cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Variability in the average sinking velocity of marine particles

We used a new combination of sampling techniques involving in situ imaging of particles in the water column and the collection of particle flux in viscous polyacrylamide gels to estimate the average sinking velocities (Wi,avg) of marine particles ranging from equivalent spherical diameters of 70 mm to 6 mm at several locations, depths, and times along the west Antarctica Peninsula to explore the variability of Wi,avg. During the January 2009 deployments, Wi,avg ranged from about 10 to 150 m d21, with the fastest velocities at the large and small ends of the sizes considered. A repeat occupation of one station in Marguerite Bay in February 2009 gave Wi,avg size distributions that were quite different from those of the previous month, with rapidly sinking small particles and very slow Wi,avg for the large particle classes. These results demonstrate the importance of diatom aggregates and krill fecal pellets with regard to the ocean’s biological pump in this region. The observed variability in space and time indicates that global relationships between particle concentrations and fluxes, or simple theoretical formulations of sinking velocity as a function of particle size (such as a single parameterization of the Stokes’ Law), are unsuitable for yielding accurate estimates of particle flux from measurements of the particle size distribution. Combining measurements of Wi,avg with high-frequency sampling of the particle concentration size distribution would enable the estimation of particle fluxes at much higher temporal and spatial resolutions than is currently possible with conventional sediment trapping methods.
Education about treating patients with HIV infections/AIDS: the student perspective

This study investigated dental and dental hygiene students9 a) perceptions of their education about treating patients with HIV infections/AIDS, b) knowledge of universal precautions, c) attitudes towards treating these patients and patients perceived to be at risk for HIV infections, and d) evaluations of potential curricular activities such as discussion groups with HIV-infected patients. Data were collected with self-administered questionnaires from 315 dental and 89 dental hygiene students. On average, dental students reported having learned about this topic in fever courses than dental hygiene students. However, dental students answered significantly more knowledge questions about universal precautions correctly than did dental hygiene students. This knowledge increased over the program course. Male students had significantly stronger negative attitudes towards patients at risk for or with HIV infections/AIDS than female students. Overall, dental and dental hygiene students responded positively to the suggested methods for including more material about patients with HIV infections/AIDS such as case studies, discussion groups, and closely supervised clinical experiences. This study shows that dental and dental hygiene students are interested in learning more about treating patients with HIV infections/AIDS. It also adds information to previous research on factors involved in the dental healthcare providers9 decisions to treat patients at risk for or with HIV infections/AIDS. The implications of these findings for curriculum development efforts are discussed.
Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids Worse for the Heart Than We Knew?

The use of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) among athletes is not new, nor is concern about their potential cardiac effects, but it has been difficult to definitively document deleterious cardiovascular effects from these drugs. There are case reports of unexpected myocardial infarctions1 and even sudden cardiac death2 in AAS users, but such reports are relatively rare given the reported widespread use of AAS. Moreover, their effects on cardiovascular risk factors are confusing. Oral synthetic steroids, such as stanozolol, reduce high-density lipoprotein and increase low-density lipoprotein cholesterol more than parenterally administered testosterone at similar androgenic doses,3 suggesting that oral AAS are more atherogenic, but both stanozolol4 and testosterone5 decrease lipoprotein (a), an important atherosclerotic risk factor. There is also concern that AAS increase blood pressure, but even the literature on this topic is equivocal,6 and some of the purported increase in blood pressure with AAS may be due to the use of undersized sphygmomanometer cuffs in subjects with increased arm circumference.7 Consequently, the overall clinical effect of …
An optically powered wireless telemetry module for high-temperature MEMS sensing and communication

A high-temperature, low-power silicon tunnel diode oscillator transmitter with an on-board optical power converter is proposed for harsh environment MEMS sensing and wireless data telemetry applications. The prototype sensing and transmitting module employs a MEMS silicon capacitive pressure sensor performing pressure to frequency conversion and a spiral loop serving as an inductor for the LC tank resonator and also as a transmitting antenna. A GaAs photodiode converts an incoming laser beam to an electrical energy for powering the prototype design. The system achieves a telemetry performance up to 250/spl deg/C over a distance of 1.5 m with a transmitter power consumption of approximately 60 /spl mu/W.
Arizona Sunbirds and Minnesota Snowbirds: two species of the elderly seasonal migrant genus

Using comparable definitions and two statewide surveys it is estimated that the elderly seasonal migration rate is higher in Arizona during the summer (10.1%) than it is in Minnesota during the winter (9.2%). More attention is given to the Arizona seasonal migrants or Sunbirds since they have not been studied as much as Snowbirds. While Sunbirds are similar in many ways to Snowbirds they tend to be older. This age difference along with a tendency for both types of seasonal migrants to have been recent permanent migrants suggests that permanent migration may be a precursor to seasonal migration. (EXCERPT)
Wood Genetics Related to Provenance and Seed Source

