cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Convergence of a Least‐Squares Monte Carlo Algorithm for Bounded Approximating Sets

We analyse the convergence properties of the Longstaff–Schwartz algorithm for approximately solving optimal stopping problems that arise in the pricing of American (Bermudan) financial options. Based on a new approximate dynamic programming principle error propagation inequality, we prove sample complexity error estimates for this algorithm for the case in which the corresponding approximation spaces may not necessarily possess any linear structure at all and may actually be any arbitrary sets of functions, each of which is uniformly bounded and possesses finite VC‐dimension, but is not required to satisfy any further material conditions. In particular, we do not require that the approximation spaces be convex or closed, and we thus significantly generalize the results of Egloff, Clement et al., and others. Using our error estimation theorems, we also prove convergence, up to any desired probability, of the algorithm for approximating sets defined using L2 orthonormal bases, within a framework depending s...
Identification of an immunodominant T cell epitope on cholera toxin.

Cholera toxin (CT), the enterotoxin of Vibrio cholerae, is a potent mucosal immunogen as well as a strong mucosal adjuvant to related and unrelated antigens. The mucosal immune response to CT is T cell dependent and MHC class II restricted. The epitopes on CT recognized by T cells have not been identified. The purpose of this study was to determine the fine specificity of T cell recognition of both the CT A subunit (CT-A) and the CT B subunit (CT-B) by using a range of synthetic peptides. After immunization with CT-B or CT-A in CFA subcutaneously, the peripheral lymph node T cells were stimulated with different synthetic peptides in vitro. The peptide specificity of T cell recognition was identified by assaying T cell proliferation and interleukin-3 production. T cells from C57BL/6 (H-2b) high responder mice recognized one immunodominant epitope (peptide 89-100) and one weak epitope (peptide 31-50) on CT-B and two epitopes (peptide 21-39 and 180-194) on CT-A. The immunization of C57BL/6 mice with synthetic immunodominant CT-B peptide 89-100 induced T cell immunity to the pentameric CT-B. Induction of tolerance to CTB peptide 89-100 by i.v. injection in high responder C57BL/6 mice induced unresponsiveness to mucosal immunization with CT, compatible with an immunodominant role for this T cell epitope.
Gold-Coated NIR Stents in Porcine Coronary Arteries

Background—As endovascular stents are altered to add functionality, eg, by adding radiopaque coatings, biocompatibility may suffer. Methods and Results—We examined the vascular response in porcine coronary arteries to stainless steel gold-coated NIR stents (7-cell, Medinol, Inc). Stents, 9 and 16 mm in length, were left bare or coated with a 7-μm layer of gold. Physical and material effects were examined in four different gold-coated stent types, two at each length that either had the coating applied to the standard strut, ie, gold coated thicker than controls, or had the coating applied to thinned struts, ie, gold coated of the same thickness as control struts. Simple gold coating exacerbated intimal hyperplastic and inflammatory reactions over 28 days, but postplating thermal processing smoothed the coating surface and negated the adverse tissue response to gold. The relative amounts of base steel and gold coating and their resistances to expansion and collapse determined the extent of stent recoil. Con...
Ultrafine fibrous cellulose membranes from electrospinning of cellulose acetate

Three solvents, that is, acetone, acetic acid, and dimethylacetamide (DMAc), with a range of solubility parameter δ, surface tension γ, viscosity η and boiling temperature were used to generate mixtures for electrospinning cellulose acetate (CA) (degree of substitution, DS = 2.45). Although none of these solvents alone enables continuous formation of fibers, mixing DMAc with either acetone or acetic acid produced suitable solvent systems. The 2:1 acetone:DMAc mixture is the most versatile mixture because it allows CA in the 12.5–20% concentration range to be continuously electrospun into fibrous membranes. These CA solutions have η between 1.2 and 10.2 poise and γ around 26 dyne/cm and produce smooth fibers with diameters from 100 nm to ∼1 μm. Fiber sizes generally decrease with decreasing CA concentrations. The nature of the collectors affects the morphology as well as packing of fibers. Fibers collected on paper have more uniform sizes, smooth surfaces, and fewer defects, whereas fibers collected on water are more varied in size. Electrically conductive solid collectors, such as Al foil and water, favor more tightly packed and less porous membranes. Porous collectors, like paper and copper mesh, produce highly porous membranes. The pores in membranes collected on the Al foil and paper are much better interconnected in the planar directions than those in membranes collected on water. There is evidence that electrospinning induces order in the fibers. Deacetylation of CA membranes is more efficient and complete in NaOH/ethanol than in aqueous NaOH, producing DS values between 0.15 and 2.33 without altering fiber surfaces, packing, or organization. The fully regenerated cellulose membranes are similarly hydrophilic as commodity cellulose fibrous matrices but absorb nearly 10 times as much water. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 2119–2129, 2002
Factors Which Influence the Behavior of Directional Relays

