cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A handheld flexible display system

A new close range virtual reality system is introduced that allows intuitive and immersive user interaction with computer generated objects. A projector with a special spherical lens is combined with a flexible, tracked rear projection screen that users hold in their hands. Unlike normal projectors, the spherical lens allows for a 180 degree field of view and nearly infinite depth of focus. This allows the user to move the screen around the environment and use it as a virtual "slice" to examine the interior of 3D volumes. This provides a concrete correspondence between the virtual representation of the 3D volume and how that volume would actually appear if its real counterpart was sliced open. The screen can also be used as a "magic window" to view the mesh of the volume from different angles prior to taking cross sections of it. Real time rendering of the desired 3D volume or mesh is accomplished using current graphics hardware. Additional applications of the system are also discussed.
Vaccination of dogs with Duramune DAPPi+LC protects against pathogenic canine parvovirus type 2c challenge

In this study, we determined whether vaccination with Duramune DAPPi+LC containing canine parvovirus (CPV) type 2b protects against challenge with virulent CPV antigenic type 2c. Seven healthy dogs, seronegative for CPV2, were enrolled into two treatment groups; five were vaccinated twice, 21 days apart, with minimum titre vaccine, and two were given saline. Dogs were challenged with CPV 2c three weeks later. Clinical observations, body weight and rectal temperature measurements, blood samples for serology and white blood cell counts and faecal samples for virus excretion were collected. Control dogs remained seronegative until challenge; vaccinated dogs seroconverted and were positive for antibodies to CPV2 from day 21. Four days after challenge, clinical signs associated with parvovirus infection (vomiting, paroxysmal shivering, depression, loose stools) were observed in the control dogs. Both animals were withdrawn from the study for welfare reasons one day later. On day 47, leucopenia was observed in controls, with white blood cell counts less than 50 per cent prechallenge values. No specific clinical sign of parvovirus infection were observed in the vaccinated dogs, nor was (detectable) challenge virus shed in faeces suggesting that antibodies generated contributed sterilising immunity. We conclude that vaccination of dogs with Duramune DAPPi+LC protects against challenge with a virulent field strain of CPV 2c.
Evidence of Prejudice-Related Conflict and Associated Affect Beyond the College Setting:

Previous research has shown that many college students are prone to prejudice-related discrepancies (i.e. their responses to stereotyped group members are more prejudiced than their personal standa...
Gain-of-function alleles of Bearded interfere with alternative cell fate decisions in Drosophila adult sensory organ development.

We have isolated a novel class of gain-of-function mutations at the Bearded (Brd) locus which specifically affect the development of adult sensory organs in Drosophila. These Brd alleles cause bristle multiplication and bristle loss phenotypes resembling those described for the neurogenic genes Notch (N) and Delta (Dl). We have found that supernumerary sensory organ precursor (SOP) cells develop in the proneural clusters of Brd mutant imaginal discs; like normal SOPs, these are dependent on the function of the proneural genes achaete and scute, and express elevated levels of ac protein. At cuticular positions exhibiting the Brd bristle loss phenotype, we have found that the progeny of the multiplied SOPs develop aberrantly, in that neurons and thecogen (sheath) cells appear but not trichogen (shaft) and tormogen (socket) cells. This appears to represent a transformation of the pIIa secondary precursor cell within the SOP lineage to a pIIb secondary precursor cell fate. These results suggest that Brd gain-of-function alleles interfere with Notch pathway-dependent cell ‐cell interactions at two distinct stages of adult sensory organ development. We have also identified enhancers and suppressors of the Brd dominant phenotypes; these include both previously characterized mutations and alleles of apparently novel loci. Finally, we have found that Brd null mutants are viable and exhibit no mutant phenotypes, suggesting that Brd may be a component of an overlapping function. q 1996 Academic Press, Inc.
Streamwise vortices destabilize swimming bluegill sunfish ( Lepomis macrochirus )