The wood produced by trees grown from different seed sources or provenances can differ significantly. If the effects of provenance or seed source on wood are to be understood, the terms need to be briefly defined. The definitions by Zobel et al. (1987) provide a useful understanding, as given in Chapter 9.1.1.
Lunar base design: a paradigm for the capstone design course

Most engineering programs have a capstone design course, as per the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) requirements, the recognized US accreditor of college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology. This paper proposes that such a course be placed in a larger and coupled design framework, that is, that all student design groups choose or be assigned a project that considers some aspects of the design of a lunar surface structure intended for human habitation. The senior mechanical and aerospace engineering capstone design course is a two-semester six credit course sequence that is intended to expose each graduating engineering student to the full spectrum of engineering experience. A review is given of the essentials of lunar surface structures design. Example project areas are given
Observation of Persistent Flow of a Bose-Einstein Condensate in a Toroidal Trap

We have observed the persistent flow of Bose-condensed atoms in a toroidal trap. The flow persists without decay for up to 10 s, and was initiated by transferring one unit of the orbital angular momentum from Laguerre-Gaussian photons to each atom. Stable flow was only possible when the trap was multiply-connected, and was observed with a BEC fraction as small as 15%. We also created flow with two units of angular momentum, and observed its splitting into two singly-charged vortices when the trap geometry was changed from multiply- to simply-connected.
Upconversion Processes in Er-Activated Solid State Laser Materials

A quantitative model for Er-activated solid state laser materials has been developed to describe the population dynamics of the Er multiplets over a wide range of pump rates and Er concentrations. The model contains two adjustable parameters associated with the upconversion processes involved. The values of these upconversion rate parameters have been deduced by fitting the model to spectroscopic data.
The new-formation of hemal nodes in the omentum and mesentery of the dog after splenectomy and ligation of the splenic veins. (Preliminary report.)

The question of the new-formation of splenic or hemolymphnode tissue in the dog after splenectomy has been opened up again by Meyer,1 who, as the result of the findings of eight dogs examined after splenectomy, at periods of 30, 41, 53, 77, 89, 98, 112 and 126 days after the operation, found no changes in the lymph-nodes, either of the nature of a hyperplasia or regeneration. Doubt was, therefore, cast upon the work of preceding investigators, notably that of Tizzoni.During the years 1910-13 several series of experimental investigations in regard to this point were carried out in my laboratory, with results as yet unpublished. These are now presented here in the form of a preliminary report.Results of SpZenectomy.–Nine dogs were splenectomized and examined as follows: Three one week after the operation; three two weeks after, and three one month after. In no dog was there the slightest change apparent in the lymph-nodes of any part of the body.Five dogs were splenectomized and examined eight months after ...
Unraveling the origin of the Appalachian gametophyte, Vittaria appalachiana

PREMISE OF STUDY Ferns and lycophytes are distinct among plants in producing two free-living life stages: a long-lived sporophyte phase and a (usually) short-lived gametophyte phase. Notably, however, some species have perennial, vegetatively reproducing gametophytes. Vittaria appalachiana is one of just three species in which mature sporophytes are unknown. It has a wide range throughout the Appalachian Mountains and Plateau, where it reproduces asexually via gemmae. The origin of V. appalachiana, however, has long been a mystery, with most previous studies suggesting it may have resulted from hybridization of two closely related Vittaria species (V. graminifolia and V. lineata). METHODS A four-gene plastid data set including 32 samples of six Vittaria species, plus samples of five outgroup species, was analyzed to uncover phylogenetic relationships. Additional analyses of nuclear DET1 gene sequences allowed for the examination of hypotheses involving a hybrid origin for V. appalachiana. KEY RESULTS In the plastid phylogeny, V. appalachiana is well supported as monophyletic, but is embedded within V. graminifolia. With the exception of a single aberrant allele, this result is mirrored in the nuclear tree. CONCLUSIONS Through analyses of plastid and nuclear data sets, this study demonstrates that a hybrid origin for V. appalachiana is unlikely. Instead, it appears that this species emerged from within the V. graminifolia lineage. Further work is needed to fully elucidate the genetic structure within this group.
Insight into the nature and site of oxygen-centered free radical generation by endothelial cell monolayers using a novel spin trapping technique.

