cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predicting Outpatient Appointment Demand Using Machine Learning and Traditional Methods

Traditional methods have long been used for clinical demand forecasting. Machine learning methods represent the next evolution in forecasting, but model choice and optimization remain challenging for achieving optimal results. To determine the best method to predict demand for outpatient appointments comparing machine learning and traditional methods, this retrospective study analyzed "appointment requests" at a major outpatient department in a destination medical center. Two separate locations (A and B) were assessed with 20 traditional, hybrid (traditional + machine learning) and machine learning methods to determine the best forecasting outcome (lowest Forecast Standard Error, FSE). Data characteristics from both datasets were examined. 20 forecasting models were then assessed and compared for the best result. Location A's data displayed a cyclical and non-trending pattern while Location B's displayed a cyclical and trending pattern. Both Location A and B yielded the feature engineered XGBoost model (machine learning) with the lowest out-of-sample FSE. It is important to carefully analyze and understand the underlying data set pattern and then test a variety of traditional, machine learning, and hybrid prediction methods to achieve optimal predictive results. Additionally, the use of feature engineering or hybrid methods can augment the usefulness of machine learning methods.
Integrable and steerable vortex lasers using bound states in the continuum

Using wave singularities known as bound states in continuum, we report an integrated device that simultaneously generates and directs coherent beams carrying orbital angular momentum.
Benchmarking the Raw Model-Generated Background Forecast in Rapidly Updated Surface Temperature Analyses. Part I: Stations

AbstractHigh-quality, high-resolution, hourly unbiased surface (2 m) temperature analyses are needed for many applications, including training and validation of statistical postprocessing applicati...
Abstract P4-14-12: Effects of hepatitis C virus infection on the safety of chemotherapy for breast cancer patients: A retrospective chart analysis

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major health problem in the United States and breast cancer is the second most common cancer in US women. Despite these prevalent diseases, there is limited information available on the effects of a concurrent HCV infection among breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and the problems they face during their treatment. There are limited guidelines for chemotherapy treatment in HCV positive breast cancer patients. Methods: We performed a retrospective 2:1 matched case control analysis on breast cancer patients with a confirmed active HCV infection who received chemotherapy at Boston Medical Center between January 2000 and April 2015. Cases with HCV infection (n=6) were matched with controls (n=12) who were HCV negative. The controls were matched on age (decade) of diagnosis, stage of breast cancer, and intended chemotherapy regimen. We investigated dose delays, dose changes, hospitalization, hematologic reasons for dose delays, and variation in blood counts during the treatment period in these patients from their medical records. Statistical analysis was done using R version 3.4.0 to compare these outcomes of interest between the two groups. Fisher’s exact and Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used to compare the categorical and continuous variables respectively. Results: The HCV positive group was at a significantly higher risk of dose delays (100% vs. 33%, p = 0.01), dose changes (67% vs. 8%, p = 0.02), and hospitalization during chemotherapy (83% vs. 25%, p = 0.04) than their HCV matched controls. The risk of getting a dose delay due to hematotoxicity was significantly higher in the HCV positive group than the HCV negative group (83% vs. 8%, p = 0.003). The HCV positive patients took longer time to complete their treatment cycles than the HCV negative group. Conclusions: Chronic HCV infection in breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy may be complicated by their active HCV infection. Treatment challenges due to dose changes, dose delays and hospitalizations were significantly more common when compared to controls. Chemotherapy delays and dose changes during breast cancer treatment has a negative consequence. In the era of curative treatment for HCV, future studies focused on the effect and treatment of concurrent HCV and breast cancer treatment is warranted. Citation Format: Saptaparni Ghosh, Minghua L Chen, Janice Weinberg, Naomi Y Ko. Effects of hepatitis C virus infection on the safety of chemotherapy for breast cancer patients: A retrospective chart analysis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-14-12.
Pleural lipomatosis: An often-forgotten intrathoracic tumor

Lipomas are benign mesenchymal neoplasms that arise from adipocytes. Most lipomas are found in the subcutaneous tissue; however, they can be present throughout the body. Lipomas arising from the thoracic pleura are exceptionally rare, with only approximately 20 cases ever reported in the literature. While typically asymptomatic, pleural lipomas may cause compressive symptoms such as nonproductive cough, chest pain, and dyspnea if they reach adequate size. A CT scan is usually sufficient for the diagnosis and typically reveals well-defined nodules with homogenous fat attenuation of approximately -50 to -150 Hounsfield units. Management is dependent on various factors including tumor size and location, associated symptoms, and age of the patient. Pleural lipomatosis, although exceedingly rare, should be maintained in the differential diagnosis for any well-defined, fat-attenuating pleural mass identified on conventional radiologic studies. Here we report a case of pleural lipomatosis associated with bilateral pleural effusions identified in an 83-year-old male presenting with acute onset dyspnea.
Disruption of GABA or glutamate release from POMC neurons in the adult mouse does not affect metabolic end points.

Proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons contribute to the regulation of many physiological processes; the majority of which have been attributed to the release of peptides produced from the POMC prohormone such as α-MSH, which plays key roles in food intake and metabolism. However, it is now clear that POMC neurons also release amino acid transmitters that likely contribute to the overall function of POMC cells. Recent work indicates that constitutive deletion of these transmitters can affect metabolic phenotypes, but also that the expression of GABAergic or glutamatergic markers changes throughout development. The goal of the present study was to determine whether the release of glutamate or GABA from POMC neurons in the adult mouse contributes notably to energy balance regulation. Disturbed release of glutamate or GABA specifically from POMC neurons in adult mice was achieved using a tamoxifen-inducible Cre construct (Pomc-CreERT2) expressed in mice also carrying floxed versions of Slc17a6 (vGlut2) or Gad1 and Gad2, encoding the vesicular glutamate transporter type 2 and GAD67 and GAD65 proteins, respectively. All mice in the experiments received tamoxifen injections, but control mice lacked the tamoxifen-inducible Cre sequence. Body weight was unchanged in Gad1- and Gad2- or vGlut2-deleted female and male mice. Additionally, no significant differences in glucose tolerance or refeeding after an overnight fast were observed. These data collectively suggest that the release of GABA or glutamate from POMC neurons in adult mice does not significantly contribute to the metabolic parameters tested here. In light of prior work, the data also suggest that amino acid transmitter release from POMC cells may contribute to separate functions in the adult versus the developing mouse.
Shadowy Deals with “Sunny Stone”: Organized Crime, Informal Mining, and the Illicit Trade of Amber in Ukraine

While prior research on informality has studied the institutions and actors in informal economies as well as their clandestine relations, little is known about the role of organized crime in informal economies, particularly as it pertains to how criminal entrepreneurs interact with the primary participants of the informal economy—informal entrepreneurs. Using a qualitative exploratory approach, the chapter examines why and how organized crime groups (OCGs) infiltrate informal economies, and it scrutinizes the relationships they build with informal workers and traders. In our investigation, we focus on the illegal extraction of amber in Ukraine, smuggling of raw amber across the Ukraine–Poland border, and the difficulties of formalizing informal mining. It is argued that in addition to the obvious economic losses to the state and environmental harms caused by informal amber mining, there is a general worsening of criminogenic conditions characterized by organized violence and corruption. Our findings contribute to the literature on illegitimate governance, criminal logistics, and the formalization of informal entrepreneurship.
Indications and Risks of Flexible Bronchoscopy in Children

Flexible bronchoscopy in children is generally a safe, well-tolerated procedure and should be considered as a tool anytime it is the safest, easiest, and most effective way to obtain information or intervene in the airway of the child. There are many reasons to perform flexible bronchoscopy. Diagnostic indications include chronic or recurrent symptoms, such as chronic cough, or chronic or recurrent diagnoses, such as recurrent pneumonia. Flexible bronchoscopy is also used for general airway evaluation or to obtain a bronchoalveolar lavage. Because the scope occupies space in the airway, impaired ventilation and corresponding hypoxemia is the most common complication reported during flexible bronchoscopy. General anesthesia, while allowing the success of bronchoscopy, provides innate risk that should be considered. To avoid unnecessary risk, timing, location of procedure, and best anesthetic should be considered; appropriate and properly maintained tools should be gathered; and all personnel should be well-trained in bronchoscopy. As in all medical care, bronchoscopists should weigh the risks and benefits from the procedure and discuss these with patients and their families.
Meaning Infused into Fiber: Exploring Motivations of Natural Dyers

This research explores the underlying motivations of individuals who use natural dyes as part of their apparel and textile design practice. Methods include interviews, documentary filmmaking, audio recordings, photography, field work, participant observation research, and field notes. I interviewed a total of 20 natural dyers based in the United States from November 2016 to June 2019 and found three main sources of motivation: (a) perceived environmental and health concerns, (b) personal fulfillment and identity, and (c) the opportunity for autonomy over production. Individuals used natural dyes to infuse meanings into cloth, whether their own perceived environmental and health concerns, a sense of personal fulfillment, or autonomy over the production process. Through these motivations to use natural dyes, it appears natural dyers can share aspects of their personal identity in an object they have colored, infusing meaning into the cloth they dye.
DeltaLM: Encoder-Decoder Pre-training for Language Generation and Translation by Augmenting Pretrained Multilingual Encoders.