ABSTRACT In their natural environment, fish must swim stably through unsteady flows and vortices, including vertical vortices, typically shed by posts in a flow, horizontal cross-flow vortices, often produced by a step or a waterfall in a stream, and streamwise vortices, where the axis of rotation is aligned with the direction of the flow. Streamwise vortices are commonly shed by bluff bodies in streams and by ships9 propellers and axial turbines, but we know little about their effects on fish. Here, we describe how bluegill sunfish use more energy and are destabilized more often in flow with strong streamwise vorticity. The vortices were created inside a sealed flow tank by an array of four turbines with similar diameter to the experimental fish. We measured oxygen consumption for seven sunfish swimming at 1.5 body lengths (BL) s −1 with the turbines rotating at 2 Hz and with the turbines off (control). Simultaneously, we filmed the fish ventrally and recorded the fraction of time spent maneuvering side-to-side and accelerating forward. Separately, we also recorded lateral and ventral video for a combination of swimming speeds (0.5, 1.5 and 2.5 BL s −1 ) and turbine speeds (0, 1, 2 and 3 Hz), immediately after turning the turbines on and 10 min later to test for accommodation. Bluegill sunfish are negatively affected by streamwise vorticity. Spills (loss of heading), maneuvers and accelerations were more frequent when the turbines were on than in the control treatment. These unsteady behaviors, particularly acceleration, correlated with an increase in oxygen consumption in the vortex flow. Bluegill sunfish are generally fast to recover from roll perturbations and do so by moving their pectoral fins. The frequency of spills decreased after the turbines had run for 10 min, but was still markedly higher than in the control, showing that fish partially adapt to streamwise vorticity, but not completely. Coping with streamwise vorticity may be an important energetic cost for stream fishes or migratory fishes.
Real-time dynamically reconfigurable 2-D filterbanks

We introduce a novel dynamically reconfigurable 2D filterbank that is based on separable, one-dimensional filters. At the lowest level, each 2D filter is implemented using dynamic reconfiguration between two one-dimensional filters. Then, at a higher level, filterbanks are implemented using dynamic partial reconfiguration of efficient 1D filter blocks (based on distributed arithmetic). We have evaluated the system's overall performance as a function of the reconfiguration rate and we show that real-time video processing speeds for 2D video filtering can be attained for several image sizes.
Contraceptive Attitudes and Intention to Use Condoms in Sexually Experienced and Inexperienced Adolescent Males

In the 1988 National Survey of Adolescent Males, about three fifths of sexually experienced and inexperienced adolescent males intending to have sex in the next year reported there is an “almost certain chance” they will use a condom with a hypothetical future partner. Sexually experienced males report lower perceived costs for condom use related to embarrassment (assessed in a subjective expected utility format) than do inexperienced males. However, experienced males perceive condoms as being more costly in terms of reduction of pleasure. The perceived benefits of using condoms in terms of preventing pregnancy and gaining appreciation from the partner, and attitudinal endorsement of male responsibility in contraception more generally, are similar for the two groups. Among both the sexually experienced and inexperienced, believing that males are responsible for contraception and, to a lesser extent, perceiving that condoms have low costs in terms of reduction of pleasure and high benefits in gaining the p...
Low Temperature Selective Si and Si-Based Alloy Epitaxy For Advanced Transistor Applications

We have developed low temperature selective Si and Si-based alloy (SiGe and Si:C) epitaxy processes for advanced transistor fabrications. By lowering epitaxy process temperature (≤ 700 °C), we have demonstrated elevated source/drain formation on ultra-thin ( 30 %) and [B] (>2E20 cm-3) concentrations, and selective Si:C epitaxy with high substitutional C concentration (>1 %). Also, we have increased growth rate of low temperature selective epitaxy processes by optimizing process parameters by adapting non-conventional deposition method.
Selecting and maintaining a diverse T-cell repertoire

To provide a T-cell population that will respond promptly to foreign antigen, the immune system looks inward, using the variety of self-antigens to select and maintain a diverse repertoire of receptors. A protective immune system must include a T-lymphocyte population that is poised to respond to foreign antigenic peptides presented by self-major histocompatibility complex molecules. As the organism cannot predict the precise pathogen-derived antigens that will be encountered, the system uses the diverse array of self-peptides bound to self-major histocompatibility complex molecules, not only to select a receptor repertoire in the thymus, but also to keep nai ¨ve T cells alive and ‘ready for action’ in the periphery.
Lane following during backward driving for front wheel steered vehicles

This paper addresses the problem of automatic backward driving of passenger vehicles following a specified path. Additional difficulties associated with backward driving, as compared to forward driving are pointed out, with special attention to the sensor location. A special controller structure, based on a concept of kinematic linkage is proposed to overcome the dynamic difficulties associated with backward driving. Simulations and experiments demonstrate its performance and functionality.
Self-Compassion Increases Self-Improvement Motivation

Can treating oneself with compassion after making a mistake increase self-improvement motivation? In four experiments, the authors examined the hypothesis that self-compassion motivates people to improve personal weaknesses, moral transgressions, and test performance. Participants in a self-compassion condition, compared to a self-esteem control condition and either no intervention or a positive distraction control condition, expressed greater incremental beliefs about a personal weakness (Experiment 1); reported greater motivation to make amends and avoid repeating a recent moral transgression (Experiment 2); spent more time studying for a difficult test following an initial failure (Experiment 3); exhibited a preference for upward social comparison after reflecting on a personal weakness (Experiment 4); and reported greater motivation to change the weakness (Experiment 4). These findings suggest that, somewhat paradoxically, taking an accepting approach to personal failure may make people more motivated to improve themselves.
Scalable Distributed Service Integrity Attestation for Software-as-a-Service Clouds