Very little material dealing with the factors (such as network dissymmetries) which lead to incorrect operation of directional relays has appeared in the technical literature. Practical experience has been the guide as to the relative merits of the 12 possible connections which utilize either line-to-neutral or line-to-line voltages and line currents or the differences of line currents to actuate the relay elements. In this article a graphical method for analyzing directional-relay operation is developed, utilizing circle diagrams and symmetrical components, and the method is applied to general cases to ascertain the effects of network dissymmetries. Since the relay volt-ampere expressions in terms of symmetrical components are too complicated to show the relative merits of the 12 connections, the expressions also are given in terms of the modified symmetrical components introduced by Edith Clarke and now widely used in network-analyzer studies of unbalanced faults. Circle diagrams based upon these modified components show conclusively that the ordinary 90-degree, 30-degree, and 60-degree connections are more free from disturbing influences than the other nine and therefore give more reliable operation in most practical applications of directional relays. The particular connection which will be most reliable at any given location can be determined by the methods given here when the constants of the power network are known.
Revisit power conversion circuit topologies-recent advances and applications

Traditionally, dc-dc converters, dc-ac inverters, and ac-ac matrix converters have been taught and studied separately. The topological and characteristic connections among them have been often overlooked. Also the basic switching elements to construct these conversion circuits have been hidden and often misunderstood. In this paper, we go back to the basics, revisit the traditional power converter topologies, categorize and characterize them in a more general and unified fashion. The voltageand current-source topologies are extended to dc-dc converters and matrix converters. This insightful categorization and characterization has led to many new developments: the concept of basic switching cells (or elements to construct all conversion circuits), mirror circuits (dc-dc converters) of the existing dc-dc converter for negative input voltage, and the introduction of new converter topologies, such as the Z-source networks and new matrix converters. Recent advances and their application areas of power conversion topologies will be summarized, general trends and application needs will be addressed in this paper.
Perceived trauma during hospitalization and treatment participation among individuals with psychotic disorders.

ObjectiveThis study assessed the association of perceptions of traumatic experiences during psychiatric hospitalizations and treatment participation.MethodsParticipants (N=395) in the Suffolk County Mental Health Project, who had been admitted for the first time for a psychotic disorder ten years earlier, were interviewed. The authors examined associations of perceived trauma and distressing or coercive experiences during hospitalizations in the past ten years with patient characteristics and treatment participation.ResultsSixty-nine percent of participants reported perceived trauma. Perceived trauma was more common among females versus males and homemakers versus full-time workers. It was not associated with treatment seeking or time in treatment. However, reporting forced medication was associated with reduced time in treatment, especially for persons with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.ConclusionsAlthough perceptions of trauma during psychiatric hospitalization were common, they may be unrelated to t...
Design of an integrally formed RFQ

The design, construction, and testing of a 410-MHz RFQ (radio-frequency quadrupole) utilizing a new mechanical design concept have been completed at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. The RFQ is planned to be used at the Bevatron for injecting protons into the present heavy-ion linac. The integral vane-cavity construction is a significant and unique feature of this RFQ design, wherein four walls with integral vanes are assembled to form the RFQ geometry. This design concept provides the capability of achieving precision vane alignment in minimal assembly time with no adjustments required. The design concept, including material selection, plating, vacuum-seal design, assembly, and testing, is described. It is concluded that this RFQ design concept with its integration of the vanes with the cavity has satisfactorily proven itself to have the precision assembly, manufacturing economy, and high performance required for physics research as well as biomedical and industrial applications. >
GUN CONTROL LEGISLATION: Impact and Ideology

This analysis attempts to measure the impact of state laws upon the rates of gun violence. While controlling for several standard social phenomena and using two different statistical techniques, it appears that laws governing the use of handguns in the various states have little effect on the rates of gun crime. It is suggested that the possible reason for such ineffectiveness is not necessasrily the nature of the solutions (laws), but rather the misunderstanding of the problem (gun violence) by policy implementers. Language: en
Infusion of collaborative inquiry throughout a biology curriculum increases student learning: a four-year study of “Teams and Streams”

Are traditional laboratories in the core introductory biology courses teaching physiology majors the art and trade of science, or simply leaving them with a memory of trivial experiments done for u...
Beneficial effects of nicotine and cigarette smoking: the real, the possible and the spurious

Cigarette smoking is an established risk factor for cancer and cardiovascular disease, and is the leading cause of avoidable disease in most industrialized countries. Less well-known are possible beneficial effects, which are briefly considered in this survey. Preliminary data suggest that there may be inverse associations of smoking with uterine fibroids and endometriosis, and protective effects on hypertensive disorders and vomiting of pregnancy are likely. Smoking has consistently been found to be inversely related to the risk of endometrial cancer, but cancers of the breast and colon seem unrelated to smoking. Inverse associations with venous thrombosis and fatality after myocardial infarction are probably not causal, but indications of benefits with regard to recurrent aphthous ulcers, ulcerative colitis, and control of body weight may well reflect a genuine benefit. Evidence is growing that cigarette smoking and nicotine may prevent or ameliorate Parkinson's disease, and could do so in Alzheimer's dementia. A variety of mechanisms for potentially beneficial effects of smoking have been proposed, but three predominate: the 'anti-estrogenic effect' of smoking; alterations in prostaglandin production; and stimulation of nicotinic cholinergic receptors in the central nervous system. Even established inverse associations cannot be used as a rationale for cigarette smoking. These data can be used, however, to clarify mechanisms of disease, and point to productive treatment or preventive options with more narrowly-acting interventions.
Modeling apatite nucleation in the human body and in the geochemical environment

