cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radiation therapy versus radical prostatectomy in the PSA era: A urologist's view

In the absence of a randomized trial directly comparing outcomes in men with localized prostate cancer treated by radical prostatectomy with treatment by radiation therapy, only an approximate answer regarding the relative efficacies of these modalities can be achieved. However, retrospective studies which examined outcomes based on pretreatment parameters intrinsic to the tumors have demonstrated that when stratified by grade and prostate specific antigen (PSA), the rates of cancer control for these therapies are similar at 5 years posttreatment. These modalities differ in other important ways, including acute toxicity, patient satisfaction, posttreatment quality of life, and ease of salvage of treatment failures. A consideration of all of these factors is necessary to arrive at the appropriate choice of therapy for each patient.
Onondaga Group of Parts of West Virginia and Virginia: ABSTRACT

The Onondaga group discussed in this paper includes all rock units between the top of the Oriskany (Ridgeley) sandstone and the base of the Marcellus formation of the Hamilton group. It corresponds in part to the "Corniferous" of older reports and drillers' records. Within the area described it contains two separable lithologic members, an upper shale and a lower chert. In southeastern West Virginia the group is represented mainly by the Huntersville chert, which crops out in a belt about 120 miles long in Pocahontas, Greenbrier, Monroe, and Mercer counties. In Pocahontas and Greenbrier counties it is exposed on both flanks of the Browns Mountain anticline which lies west of the Allegheny Front. In Virginia and elsewhere in West Virginia it is confined to the Valley and Ridge physiographic province, where it has been traced as far south as Saltville, Virginia. The formation contains impure chert, highly silicified shale, silicified mudrock, and, commonly, one or more prominent glauconitic sandstones. In general the Huntersville has few fossils, but at some localities there occur numerous species which the author has identified and recorded. The Hunte sville chert occupies a stratigraphic position held in northeastern West Virginia and northwestern Virginia by a shale of Onondaga age which is believed to correspond with the Needmore shale of southern Pennsylvania. The chert appears to grade laterally into this shale, although where both units are represented, the shale invariably overlies the chert. Thus, the shale is partly younger than the chert. The upper Onondaga contact is apparently conformable, but an unconformity at the base reaches great magnitude at several localities in Virginia. End_Page 902------------------------------ Wells pentrating deep horizons in West Virginia, western Pennsylvania, and eastern Ohio encounter a limestone and chert unit at the general Onondaga level. This unit is the eastern subsurface extension of the Columbus limestone of Ohio and, probably, the analogue of the Onondaga limestone of New York. It is also the precise equivalent of the Huntersville chert. Commercial gas was discovered in it (1936) along the Chestnut Ridge anticline of southwestern Pennsylvania, and a recent Oriskany test well on the same structure encountered rock pressure of 3,275 pounds in the Huntersville. Most likely the chert is a reservoir only because of brecciation. The extreme brittleness of the Huntersville is attested on the outcrop by strong fragmentation wherever it is folded. This fact suggests its potential value as a gas and, possibly, an oil reservoir wherever deformation has caused brecciation at depth. End_of_Article - Last_Page 903------------
Targeted disruption of the bradykinin B2 receptor gene in mice alters the ontogeny of the renin-angiotensin system

First published July 12, 2001; 10.1152/ajprenal.0020.2001.—Angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor knockout (KO) mice exhibit an activated kallikrein-kinin system (KKS) that serves to attenuate the se...
A 3.7mW, 1.6V CMOS Analog Adaptive Equalizer for a 125Mbps Wire-Line Transceiver

An analog adaptive equalizer based on feed-forward architecture is implemented on 0.18mum digital CMOS process. The equalizer is implemented with only digital core devices and operates at 125Mbps over UTP CAT-5 cable of up to 100m length. Novel low-voltage, low-power circuit techniques resulted in 3.7mW total power consumption and supply voltage operation as low as 1.6V. This is over 3times power savings and 0.4V reduction in supply voltage from previously reported implementations on the same process node. The minimum horizontal eye opening of the equalizer (including the transmit path driver) under all cable length is 0.67 UI and the total area of the equalizer is 27738 mum2.
A NEW PROCEDURE FOR THE DEMONSTRATION OF ESTRIN IN THE BLOOD OF WOMEN

The pioneer work of Frank and Goldberger, Loewe, Siebke, Mazer, and others demonstrating the presence of the ovarian follicular hormone in the blood of women at different stages of the menstrual cycle has directed attention to the possibilities of adapting such procedures to the study of abnormal menstrual conditions. The relatively large amounts of blood required, the necessary and laborious extraction of the blood, and the yield of insufficient material to inject more than one test animal are, however, disadvantages of the present technique which call for a more efficient and less complicated procedure. The purpose of this report is to present the results of my attempt to develop a simpler method for the determination of the presence of estrin† in the blood, which may be adapted to quantitative as well as qualitative studies. The Allen-Doisy test for estrin is based on the stimulation of the atrophied vaginal mucosa of mice or rats to develop into a cornified squamous epithelium, readily demonstrable by...
Optimal spectral and power parameters for all-optical wavelength shifting: single stage, fanout, and cascadability