Software-as-a-service (SaaS) cloud systems enable application service providers to deliver their applications via massive cloud computing infrastructures. However, due to their sharing nature, SaaS clouds are vulnerable to malicious attacks. In this paper, we present IntTest, a scalable and effective service integrity attestation framework for SaaS clouds. IntTest provides a novel integrated attestation graph analysis scheme that can provide stronger attacker pinpointing power than previous schemes. Moreover, IntTest can automatically enhance result quality by replacing bad results produced by malicious attackers with good results produced by benign service providers. We have implemented a prototype of the IntTest system and tested it on a production cloud computing infrastructure using IBM System S stream processing applications. Our experimental results show that IntTest can achieve higher attacker pinpointing accuracy than existing approaches. IntTest does not require any special hardware or secure kernel support and imposes little performance impact to the application, which makes it practical for large-scale cloud systems.
The negative effect of distraction on performance of robot-assisted surgical skills in medical students and residents.

Background Modern surgical practice often requires multitasking in operating rooms, generally full of distractions. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of distraction on robot-assisted surgical skill performance in medical students and residents. Methods Fourteen subjects performed a suture-tying task with the da Vinci™ surgical system with distractive secondary tasks simultaneously. The time to task completion, speed and the total distance travelled were analysed. Two-way repeated-measures ANOVA were applied. The scores of secondary tasks were analysed. Results A significant secondary task effect was found with an increase of the time to task completion (p = 0.003) and decreased average speed (p < 0.001). The performance of secondary task for residents was significantly better than students. Conclusions The performance of a robot-assisted surgical task was negatively affected by secondary tasks. However, residents with more surgical experience demonstrated a larger attention capacity for multitasking. Therefore, understanding how medical trainees respond to the distractive secondary tasks while performing robot-assisted surgical task is important in developing a surgical training programme based on the concept of attention. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Canine Viral Infections

The ophthalmic effects of viral infection are varied. With the added possibility for pathologic effects of attenuated vaccine viruses, the diagnosis of viral diseases can be a challenge. In many cases, ocular manifestations can provide added support to a presumptive diagnosis of viral disease, thereby underscoring the benefit of thorough ophthalmic examination of any animal with nonspecific signs of illness.
Insects as Food: A Case Study from the Northwest Amazon

In this article I examine the use of insects as food by Tukanoan Indians in the Northwest Amazon and discuss both the characteristics of the species exploited and their significance in the diet. Data on insect collection were obtained from harvest records and participant-observation. Dietary intake was determined from weighed food intake records. The insects collected belonged to over 20 species. The most important in the diet were those which formed large, highly predictable aggregations: beetle larvae (genus Rhynchophorus), ants (genus Atta), termites (genus Syntermes), and caterpillars (families Noctuidae and Saturniidae). The composition of insects is similar to that of other animal foods. Their inclusion in the diet was frequent and inversely related to the consumption of fish and game. They provided up to 12% of the crude protein derived from animal foods in men's diets and 26% in women's diets during one season of the year.
Tomko and Sentencing Guidelines in Tax Cases after Booker

This article discusses the recent caselaw developments concerning the Guidelines and then examines the Third Circuit’s en banc decision applying those developments in a criminal tax case.
Early laparoscopic management of appendicular mass in children: Still a taboo, or time for a change in surgical philosophy?

Introduction: Early appendicectomy has been found to be a safe and better alternative for management of appendicular mass in various studies in adults, while very few studies report such advantages in the paediatric population. We conducted this study to assess the safety, efficacy and need of early laparoscopic appendicectomy (ELA) in child patients with appendicular mass. Materials and Methods: All patients with appendicular mass who underwent ELA at our institute between September 2011 and August 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Appendicular mass was defined as a right iliac fossa mass in a case of acute appendicitis, diagnosed by clinical, laboratory and radiological evaluation, and palpation under anaesthesia, the patient being subjected to laparoscopic treatment. Results: Forty-eight (48) patients were confirmed to have appendicular mass intraoperatively and were included in the analysis. There were 30 males and 18 females, with ages ranging 7-13 years (mean 9 years). In the present study, appendicular complications included appendicular abscess (62.5%), gangrenous appendicitis (25%), sloughed-out appendix (8.33%) and appendicular perforation (4.16%). The average operative time was 72 min (range 45-93 min). One case (1.92%) required conversion to open procedure due to failure of identification of the appendicular base of a sloughed-out appendix. Post-operative complications were found in 4 (7.69%) patients, of whom 3 (5.76%) had minor wound infection at the umbilical port site and 1 (1.92%) had post-operative pelvic abscess, which was managed with percutaneous aspiration. Discussion: ELA avoids misdiagnosis, treats complicated appendicitis at its outset, and avoids complications and/or failure of non-operative treatment of a potentially lethal, diseased appendix. This approach is associated with minimal complications in experienced hands and is a safe and feasible option in children with appendicular mass.
Cognition and neuropsychiatry in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia by disease stage.