While pretrained encoders have achieved success in various natural language understanding (NLU) tasks, there is a gap between these pretrained encoders and natural language generation (NLG). NLG tasks are often based on the encoder-decoder framework, where the pretrained encoders can only benefit part of it. To reduce this gap, we introduce DeltaLM, a pretrained multilingual encoder-decoder model that regards the decoder as the task layer of off-the-shelf pretrained encoders. Specifically, we augment the pretrained multilingual encoder with a decoder and pre-train it in a self-supervised way. To take advantage of both the large-scale monolingual data and bilingual data, we adopt the span corruption and translation span corruption as the pre-training tasks. Experiments show that DeltaLM outperforms various strong baselines on both natural language generation and translation tasks, including machine translation, abstractive text summarization, data-to-text, and question generation.
A Review and Analysis of the Bot-IoT Dataset

Machine learning is rapidly changing the cybersecu-rity landscape. The use of predictive models to detect malicious activity and identify inscrutable attack patterns is providing levels of automation that are desperately needed to level the playing field between malicious actors and network defenders. This has led to increased research at the intersection of machine learning and cybersecurity and also the creation of many publicly available datasets. This paper provides an in-depth, unique review and analysis of one of the newest datasets, Bot-IoT. The full dataset contains about 73 million instances (big data). Models trained on Bot-IoT are capable of detecting various botnet attacks in Internet of Things (IoT) networks. The purpose of this paper is to provide researchers with a fundamental understanding of Bot-IoT, its features, and some of its pitfalls. We also discuss data cleaning procedures and briefly summarize the use of the dataset in published research.
Proximity and Minor League Baseball

Proximity matters to Major League Baseball teams concerned about player development. Optimal player movement between minor league baseball teams can lead to maximizing player development opportunities, so proximity between levels of a Major League organization matters in building the best possible roster of Major League players. Perhaps more than any other matter that arises in the business of baseball, proximity to other professional baseball teams is a concern that has uniquely shaped professional baseball in North America. It is this unique component in how professional baseball is organized that suggests a proximity-based approach to studying the economics of minor league baseball.
PC12 Pheochromocytoma Cultures in Neurobiological Research

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an overview of PC12 pheochromocytoma cultures in neurobiological research. The PC12 line of rat pheochromocytoma cells promises to be highly useful for studying both chromaffin cells and neurons and, consequently, has been employed in an increasing number of laboratories. PC12 cells propagated in vivo or in culture without nerve-growth factor are readily classifiable as pheochromocytomas by current morphological and chemical criteria. They have no processes and are characterized by numerous secretory granules ranging in diameter up to 350 nm. They also contain total catecholamine stores comparable to those in rat adrenal glands and show intense formaldehyde-induced fluorescence. In addition to catecholamines, PC12 cells contain several other secretory products, some of which have also been reported in human pheochromocytomas. The morphology of the cells and their synthesis, storage, release, and uptake of neurohumoral or neurotransmitter substances can be modulated in a number of ways within the overall chromaffin cell-like phenotype. This chapter reviews the currently known properties of the PC12 line. It also discusses the ways in which it has been and could be exploited to increase the knowledge of neuronal and neurosecretory cells.
Frailty and Early Hospital Readmission After Kidney Transplantation

Early hospital readmission (EHR) after kidney transplantation (KT) is associated with increased morbidity and higher costs. Registry-based recipient, transplant and center-level predictors of EHR are limited, and novel predictors are needed. We hypothesized that frailty, a measure of physiologic reserve initially described and validated in geriatrics and recently associated with early KT outcomes, might serve as a novel, independent predictor of EHR in KT recipients of all ages. We measured frailty in 383 KT recipients at Johns Hopkins Hospital. EHR was ascertained from medical records as ≥1 hospitalization within 30 days of initial post-KT discharge. Frail KT recipients were much more likely to experience EHR (45.8% vs. 28.0%, p = 0.005), regardless of age. After adjusting for previously described registry-based risk factors, frailty independently predicted 61% higher risk of EHR (adjusted RR = 1.61, 95% CI: 1.18-2.19, p = 0.002). In addition, frailty improved EHR risk prediction by improving the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (p = 0.01) as well as the net reclassification index (p = 0.04). Identifying frail KT recipients for targeted outpatient monitoring and intervention may reduce EHR rates.
Biogeochemistry: Oxygenating the atmosphere.

Photosynthesis is the main source of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere. But it may have been geological activity that first allowed an oxygen-rich atmosphere to develop.
Mentoring Overcomes Barriers to Technology Integration

AbstractThis article describes a mentoring relationship among elementary teachers in a rural school district and graduate students in instructional technology in the College of Education at a university in the Midwestern United States. Teachers identified common barriers to technology use: vision, access, time, assessment, and professional development. The mentoring relationship provided the professional development support needed to promote opportunities for modeling the curriculum integration of technology, redesigning lessons around technology-rich resources, and overcoming barriers to technology use.
Reconfiguration algorithm of fault-tolerant two-dimensional VLSI arrays

The authors propose a general reconfiguration algorithm of two-dimensional arrays to achieve yield enhancement. The algorithm is general in the sense that it can be applied to any of the two-dimensional arrays ranging from as small as memory arrays to as complex as processor arrays where each cell is likely to occupy a complete chip for its implementation. The time complexity of the proposed optimal reconfiguration algorithm is o(N/sup 2/) to reconfigure a potentially faulty N*(N+SC) physical array into a fault tree N*N logical array, where SC is the number of spare columns. >
Evaluating the Performance of Collaboration Engineers