This paper serves to show that under similar physicochemical condi- tions, universal chemical reaction pathways can be involved in the interactions of fluids, biomolecules and minerals, whether in the human body or in the geochemical environment. The concept is illustrated by comparing heterogeneous apatite nucle- ation at bone sialoprotein (BSP) surfaces, bioceramic implant surfaces and on marine, diatomaceous sediments where phosphorite deposits are formed. The present ap- proach combines crystallographic considerations, experimental NMR data and ab initio molecular orbital calculations of NMR parameters to elucidate reactive site geometry, mineral nucleation and inhibition reaction pathways. This technique may be applicable in future investigations of biomineralization mechanisms. The peptide sequence, S(P)EE, is proposed to constitute an active site on BSP, where the three acidic groups are arranged at 60° from each other. The equilateral triangle provides a stereochemical match for Ca 2 on the (001) face of apatite. The analogous active site on silicate bioceramics is the cyclic silicate trimer or three-ring containing surface silanol groups. One possible reaction pathway for calcium phos- phate (CaP) nucleation consistent with experimental 31 P NMR data involves the following steps: Ca 2 sorption at the active site and HPO4 attachment resulting in the critical nucleus, followed by nucleus growth and phase transformation to apatite. The present ab initio calculations cannot provide information on which CaP phase is nucleated, so we assume that the CaP nucleus is amorphous. Magnesium inhibits nucleation by adsorbing faster than calcium, as an outer-sphere surface complex, at the active site.
Real-Time Intravascular Shear Stress in the Rabbit Abdominal Aorta

Fluid shear stress is intimately linked with the biological activities of vascular cells. A flexible microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensor was developed to assess spatial- and temporal-varying components of intravascular shear stress (ISS) in the abdominal aorta of adult New Zealand white (NZW) rabbits. Real-time ISS (ISSreal-time) was analyzed in comparison with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations for wall shear stress (WSS). Three-dimensional abdominal arterial geometry and mesh were created using the GAMBIT software. Simulation of arterial flow profiles was established by FLUENT. The Navier-Stokes equations were solved for non-Newtonian blood flow. The coaxial-wire-based MEMS sensor was deployed into the abdominal arteries of rabbits via a femoral artery cutdown. Based on the CFD analysis, the entrance length of the sensor on the coaxial wire (0.4 mm in diameter) was less than 10 mm. Three-dimensional fluoroscope and contrast dye allowed for visualization of the positions of the sensor and ratios of vessel to coaxial wire diameters. Doppler ultrasound provided the velocity profiles for the CFD boundary conditions. If the coaxial wire were positioned at the center of vessel, the CFD analysis revealed a mean ISS value of 31.1 with a systolic peak at 102.8 dyn ldr cm-2. The mean WSS was computed to be 10.1 dyn ldr cm-2 with a systolic peak at 33.2 dynldrcm-2, and the introduction of coaxial wire increased the mean WSS by 5.4 dyn ldr cm-2 and systolic peak by 18.0 dyn ldr cm-2. Experimentally, the mean ISS was 11.9 dyn ldr cm-2 with a systolic peak at 47.0 dyn ldr cm-2. The waveform of experimental ISS was similar to that of CFD solution with a 30.2% difference in mean and 8.9% in peak systolic shear stress. Despite the difference between CD and experimental results, the flexible coaxial-wire-based MEMS sensors provided a possibility to assess real-time ISS in the abdominal aorta of NZW rabbits.
Social Support, a Mediator in Collaborative Depression Care for Cancer Patients

Objective:This study assessed whether perceived social support (PSS) is a factor in improving physical and functional well-being observed among cancer patients receiving collaborative depression care.Methods:A secondary analysis was conducted of data collected in a randomized clinical trial testing the effectiveness of collaborative depression care. PSS was measured at 12 months; physical and functional well-being were assessed at 18 and 24 months post-baseline. Mediation analyses via a bootstrapping method were conducted.Results:Significant mediation of PSS at 12 months predicted better physical and functional well-being at 18 months and 24 months.Conclusion:Depressed cancer survivors are likely to benefit when social workers provide psychosocial depression care aimed at activating social support, thereby improving physical and functional well-being.
Transnational Organizations in World Politics