We analyze a gain-saturated semiconductor-optical-amplifier (SOA) all-optical wavelength shifter with respect to its spectral and power characteristics as well as its capability for high fanout and cascadability. The extinction and signal-to-noise ratios, the two main figures-of-merit for a wavelength-shifted signal, are determined by accounting for gain saturation and spectral shifting which occur due to the depletion of the injected carrier density. >
Situation-awareness for adaptive coordination in service-based systems

Service-based systems have many applications, including collaborative research and development, e-business, health care, environmental control, military applications, and homeland security. Service coordination is required for these systems to coordinate distributed activities. To achieve adaptive service coordination under changing environment and workload, situation-awareness is needed. In this paper, a model is presented for situation-awareness (SAW) requirements in service-based systems. Based on this model, SAW agents are developed to incorporate situation-awareness and adaptive coordination in service-based systems.
Micromachined electro-mechanically tunable capacitors and their applications to RF IC's

Micromachined electro-mechanically tunable capacitors with two and three parallel plates are presented. Experimental devices have been fabricated using a standard polysilicon surface micromachining process. The two-plate tunable capacitor has a measured nominal capacitance of 2.05 pF, a Q-factor of 20 at 1 GHz, and achieves a tuning range of 1.5:1, The three-plate version has a nominal capacitance of 4.0 pF, a Q-factor of 15.4 at 1 GHz, and a tuning range of 1.87:1. The tuning ranges achieved here are near theoretical limits. Effects due to various physical phenomena such as temperature, gravity, and shock are examined in detail. An RF voltage-controlled oscillator with an integrated inductor and a micromachined tunable capacitor is also demonstrated. The active circuit and the inductor have been fabricated in a 0.5 /spl mu/m CMOS process. The voltage-controlled oscillator has been assembled by bonding together the CMOS and the micromachined parts. The 1.35 GHz voltage-controlled oscillator has a phase noise of -98.5 dBc/Hz at a 100 kHz offset from the carrier.
PTEN Tumor Suppressor Network in PI3K-Akt Pathway Control:

The PI3K-Akt pathway is a major survival pathway activated in cancer. Efforts to develop targeted therapies have not been fully successful, mainly because of extensive internal intrapathway or external interpathway negative feedback loops or because of networking between pathway suppressors. The PTEN tumor suppressor is the major brake of the pathway and a common target for inactivation in somatic cancers. This review will highlight the networking of PTEN with other inhibitors of the pathway, relevant to cancer progression. PTEN constitutes the main node of the inhibitory network, and a series of convergences at different levels in the PI3K-Akt pathway, starting from those with growth factor receptors, will be described. As PTEN exerts enzymatic activity as a phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP(3)) phosphatase, thus opposing the activity of PI3K, the concerted actions to increase the availability of PIP(3) in cancer cells, relying either on other phosphoinositide enzymes or on the intrinsic regulation of PTEN activity by other molecules, will be discussed. In particular, the synergy between PTEN and the circle of its direct interacting proteins will be brought forth in an attempt to understand both the activation of the PI3K-Akt pathway and the connections with other parallel oncogenic pathways. The understanding of the interplay between the modulators of the PI3K-Akt pathway in cancer should eventually lead to the design of therapeutic approaches with increased efficacy in the clinic.
Molecular Motor Mechanics in the Contracting Heart

The amount of iron in the low molecular weight pool (LMW) increases during no-flow ischemia and is thought to be essential to oxygen radical-derived damage upon reperfusion. Applying three short ischemic periods (5 min) preconditioning before 15 min ischemia results in an improved contractility compared to a direct 15 min ischemic insult. This raises the question whether preconditioning leads to a decrease in hte LMW iron pool. We therefore investigated the change in in hte LMW iron pool during ischemic insult after applying preconditioning. It is assumed that an increase in LMW iron is dependent on the accumulation of reduction equivalents derived from the anaerobic glycolysis. Therefore the glycogen content was also reduced by administration by anoxia and glucagon administration to study the effect on the LMW iron pool.
Reliability limitations to the scaling of porous low-k dielectrics

We show that processes used to fabricate advanced porous dielectrics can exhibit reliability approaching the intrinsic capability of the material. Combining this with simulations of failure distributions as a function of porosity and line edge roughness we demonstrate that failure times due to electrical breakdown rapidly decrease below k=2.3. The rapid failure time decrease is due to the statistical nature of increasing porosity (decreasing k), which leads to a shortening of the percolation path for dielectric breakdown. Continued scaling will require greater understanding of the breakdown impact on circuits as well as materials innovations to improve robustness.
Induction Motor Performance Testing With an Inverter Power Supply: Part 1

