associated with the various shape components in the initial geometry. The phases of these harmonics (reaction plane angles, Φ n ) are generally correlated due to the correlations between the original shape components in the initial geometry; the correlations between reaction planes might also be generated dynamically during the hydrodynamic evolution of the medium. We present first measurements of various reaction plane correlations involving Φ 2 to Φ 6 in Pb–Pb collisions using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The large acceptance of the ATLAS EM calorimeters, covering 4.9 η 4.9 , allows for a precise measurement of these correlations. The procedure for obtaining these correlations and the physics implication of the results are discussed.
Hurricane‐induced ocean waves and stokes drift and their impacts on surface transport and dispersion in the Gulf of Mexico

Hurricane Isaac induced large surface waves and a significant change in upper ocean circulation in the Gulf of Mexico before making landfall at the Louisiana coast on 29 August 2012. Isaac was observed by 194 surface drifters during the Grand Lagrangian Deployment (GLAD). A coupled atmosphere-wave-ocean model was used to forecast hurricane impacts during GLAD. The coupled model and drifter observations provide an unprecedented opportunity to study the impacts of hurricane-induced Stokes drift on ocean surface currents. The Stokes drift induced a cyclonic (anticyclonic) rotational flow on the left (right) side of the hurricane and accounted for up to 20% of the average Lagrangian velocity. In a significant deviation from drifter measurements prior to Isaac, the scale-dependent relative diffusivity is estimated to be 6 times larger during the hurricane, which represents a deviation from Okubo's (1971) canonical results for lateral dispersion in nonhurricane conditions at the ocean surface.
Developing the News Habit in the Introductory American Government Course.

Abstract Instructors in the introductory American government course should consider the daily/weekly news gathering habits of their students when planning the course. Like the adult population as a whole, many college students are not well informed about current political events and participants. It is possible to restructure the course to emphasize the value of developing a daily “news habit,” while continuing to survey traditional American government course materials. Student surveys reveal significant increases in daily/weekly “news habits” as a result of new techniques introduced in the course, with the largest improvement occurring in daily newspaper reading.
Diffuse Optical Spectroscopy: Technology Development and Clinical Translation

This talk describes the development of Diffuse Optical Spectroscopy (DOS) using spatially- and temporally-modulated sources and model-based analyses. DOS methods are capable of dynamic in vivo functional imaging with variable, but limited, spatial localization. Multiple optical contrast elements such as absorption, scattering, fluorescence, and speckle are detectable at relatively low cost. Quantitation of these signals can be achieved using methods for controlling optical path length in conjunction with computational models and visualization techniques. Article not available.
Factors associated with re-excision in patients with early-stage breast cancer treated with breast conservation therapy

One of the risks of breast conservation surgery is local recurrence, which predominantly occurs as a result of inadequate surgical margins. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with close or positive surgical margins leading to reexcision (RE). The charts of 532 consecutive breast cancer patients treated at our center between September 2001 and June 2007 were reviewed to evaluate patients who opted for breast conservation surgery and needed reexcision. A total of 351 patients were treated with breast conservation, of which 118 (34%) had positive or close surgical margins and went on to RE. On univariate analysis, factors that significantly correlated with RE (P < 0.05) were preoperative diagnosis, final pathology, size of tumor, and presentation with nipple discharge. RE was necessary in 53 per cent of patients with a preoperative diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), 57 per cent of patients diagnosed by surgical excision, 86 per cent of patients presenting with nipple discharge, and 87 per cent of patients with DCIS or invasive carcinoma with extensive intraductal component in the final pathology. Additionally, 53 per cent of patients with T3 tumors required RE. Age, race, and grade of tumor had no effect on RE rates. Most (75%) patients were able to ultimately have breast conservation.
Converse magneto-electric coefficient of concentric multiferroic composite ring

The converse magnetoelectric (CME) coefficient of an artificial, multiferroic composite cylinder was determined for two interface boundary conditions; specifically epoxy-bonded and shrink-fit. The composite consists of two concentrically bonded rings with the inner and outer rings made from Terfenol-D and lead zirconate titanate, respectively. The diameter of the inner annulus was 25 mm, and the outer ring diameter was 30 mm. Electric fields ranging from 20 kV/m to 80 kV/m with AC components cycling at frequencies from 4 kHz to 50 kHz were applied for actuation of the composite. A magnetic bias field from 0 Oe to 2300 Oe was applied for enhancement of the CME coefficient. It has been found that the maximum CME for epoxy-bonded rings occurs at lower bias magnetic field than shrink-fitted rings. Resonance for the epoxy-bonded composite was found to be 36 kHz whereas the resonant frequency for the shrink-fit structure was 34 kHz. The maximum CME coefficients were approximately 535 mG/V at 100 Vpp and 330 mG/...
Two-Stream CNNs for Gesture-Based Verification and Identification: Learning User Style