These twelve organizations appear to have little in common. They are public and private, national and international, profit-making and charitable, religious and secular, civil and military, and, depending on one's perspective, benign and nefarious. Yet they do share three characteristics. First, each is a relatively large, hierarchically organized, centrally directed bureaucracy. Second, each performs a set of relatively limited, specialized, and, in some sense, technical functions: gathering intelligence, investing money, transmitting messages, promoting sales, producing copper, delivering bombs, saving souls. Third, each organization performs its functions across one or more international boundaries and, insofar as is possible, in relative disregard of those boundaries.
The secrecy capacity of a class of parallel Gaussian compound wiretap channels

The compound wiretap channel provides a general framework for studying secrecy communication under channel uncertainty. Characterizing the secrecy capacity of nondegraded compound wiretap channels is a challenging problem in information theory. This paper considers the class of parallel Gaussian compound wiretap channels with only one possible channel realization for the legitimate receiver and characterizes the secrecy capacity. (Such parallel Gaussian compound wiretap channels are generally nondegraded.) Moreover, it is shown that the proposed coding scheme strictly outperforms the best known single-letter scheme with Gaussian codebooks.
Dissociation of procedural and semantic memory in absolute-pitch processing

We describe two memory-retrieval systems in absolute-pitch (AP) processing and propose existence of a universal internal pitch template to which subpopulations of musicians selectively gain access through the two systems. In Experiment I, AP and control musicians adjusted the frequency of a pure tone to match the pitch of a visually displayed randomly selected musical note. In Experiment II the same subjects vocally produced within 2s the pitch associated with a randomly selected musical note label. AP musicians, but not controls, were highly accurate in frequency matching. Surprisingly, both AP and non-AP groups were extremely accurate in voicing the target pitch as determined from an FFT of the recorded voiced notes (i.e., sigma=0.97, 0.90 semitones, respectively). Spectrogram analysis showed that notes voiced by non-AP musicians are accurate from onset of voicing suggesting that pitch accuracy does not result from an auditory-motor feedback loop. Findings support existence of two memory-retrieval systems for musical pitch: a semantic associative form of memory used by AP musicians, and a more widespread form of procedural memory which allows precise access to internal pitch representations through the vocal-motor system.
Environmental effects of genetically engineered woody biomass crops

The use of genetically engineered crop plants has raised concerns about the risks these crops pose to natural and agricultural ecosystems. The potential environmental hazards of transgenic woody biomass crops is discussed, and based on the biology of these crops and their transgenes, recommend a scientific framework for assessing risk. The potential impacts of transgenes based on both characteristics of the transgenic crop and potential for spread of the transgene to other organisms is considered. It is argued that risk assessment should focus exclusively on the phenotype expected from the transgene within a given plant host and environment, weighing both the costs of foregoing the benefits a transgenic variety can provide and the possibility of adverse environmental effects. Basic principles of population genetics can be used to facilitate prediction of the potential for transgenes to spread and establish in natural ecosystems. For example, transgenes that are expected to have neutral or deleterious effects on tree fitness, including those for lignin modification, reproductive sterility and antibiotic resistance, should be of little environmental concern in most biomass crop systems. In contrast, transgenes that are likely to substantially affect host fitness pose a greater risk, as are plants with transgenes which produce a substance known to disrupt ecological processes. Field experiments to determine population replacement and transgene flow are desirable for testing such predictions; however, the long generation times of tree crops makes such studies prohibitive. It is argued that a combination of demographic data from existing non-transgenic populations, simulation modeling of transgene dispersal, and monitoring field releases can be used to guide current risk assessment and can be used to further scientific knowledge for future assessment. © 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved Keywords-Genetic engineering; herbicide resistance; insect resistance; Bacillus thuringiensis; Populus; hybrid poplar; gene flow; introgression; invasiveness; lignin; reproductive sterility; environmental risk assessment.
Positron emission tomography for detecting occult hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatitis C cirrhotics awaiting for liver transplantation

Patients with hepatitis C cirrhosis may sometimes have persistently elevated alpha feto protein (AFP) despite a lack of evidence for disease by ultrasound or computed tomography (CT). While this pattern may represent a benign manifestation of hepatitis C cirrhosis (HCC), it raises concern for the possibility of an occult hepatocellular carcinoma. It has previously been shown that positron emission tomography (PET scan) may detect occult cholangiocarcinoma in high-risk patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis. We hypothesized that PET scanning might similarly serve for occult HCC in hepatitis C cirrhotics. PET scanning was performed on eight hepatitis C cirrhotics who were on the liver transplantation list and displayed persistently elevated AFP (>100 ng/mL) but no detectable lesions on abdominal CT scan. The results of PET detection of occult HCC were compared to those obtained with lipiodol-enhanced CT scanning and with histologic examination of the live explant. Explant histology or prolonged clinical follow-up showed two subjects to have conclusive evidence of HCC; the remainder, no evidence of malignancy. Although PET imaging did not reveal abnormal lesions in any subject; lipiodol-enhanced CT scans revealed abnormal lipiodol retention in both subjects with HCC. These preliminary findings suggest that PET has no role in detecting occult HCC in high-risk patients. Additionally, these data suggest that some hepatitis C cirrhotics with persistently elevated AFP but no detectable lesions by conventional CT scan may show occult HCC using lipiodol-enhanced CT scans.
On robust impedance force control of robot manipulators