The development of high-power density electrical machines continues to accelerate, driven by military, transportation, and industrial needs to achieve more power in a smaller package. Higher speed electrical machines are a recognized path toward achieving higher power densities. Existing industry testing standards describe well-defined procedures for characterizing both synchronous and induction machines. However, these procedures are applicable primarily to fixed-frequency (usually 60 or 50 Hz) power supplies. As machine speeds increase well beyond the 3600-rpm limitation of 60-Hz machines, a need for performance testing at higher frequencies is emerging. An inverter power supply was used to conduct a complete series of tests on two induction motors (0.5 and 1.0 MW) with speeds up to ~5000 rpm. The use of a nonsinusoidal power supply with limited power output capability required the development of measurement techniques and testing strategies quite different than those typically used for 60/50 Hz testing. Instrumentation and techniques for measuring voltage, current, and power on harmonic rich waveforms with accuracies approaching 1% are described. Locked-rotor and breakdown torque tests typically require large kVA input to the motor, much higher than the rated load requirement. An inverter sized for the rated load requirements of the motor was adapted to perform locked-rotor and breakdown torque tests. Inverter drive protection features, such as anti-hunting and current limit that were built into the inverter had to be factored into the test planning and implementation. Test results are presented in two companion papers. This paper (Part 1) correlates test results with the results of an algorithmic induction motor analysis program. Part 2 presents the test results compared with a Matlab simulation program and also provides a comprehensive discussion of the instrumentation that was essential to achieve testing accuracy. Correlating test results with calculated values confirmed that the testing techniques developed during this testing program are useful for evaluating high-speed, high-power density electrical machinery
The significance of differences in the mechanisms of photosynthetic acclimation to light, nitrogen and CO2 for return on investment in leaves

Summary 1. We report changes in photosynthetic capacity of leaves developed in varying photon flux density (PFD), nitrogen supply and CQ2 concentration. We determined the relative effect of these environmental factors on photosynthetic capacity per unit leaf volume as well as the volume of tissue per unit leaf area. We calculated resource-use efficiencies from the photosynthetic capacities and measurements of leaf dry mass, carbohydrates and nitrogen content. 2. There were clear differences between the mechanisms of photosynthetic acclimation to PFD, nitrogen supply and CQ2. PFD primarily affected volume of tissue per unit area whereas nitrogen supply primarily affected photosynthetic capacity per unit volume. CQ2 concentration affected both of these parameters and interacted strongly with the PFD and nitrogen treatments. 3. Photosynthetic capacity per unit carbon invested in leaves increased in the low PFD, high nitrogen and low CQ2 treatments. Photosynthetic capacity per unit nitrogen was significantly affected only by nitrogen supply. . 4. The responses to low PFD and low nitrogen appear to function to increase the efficiency of utilization of the limiting resource. However, the responses to elevated CQ2 in the high PFD and high nitrogen treatments suggest that high CQ2 can result in a situation where growth is not limited by either carbon or nitrogen supply. Limitation of growth at elevated CQ2 appears to result from internal plant factors that limit utilization of carbohydrates at sinks and/or transport of carbohydrates to sinks.
Suppressive Role of B Cells in Chronic Colitis of T Cell Receptor α Mutant Mice

The role of antibodies (Abs) in the development of chronic colitis in T cell receptor (TCR)-α−/− mice was explored by creating double mutant mice (TCR-α−/− × immunoglobulin (Ig)μ−/−), which lack B cells. TCR-α−/− × Igμ−/− mice spontaneously developed colitis at an earlier age, and the colitis was more severe than in TCR-α−/− mice. Colitis was induced in recombination-activating gene-1 (RAG-1−/−) mice by the transfer of mesenteric lymph node (MLN) cells from TCR-α−/− × Igμ−/− mice. When purified B cells from TCR-α−/− mice were mixed with MLN cells before cell transfer, colitis did not develop in RAG-1−/− mice. Administration of the purified Ig from TCR-α−/− mice and a mixture of monoclonal autoAbs reactive with colonic epithelial cells led to attenuation of colitis in TCR-α−/− × Igμ−/− mice. Apoptotic cells were increased in the colon, MLN, and spleen of TCR-α−/− × Igμ−/− mice as compared to Igμ−/− mice and TCR-α−/− mice. Administration of the purified Ig from TCR-α−/− mice into TCR-α−/− × Igμ−/− mice led to decrease in the number of apoptotic cells. These findings suggest that although B cells are not required for the initiation of colitis, B cells and Igs (autoAbs) can suppress colitis, presumably by affecting the clearance of apoptotic cells.
Relationship of ventilation inhomogeneity to morphologic variables in excised human lungs

Ventilation inhomogeneity, as assessed by the regional distribution of /sup 133/Xe and the single breath washout (SBW) curve, is compared with the morphologic aspects in excised human lungs. Morphologic measurements include central airway diameter, bronchial gland area, peripheral airway diameter, and the alveolar surface-to-volume ratio. Lung inflation with a constant concentration of /sup 133/Xe results in relatively more /sup 133/Xe distributed to the lung base than to the apex. Neither the vertical gradient in ventilation nor other interregional inhomogeneities in /sup 133/Xe distribution are correlated with morphologic variations in the lung. Also, interregional inhomogeneities of /sup 133/Xe distribution do not correlate with phase III slope of the SBW curve. This suggests that the phase III slope is determined primarily by intraregional ventilation inhomogeneities. Within the phase IV region of the SBW curve two distinct inflections are identified: an inflection at volume V1 and another sharper inflection at volume V2. Both the phase III slope and V2 correlate significantly (p less than 0.05) with peripheral airway diameter, indicating that parameters of the SBW curve do assess peripheral airway properties.
Possible Steps Involved in the Transition to Stationary Adhesion of Rolling Neutrophils: A Brief Review