Recently, gestures have been proposed as an alternative biometric modality to traditional biometrics such as face, fingerprint, iris and gait. As a biometric, gesture is a short body motion that contains static anatomical information and changing behavioral (dynamic) information. We consider two types of gestures: full-body gestures, such as a wave of the arms, and hand gestures, such as a subtle curl of the fingers and palm. Most prior work in this area evaluates gestures in the context of a "password," where each user has a single, chosen gesture motion. Contrary to prior work, we instead aim to learn a user's gesture "style" from a set of training gestures. We use two-stream convolutional neural networks, a form of deep learning, to learn this gesture style. First, we evaluate the generalization performance during testing of our approach against gestures or users that have not been seen during training. Then, we study the importance of dynamics by suppressing dynamic information in training and testing. We find that we are able to outperform state-of-the-art methods in identification and verification for two biometrics-oriented gesture datasets for body and in-air hand gestures.
Immiscible fluid flow

Introduction In the Chapter 5 we considered the case in which transported material did not influence the fluid flow. Now we consider the situation in which at least two distinct fluids are present in the porous medium and the presence or absence of one of the fluids will have a significant impact on the flow of the other. In Chapter 2 we discussed the governing equations for the flow of such immiscible fluids, so we will limit our remarks to the key features of such flow. One restriction maintained in this chapter is that the mass transfer between fluid phases is negligible. Such a restriction is not necessary for the adoption of trajectory-based methods, but simply serves to limit the complexity of our treatment. Governing equations for two-phase flow A classic example of the type of immiscible fluid flow that we have in mind is the movement of oil and water within a porous material. In fact, this example illustrates some of the most important characteristics of multiphase fluid flow within a solid containing connected pore space. For example, it is often the case that the molecules of one fluid will have an affinity for the molecules of the solid matrix. This fluid tends to adhere to the solid surface of the pores, or to wet the solid. We will denote the saturation of this ‘wetting’ phase by S w . The other fluid, simply referred to as the ‘non-wetting’ phase, has less attraction for the solid and tends to occupy the central regions of the pores. The saturation of the non-wetting phase is denoted by S n . Since the pore volume of the medium is completely occupied by some combination of the two fluids, the saturations must sum to unity S w + S n = 1. The differential affinity for the solid has another consequence, leading to surface tension and curvature in the boundary separating the two fluids. The result is greater pressure in the non-wetting fluid relative to the pressure in the wetting fluid. This pressure difference is termed the capillary pressure, p c , and is most frequently assumed to be a unique function of the fluid saturation: The capillary pressure curve p c (S w ) is an important aspect of multiphase fluid flow and a key constitutive equation. However, the difference in capillary pressure is often much smaller than the average fluid pressure.
Natural Law and Spirituality

On our theistic natural law, our duties depend on our God-given nature – as rational, biological, and spiritual beings: 1. Rational : Be vividly aware of the relevant facts, avoid falsehoods, and be consistent (GR, ends-means, etc.). 2. Biological : Avoid stealing, lying, killing, adultery, etc. 3. Spiritual : Love God with your entire being. We'll now investigate the basic spirituality duty and see what this adds to morality. A Spirituality Norm I'll express the supreme spirituality principle (SPR) in two ways. The first is a qualified ought-form : SPR : If there's a God (in the sense of a supremely wise and loving Creator), then rational creatures who are called to eternal life with God ought, as far as practically possible, to love God with their entire being. The duty to love God is contingent on there being a Creator who is supremely wise and loving, and calls us to eternal life with him; this duty wouldn't apply, for example, if the world had no Creator or else had one like the hateful Ares (§3.1). SPR's second formulation is a simplified imperative form : SPR : Love God with your entire being. The first form is more technically precise; the second is easier to read. I'll move freely between the two forms (with the technical form's qualifications being implicit in the simpler form). Here I take “wise” to mean “satisfies the norms of practical reason” (§4.2.7) and “loving” to mean “satisfies GR and cares for others for their own sake” (§4.6). God's wisdom and love include these, but likely go much further. Atheists could accept SPR as purely hypothetical: if there's such a God (which they reject), then we ought to love him with our entire being. Here I'll assume that there is such a God. I won't worry about the status of this assumption – whether it can be based on human reason or must instead be based on revelation. If it requires revelation, then the duty to love God isn't part of natural law (as we've defined it) but rather is part of supernatural law , and then this discussion is theological rather than philosophical.
Relapse from Complete Remission More Than 5 Years after Therapy for Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL): Relapse Histology Most Commonly DLBCL with a Germinal Center B-Cell (GCB) Phenotype.