Spin trapping, a sensitive and specific means of detecting free radicals, is optimally performed on cell suspensions. This makes it unsuitable for the study of adherent endothelial cell monolayers because disrupting the monolayer to induce a cell suspension could introduce confounding factors. This problem was eliminated through the use of endothelial cells that were grown to confluence on microcarrier beads. Using the spin trap 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO), the nature of free radical species generated by suspensions of microcarrier bead adherent porcine pulmonary endothelial cells under various forms of oxidant stress was examined. Exposure of these endothelial cells to paraquat resulted in the spin trapping of superoxide (.O2-). Endothelial cell incubation in the presence of either bolus or continuous fluxes of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) yielded spin trap evidence of hydroxyl radical formation, which was preventable by pretreating the cells with deferoxamine. Chromium oxalate which eliminates extracellular electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometry (EPR) signals, prevented the detection of DMPO spin adducts generated by paraquat but not H2O2-treated endothelial cells. When endothelial cells were coincubated with PMA-stimulated monocytes evidence of both .O2- and hydroxyl radical production was detected, whereas with PMA- stimulated neutrophils only .O2- production could be confirmed. Neutrophil elastase, cathepsin G, and the combination of PMA and A23187 have previously been suggested to induce endothelial cell oxy-radical generation. However, exposure of endothelial cells to each of these agents did not yield DMPO spin adducts or cyanide-insensitive endothelial cell O2 consumption. These data indicate that endothelial cell exposure: to paraquat induces extracellular .O2- formation; to H2O2 leads to intracellular hydroxyl radical production; and to elastase, cathepsin G, or A23187/PMA does not appear to cause oxy- radical generation.
ANSI/ASSE Z9.14 “Testing and Performance Verification Methodologies for Ventilation Systems for Biological Safety Level 3 (BSL-3) and Animal Biological Safety Level 3 (ABSL-3) Laboratories” Leads Standard Development for High-Containment Laboratory Performance:

A February 2013 Government Accounting Office (GAO) letter to Congress, titled “High-Containment Laboratories: Assessment of the Nation's Need Is Missing,” (GAO, 2013) reiterates the concern in the 2009 GAO report (GAO, 2009) that there is still a need to “develop, in consultation with the scientific community, national standards for the design, construction, commissioning, and operation of high-containment laboratories, specifically including provisions for long-term maintenance.” With more high-containment laboratories coming online, the level of overall risk when laboratory accidents occur is unknown (GAO, 2013).
Performance of Approximate Causal Consistency for Partially Replicated Systems

Causal consistency is one of the widely used consistency models in wide-area replicated systems due to highly scalable semantics. Partial replication is a replication mechanism that emphasizes a better network capacity utilization. However, it has a challenge of higher meta-data overhead and processing complexity in communication. Algorithm Approx-Opt-Track has been proposed to reduce meta-data size, however, by risking that causal consistency might be violated. In an effort to bridge this gap and reconcile the trade-off between them, we present the analytic data to show the performance of Approx-Opt-Track. We also give simulation results to show the potential benefits of Approx-Opt-Track, under almost the same guarantees as causal consistency, at a smaller cost. The results indicate that partial replication is a potentially viable alternative to full replication for implementing causal consistency.
The origin of life at the origin of ageing

At first glance, the ageing of unicellular organisms would appear to be different from the ageing of complex, multicellular organisms. In an attempt to describe the nature of ageing in diverse organisms, the intimate links between the origins of life and ageing are examined. Departing from Leslie Orgel's initial ideas on why organisms age, it is then discussed how the potentially detrimental events characteristic of ageing are continuous, cell-autonomous and universal to all organisms. The manifestation of these alterations relies on the balance between their production and cellular renewal. Renewal is achieved not only by repair and maintenance mechanisms but, importantly, by the process of cell division such that every time cells divide ageing-associated effects are diluted.
A hybrid global surface spectral emissivity dataset for hyperspectral radiance simulator and climate/weather models

We use first-principle calculation as well as available observations of surface spectral emissivities to develop a global dataset suitable for the simulator of hyperspectral radiances as well as for the climate and weather models. Article not available.
Solvent gradient electrospray for laser ablation electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Most electrospray based ambient ionization techniques, e.g., laser ablation electrospray ionization (LAESI), utilize a fixed spray solution composition. Complex samples often contain compounds of different polarity that exhibit a wide range of solubilities in the electrospray solvent. Thus, the fixed spray solution composition limits the molecular coverage of these approaches. Two-barrel theta glass capillaries have been used for the rapid mixing of two solutions for manipulating fast reactions including protein folding, unfolding, and charge state distributions. Here, we present a new variant of LAESI mass spectrometry (MS) by scanning the high voltages applied to the two barrels of a theta glass capillary containing two different solvents. In the resulting gradient LAESI (g-LAESI), the composition of the spray solution is ramped between the two solvents in the barrels to facilitate the detection of compounds of diverse polarity and solubility. Dynamic ranges and limits of detection achieved for g-LAESI-MS were comparable to conventional LAESI-MS. We have demonstrated simultaneous detection of different types of chemical standards, and polar and less polar compounds from Escherichia coli cell pellets using g-LAESI-MS. Varying the spray solution composition in a gradient electrospray can benefit from the enhanced solubilities of different analytes in polar and less polar solvents, ultimately improving the molecular coverage in the direct analysis of biological samples.
The Effects of Welding Parameters and Backing Plate Diffusivity on Energy Consumption in Friction Stir Welding