An impedance function is proposed to achieve accurate force tracking under the presence of uncertainties in robot dynamics and environment models. The new impedance function is formulated on the basis of PID control of the force tracking error which compensates for the unknown environment stiffness and position. The robot dynamics uncertainties are compensated by a simple time-delayed robust control algorithm. Stability and convergence of the control scheme are analyzed. Simulation studies with a three link rotary robot manipulator are shown. Furthermore, experimental results on a PUMA 560 arm are carried out to confirm the proposed impedance controller's performance.
IBM memory expansion technology (MXT)

Several technologies are leveraged to establish an architecture for a low-cost, high-performance memory controller and memory system that more than double the effective size of the installed main memory without significant added cost. This architecture is the first of its kind to employ real-time main-memory content compression at a performance competitive with the best the market has to offer. A large low-latency shared cache exists between the processor bus and a content-compressed main memory. Highspeed, low-latency hardware performs realtime compression and decompression of data traffic between the shared cache and the main memory. Sophisticated memory management hardware dynamically allocates main-memory storage in small sectors to accommodate storing the variable-sized compressed data without the need for "garbage" collection or significant wasted space due to fragmentation. Though the main-memory compression ratio is limited to the range 1:1-64:1, typical ratios range between 2:1 and 6:1, as measured in "real-world" system applications.
The Neural Mechanisms of Moral Cognition: A Multiple-Aspect Approach to Moral Judgment and Decision-Making

We critically review the mushrooming literature addressing the neural mechanisms of moral cognition (NMMC), reaching the following broad conclusions: (1) research mainly focuses on three inter-related categories: the moral emotions, moral social cognition, and abstract moral reasoning. (2) Research varies in terms of whether it deploys ecologically valid or experimentally simplified conceptions of moral cognition. The more ecologically valid the experimental regime, the broader the brain areas involved. (3) Much of the research depends on simplifying assumptions about the domain of moral reasoning that are motivated by the need to make experimental progress. This is a valuable beginning, but as more is understood about the neural mechanisms of decision-making, more realistic conceptions will need to replace the simplified conceptions. (4) The neural correlates of real-life moral cognition are unlikely to consist in anything remotely like a "moral module" or a "morality center." Moral representations, deliberations and decisions are probably highly distributed and not confined to any particular brain sub-system. Discovering the basic neural principles governing planning, judgment and decision-making will require vastly more basic research in neuroscience, but correlating activity in certain brain regions with well-defined psychological conditions helps guide neural level research. Progress on social phenomena will also require theoretical innov- ation in understanding the brain's distinctly biological form of computation that is anchored by emotions, needs, drives, and the instinct for survival.
Enhanced wavelet based audio coder

Several enhancements on the wavelet based audio coder proposed by Sinha and Tewfik (see. Proceedings of the Int. Conf. of Acoust., Speech and Signal Proc. Society (ICASSP), vol.1, p.197-200, 1993) are discussed. These enhancements include use of temporal information in masking for audio segments with sudden change of amplitudes in them, efficient quantization of the variances and run-length coding for the zeros. Experiments suggest that these enhancements give almost transparent compression of monophonic CD quality audio signals (sampled at 44.1 kHz) at bit rates of 55-63 kbits/sec. We also discuss a real time implementation of a simplified version of the wavelet based audio coder at somewhat higher bit rates (64-78 kbits/sec). >
High lung inflation increases mRNA levels of ECM components and growth factors in lung parenchyma.

Berg, John T., Zhenxing Fu, Ellen C. Breen, Hung-Cuong Tran, Odile Mathieu-Costello, and John B. West. High lung inflation increases mRNA levels of ECM components and growth factors in lung parench...
Enterocola fulgens van Beneden (Crustacea: Copepoda: Cyclopoida) living in the compound ascidian Polyclinum aurantium Milne Edwards

ABSTRACT The female and male of Enterocola fulgens van Beneden, 1860 are fully redescribed, based on specimens living in Polyclinum aurantium Milne Edwards collected at Roscoff. The female body is interpreted to be divided into cephalosome, 4-segmented metasome, and 6-segmented urosome. The cephalosome has paragnaths and the anus is displaced to the anterodorsal side of the anal segment. It is thought that these structures of the female represent diagnostic features for the genus. It is proposed that E. megalova Gotto, 1962 is synonymous with E. fulgens. The male of E. fulgens as studied in this paper closely resembles the males of two other known species of Enterocola.
A Brief Summary of Calculus