Collaboration Engineering (CE) is an approach to designing collaborative work systems for high-value tasks, and transferring them to practitioners to execute for themselves without support from a collaboration expert. The stakes are high on a CE project, so it would be useful to have a way to evaluate the performance of the collaboration engineers (CEs) who design the work systems. One can evaluate an engineer in terms of the efficiency of resource use, the timeliness of completion, stakeholder satisfaction, and the quality of work with respect to objectives. Measures for resource efficiency, timeliness, and satisfaction are common across disciplines. Measures of work quality, however, are specific to each discipline because each has different objectives. This paper focuses on evaluating the performance of CEs with respect to work quality. Toward that end, we contribute a seven-stage CE methodology based on the Six Layer model of collaboration, and define for each stage its objectives, key activities and work products. From those we derive indicators of work quality for each stage based on a) the justifiability of key decisions, and b) quality of work products. The performance indicators are framed as checklist questions with either yes/no, no/yes, or five-point scales. These indicators are heuristics, they are not designed to be validated metrics for rigorously-defined theoretical constructs, and are not intended to support theoretical and experimental research. They are useful for evaluating of CEs' performance during and after a project, and also would support further exploratory and engineering research on the performance of CEs.
Topics on euclidean classical field equations with unique vacuua

We discuss the real classical field equation (-δ+μ2)φ+λF(φ) = f, where μ2>o, λ≥o, F ∈ c∞(R), and aF (a)≥0 for all a ∈ R, and where the source function f belongs to various function spaces contained in the Sobolev space H−1 (Rd). We review a number of results whose proofs are to appear elsewhere, on existence of a solution φ ∈ Hl(Rd), the correspondences between the function spaces of f and φ (regularity properties), contractivity properties and uniqueness of φ, and analytic dependence on λ and functional differentiability in f. We mention some of the ideas from the proofs, including a few alternate methods we have not discussed elsewhere. We prove a new result on positivity preservingness: if f is a nonnegative measure in H−1(Rd), then 0 ≤ φ ∈ H1(Rd), a result that is also valid for μ2 = 0. Finally, we give an intuitive interpretation of some of the results for the case of d = 1 dimension.
Effects of Reversible Inactivation of the Neonatal Ventral Hippocampus on Behavior in the Adult Rat

Rats with neonatal excitotoxic damage of the ventral hippocampus display in adulthood a variety of abnormalities reminiscent of schizophrenia and are used as an animal model of this disorder. In the present study, we hypothesized that transient inactivation of ventral hippocampal activity during a critical developmental period may be sufficient to disrupt normal maturation of relevant brain systems and produce similar lasting behavioral changes. We infused tetrodotoxin (TTX) or artificial CSF into the ventral hippocampus on postnatal day 7 (P7) and assessed behavioral changes in response to stress, amphetamine, and (+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo [a,d] cyclohepten-5,10-imine maleate in juvenile (P35) and young adult (P56) rats. In adulthood, rats infused neonatally with TTX displayed motor hyperactivity after pharmacological stimulation and after stress compared with sham controls. Analogous TTX infusions in adult animals did not alter these behaviors later in life. These data suggest that transient loss of ventral hippocampal function during a critical time in maturation of intracortical connections permanently changes the development of neural circuits mediating certain dopamine- and NMDA-related behaviors. These results represent a potential new model of aspects of schizophrenia without involving a gross anatomic lesion.
A NOTE ON WEYL GROUPS AND THE QUANTUM TRANSLATION PRINCIPLE FOR ROOT SYSTEMS OF CLASSICAL TYPE

ABSTRACT Let U be the quantum analog of the universal enveloping algebra of a Lie algebra. In [4] Joseph and Letzter used a quantum translation principle to prove that certain categories of highest weight modules and Harish-Chandra bimodules are equivalent. The proof depends on certain properties of strongly dominant weights under the action of the Weyl group. In this note we investigate what happens when the weight under consideration is just dominant, not strongly dominant. When the root system is of classical type, it turns out that the translation principle no longer holds, but the equivalence of categories is nevertheless still true.
An URN model study of variability within a compartment

Formulas are derived for the mean and variance of the number of radioactive atoms present in a compartment (or urn). Initially, n/sub 1/ radioactive atoms and b stable atoms are placed in the urn; and subsequently, r stable atoms are added and an equal number, r, of a random mixture of stable and radioactive atoms is removed per unit time. The expected number of radioactive atoms, E(t), present at time t is, as expected, n/sub 1/e/sup -//sup lambda t/ where lambda = (r/..delta..t)/(b + r + n/sub 1/). The relative variance, sigma/sup 2/(t)/n/sub 1//sup 2/, vanishes to zero for r = 1 atoms per unit time and for a large number of n/sub 1/ radioactive atoms; but for a large number of both r and n/sub 1/ atoms the relative variance is approximately e /sup -//sup lambda t/, equal to the fractional retention, for t > l/lambda. Thus in studies where radionuclides are injected into animals and a single compartment represents the data, if a large variance is observed it might be due to the fact that large numbers of atoms are transferred out in unit time. When a small variance is observed, this is probably due to the factmore » that few atoms are transferred in smaller units of time (such that lambda is the same in both cases).« less
On-Line Assessment of Metabolic Activities Based on Culture Redox Potential and Dissolved Oxygen Profiles During Aerobic Fermentation

We report here on the utility of on-line culture redox potential and dissolved oxygen measurements to identify metabolic changes in fermentation by Corynebacterium glutamicum under aerobic conditions. Metabolic changes were identified by observing discrepancies in the profile of culture redox potential and dissolved oxygen. On the basis of these measurements, we can identify the end of the lag phase, threonine exhaustion, and glucose exhaustion during fermentation.
Cleavage-fold relationships and their implications for transected folds: an example from southwest Virginia, U.S.A.