Abstract The objective of this work is to investigate the effects of welding parameter variation and backing plate diffusivity on energy consumption in friction stir welding (FSW). FSW is a solid-state welding process, where joints are created below the solidus temperature of the workpiece. As a result, FSW is known for being energy efficient and environmentally friendly. However, a method of quantifying the energy consumption in FSW, for a variety of operating conditions, has not been well established. In order to understand the energy consumption of FSW, both process power and wall plug power were measured on a 3-axis CNC mill at various feed rates, spindle speeds, and with different backing plates. The results of monitoring the process power suggest that using a low thermal diffusivity backing plate has a beneficial effect on the instantaneous power consumption and on the total energy consumption during a weld. Conversely, tensile tests also showed that welds over a high thermal diffusivity backing plate consistently failed inside the weld zone, corresponding to a lower welding temperature and lack of penetration in the weld zone. These results suggest that using a low thermal diffusivity backing plate can both reduce energy consumption during FSW while also helping to achieve full penetration welds, while high feed rate is good for both welding productivity and reducing energy consumption per length of weld.
Abstract 1321: Transcriptome-wide association study of prostate cancer risk

Though more than 150 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with prostate cancer have been identified through GWAS, we still do not understand the functional consequences of common genetic variation in this disease. Genetic variants may influence complex diseases like prostate cancer through gene expression. However, very large studies evaluating gene expression in prostate cancer are currently infeasible due to the limited availability of prostate cancer tissue and expense of collecting expression data. Alternative approaches have been developed to identify expression-trait associations in study populations without directly measured expression data. One such approach (Gusev et al. Nat Genet. 2016) uses a set of reference individuals with both gene expression and SNP data to develop genetic prediction models of gene expression values. These models are then used to impute cis genetic components of gene expression for a much a larger set of individuals with only genotype and phenotype information. We used Affymetrix gene expression microarray data from normal prostate and prostate tumor tissue and genotype data from prostate cancer patients in the Health Professionals’ Follow-up Study and the Physicians’ Health Study (N=187) as a reference panel for creating the predicted models of the genetic components of expression. We imputed gene expression values into Oncoarray GWAS summary statistics from the PRACTICAL consortium (N ~ 75,000) to assess the association between predicted expression and prostate cancer risk. We present the results of our transcriptome-wide association study in normal prostate and prostate tumor tissue, identifying genes significantly associated with prostate cancer risk after correcting for multiple testing. These genes may provide insight into how genetic variants influence prostate cancer through their effect on gene expression. Citation Format: Maxine Chen, Alexander Gusev, The PRACTICAL Consortium, Massimo Loda, Lorelei A. Mucci, Meir J. Stampfer, Peter Kraft, Kathryn L. Penney. Transcriptome-wide association study of prostate cancer risk [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1321. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1321
Longwave emission trends over Africa and implications for Atlantic hurricanes

The latitudinal gradient of outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) over Africa is a skillful and physically based predictor of seasonal Atlantic hurricane activity. The African OLR gradient is observed to have strengthened during the satellite era, as predicted by state-of-the-art global climate models (GCMs) in response to greenhouse gas forcing. Prior to the satellite era and the U.S. and European clean air acts, the African OLR gradient weakened due to aerosol forcing of the opposite sign. GCMs predict a continuation of the increasing OLR gradient in response to greenhouse gas forcing. Assuming a steady linear relationship between African easterly waves and tropical cyclogenesis, this result suggests a future increase in Atlantic tropical cyclone frequency by 10% (20%) at the end of the 21st century under the RCP 4.5 (8.5) forcing scenario.
Derivation of Cortical Spheroids from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in a Suspension Bioreactor

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) emerge as a promising source to construct human brain-like tissues, spheroids, or organoids in vitro for disease modeling and drug screening. A suspension bioreactor can be used to generate large size of brain organoids from hiPSCs through enhanced diffusion, but the influence of a dynamic bioreactor culture environment on neural tissue patterning from hiPSCs has not been well understood. The objective of this study is to assess the influence of a suspension bioreactor culture on cortical spheroid (i.e., forebrain-like aggregates) formation from hiPSCs. Single undifferentiated hiPSK3 cells or preformed embryoid bodies were inoculated into the bioreactor. Aggregate size distribution, neural marker expression (e.g., Nestin, PAX6, β-tubulin III, and MAP-2), and cortical tissue patterning markers (e.g., TBR1, BRN2, SATB2, and vGlut1) were evaluated with static control. Bioreactor culture was found to promote the expression of TBR1, a deep cortical layer VI marker,...
Deus ex Machina: Regulating Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence for Patients of the Future