The transition from rolling to firm adhesion is a phenomenon frequently observed when neutrophils are interacting with activated endothelium in vitro or in vivo under physiologically relevant shear stress. The mechanisms leading to this activation are poorly understood, though selectin-dependent tethering and CD18-integrin-dependent adhesion are known to be involved. This transition may involve a sequence of interactions that trigger sufficient integrin activation to allow cell arrest under flow. Recent evidence is reviewed in support of the concept that integrin (Mac-1 and LFA-1) activation results from signaling that occurs through selectin binding, chemotactic factor stimulation, and, possibly, LFA-1 binding.
Interdependence of nutrient metabolism and the circadian clock system: Importance for metabolic health

Background While additional research is needed, a number of large epidemiological studies show an association between circadian disruption and metabolic disorders. Specifically, obesity, insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, and other signs of metabolic syndrome all have been linked to circadian disruption in humans. Studies in other species support this association and generally reveal that feeding that is not in phase with the external light/dark cycle, as often occurs with night or rotating shift workers, is disadvantageous in terms of energy balance. As food is a strong driver of circadian rhythms in the periphery, understanding how nutrient metabolism drives clocks across the body is important for dissecting out why circadian misalignment may produce such metabolic effects. A number of circadian clock proteins as well as their accessory proteins (such as nuclear receptors) are highly sensitive to nutrient metabolism. Macronutrients and micronutrients can function as zeitgebers for the clock in a tissue-specific way and can thus impair synchrony between clocks across the body, or potentially restore synchrony in the case of circadian misalignment. Circadian nuclear receptors are particularly sensitive to nutrient metabolism and can alter tissue-specific rhythms in response to changes in the diet. Finally, SNPs in human clock genes appear to be correlated with diet-specific responses and along with chronotype eventually may provide valuable information from a clinical perspective on how to use diet and nutrition to treat metabolic disorders.
Mapping polymorphism

We examine schema mappings from a type-theoretic perspective and aim to facilitate and formalize the reuse of mappings. Starting with the mapping language of Clio, we present a type-checking algorithm such that typable mappings are necessarily satisfiable. We add type variables to the schema language and present a theory of polymorphism, including a sound and complete type inference algorithm and a semantic notion of a principal type of a mapping. Principal types, which intuitively correspond to the minimum amount of schema structure required by the mappings, have an important application for mapping reuse. Concretely, we show that mappings can be reused, with the same semantics, on any schemas as long as these schemas are expansions (i.e., subtypes) of the principal types.
Metabolism of Glycerolipids: II. THE ENZYMATIC ACYLATION OF LYSOLECITHIN

In the course of W-tracer studies on the biological synthesis of lecithin in lung tissue slices, the ratio of fatty acid activity to glycerol activity in lecithin was higher than in the triglyceride fraction. It was suggested that the observed isotope distributions could be due to turnover of the fatty acid portion of lecithin without a corresponding synthesis and breakdown of the remainder of the molecule (1). Such a turnover of fatty acid might require the combined actions of a phospholipase, an enzyme activity found in many tissues (2-4), and also a lysophosphatide-acylating enzyme which has not been demonstrated before. Further studies of lecithin metabolism showed that the product of phospholipase action, lysolecithin, could be utilized for lecithin synthesis by rat liver microsomes. This result is in contrast to that obtained in the chemical acylation of lysolecithin, which has been unsuccessful with several different acyl derivatives (5, 6), although Tattrie and McArthur (7) recently obtained a 31% yield of lecithin by allowing an acid chloride to react with lysolecithin in anhydrous chloroform for 3 days. It is the purpose of this paper to describe the properties of the microsomal system which catalyzes the acylation of lysolecithin to form lecithin. This reaction requires ATP and CoA, and involves the formation of an acyl-CoA derivative.
Graphene Foam as a three-dimensional Platform for Myotube Growth.