Chapter 1 is a brief development of one-variable calculus. The opening section presents the concept of the parameter, which is essential in modeling and helpful in calculus. Differential calculus occupies Sections 1.2–1.6, with one section each on the derivative concept, derivative computation, local behavior and linear approximation, optimization, and related rates. The final three sections introduce the definite integral as the accumulation of change, present the properties of definite integrals, and calculate definite integrals using the fundamental theorem of calculus and the substitution technique. Examples with biological relevance include atmospheric carbon dioxide, organism growth, optimal foraging, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and population growth and demographics. The problem sets contain some modeling problems, including several on population demographics and two that explore explanations of optimal fetching behavior observed in dogs.
Differences in risk for type 1 and type 2 ovarian cancer in a large cancer screening trial

Objective: To investigate the role of previous gynecologic surgery, hormone use, and use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on the risk of type 1 and type 2 ovarian cancer. Methods: We utilized data collected for the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian cancer screening trial. All diagnosed ovarian cancers were divided into three groups: type 1, endometrioid, clear cell, mucinous, low grade serous, and low grade adenocarcinoma/not otherwise specified (NOS); type 2, high grade serous, undifferentiated, carcinosarcoma, and high grade adenocarcinoma/NOS; and other: adenocarcinoma with grade or histology not specified, borderline tumors, granulosa cell tumors. The odds ratios for type 1, type 2, and other ovarian cancers were assessed with regard to historical information for specific risk factors. Results: Ibuprofen use was associated with a decrease in risk for type 1 ovarian cancer. Tubal ligation and oral contraceptive use were associated with a decrease in risk for type 2 ovarian cancer. A history of ectopic pregnancy was associated with a decreased risk for all ovarian cancers by almost 70%. Conclusion: These findings support the hypothesis that carcinogenic pathways for type 1 and type 2 ovarian cancer are different and distinct. The marked reduction in all ovarian cancer risk noted with a history of ectopic pregnancy and salpingectomy implies that the fallopian tube plays a key role in carcinogenesis for both type 1 and type 2 ovarian cancer.
Ireland's terrorism victims: a new strand of civil society counterterrorism?

Despite being hailed as a global conflict resolution model, Northern Ireland's trajectory from 30-year conflict to coalition government remains particularly volatile. The Good Friday peace Agreement of 1998 controversially absorbed former terrorists into the structures of power-sharing government. Dealing with the lingering legacy of atrocities upon conflict victims by those now in power continues to threaten the sustainability of such governing structures. Unexpectedly, the terrorism victims and survivors sector has emerged as an active and dynamic agent for accountability, strategic civil society counterterrorism, and a means of embedding the Irish peace process. It has provided a compelling counter-narrative to the freedom fighters characteristic claim of paramilitaries, with victims engaging such representatives in contests surrounding legitimacy and justice redress. Such examples now inspire similar international efforts as an alternative yet viable strand of the multifaceted counterterrorism dynamic...
Do persistent organic pollutants stimulate cyanobacterial blooms

The use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as herbicides, pesticides, pharmaceutical and personal care products (PCPPs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), has more than doubled since 1950. POPs find their way into aquatic ecosystems through agricultural and industrial runoff, wastewater treatment effluent discharge, and atmospheric deposition. Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs), which can produce toxins potent enough to cause human death, have been increasing in intensity, frequency, and spatial scale throughout the same time period as accelerated POP usage. Here, we provide a meta-analysis and suggest that POP stressors may be significantly aggravating nutrient-driven CyanoHABs by suppressing the growth of competing phytoplankton, and/or by indirectly or directly stimulating cyanobacterial growth.
Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome

Increased tissue pressure within a fascial compartment may be the result from any increase in volume within its contents, or any decrease in size of the fascial covering or its distensibility. This may lead to symptoms of leg tightness, pain or numbness brought about by exercise. There are multiple differential diagnoses of exercise induced leg pain and the proper diagnoses of chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS) is made by a careful history and by exclusion of other maladies and confirmed by compartment syndrome testing as detailed in this text. Surgical fasciotomies for the anterior, lateral, superficial and deep posterior compartments are described in detail along with ancillary procedures for chronic shin splints that should allow the athlete to return to competitive activity.
The expression of TLR4 in newborn mice with hyperoxic acute lung injury

To investigate the role of Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4) in pathogenesis of hyperoxia acute lung injury(HALI),we selected 60 postnatal day 1 mice,including 30 TLR4 wild-type(TLR4W) and 30 TLR4 mutant mice(TLR4M),and randomly divided them into hyperoxia group(TLR4WO2,TLR4MO2) and air control group(TLR4WA,TLR4MA)(n =15) respectively.HALI was induce by exposing to hyperoxia for 72 hours,and then assessed the wet/dry weight(W/D) ratio and the pathological changes of lung from experimental mice.The mRNA expressions of TLR4 were detected by real-time PCR and the amount of IL-6 in lung tissue was measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) after 24,48 and 72 hours,respectively.We found that in TLR4WO2 group,the lung W/D ratio were obviously increased compared to the air control group(all P 0.05),and the lung injury scores in TLR4WO2 group of 48 and 72 hours were increased significantly(P 0.01).In TLR4WO2 groups,the mRNA expression of TLR4 and the levels of IL-6 in lung tissue were increased markedly(P 0.01) as compared with the air control group.Nevertheless,different results between TLR4MO2 group and TLR4MA group had not been observed.Our results suggest hyperoxia can induced lung injury in newborn mice,and TLR4 may play an important role in the development of hyperoxia-induced ALI.
Characterization of the Adenine Phosphoribosyltransferase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Adenine phosphoribosyltransferase(APRT) catalyzes the conversion of adenine and 5’-phosphoribosylpyrophosphate(prpp) into the nucleotide 5’-adenosine monophosphate. This enzyme enables the utilization of free adenine derived from nucleotide catabolism or from exogenous sources to help mantain nucleotide pool balance.
Lead as an environmental poison