Translated as “god from a machine,” the deus ex machina mechanically suspended Greek gods above a theatre stage to resolve plot issues by divine intervention. The implement’s name has since extended to the rapidly expanding Artificial Intelligence (AI) field, as AI has similarly promised miraculous resolution to any number of human challenges, including chronic health conditions. Modern medical devices and other health applications use AI to automate computer functionality, including Internet-connected medical devices, ubiquitous mobile device use, and individual self-monitoring consumer health devices. Unlike human algorithmic programming of the past, AI enables more powerful and automated dynamic algorithmic calculation, or automation, which surpass human data science in accuracy. AI has the potential to revolutionize modern medicine, yet exceptionally large data volumes coupled with automated functionality and Internet connectivity will likely introduce previously unanticipated device safety issues. Although businesses increasingly integrate AI services into medical devices worldwide, the United States (U.S.) and the European Union (EU), typically global leaders in regulating health and medical device technology, have not established legal frameworks to adequately addresses big data, cybersecurity, and AI risks. With new technology, the principles informing medical device risk management activities no longer effectively manage patient safety risks. The U.S. and the EU must consider alternative strategies for regulating medical devices that adequately anticipate cybersecurity and AI risks.
Publisher Correction to: The response of pollen-transport networks to landscape-scale climate variation

The above mentioned article was originally scheduled for publication in the special issue on Ecology of Tundra Arthropods with guest editors Toke T. Hoye and Lauren E. Culler. Erroneously, the article was published in Polar Biology, Volume 40, Issue 11, November, 2017. The publisher sincerely apologizes to the guest editors and the authors for the inconvenience caused.
The Optimal Learning Strategy Depends on Learning Goals and Processes: Retrieval Practice versus Worked Examples.

Testing (having students recall material) and worked examples (having students study a completed problem) are both recommended as effective methods for improving learning. The two strategies rely on different underlying cognitive processes and thus may strengthen different types of learning in different ways. Across three experiments, we examine the efficacy of retrieval practice and worked examples for different learning goals and identify the factors that determine when each strategy is more effective. The optimal learning strategy depends on both the kind of knowledge being learned (stable facts vs. flexible procedures) and the learning processes involved (schema induction vs. memory and fluency building). When students’ goal was to remember the text of a worked example, repeated testing was more effective than repeated studying after a 1-week delay. However, when students’ goal was to learn a novel math procedure, the optimal learning strategy depended on the retention interval and nature of the materials. When long-term retention was not crucial (i.e., on an immediate test), repeated studying was more optimal than repeated testing, regardless of the nature of materials. When long-term retention was crucial (i.e., on a 1-week delayed test), repeated testing was as effective as repeated studying with nonidentical learning problems (that may enhance schema induction), but more effective than repeated studying with identical learning problems (that may enhance fluency building). Testing and worked examples are both effective ways to learn flexible procedures, but they do so through different mechanisms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved)
Bias-Dependent Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Signature of Bridging-Oxygen Vacancies on Rutile TiO2(110)

The rutile TiO2(110) surface has long-served as a well-characterized, prototypical transition-metal oxide surface used in heterogeneous catalysis and photocatalytic water splitting. Naturally occurring defects on this surface, called bridging-oxygen (BO) vacancies, are important as they determine the overall reactivity of the surface. Herein, we report a bias-dependent, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) signature of the BO vacancies on TiO2(110): for sample bias voltages past a threshold of +3 V, the bright vacancies are flanked on either side (along the oxygen row) by two dark spots approximately shaped like half-moons. The BO vacancies have a bright aspect below the threshold bias also but are not surrounded by half-moon dark depressions. Using generalized gradient approximation calculations with Hubbard correction (GGA + U) for projected density of states (DOS) and simulated STM images, we find that the bias-dependent STM signature originates from (i) local DOS maxima of all BOs (lighter background t...
MINIMUM GRAPH VERTEX COVERING WITH THE RANDOM NEURAL NETWORK

ABSTRACT Minimum graph (vertex) covering is an NP-hard problem arising in various areas (image processing, transportation models, plant layout, crew scheduling, etc.). We use the random network (RN) (Gelenbe 1989,1990) to obtain its approximate solution; this model is very close to the “queueing networks with positive and negative customers” model we have also introduced (Gelenbe 1992). We compare the results obtained by our approach to the conventional greedy algorithm and to simulated annealing. The evaluation shows that the random network provides good results, at a computational cost less than that of simulated annealing but greater than that of the conventional greedy algorithm. The overall optimisation obtained is better with the RN approach, than with other published solution methods.
When Ovarian Cancer Is Not: Characterizing Nonovarian Cancer Pathology in a Laparoscopy-Based Triage System