This study demonstrates the growth and differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts into functional myotubes on three-dimensional graphene foam bioscaffolds. Specifically, we establish both bare and laminin-coated graphene foam as a biocompatible platform for muscle cells and identify that electrical coupling stimulates cell activity. Cell differentiation and functionality is determined by the expression of myotube heavy chain protein and Ca2+ fluorescence, respectively. Further, our data show that the application of a pulsed electrical stimulus to the graphene foam initiates myotube contraction and subsequent localized substrate movement of over 100 μm. These findings will further the development of advanced three-dimensional graphene platforms for therapeutic applications and tissue engineering.
Hormones and Regulation of Parental Behavior in Birds

Publisher Summary In birds, the development of young occurs completely outside the female parent's body. Other individuals can provide as much or more postlaying care as the laying female. Birds have a much higher incidence of pair bonding and male parental care compared to mammals, and cooperative breeding, in which nonbreeders help to raise the young of breeding birds, is relatively common. They display high levels of parental behavior in caring for eggs and young; both males and females participate in most species. A variety of social, environmental, physiological, and experiential factors influence parental behavior, but the most important hormonal factor is elevated prolactin (PRL), often reinforced by previous elevation of the sex steroids. Prolactin secretion and parental behavior appear to be mutually reinforcing as contact with eggs or chicks often elevates PRL. Elevated testosterone and paternal behavior are generally mutually exclusive. Environmental stress, which elevates corticosterone and decreases PRL, can decrease parental behavior while elevating survival behaviors in adults.
Verbal Memory and The Hippocampus

The relationship of memory impairment and hippocampal damage was studied in 35 patients with medically refractory epilepsy localized to the temporal lobe at the Departments of Neurosurgery, Neuropathology, and Neurology and Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.
Ti presento Maffia

Questo volume contiene una raccolta di quarantasei saggi scritti non solo da critici letterari ma anche da storici, antropologi, archeologi e filosofi, sulla figura di Dante Maffia e sulla sua atti...
Measuring isotope ratios of large molecules using a swept external cavity quantum cascade laser

We measure isotope ratios for species with broadband absorption features using a swept external cavity quantum cascade laser. Isotopic precisions of ∼1‰ (per mil) are demonstrated for methanol (MeOH/MeOD) and ethanol (EtOH/EtOD) vapor.
A scientist on any schedule

At times, my life as a scientist has resembled what many see as the archetype: available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to go to the lab or out to the field, with no personal responsibilities that can't be sacrificed or taken care of by others. I have lived this life—and enjoyed it. But since
Aging and Gait

Abstract Assessing gaits in older adults for the purposes of preventing falls, decreasing the risks of falls, and minimizing injuries from falls is a complex task. This complexity can be ascribed to the involvement of multiple body systems and requires a multipronged approach to understanding the effects of these systems on age-associated gait changes. Comprehend these effects is difficult without first delving into the mechanics of the elderly gait. Here we present a simpler approach to recognizing some of these multifaceted changes for practitioners and researchers alike. With advancing age, there are modifications in spatiotemporal, kinematic, and kinetic gait parameters that could increase the risk of falling. These age-associated changes in gait characteristics can be classified as changes in both propulsion and stability. A decrease in gait velocity as a result of less forceful ankle plantar flexor torque and greater hip contribution not only increases the likelihood of a fall but also alters the fall direction, which in itself increases the chances of a detrimental injury. Understanding the foot to floor relationship is vital because older adults tend to walk with more plantarflexion when compared to young adults. This increases the chance of tripping either by stubbing the toe during the swing phase when the foot’s trajectory velocity is the greatest or catching the bottom of the shoe immediately prior to foot contact. Older adults tend to produce increased lateral movement in relation to their base of support when compared to young adults, thus affecting their stability. These observable characteristics of the elderly gait can be attributed to the underlying structural and physiological changes in the neuromuscular system. Therefore, the contributing factors of proprioception, vision, and vestibular system, as well as aging muscle, brain, and spinal cord, will be addressed to determine their contribution to a fall.
Addressing cyber security for the oil, gas and energy sector

The rapid spread of cyber threats and attacks are forcing many organizations to rethink their cyber security policies and standards. The latest cyber-attacks are well structured, organized, vicious, destructive and exceptionally sophisticated. The new reality of relentless cyber-attacks is causing havoc at a high level within oil and energy companies. There is a great need for developing and establishing new processes and policies with which to train a new “tech savvy” generation of professionals; who can then create and implement solid, systematic and sound cyber security policies. Cyber defense standards cannot be achieved fast enough to deal with this evolving threat.
2009: A History of Hemispherical Speakers at Princeton, Plus a DIY Guide

This paper gives a historical overview of the development of alternative sonic display systems at Princeton University; in particular, the design, construction, and use in live performance of a series of spherical and hemispherical speaker systems. We also provide a DIY guide to constructing the latest series of loudspeakers that we are currently using in our research and music making.
Association Between Ratio of Fresh Frozen Plasma to Red Blood Cells During Massive Transfusion and Survival Among Patients Without Traumatic Injury