Abstract A non-coaxial deformation involving pre-folding initiation of cleavage perpendicular to bedding is proposed to explain non-axial planar cleavage associated with mesoscopic folds in part of the Appalachian foreland thrust-belt of southwest Virginia. Folds are gently plunging, asymmetric, upright to slightly inclined, sinusoidal forms with non-axial fanning cleavage. They show extreme local variations in type and degree of transection and the consistency of transection direction. These relations are further complicated by hinge migration. Cleavage-fan angles, bedding-cleavage angles and δ transection values appear influenced by fold tightness, and in part by fold flattening strain. Fold flattening increments are considered simultaneous with folding. Axial surface traces, and not cleavage traces, coincide with the principal extension direction in fold profiles. Geometric modelling of cleavage fanning and bedding-cleavage angle variations for various theoretical folding modes suggest that folding in limestone and sandstone layers was by tangential longitudinal strain. Significant shape modification and change in bedding-cleavage relations occurred after limb dips of 40 and 50° were attained in limestone and sandstone respectively. Mud-rock class 1C folds with convergent cleavage fans show features transitional between buckling and flexural flow. Initiation of ‘cleavage’ fabrics during layer-parallel shortening prior to significant folding may be important for cleavage evolution in some deformed rocks.
Oxygenation Prevents Sudden Death in Seizure-prone Mice

Summary: Purpose: Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is a significant health problem for some with epilepsy, but no preventive therapy has been developed for high-risk patients. Sudden death in mice, after sound-induced (audiogenic) seizures, can model the seizure-associated respiratory arrest that contributes to SUDEP in some humans and may be useful for evaluating potential SUDEP therapies. This study evaluated the effects of oxygenation on sudden fatal audiogenic seizures (AGSs) in three mouse strains, DBA/2J (D2), B6SAS, and primed C57BL/6J (B6) that differ in genetic background and seizure etiology (idiopathic or acquired). Methods: The incidence of fatal AGSs was measured in (a) a normal air environment; (b), an oxygen-rich environment; (c) a normal air environment 24 h after a nonfatal AGS; (d) an oxygen-rich environment 24 h after a nonfatal AGS; and (e) a normal air environment 60 s after exposure to an oxygen-rich environment. Results: Sudden, fatal AGS occurred in 100%, 100%, and 58% of the D2, B6SAS, and primed-B6 mice, respectively, in the air environment. Oxygenation completely prevented fatal AGSs in each strain, but had no effect on seizure incidence or severity. Furthermore, the protective effect of oxygenation against fatal seizures occurred only when the mice were in an oxygen-rich environment. Conclusions: These findings indicate that oxygenation prevents sudden death in seizure-prone mice and suggest that oxygenation may protect some seizure-prone humans at risk for SUDEP.
Lidar description of the evaporative duct in ocean environments

The description of radar propagation in the presence of the evaporation duct has proven to be a difficult problem in both littoral and open ocean environments. To properly characterize the propagation of a radar beam at low elevation angles, the evaporation duct must be located and scattering properties quantified. The two key elements defining an evaporation duct are the gradients in density and specific humidity. The gradients of the neutral density are determined from the rotational Raman temperature profile. The profile of water vapor is measured directly from the vibrational Raman scattered returns. High spatial resolution and high temporal resolution measurements of water vapor and temperature are required to accurately describe the evaporation duct. Raman lidar techniques can provide these measurements continuously with high accuracy and high resolution so the development of the evaporation duct can be studied. A detailed simulation of a Raman lidar has been developed and applied to a near horizontal path, to examine the expected accuracy for high vertical resolution profiles. The simulation also allows various atmospheric scenarios to be investigated and analyzed. The evaporation duct is an atmospheric phenomenon that causes radar propagation to remain trapped in the surface layer. The duct can be thought of as a waveguide that bends and reflects the radar beam along a path effectively trapping it and guiding it over long distances. This is a major problem for radar propagation paths in both littoral and open ocean environments. Moreover, ducting skews details of radar returns such that radar objects are hidden, or are detected at unexpected distances, or may appear with apparent cross-sections and speeds much different than their actual values.
Auditory and Cognitive Effects of Aging on Perception of Environmental Sounds in Natural Auditory Scenes

Purpose Previously, Gygi and Shafiro (2011) found that when environmental sounds are semantically incongruent with the background scene (e.g., horse galloping in a restaurant), they can be identifi...
Toxin Leachability from Coal Fly Ash Utilized in Synthetic Lightweight Aggregates