Objective Establishing an accurate histologic diagnosis is essential for determining the appropriate course of therapy for ovarian cancer. This study sought to investigate and describe nonovarian cancer pathologies discovered during the systematic laparoscopic workup of presumed advanced ovarian cancer. Methods A retrospective cohort of patients with presumed advanced ovarian cancer (based on elevated CA125 and/or imaging) presenting to our center without confirmed pathologic diagnosis were identified and characterized. Patients without ovarian cancer on final pathology were described and compared with those with confirmed epithelial ovarian cancer using standard statistical methods. Results Nonovarian cancer was found in 26 (7.1%) of 365 cases over 3.5 years of study, and included benign ovarian pathology, and metastatic uterine, breast, and gastrointestinal cancers. Most nonovarian cancer cases could not be diagnosed with percutaneous biopsy, and instead used diagnostic laparoscopy or assessment at the time of laparotomy for diagnosis (58%). No patient received inappropriate treatment. Nonovarian cancer cases were more likely to be nonwhite (P = 0.003), have a better Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (P Conclusions A systematic laparoscopic triage approach to advanced-stage ovarian cancer eliminates incorrect neoadjuvant chemotherapy administration and inappropriate laparotomy. This algorithm identified a population of women who are more likely to have nonovarian cancer pathology. Increasing screening efforts should be focused on conclusive diagnosis with the least invasive testing possible.
A Juggler on the Moon: How Sounds Think in Tom Stoppard's Darkside

This essay explores Tom Stoppard’s 2013 radio play Darkside, which incorporates elements of Pink Floyd’s 1973 album TheDark Side of the Moon, and dramatizes a series of thought experiments. I show how the combination of these three forms necessitates a rethinking of how sounds operate in radio drama, chart the play’s habits of diversion and evasion, and discuss how these tendencies are brought to bear on the central theme of climate change. At the heart of this essay is a proposal that the idea of the “sound of thought” embodied in Darkside may prompt a new approach to the theory of radio, one that begins not with what sounds mean, but with how sounds “think”.
The Use of Geonarratives to Add Context to Fine Scale Geospatial Research

There has been a move towards using mixed method approaches in geospatial research to gain context in understanding health related social patterns and processes. The central premise is that official data is often too reductionist and misses’ nuances that can help explain causality. One example is the geonarrative, a spatially relevant commentary or interview that can be mapped by content and/or location. While there have been several examples of geonarratives being used by researchers, there is no commonly available software that can easily transfer the associated text into spatial data. Having a standardized software platform is vital if these methods are to be used across different disciplines. This paper presents an overview of a solution, Wordmapper (WM), which is a standalone software developed to process geonarratives from a transcription and associated global positioning system (GPS) path. Apart from querying textual narrative data, Wordmapper facilitates qualitative coding which could be used to extract latent contextual information from the narratives. In order to improve interoperability, Wordmapper provides spatialized narrative data in formats, such as ESRI shape files, Keyhole Markup Language (KML), and Comma Separated Values (CSV). A case study based on five different spatial video geonarratives (SVG) collected to assess the human impacts following the 2011 Joplin, Missouri are used for illustration.
Disposable Patterned Electroceutical Dressing (PED-10) Is Safe for Treatment of Open Clinical Chronic Wounds

Objective: To evaluate if patterned electroceutical dressing (PED) is safe for human chronic wounds treatment as reported by wound care providers. Approach: This work reports a pilot feasibility st...
Intracranial Non-thermal Ablation Mediated by Transcranial Focused Ultrasound and Phase-Shift Nanoemulsions.

Abstract High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) mechanical ablation is an emerging technique for non-invasive transcranial surgery. Lesions are created by driving inertial cavitation in tissue, which requires significantly less peak pressure and time-averaged power compared with traditional thermal ablation. The utility of mechanical ablation could be extended to the brain provided the pressure threshold for inertial cavitation can be reduced. In this study, the utility of perfluorobutane (PFB)-based phase-shift nanoemulsions (PSNEs) for lowering the inertial cavitation threshold and enabling focal mechanical ablation in the brain was investigated. We successfully achieved vaporization of PFB-based PSNEs at 1.8 MPa with a 740 kHz focused transducer with a pulsed sonication protocol (duty cycle = 1.5%, 10 min sonication) within intact CD-1 mice brains. Evidence is provided showing that a single bolus injection of PSNEs could be used to initiate and sustain inertial cavitation in cerebrovasculature for at least 10 min. Histologic analysis of brain slices after HIFU exposure revealed ischemic and hemorrhagic lesions with dimensions that were comparable to the focal zone of the transducer. These results suggest that PFB-based PSNEs may be used to significantly reduce the inertial cavitation threshold in the cerebrovasculature and, when combined with transcranial focused ultrasound, enable focal intracranial mechanical ablation.
Extra-cellular matrix induced by steroids through a G-protein coupled receptor in a Drosophila model of renal fibrosis