Abstract Although many patients are successfully treated for DLBCL, relapses can occur especially in the higher risk patients. Relapses in successfully treated DLBCL patients most frequently occur within the first 2–3 years. However in a small number of patients, relapses occurring after 5 years do happen and have been frequently reported to be a relapse of follicular lymphoma. We evaluated 805 patients with DLBCL treated with an anthracycline based chemotherapy through the Nebraska Lymphoma Study Group from 1983–1998. The patients were treated prior to the use of rituximab in this patient population. Two hundred and three patients relapsed from a documented complete remission. Of these, 30 (15%) relapsed more than 5 years after treatment (range 5.3 – 14.5 years, median 6.8 years). The median age at relapse was 71 years (range 32 – 85) and 58% were male. Patients with late relapses had relatively good prognostic features at the time of diagnosis. None had a low performance status, 71% were stage I/II, 78% had no systemic symptoms, 78% had a normal LDH, and 67% had an IPI of 0/1. All patients had biopsies to document relapse. Eighty one percent of the relapses were documented DLBCL, 11% had composite lymphoma with DLBCL and follicular grade 3 (FL3) lymphoma, 4% had FL3 alone, and 4% had follicular grade 1 (FL1). Using immunohistochemistry to predict GCB vs. non-GCB origin, 72% of the patients had a GCB phenotype at diagnosis and 90% had a GCB phenotype at relapse. Four patients had no therapy at relapse and 2 patients had radiotherapy. The remaining patients received a variety of combination chemotherapy regimens with or without rituximab and 2 patients underwent autologous stem cell transplantation. Seven patients had durable complete remissions to their second line chemotherapy regimens (4 with chemo + rituximab and 2 autologous stem cell transplantation). Three of these survivors died of unrelated causes and 4 are alive in remission 19–119 months after the salvage therapy or autologous transplantation. Conclusions: Most patients with late relapses of DLBCL initially present with good prognostic characteristics at the time of the origninal diagnosis. Unlike previous studies, the most common type of histology in this study at the time of late relapse was DLBCL and not follicular lymphoma. However, the vast majority of the late relapse DLBCL patients had a GCB phenotype both at diagnosis and at relapse. Patients with late relapses usually do respond to salvage therapy and can have second prolonged remissions with chemotherapy and/or autologous stem cell transplantation.
Meshed rectangular waveguide for high power, low loss and reduced weight applications

Additive manufacturing technologies are increasingly being demonstrated to be useful for microwave circuits, showing improved performance in multiple cases. In this work, a meshed rectangular waveguide structure is presented as an option for high power, low loss, but also reduced weight applications. A set of meshed Ku band waveguides was fabricated using binder jetting 3D printing technology showing that the weight can be reduced by 22% with an increase in loss of only 5%, from 0.019 dB/cm for the solid part to 0.020 dB/cm average across the band with the meshed design. Further weight reduction is possible if higher loss is allowed. To demonstrate the concept, a comparison is made between non-meshed and meshed waveguide 4 pole Chebyshev filters.
Cytokine Markers of Focal Cerebral Arteriopathy

Researchers at the University of Calgary, Canada report 2 adolescents with focal cerebral arteriopathy (FCA), a stenosis of the large or medium-sized blood vessels, with marked elevations in inflammatory biomarkers.
Sensitivity studies on the multi-sensor conductivity probe measurement technique for two-phase flows