Importance Hemostatic resuscitation has been shown to be beneficial for patients with trauma, but there is little evidence that it is equally beneficial for bleeding patients without trauma. The practice of a high transfusion ratio of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) to red blood cells (RBCs) has spread to other surgical and medical fields. Objective To identify whether ratio-based resuscitation in patients without trauma is associated with improved survival. Design, Setting, and Participants This study is a retrospective review of all massive transfusions provided in an urban academic hospital from January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2012. Massive transfusion was defined as the transfusion of at least 10 U of RBCs in the first 24 hours after a patient’s admission to the operating room, emergency department, or intensive care unit. All patients who received massive transfusions within the study period and survived more than 30 minutes after hospital arrival were counted (n=865). Patients were grouped into those with trauma and those without trauma. Sources of data included the Research Patient Data Registry, patients’ medical records, and blood bank records. All data collection occurred between April 26, 2013, and April 26, 2015. Data analysis took place from April 27, 2015, and June 22, 2016. Main Outcomes and Measures Examination of FFP:RBC transfusion ratios for patients without trauma. Results There were 865 massive transfusion events that occurred within 4 years, transfusing 16 569 U of RBCs, 13 933 U of FFP, 5228 U of cryoprecipitate, and 22 635 U of platelets. Most of these transfusions were received by patients without trauma (767 [88.7%]), by men (582 [67.3%]), and for intraoperative bleeding (544 [62.9%]). The FFP:RBC ratios of survivors and nonsurvivors were nearly identical: the ratio for survivors was 1:1.5 (interquartile range [IQR], 1:1.1-1:2.2) and for nonsurvivors was 1:1.4 (IQR, 1:1.1-1:1.9; P = .43). Among the 767 patients without trauma, there was no difference in the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for 30-day mortality when comparing the high FFP:RBC ratio vs the low FFP:RBC ratio subgroups (aOR, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.72-1.70; P = .65). In vascular surgery, the aOR for death favored the high FFP:RBC ratio subgroup (aOR, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.03-0.79; P = .02). However, in general surgery and medicine, the aOR for death favored the low FFP:RBC ratio subgroup; general surgery: aOR, 4.27 (95% CI, 1.28-14.22; P = .02); medicine: aOR, 8.48 (95% CI, 1.50-47.75; P = .02). Conclusions and Relevance High FFP:RBC transfusion ratios are applied mostly to patients without trauma, who account for nearly 90% of all massive transfusion events. Thirty-day survival was not significantly different in patients who received a high FFP:RBC ratio compared with those who received a low ratio.
Helping patients reduce anxiety and choose new physicians through improved provider biographies

Objective:Not being able to effectively communicate with a new physician because of high anxiety associated with the interaction could lead to issues not being addressed, or even inaccurate diagnos...
Topology and strong four fermion interactions in four dimensions

We study massless fermions interacting through a particular four-fermion term in four dimensions. Exact symmetries prevent the generation of bilinear fermion mass terms. We determine the structure of the low-energy effective action for the auxiliary field needed to generate the four-fermion term and find it has an novel structure that admits topologically nontrivial defects with nonzero Hopf invariant. We show that fermions propagating in such a background pick up a mass without breaking symmetries. Furthermore, pairs of such defects experience a logarithmic interaction. We argue that a phase transition separates a phase where these defects proliferate from a broken phase where they are bound tightly. We conjecture that, by tuning one additional operator, the broken phase can be eliminated with a single BKT-like phase transition separating the massless from massive phases.
G322(P) Leaving a legacy after a three year global links project at a rural kenyan hospital

Introduction The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health’s Global Links (GL) Programme, has worked in collaboration with the Kenyan Paediatric Association since 2012. One alliance involved Paediatric trainees from one deanery supporting a hospital in rural Kenya, aiming to implement training and quality improvement projects, providing sustainable improvements and benefit to the hospital and workforce. This link ended in July 2016. Methods Between 2013 and 2016, 6 trainees undertook six 6 month placements. Improvements in Neonatal care included; hand hygiene, thermal care, and introduction of CPAP (continuous positive pressure ventilation). In Paediatrics, projects included; introducing regular ETAT (Emergency Treatment, Assessment and Triage) training, evaluation of inpatient nutritional status and improving standards of assessment and documentation according to the Kenyan Basic Paediatric Protocols alongside developing a Paediatric Handbook for the hospital. Results In Neonates, the annual mortality rate fell from 21.6% (2014) to 6.9% (2016 to date). Admissions increased from a mean of 13 to 17 per month. Total mortalities reduced from a mean of 2.75 to 1.2 per month. Hand hygiene compliance improved from 66% (2013) to 93.7% (2015). However in the four months since leaving, the monthly mortality rate was 15%, mean admission numbers - 16 and mean total monthly deaths - 2. In Paediatrics, admission weight documentation increased from 76% (2014) to 94% (2016). Malnutrition status documentation improved from 0% (2014) to 55% (2016). Conclusions A GL Volunteer presence appears to be associated with significant improvements in the quality of care at this hospital. The unique link with a single deanery enabled close communication between volunteers, allowing each to develop and improve on their predecessors projects. Recent data shows these results are challenging to sustain in a low resource environment with a high staff turnover without volunteer support. Further data is required to evaluate the longevity of any legacy as results may be skewed by variations in pathology. However we hope those trained by the volunteers will transfer their skills and knowledge to their future practice, helping support child health in low resource settings.
Concentrato: Transport of Dispersed Mass

The root “concentrato” is newly coined in this book to represent any process involving the evolution or/and equilibrium of the concentration field. In other words, it is used as a generic term for various mechanisms underlying the mass transport of dispersed phases in mixtures such as solutions, colloids, and suspensions in the context of multiphysics. This chapter first clarifies the different definitions of concentrations. Following the clarification on the basic terms, the formulation of the general governing equation of the concentration field will be given out. Additional effort will be made to introduce the three major dispersed mass transport mechanisms in detail, i.e., advection, diffusion, and dispersion. The introduction will cover the definitions, origins in physics, mathematical formulations, material properties, and applications in porous materials. A practice problem developed from a documented test will be presented at the end to exemplify the implementation of the concentration field.
Transitional cell carcinoma of the urethra in men having cystectomy for bladder cancer.