After some years of assuming lead poisoning to be either a phenomenon of past history63 or confined to children eating paint, an American geochemist (Patterson) challenged the complacency of industry, physicians, and public health officials on this subject. A symposium was called in 1965 by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare as the result of the reaction to Patterson's angry conclusions. The timing of this symposium marked the upsurge of activity and attention in the United States to potential harm to all of us from contamination of air with products of industry and heavy auto traffic. One of us presented a paper at the 1965 session entitled, “What is the status of knowledge of the toxic effect of lead on identifiable groups in the population,” which was later published in this JOURNAL.39 Further discussion in the press and in medical and industrial hygiene literature led to the knowledge that updated and new data on sources of lead in the environment are needed. The present paper attempts to supply this need. In addition, means of identifying toxic lead effect not readily recognized by clinicians are discussed. A crowded and old city (Boston), with heavy traffic flow but without large lead-using industries, and its suburbs have been studied over the years 1965 to 1970. Using the skills of the chemist and engineer trained to assess the risk of industrial disease, a number of environmental sources of lead have been measured. Collaboration with public health staff and hospital residents and physicians utilizing these so-called industrial hygiene techniques revealed their value in case finding and identifying the source of damaging lead. The role of inhaled lead in risk to urban children needs emphasis. Ingestion plays little part in adult poisoning. Due to poor absorption of lead through the gut, the role of lead by mouth may be not as great as thought in childhood disease. Absorption through the skin is a problem in industrial exposure to organic lead compounds only. Failure of most physicians to recognize any form of lead intoxication other than severe acute disease, and under-utilization of chelating agents for diagnosis and therapy is discussed. Possible methods of changing the bleak picture of risk of lead poisoning in the United States are enumerated.
Poliomyelitis virus in blood of orally infected monkeys and chimpanzees.

SummarySeven of 10 cynomolgus monkeys and 3 of 4 chimpanzees have been found to have viremia early in the incubation period following oral infection with poliomyelitis virus. Viremia was present in animals infected with a Brunhilde type (Egypt) as well as a Lansing type (Y-SK), and persisted in some animals over the 4th, 5th, and 6th days after virus ingestion. Virus was not isolated from blood specimens collected during the first 3 days after feeding, nor on the 7th day, in the two instances in which it was tested. The interval between viremia and the appearance of paralysis varied between 3 and 7 days in the cynomolgus monkeys.
What Factors Influence the Outcome of Surgically Treated Soft Tissue Sarcomas of the Hand and Wrist

Background Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) of the hand are exceedingly rare. The aim of this study was to review our institution's experience with STS of the hand to identify factors affecting outcomes and survivorship. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the records of 46 hand STS treated with definitive surgery at our institution between 1992 and 2013. Pertinent demographics as well as information regarding the surgical procedure, and disease status at latest follow-up were reviewed. Mean age at diagnosis was 38 years with a mean follow-up of 5 years. Results The most common tumor subtypes were epithelioid (n = 10) and synovial sarcoma (n = 8). Sixty-one percent were superficial in location. Thirty-three patients had had a nononcologic resection prior to definitive surgical treatment at our institution. Ultimately, negative margins were obtained in all cases. Local recurrence was observed in 5 patients and distant metastases in 14 patients. Tumor sizes ≥2 cm, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) grade, and depth of the tumor were found to adversely affect the outcome in terms of disease-free and overall survival. Reexcision of an inadvertently excised tumor at an outside institution did not adversely affect the outcome. The 10-year overall and disease-free survival was 72% and 63%. Conclusions Local recurrence after a wide excision was observed infrequently; however, distant disease was relatively common. Tumors with a size ≥2 cm were associated with a worse disease-free and overall survival, highlighting the aggressive nature of these tumors.
Neuronal Imaging, Ventricular Arrhythmias, and Device Therapy in Heart Failure