Abstract Aldosterone is produced by the mammalian adrenal cortex to modulate blood pressure and fluid balance, however excessive, prolonged aldosterone production promotes fibrosis and kidney failure. How aldosterone triggers disease may involve actions that are independent of its canonical mineralocorticoid receptor. Here we present a Drosophila model of renal pathology caused by excess extra-cellular matrix formation, stimulated by exogenous aldosterone and insect ecdysone steroids. Chronic administration of aldosterone or ecdysone induces expression and accumulation of collagen-like pericardin at adult nephrocytes – podocyte-like cells that filter circulating hemolymph. Excess pericardin deposition disrupts nephrocyte (glomerular) filtration and causes proteinuria in Drosophila, hallmarks of mammalian kidney failure. Steroid-induced pericardin arises from cardiomyocytes associated with nephrocytes, reflecting an analogous role of mammalian myofibroblasts in fibrotic disease. Remarkably, the canonical ecdysteroid nuclear hormone receptor, ecdysone receptor EcR, is not required for aldosterone or ecdysone to stimulate pericardin production or associated renal pathology. Instead, these hormones require a cardiomyocyte-associated G-protein coupled receptor, dopamine-EcR (dopEcR), a membrane-associated receptor previously characterized in the fly brain as affecting behavior. This Drosophila renal disease model reveals a novel signaling pathway through which steroids may potentially modulate human fibrosis through proposed orthologs of dopEcR. Significance Statement Aldosterone regulates salt and fluid homeostasis, yet excess aldosterone contributes to renal fibrosis. Aldosterone acts through a nuclear hormone receptor, but an elusive, G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) is thought to also mediate the hormone’s pathology. Here we introduce a Drosophila model of renal fibrosis. Flies treated with human aldosterone produce excess extra-cellular matrix and that causes kidney pathology. Flies treated with the insect steroid ecdysone produce similar pathology, and from this analogous response we identify an alternative receptor through which steroids mediate renal fibrosis -- the GPCR dopamine-Ecdysone Receptor (dopEcR). dopEcR functions in heart muscle cells associated with nephrocytes, analogous to the role of myofibroblasts in human fibrosis. This finding opens avenues to identify mammalian GPCR homologs of dopEcR through which aldosterone mediates renal fibrosis.
Influence of Insect Growth Regulators on Stephanitis pyrioides (Hemiptera: Tingidae) Eggs and Nymphs

The azalea lace bug, Stephanitis pyrioides (Scott) (Hemiptera: Tingidae), is an important insect pest of azaleas (Rhododendron L. spp.) in the USA. Stephanitis pyrioides feeds on azalea foliage and causes extensive chlorosis, which reduces the aesthetic value and marketability of these plants. Because the use of neonicotinoid insecticides has been dramatically reduced or discontinued, growers and landscape managers are seeking alternative tools or strategies to control this insect. Although insect growth regulators (IGRs) are known for their activity against immature insect stages, their activity against egg hatching has not been addressed thoroughly, specifically against S. pyrioides. Thus, a series of experiments was conducted to understand the ovicidal activity of IGRs using novaluron, azadirachtin, pyriproxyfen, and buprofezin against S. pyrioides. The number of newly emerged young instars was significantly lower when leaves implanted with eggs were sprayed on both sides with novaluron, azadirachtin, and buprofezin compared to nontreated and pyriproxyfen treatments. When IGRs plus adjuvant were applied to the adaxial surface of the leaves, the densities of the newly emerged nymphs were significantly lower under the novaluron treatment compared to the nontreated leaves. However, there was no significant difference in the number of nymphs that emerged in the absence of adjuvant. Furthermore, close monitoring revealed reduced levels of egg hatching in the presence of adjuvant with novaluron compared to its absence. The data show that the survival of S. pyrioides first instars was not affected by exposure to dried IGR residues.
Proposal for the surgical management of children with laryngeal saccular Cysts: A case series

This case series aims to determine the optimal surgical approach for pediatric laryngeal saccular cysts. A retrospective chart review of patients who underwent surgical treatment for laryngeal saccular cysts was completed; 5 patients were diagnosed and surgically treated. Treatment approaches included aspiration, supraglottoplasty, injection of bleomycin, endoscopic subtotal resection (marsupialization with the laser or endoscopic instrumentation of the cyst), endoscopic extended subtotal excision (subtotal resection plus removal of false vocal fold with lasering or coblation of the inner cyst wall), and transcervical approaches for resection. Based on our outcomes, an endoscopic extended subtotal resection of the cyst will achieve the best outcomes for cysts confined to the larynx or for Type 1 cysts. A transcervical approach for resection of the cyst will achieve the best outcomes for Type 2 cysts that extend into the neck or are extralaryngeal.
Reductions in Calcium Signaling Limit Inhibition to Diabetic Retinal Rod Bipolar Cells