Objective: To characterize the cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms of patients with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) over the natural course of the disease. Methods: We examined the initial and subsequent neuropsychological test performance and neuropsychiatric symptoms in a large cohort of patients with bvFTD (n = 204) across progressive stages of disease as measured by the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR). We also compared cognitive and neuropsychiatric impairments of patients with bvFTD to those of an age-matched cohort with Alzheimer disease (AD) dementia (n = 674). Results: At the earliest stage (CDR = 0.5), patients with bvFTD had profound neuropsychiatric disturbances, insensitivity to errors, slower response times, and poor naming, with intact attention span, memory, and facial affect naming. Tests continuing to show progressive, statistically significant stepwise declines after the CDR = 1 stage included free recall, visuoconstruction, set-shifting, error insensitivity, semantic fluency, design fluency, emotion naming, calculations, confrontation naming, syntax comprehension, and verbal agility. At CDR = 0.5, patients with bvFTD significantly outperformed patients with AD in episodic memory and were faster in set-shifting, while scoring quantitatively worse in lexical fluency, emotion naming, and error sensitivity. The overall rate of disease progression in bvFTD was more rapid than in AD. Conclusion: There are distinct patterns of cognitive deficits differentiating the earlier and later disease stages in bvFTD, with the pattern of cognitive decline revealing in greater detail the natural history of the disease. These cognitive symptoms are readily apparent clinical markers of dysfunction in the principal brain networks known to undergo molecular and anatomical changes in bvFTD, thus are important indicators of the evolving pathology in individual patients.
Quantification of muscle-derived signal interference during monopolar needle electromyography of a peripheral nerve interface in the rat hind limb

High-fidelity signal acquisition is critical for the fundamental control of a neuroprosthesis. Our group has developed a bio-artificial interface consisting of a muscle graft neurotized by a severed nerve in a rat hind limb model. This regenerative peripheral nerve interface (RPNI) permits nerve signal transmission, amplification, and detection via in situ electromyography (EMG). Our study examined the magnitude of signal interference from simultaneously contracting muscles adjacent to our muscle of interest. In eighteen F344 rats, the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle was used to fabricate simulated RPNI constructs of various sizes in which the neurovascular pedicle was preserved, obviating the need for reinnervation or revascularization. After 3 weeks of recovery, in situ EMG testing was performed using electrical stimulation of the common peroneal nerve. A recording needle was placed in the EDL muscle with a reference/ground electrode in the contralateral toe webspace, comprising a monopolar recording configuration. The superficial peroneal nerve was transected to further isolate stimulation of the anterior compartment. Recordings from the EDL were performed before and after excision of the tibialis anterior (TA) and extensor hallucis longus (EHL) muscles. After TA/EHL excision, EDL compound muscle action potential (CMAP) peak-to-peak amplitudes were significantly lower by an average of 7.4±5.6(SD) mV, or 32±18%, (paired t(17)=-5.7, p<;0.0001). A significant positive linear correlation was seen between CMAP amplitude and EDL mass both before TA/EHL excision (r=0.68, n=18, p<;0.01) and after TA/EHL excision (r=0.79, n=18, p<;0.0001). EDL mass did not correlate with differences in CMAP amplitude or area caused by TA/EHL excision. Monopolar needle EMG recordings from the EDL muscle are significantly, but predictively, contaminated by concomitant muscular contractions in the anterior compartment of the rat hind limb. Further investigation of strategies to reduce this signal interference, including electrode choice or configuration, use of bioelectrical insulators, and filtering methods, is warranted to promote high-fidelity signal acquisition for prosthetic control.
Predictive Contingency Analysis Based on the Bayesian Network After Initial Disturbance