AbstractCharacteristics of urethral transitional cell carcinoma in patients who have undergone cystectomy for bladder cancer have been reviewed. The retained urethra was the site of urothelial malignancy in 7 per cent of 348 patients who underwent cystectomy alone. Urethras removed during prophylactic cystourethrectomy in 110 patients showed unsuspected carcinoma in situ and marked atypia in 12.5 per cent. Patients with urethral cancer were at greater risk for meatal and upper tract tumors, a reflection of multicentric tumor neogenesis, and at greater risk for perineal tumors and inguinal metastases, a reflection of direct invasion. Cytology is advocated for examining the retained urethra. However, urethrectomy to include the fossa navicularis and glandular meatus at the time of cystectomy seems justified as a definitive means of guarding against the often asymptomatic and potentially lethal urethral occurrences of transitional cell carcinoma. Furthermore, incontinuity removal of the bladder and urethra m...
Modular Neural Networks for Watershed Runoff

Modeling rainfall-runoff at watershed scale is important for water resources management, safe yield computation, and design of flood control structures. Frequent droughts and floods of 1993 in Kansas and other midwestern U.S. are testimonies to the need for good predictive models at the watershed scale. The response of a watershed to precipitation is complicated by various hydrologic components that are distributed within it in a heterogeneous manner. Watershed runoff depends on geomorphologic properties (such as topology, vegetation, soil type) of the watershed and other climatic factors (precipitation, temperature, etc.) of the region. The influence of all these factors is not understood clearly. As a consequence, there exists some skepticism in the use of physically-based models for predicting watershed runoff (Grayson et al., 1992).
Polymeric nanocomposites reinforced with nanowires: Opening doors to future applications:

This article presents a state-of-the-art overview on indispensable aspects of polymer/nanowire nanocomposites. Nanowires created from polymers, silver, zinc, copper, nickel, and aluminum have been ...
Adult-Onset Primary Lymphedema: A Clinical-Lymphoscintigraphic Study of 26 Patients

Background: Primary lymphedema results from the anomalous development of the lymphatic system that typically presents during infancy, childhood, or adolescence. Adult-onset primary lymphedema is rare and has not been studied. The purpose of this investigation was to characterize patients with primary lymphedema that developed after the pediatric time period to better understand the condition. Study Design: Patients treated in our Lymphedema Program between 2009 and 2018 were reviewed. Diagnosis was determined based on history, physical examination, and imaging studies. Patients with primary lymphedema developing in adulthood (>21 years) were identified. Sex, age of onset, location, severity, morbidity, family history, associated features, and lymphoscintigraphy findings were documented. Results: Twenty-six patients (10%) of 259 with primary lymphedema developed the disease during adulthood. Sixteen individuals were female, and the disease occurred at an average age of 40 years (range, 24-72). It affected the lower extremity (85%) (unilateral 82%, bilateral 18%) or upper limb (15%) (unilateral 80%, bilateral 20%). Twenty-seven percent of patients suffered infections. Ninety-five percent of lymphoscintigrams exhibited delayed transit of radiolabeled tracer and 73% showed dermal backflow. None of the patients had systemic lymphatic involvement or associated vascular anomalies. One patient had a family history of lymphedema. Conclusions: Adult-onset primary lymphedema is typically unilateral, affects the lower extremity, and is not associated with systemic lymphatic anomalies; hereditary transmission is rare. Because adult-onset lymphedema is much less common than the pediatric condition, the disease should be confirmed with lymphoscintigraphy. Imaging of the axillary or inguinal nodes is also considered to rule out a lesion causing secondary lymphedema.
HeteroMap: A Runtime Performance Predictor for Efficient Processing of Graph Analytics on Heterogeneous Multi-Accelerators

With the ever-increasing amount of data and input variations, portable performance is becoming harder to exploit on today's architectures. Computational setups utilize single-chip processors, such as GPUs or large-scale multicores for graph analytics. Some algorithm-input combinations perform more efficiently when utilizing a GPU's higher concurrency and bandwidth, while others perform better with a multicore's stronger data caching capabilities. Architectural choices also occur within selected accelerators, where variables such as threading and thread placement need to be decided for optimal performance. This paper proposes a performance predictor paradigm for a heterogeneous parallel architecture where multiple disparate accelerators are integrated in an operational high performance computing setup. The predictor aims to improve graph processing efficiency by exploiting the underlying concurrency variations within and across the heterogeneous integrated accelerators using graph benchmark and input characteristics. The evaluation shows that intelligent and real-time selection of near-optimal concurrency choices provides performance benefits ranging from 5 % to 3.8 x, and an energy benefit averaging around 2.4 x over the traditional single-accelerator setup.
Optimal ROC Curves from Score Variable Threshold Tests