Synthetic lightweight aggregates — produced by commingling coal fly ash and waste mixed plastics — represent an alternative lightweight aggregate for use in construction. Although the presence of trace contaminants in fly ash is an obstacle to its use, previous studies have shown that encapsulation of fly ash in plastic can mitigate toxin leaching. This paper presents a study on the reduction in leachable arsenic, lead, and selenium from coal fly ash incorporated into these aggregates. For the arsenic leaching study, two fly ashes were tested: a high-carbon Raw ash and low-carbon Processed ash. Aggregates were created with ash-to-plastic ratios of 0:100, 20:80, 50:50, and 80:20. The ashes and aggregates were subjected to leaching at various pHs. Arsenic levels were measured using graphite furnace atomic absorption. For the lead and selenium leaching study, Processed ash was utilized in the creation of 80:20 aggregates. Lead and selenium levels in the leachate were measured using an inductively coupled plasma spectrometer. Results demonstrated a reduction in leaching for all three compounds. The observed reductions were significant, with up to 96.69% reduction achieved for arsenic, 96.94% for selenium, and 80.58% for lead. It can be concluded that utilization of fly ash in SLAs provides a beneficial ash reuse strategy.
Global gridded data set of the oxygen isotopic composition in seawater

[1] We present a new 3-dimensional 1° × 1° gridded data set for the annual mean seawater oxygen isotope ratio (δ18O) to use in oceanographic and paleoceanographic applications. It is constructed from a large set of observations made over the last 50 years combined with estimates from regional δ18O to salinity relationships in areas of sparse data. We use ocean fronts and water mass tracer concentrations to help define distinct water masses over which consistent local relationships are valid. The resulting data set compares well to the GEOSECS data (where available); however, in certain regions, particularly where sea ice is present, significant seasonality may bias the results. As an example application of this data set, we use the resulting surface δ18O as a boundary condition for isotope-enabled GISS ModelE to yield a more realistic comparison to the isotopic composition of precipitation data, thus quantifying the ‘source effect’ of δ18O on the isotopic composition of precipitation.
A model and cybernetic system for research on the teaching‐learning process

(1965). A MODEL AND CYBERNETIC SYSTEM FOR RESEARCH ON THE TEACHING‐LEARNING PROCESS. Programmed Learning: Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 138-157.
Existence theorems for multidimensional Lagrange problems

Existence theorems are proved for multidimensional Lagrange problems of the calculus of variations and optimal control. The unknowns are functions of several independent variables in a fixed bounded domain, the cost functional is a multiple integral, and the side conditions are partial differential equations, not necessarily linear, with assigned boundary conditions. Also, unilateral constraints may be prescribed both on the space and the control variables. These constraints are expressed by requiring that space and control variables take their values in certain fixed or variable sets wich are assumed to be closed but not necessarily compact.
SMI 2013: Voronoi-based feature curves extraction for sampled singular surfaces

The detection and reconstruction of feature curves in surfaces from a point cloud data is a challenging problem because most of the known theories for smooth surfaces break down at these places. The features such as boundaries, sharp ridges and corners, and curves where multiple surface patches intersect creating non-manifold points are often considered important geometries for further processing. As a result, they need to be preserved in a reconstruction of the sampled surface from its point sample. The problem becomes harder in the presence of noise. We propose a robust Voronoi-based pipeline that engages several substeps consisting of approaches proposed originally for smooth case. We modify or enhance them to handle features in singular surfaces. The experimental results provide the evidence that the method is effective.
Ductoscopy technique – using ductoscopy anatomically direct breast conservation surgery

Ductoscopy began as a way to identify the primary lesion in pathologic nipple discharge. The technology evolved to allow fairly easy access and adequate visualization for this task in a number of centers worldwide. The next step would have been to excise or substantially biopsy the lesions through the scope or with scope localization and not require open surgical biopsy. Cytologic samples could be obtained adequately but the size and diagnostic capability of the tiny histologic samples was rapidly found to be at about the limits of out technical ability. As a second observation, it was found that in small breast cancers, the duct containing the tumor could often be identified by expressable fluid and ductoscopy could be used to aid in complete removal of associated intra-luminal proliferative lesions. Some of these lesions, in the same ductal tree, seem to account for multi-focality. In a large series at Johns Hopkins and University of Oklahoma, I was able to show dramatic reductions in hazard rate for local failure with a 9 fold fall in local failure when the lumpectomy had been guided by ductoscopy. Many of the lesions identified and excised along with the cancers were proliferative but would not have normally been completely excised following histologic criteria for adequate lumpectomy. Ductoscopy segregated breast cancers into two groups: 1. Those with extensive associated proliferative disease requiring large segmentectomy to remove all intra-luminal disease, and 2. Those with minimal associated proliferative disease requiring minimal volume resection. For this last group, we have investigated minimal access excision devices as an alternative approach to their excision with early success which will be shown. Current scopes allow for mapping of the layout of the breast ducts but still fail in abilities to navigated tight turns and get direct view multiple and adequate histologic biopsy. Pilot engineering approaches to address these issues and develop a more useful imaging scope with better biopsy and working channel capabilities will be compared and discussed.
Epidural abscess, vertebral destruction, and paraplegia caused by extending infection from an aspergilloma