Purpose The balance of neuronal excitation and inhibition is important for proper retinal signaling. A previous report showed that diabetes selectively reduces light-evoked inhibition to the retinal dim light rod pathway, changing this balance. Here, changes in mechanisms of retinal inhibitory synaptic transmission after 6 weeks of diabetes are investigated. Methods Diabetes was induced in C57BL/6J mice by three intraperitoneal injections of streptozotocin (STZ, 75 mg/kg), and confirmed by blood glucose levels more than 200 mg/dL. After 6 weeks, whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings of electrically evoked inhibitory postsynaptic currents from rod bipolar cells and light-evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents from A17-amacrine cells were made in dark-adapted retinal slices. Results Diabetes shortened the timecourse of directly activated lateral GABAergic inhibitory amacrine cell inputs to rod bipolar cells. The timing of GABA release onto rod bipolar cells depends on a prolonged amacrine cell calcium signal that is reduced by slow calcium buffering. Therefore, the effects of calcium buffering with EGTA-acetoxymethyl ester (AM) on diabetic GABAergic signaling were tested. EGTA-AM reduced GABAergic signaling in diabetic retinas more strongly, suggesting that diabetic amacrine cells have reduced calcium signals. Additionally, the timing of release from reciprocal inhibitory inputs to diabetic rod bipolar cells was reduced, but the activation of the A17 amacrine cells responsible for this inhibition was not changed. Conclusions These results suggest that reduced light-evoked inhibitory input to rod bipolar cells is due to reduced and shortened calcium signals in presynaptic GABAergic amacrine cells. A reduction in calcium signaling may be a common mechanism limiting inhibition in the retina.
Alumni Surveys as a Data Collection Methodology

The use of alumni surveys as a data collection methodology for empirical studies of innovation and entrepreneurship is a relatively recent phenomenon. Since limitations of data access have traditionally been a key bottleneck in the progress of systematically understanding the process of the commercialization of new ideas through entrepreneurial firms, it is worthwhile to consider the advantages and disadvantages of this method. By way of introduction, this chapter will first discuss the few existing alumni surveys that have been used to yield insights into entrepreneurship. Through these examples the types of questions that an alumni survey is well suited to answer become more clear. The following section will use these examples, along with the author’s own experience with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) alumni survey dataset and in designing and executing the first alumni survey overseas, at Tsinghua University (Beijing, China), to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the alumni survey methodology.
Abstract WP257: Therapeutic Anti Coagulation and Ischemic Stroke Mechanism in Atrial Fibrillation Exploring Risk Factors

Background: Ischemic stroke occurs in setting of AF despite adequate treatment because of both cardiac and non-cardiac causes. We hypothesized that certain clinical , and cardiac characteristics wo...
4 – NEUROTROPHIC FACTORS

The nervous system growth factors, or neurotrophic factors, comprise several families of proteins that influence neuronal survival, neuritic outgrowth, and cell function from embryonic development through old age. Given their extensive influences on neurons, neurotrophic factors represent candidate mechanisms for treating neurodegenerative and axonal disorders. This chapter will review biochemical, physiological, and systems-level effects of several growth factor families.
Dynamics of high penetration photovoltaic systems in distribution circuits with legacy voltage regulation devices

Abstract Concerns for criteria pollutant emissions and air quality, as well as greenhouse gas emissions, have resulted in stringent energy and environmental rules and regulations mandating deployment of renewable resources. Moreover, increased frequency of extreme weather events highlighted the need for increased reliability and resiliency of the grid further encouraging deployment of distributed energy resources. This has resulted in an increasing deployment of solar PV in the distribution system. While many studies focus on analyzing the impact of increased penetration of PV on smart circuits or systems with upgraded infrastructure, it is necessary to assess impacts on existing circuits with legacy devices. In this study, the impacts of high penetration of PV are investigated for two distribution circuits (one residential and one commercial) located in northern California, equipped with legacy voltage regulation devices including on-load tap changer (OLTC) transformers and switched capacitor banks. The dynamics of circuit operation and bus voltage profiles are studied by developing time-resolved three-phase balanced feeder models of the two circuits. Using connectivity and load demand measurements provided by the utility, the models are validated and calibrated to the point of the substation. In order to help generalize the results associated with the two circuits, a set of circuit design metrics are developed to characterize the distribution of the load demand and generation, load center (LC) and generation center (GC). The load center and generation center metrics are weighted averages of the total consumed and total produced bus energy relative to the distance from the substation. Various scenarios are simulated in order to quantify generation limits necessary to conform to various standards including ANSI C84.1 voltage standards while maintaining reliable circuit operations. In these scenarios, location of the PV installation as well as PV penetration (from baseline to 100%) are varied. Simulation results indicate that high PV penetrations have a direct impact on OLTC transformer operation but only marginal impact on capacitor switching. Tap operation is found to increase approximately linearly with PV penetration for both of the circuits and specific Load Drop Compensation (LDC) controller settings greatly affect the sensitivity of OLTC operation to PV penetration. It is also concluded that not only the location of PV installation relative to loads and substation affects the performance, the metrics developed are a powerful tool to describe high PV circuits and to help utilities better plan for deployment of PV in their distribution network.