Abstract The objective of this study is to advance the local multi-sensor conductivity probe measurement technique through systematic investigation into several practical aspects of a conductivity probe measurement system. Firstly, signal “ghosting” among probe sensors is found to cause artificially high bubble velocity measurements and low interfacial area concentration (ai) measurements that depend on sampling frequency and sensor impedance. A revised electrical circuit is suggested to eliminate this artificial variability. Secondly, the sensitivity of the probe measurements to sampling frequency is investigated in 13 two-phase flow conditions with superficial liquid and gas velocities ranging from 1.00–5.00 m/s and 0.17–2.0 m/s, respectively. With increasing gas flow rate, higher sampling frequencies, greater than 100 kHz in some cases, are required to adequately capture the bubble number frequency and ai measurements. This trend is due to the increase in gas velocity and the transition to the slug flow regime. Thirdly, the sensitivity of the probe measurements to the measurement duration as well as the sample number is investigated for the same flow conditions. Measurements of both group-I (spherical/distorted) and group-II (cap/slug/churn-turbulent) bubbles are found to be relatively insensitive to both the measurement duration and the number of bubbles, as long as the measurements are made for a duration long enough to capture a collection of samples characteristic to a given two-phase flow system (or a statistical ensemble). Fourthly, investigation into the orientation of a double-sensor probe in the pipe indicates that the sensors should be oriented parallel to the pipe wall to ensure symmetric bubble velocity measurements. Lastly, Monte Carlo simulations are performed to study the effects of the axial (s) and lateral (d) probe sensor separation distances. In addition to previous criteria on the ratio of s to the bubble diameter, it is found that s/d should be greater than four to minimize errors in the measured bubble velocity.
Structural forecasts for marketing data

Marketing applications often require disaggregate forecasts of demand that pertain to subsets of individuals who are targeted for action. Examples include targeted price promotions that are made available through on-site couponing and forecasts of market segments for which new products have been developed. One challenge in the production of disaggregate forecasts of demand, and of consumer responses to marketing actions, relates to the limited amount of data that is available at the individual level. This paper discusses approaches to the improvement of marketing forecasts through the use of both parsimonious structural models of demand and random-effect models that pool data statistically across individual consumers.
Elements of Abstract Algebra and the Galois Group

In this final chapter we wish briefly to the describe applications of group theory to algebraic equations. This formalism is part of the general study of ‘abstract algebra.’ Our ultimate goal is to formulate Galois groups.
A Third Antike: Hans Henny Jahnn’s Medea and the Introduction of the “Sumerian” to Modern German Literature

The German writer Hans Henny Jahnn’s 1926 tragedy Medea mounts the Euripidean plot against an archaic Babylonian universe, foregrounding the role of Medea’s sons against the motif of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Recognized as an important expressionist dramatist, Jahnn’s most important contribution, this essay argues, remains unacknowledged: Medea represents an apex of German literary modernism, as it resolves a constellation of overlapping and often contradictory impulses in twentieth-century German drama by introducing a “third stream,” which might be called the “Sumerian,” to reconcile two opposing strains in German-language letters, viz., Barock, with its fascination with excess, violence, and bombast, and Klassik, with its concern with harmony, wholeness, and aestheticism.
Student self-assessment versus preceptor assessment at the midpoint of a family medicine clerkshipa

Objective To study how student self-assessment compared with the faculty9s assessment on our family medicine clerkship and to explore the effect of demographic factors on the ratings. Methods Students and their faculty preceptors assessed the students9 achievement of clerkship objectives at mid clerkship. We performed Mann-Whitney U tests to compare student ratings and faculty ratings for each clerkship objective. We performed linear regression analyses to investigate the effect of medical school year and student sex on student ratings and the effect of sex concordance or sex difference of the faculty-student pair on faculty ratings. Results Two hundred one students completed the family medicine clerkship between July 2015 and June 2016. Faculty ratings were higher than student ratings for all 12 clerkship objectives (P Discussion Our findings add to the knowledge of the mid-clerkship feedback process offered by different clerkships. Further study is needed to investigate how students use this feedback to improve for the remainder of the clerkship.
Diagnostics and laboratory role in outbreaks.

Purpose of reviewThe review describes the investigative benefits of traditional and novel molecular epidemiology techniques, while acknowledging the limitations faced by clinical laboratories seeking to implement these methods.Recent findingsPulse-field gel electrophoresis and other traditional tech
Microscopic Theory of Magnetic Detwinning in Iron-Based Superconductors with Large-Spin Rare Earths

The iron-based superconductor EuFe${}_{2}$As${}_{2}$ behaves unexpectedly when exposed to an external magnetic field, which hampers efforts to explore the physics of these compounds. A new analysis offers a theoretical model that explains all the observations.