An aspergilloma developed in a lung cyst in a 53-year-old man. Aspergillus infection then contiguously spread to the epidural space, causing an abscess, vertebral destruction, and paraplegia at the level of T4. Chronic alcoholism, liver cirrhosis, and corticosteroid treatment may have been predisposing factors in this patient. Although Aspergillus epidural abscess has been described infrequently, this complication has not been described in association with an aspergilloma. Symptoms, signs, or roentgenographic or laboratory findings suggestive of vertebral or meningeal pathologic lesions in patients with aspergilloma should alert the physician to the possibility of contiguous spread of infection.
Calcium pump activity of the renal plasma membrane and renal microsomes

Abstract ATP-dependent Ca2+ uptake distinct from that of the mitochondria is found in both plasma membrane and microsomal membranes of rat kidney. Activity attributed to these fractions is enhanced by ammonium oxalate and is apparently insensitive to NaN3. In contrast, rat kidney mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake is blocked by NaN3. The pH of optimal activity is significantly higher for the mitochondrial fraction. Microsomal membrane Ca2+ uptake differs from that of the plasma membrane. Microsomal membranes are four times as active as the plasma membrane at high (5 mM) ATP levels. Apparent K m values for Mg2+-ATP differ in the two preparations with a higher affinity for Mg2+-ATP found in the plasma membrane Ca2+ uptake activity of the plasma membrane preparation is readily inhibited by Na+. Sucrose gradient density fractionation indicates that the observed microsomal membrane Ca2+ pump activity is associated with membrane vesicles derived from the endoplasmic reticulum. Ca2+ pump activity of both plasma membrane and microsomal fraction is depressed din the adrenalectomized rat. This activity is not restored by a single natriuretic dose of aldosterone.
recruit@internet.com: The Internet and the Future of Corporate Recruiting

Today, there is literally a massive rush of traffic rushing onto the Information Superhighway. Millions are logging onto the Internet for the first time, fueling the massive growth of the number of Internet users and sites on the World Wide Web.
CYANOPHYTA‐BACTERIA SYSTEMS: EFFECTS OF ADDED CARBON COMPOUNDS OR PHOSPHATE ON ALGAL GROWTH AT LOW NUTRIENT CONCENTRATIONS1

SUMMARY Planktonic blue-green algae are known to be always associated with bacteria. Earlier work has shown that the addition of a bacteria-assimilable carbon source to a normal Zehnder-Gorham culture medium (No. 11) will produce enhanced growth of these algae when atmospheric CO2 has become the limiting factor. In new work, phosphate-rich culture media were diluted so that they simulated nutrient levels found in the Great Lakes, e.g., Lake Erie. At these low concentrations and when atmospheric CO2 was not available in a sufficient supply, the addition of sucrose to either a 1/100 or a 1/1000 diluted Z-G, medium (10 mg or 2 mg of sucrose, respectively) also produced enhanced, growth of the tested blue-green algae. The stimulation of algal growth was apparently due to an increased bacterial production of CO2 and possibly other carbon compounds approaching the composition of the CO2 molecule. The literature suggests that during vigorous algal growth in lakes, atmospheric CO2 will be severely limiting. Productive lakes always contain nonliving organic matter. The presence of bacteria-assimilable matter is probably one of the important factors leading to algal bloom.
Reaction Mechanisms in Shocked, Intercalated Graphite and Boron Nitride

The traditional ways of developing increasingly energetic materials usually lead to an increase in shock and impact sensitivities. It is, therefore, of practical and theoretical importance to design model, highly-energetic polycrystalline systems which will clearly indicate, at the molecular level, the interplay between the shock-induced reaction mechanisms and the associated excited lattice states. Theoretical and experimental studies indicate that such systems may possibly be constructed from special materials such as high-quality pyrolytic, layered graphite and hexagonal boron nitride (BN) crystals. Although each layer of graphite and BN is one of the most stable structures in nature, intercalation of the crystals with various oxidizing agents can yield energetic systems with the desired properties. As an example, intercalation with HNO 3 gives crystals of density 2.20 g/cc. The optimal positioning of the HNO 3 molecules between the BN layers allows the rapid formation of B 2 O 3 in a single step with a large release of energy. A possible triggering mechanism is the shock-induced, partial sp 3 hybridization of the layers as a result of kink band formation.
Carcinoembryonic antigen in patients with gynecologic malignancy

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was elevated (greater than 2.5 ng/ml) in 81 of 100 patients with gynecologic malignancy and in 17 of 95 patients with benign gynecologic disease. CEA concentration was, in general, related to the extent of disease, and in early stage cancer often returned to normal following complete surgical excision. Tumors were classified morphologically according to cell type, lymphoplasmacytic infiltration, necrosis, vascular invasion, desmoplasia, and degree of differentiation. The only histologic characteristic associated with elevated CEA levels was the presence of vascular invasion. Further investigation is needed to define the structure, function, and metabolism of CEA in patients with gynecologic malignancy.
Cardiac Aspects of Friedreich's Ataxia