The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) is a well-established representation of the tradeoff between detection and false alarm probabilities in binary hypothesis testing. In many practical contexts ROC’s are generated by thresholding a measured score variable – applying score variable threshold tests (SVT’s). In many cases the resulting curve is different from the likelihood ratio test (LRT) ROC and is therefore not Neyman-Pearson optimal. While it is well-understood that concavity is a necessary condition for an ROC to be Neyman-Pearson optimal, this paper establishes that it is also a sufficient condition in the case where the ROC was generated using SVT’s. It further defines a constructive procedure by which the LRT ROC can be generated from a non-concave SVT ROC, without requiring explicit knowledge of the conditional PDF’s of the score variable. If the conditional PDF’s are known, the procedure implicitly provides a way of redesigning the test so that it is equivalent to an LRT.
Filter-feeding in Colonial Protists.

Many protists form cell colonies. Among them several are filter-feeders depending on suspended food particles such as bacteria. It has been suggested that the formation of colonies enhances feeding efficiency and implied that – in the case of colonial choanoflagellates – it was an adaptive trait that led to the evolution of metazoans. Here it is shown experimentally – for a colonial peritrich ciliate and for a choanoflagellate – that colony-formation does not enhance the efficiency of filter-feeding relative to solitary cells and that the adaptive significance of cell colony-formation must have some other explanation.
Human Subjects Protection and Federal Regulations of Clinical Trials.

ABSTRACT Objectives To explore the federal regulations governing clinical trials and human subject protection, the importance of research participant's informed consent, and the role the oncology clinical research nurse has within the clinical trial setting. Data Sources Peer-reviewed journal articles, internet, book chapters, white papers. Conclusion Federal regulations mandate the conduct of a clinical research trial, human research participant protection, and the informed consent process. Implications for Nursing Practice The oncology nurse supports the autonomy and safe conduct of the human research participant during a clinical research trial and provides education and support through the informed consent process.
On the feasibility of an IoT Multi-Radio Architecture for Smart Buildings

Smart buildings are rapidly expanding to asset management, crowdsensing, localization, and human identification. These applications exploit low-powered IoT devices. These devices are untethered from building's power and communication infrastructure, reducing deployment costs while trying to retrofit into the existing building stock. Low-power radios (e.g. 802.15.4) have limited transmission range. This limitation is amplified by the fact that large commercial buildings expand multiple floors, have different non-RF friendly materials (e.g. metal structures, firewalls, etc.), and have occupants' movement that further affects the communication range. Low-Power Wide Area Networking technologies (e.g. LoRaWAN) trade-off throughput for extended communication range compared to 802.15.4, with similar energy profiles. In this work, we propose to use a multi-radio architecture to explore the trade-offs between throughput and latency to achieve resilient communications. We do an analytic performance analysis to identify the feasibility and necessity of an IoT multi-radio architecture for smart buildings. We identify three crucial parameters namely, distance, throughput, traffic patterns, and their ranges at which multi-radio architecture works efficiently in smart building scenarios.
When a Coterie Becomes a Generation: Intellectual Sociability and the Narrative of Generational Change in Sayyid Qutb’s Egypt

Departing from the case study of Egyptian intellectuals, focusing particularly on Sayyid Qutb, this chapter explores the relationship between narratives of generational change and cultural renewal. It argues that the observation of intellectual sociability is a productive angle from which to understand the conditions under which generational claims result in the effective reshuffling of the intellectual leadership, aesthetic norms, and principles of intellectual authority. The biography of Qutb (1906–1966), a poet and literary critic who abandoned his literary activity in the mid-1950s to pursue a career in Islamic activism—allows us to observe how the generational narrative articulates with his shifting intellectual networks. As a public intellectual, Qutb was at the forefront of two literary confrontations in early- to mid-twentieth century Egypt in which he made generational claims in order to place himself in the literary tradition that emerged at the beginning of the twentieth century, and later to cut himself off from that tradition by announcing the emergence of a new generation dedicated to political Islam. At the core of these competing uses of generational rhetoric, this chapter argues, is Qutb’s shifting relationship with the senior literary generation, some of whom he had considered his mentors. Departing from the case study, the chapter then argues that collectives defined as generational tend to emerge in tandem with the reshuffling of social bonds that a writer maintains with his seniors, switching from a bond of transmission to one of confrontation. The change announced in the generational narrative is effective when followed by the concrete action of shifting one’s intellectual solidarities from masters to peers, as this is the moment when the masters are abandoned to history and peers are promoted as the new literary generation. Depending on the particular set of relationships in which a writer finds himself, the notion of generation may act as a narrative of either change or tradition.