Since the 1970s, cardiovascular mortality has decreased significantly as the result of identification and modification of cardiac risk factors, improvement in cardiovascular treatments, and advances in diagnostic imaging. One major advance was the introduction of the implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD), which substantially increased survival in patients with cardiomyopathy. Unfortunately, however, accurate identification of patients who will develop sudden cardiac death (SCD) remains elusive. Many patients who meet criteria for ICD implantation never require device-administered therapy for ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Conversely, most patients who die suddenly do not meet current guideline criteria for ICD placement before their event. Therefore, a noninvasive test that can identify at-risk patients prospectively would be ideal. Data are mounting showing that radionuclide imaging with iodine-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine (123I-MIBG) for single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) or carbon-11 hydroxyephedrine (11C-HED) for positron emission tomography (PET) may provide important prognostic information regarding the development of SCD and might be used to risk stratify patients.
Faster Gated Recurrent Units via Conditional Computation

In this work, we apply the idea of conditional computation to the gated recurrent unit (GRU), a type of recurrent activation function. With slight modifications to the GRU, the number of floating point operations required to calculate the feed-forward pass through the network may be significantly reduced. This allows for more rapid computation, enabling a trade-off between model accuracy and model speed. Such a trade-off may be useful in a scenario where real-time performance is required, allowing for powerful recurrent models to be deployed on compute-limited devices.
Predation restricts black mangrove ( Avicennia germinans ) colonization at its northern range limit along Florida’s Gulf Coast

Climate change-driven range expansion of black mangroves (Avicennia germinans) is predicted along the northern Gulf of Mexico, where sea level rise is also driving conversion of freshwater forest islands to salt marsh. While climate-driven A. germinans range expansion has garnered considerable scientific attention, the role of top-down controls on colonization is largely overlooked. We investigated the effects of abiotic (flooding frequency, soil depth, soil salinity) and biotic (predation, herbivory) controls on A. germinans establishment at its northern range limit along Florida’s Gulf Coast by comparing fates of caged and non-caged propagules across four landscape positions (from creek edge to forest island interior) and at three sites along a tidal flooding frequency gradient. Within 12 days, grapsid crab, Sesarma reticulatum, consumed 99% of non-caged propagules. Among caged propagules, establishment increased with increasing flooding frequency; however, cages did not entirely prevent predation, which remained a primary cause of mortality, except in the rarely flooded island. Propagules that survived to seedlings experienced mild to fatal herbivory across landscape positions and sites. This study revealed that while relict forest islands and surrounding marshes can support A. germinans, predation and herbivory strongly suppress colonization, suggesting that mangrove expansion models should incorporate biotic controls.
Breeding Behavior of Northern Saw-Whet Owls in Oregon

Abstract We know little about the breeding behavior of most nocturnal raptors. Nest attendance and prey delivery rates can be used as indices of relative habitat quality or extent of parental care. We used video cameras to document and observe prey delivery rates, nest attendance and bout durations at two northern saw-whet owl (Aegolius acadicus) nests in two artificial nest boxes in north-central Oregon. We collected 858 hours of video surveillance between 21 March and 01 June 2014. The number of prey deliveries per night increased as the nesting season progressed: 1.25 during laying, 1.33 during incubation, and 4.0 during the nestling phase. Prey was delivered most often between 2100 and 2200. Nest attendance by females was high during pre-laying (97.8%), laying (97.9%) and incubation (98.2%), but decreased during the nestling phase (55.7%). Nest attendance was higher during diurnal hours than nocturnal hours across all nesting phases. Duration of off bouts (recesses) was similar during pre-laying and l...
Teaching Braille Reading to Students with Low Vision.

This article discusses the most effective ways to teach students who have low vision to read braille. It covers motivating students and parents to learn braille; and it discusses two types of instr...
Terrestrial carbon inputs to inland waters: A current synthesis of estimates and uncertainty

Globally, inland waters receive a significant but ill-defined quantity of terrestrial carbon (C). When summed, the contemporary estimates for the three possible fates of C in inland waters (storage, outgassing, and export) highlight that terrestrial landscapes may deliver upward of 5.1 Pg of C annually. This review of flux estimates over the last decade has revealed an average increase of ∼ 0.3 Pg C yr−1, indicating a historical underestimation of the amount of terrestrial-C exported to inland waters. The continual increase in the estimates also underscores large data gaps and uncertainty. As research continues to refine these aquatic fluxes, especially C outgassed from the humid tropics and other understudied regions, we expect the global estimate of terrestrial-C transferred to inland waters to rise. An important implication of this upward refinement is that terrestrial net ecosystem production may be overestimated with ramifications for modeling of the global C cycle.
Examining the Influence of Interval Length on the Dependability of Observational Estimates

Abstract Systematic direct observation is a tool commonly employed by school psychologists to investigate student behavior. As these data are used for educational decision-making, ensuring the psyc...
Neural Networks with Block Diagonal Inner Product Layers

We consider a modified version of the fully connected layer we call a block diagonal inner product layer. These modified layers have weight matrices that are block diagonal, turning a single fully connected layer into a set of densely connected neuron groups. This idea is a natural extension of group, or depthwise separable, convolutional layers applied to the fully connected layers. Block diagonal inner product layers can be achieved by either initializing a purely block diagonal weight matrix or by iteratively pruning off diagonal block entries. This method condenses network storage and speeds up the run time without significant adverse effect on the testing accuracy.