Twenty-seven kindreds with Friedreich's ataxia were seen at the Johns Hopkins Hospital from 1935 to 1957. In three kindreds the disease exhibited an apparently dominant mode of inheritance. Affected individuals in each of the remaining 24 kindreds were confined to single sibships and in 18 of these limited to a single patient. Thirty-three patients from these kindreds were studied in considerable detail. Follow-up information was obtained on all individuals and electrocardiograms together with chest x-rays were obtained on most of them. Eighteen or 55 per cent exhibited major cardiac abnormalities including cardiac enlargement in four and possible enlargement in an additional two, prominent systolic murmurs in six, a diastolic murmur and other signs suggesting mitral stenosis in one, probable pericardial effusion in another, and major electrocardiographic abnormalities in 16. Two developed atrial fibrillation and one atrial flutter. Heart disease contributed to death definitely in four and possibly in two...
Trends of Chlorinated Organic Contaminants in Great Lakes Trout and Walleye from 1970 to 1998

Levels of chlorinated organic contaminants in predator fish have been monitored annually in each of the Great Lakes since the 1970s. This article updates earlier reports with data from 1991 to 1998 for lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and (Lake Erie only) walleye (Sander vitreus) to provide a record that now extends nearly 30 years. Whole fish were analyzed for a number of industrial contaminants and pesticides, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT), dieldrin, toxaphene, and mirex, and contaminant trends were quantified using multicompartment models. As in the past, fish from Lakes Michigan, Ontario, and Huron have the highest levels of PCBs, DDT, and dieldrin; Superior has the highest levels of toxaphene; and Ontario has the highest levels of mirex. In the period after curtailment of chemical use, concentrations rapidly decreased, represented by relatively short half-lives from approximately 1 to 9 years. Although trends depend on both the contaminant and the lake, in many cases the rate of decline has been decreasing, and concentrations are gradually approaching an irreducible concentration. For dioxin-like PCBs, levels have not been decreasing during the most recent 5-year period (1994 to 1998). In some cases, the year-to-year variation in contaminant levels is large, mainly because of food-web dynamics. Although this variation sometimes obscures long-term trends, the general pattern of a rapid decrease followed by slowing or leveling-off of the downward trend seems consistent across the Great Lakes, and future improvements of the magnitude seen in the 1970s and early 1980s likely will take much longer.
Local heat transfer coefficient in wavy free-falling turbulent liquid films undergoing uniform sensible heating

Sensible heating of free-falling turbulent liquid films is investigated experimentally. The film flow exhibits rapid thermal development in the entrance region and enhanced heat transfer over the lower portion of the heated length. A correlation of an averaged fully developed heat transfer coefficient is presented as a function of Reynolds and Prandtl numbers. Measurements within the film showed the existence of a thermal boundary layer typical of turbulent channel flow. Numerical predictions of entrance and fully developed region heat transfer coefficients using established eddy diffusivity models are compared to the experimental data. The models predicted the extent of the development region but were not capable of predicting downstream enhancement of heat transfer since they do not account for wave activity at the film interface.
Matrix Metalloproteinase-3 Releases Active Heparin-binding EGF-like Growth Factor by Cleavage at a Specific Juxtamembrane Site

Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) is synthesized as a membrane-anchored precursor that is cleaved to release the soluble mature growth factor. The two forms are active as juxtacrine and paracrine/autocrine growth factors, respectively. The enzymes that process the HB-EGF transmembrane form are unknown. Accordingly, an in vitro assay was established using a fusion protein in which alkaline phosphatase (AP) replaced the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains of HB-EGF (HB-EGF JM-AP). The fusion protein was anchored to agarose beads coated with anti-AP antibodies. Several matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) were tested for the ability to release soluble HB-EGF in the in vitrosystem. MMP-3 released soluble 12-kDa immunoreactive and mitogenic HB-EGF within 30 min. On the other hand neither MMP-2 nor MMP-9 had any cleavage activities. A non-cleavable mutant was prepared by replacing the juxtamembrane (JM) region of HB-EGF with the JM region of CD4. The mutant HB-EGF, which in its full-length form was as active a juxtacrine growth factor as was the wild type HB-EGF in vivo, was not cleaved by MMP-3 in the in vitro assay. The C-terminal portion of the cleaved HB-EGF JM-AP that remained attached to the anti-AP beads was N-terminally sequenced and the MMP-3 cleavage site was determined to be Glu151-Asn152, a site within the JM domain. MMP-3 treatment also released soluble HB-EGFin vivo from MC2 cells expressing transmembrane HB-EGF precursor, at a level of about 2-fold above control. It was concluded that MMP-3 cleaves HB-EGF at a specific site in the JM domain and that this enzyme might regulate the conversion of HB-EGF from being a juxtacrine to a paracrine/autocrine growth factor.