The difficulty of cascading failure analysis lies in its dynamic process which varies from the slow progression of line overloads to extremely fast cases involving system-wide instabilities as well as other various factors.In order to tackle the problem,the predictive contingency analysis method based on the Bayesian network is introduced in this paper.Based on the study of the development and characteristics of cascading failure,the power flow redistribution process after the initial disturbance is selected to be the focus of the study.With the linear probability characteristic of protection hidden failure taken into account,the cascading failure analysis model based on the Bayesian network is established for uncertainty reasoning.The method proposed is superior both in analyzing effectiveness and in model simplification to existing methods.The results of testing examples validate the correctness of the method proposed.
Cloud spot markets are not sustainable: the case for transient guarantees

Computational spot markets enable users to bid on servers, and then continuously allocates them to the highest bidder: if a user is "out bid" for a server, the market revokes it and re-allocates it to the new highest bidder. Spot markets are common when trading commodities to balance real-time supply and demand--cloud platforms use them to sell their idle capacity, which varies over time. However, server-time differs from other commodities in that it is "stateful": losing a spot server incurs an overhead that decreases the useful work it performs. Thus, variations in the spot price actually affect the inherent value of server-time bought in the spot market. As the spot market matures, we argue that price volatility will significantly decrease the value of spot servers. Thus, somewhat counter-intuitively, spot markets may not maximize the value of idle server capacity. To address the problem, we propose a more sustainable alternative that offers a variable amount of idle capacity to users for a fixed price, but with transient guarantees.
When is a health care system not an ethical health care system? Suspending the do-not-resuscitate order in the operating room.

It is obvious that the policy of suspending a patient’s do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order in the operating room is not beneficial to the patient. It is not in keeping with the health care professional-patient agreement and the purpose of a health care system. Since a patient has a right to decide on a DNR order prior to surgery, there is no coherent way to establish that this right is lost during surgery. Because the health care system is established expressly for the well-being of patients, there is no reason patients undergoing surgery do not have a right to choose for their well-being. This right is implied by the commitments and expectations established in the agreement between health care professionals and patients who enter the health care system.
New insights into mechanisms regulating pulmonary adventitial fibroblast proliferation.

Abstract In this issue of Acta Physiologica Scandinavica Li et al, make important contributions to the field of pulmonary hypertension by advancing our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that drive hypoxia-induced proliferation of adventitial fibroblasts PAFs (REF). Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is defined as an elevation of mean pulmonary artery pressure above 25 mm Hg at rest or above 30 mm Hg with exercise and is characterized by a narrowing of the pulmonary vasculature (Barst, 2008, Rabinovitch, 2012). The increase in pulmonary vascular resistance and pressure increases right ventricular afterload and the pressure required to force blood through the narrowed pulmonary vascular bed. PH is progressive and is characterized by an elevation of pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance, right ventricle hypertrophy ultimately leading to right ventricular failure and death. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Differential growth of body segments explains ontogenetic shifts in organ position for the Diamondback Water Snake (Nerodia rhombifer)

As snakes grow, their organs move anteriorly relative to body size. We explored a developmental explanation for the ontogenetic shift in the relative position of internal organs for snakes using th...
Metaphors and Multiple Meanings

Metaphors are clues that lead us to sort out a plot, to discern a character, Bor to guess a conclusion. Investigators use clues to guide them toward more coherence in a problem or to the solution of a puzzle. In murder mysteries, readers who guess which clues solve the crime have the pleasure of identifying with the successful police or the ironic private eye. Clues are half the answer, but not the complete picture; they provide some data, some direction to the destination, but not the arrival. And before the end of the story, clues always have multiple meanings, offering a cafeteria of choices that the reader must discern. Clues make readers participants in the story by enticing them forward; clues make them both work for the meaning of the text and enjoy the thrill of the chase and the pleasurable satisfaction of an ending.
A Microcontrolled DMA with a Versatile Linked List Capability for LAN Gateway Applications

This versatile microprogram controlled linked list Direct Memory Access (DMA) chip is designed to direct the reassembly of message fragments in a Local Area Network (LAN) gateway. It has been custom designed to operate on link control blocks containing non-sequential control words. A description of the control block format, architectural composition and external control of the DMA is presented in this paper.
Generation of Ripple-Size Internal Waves on a Fluidized Seafloor

Ripples produced on a fluidized seafloor have been observed in the field as well as in the laboratory. Because of their dynamic properties, they are sometimes referred to as transitional or ephemeral ripples, as they have been observed to go through cycles of forming and disappearing on the time scale of an individual wave period. The ripples also appear to go through a complex evolutionary sequence, occasionally leading to the spectacular event of sediment bursting from the seafloor. During bursting, loads of fluidized sediment will be ejected upward into the water column – in the form of intense sand plumes. Reproducing these ripples in the laboratory revealed that these ripples are actually a standing subharmonic internal wave on the water-sediment interface, produced by the water wave propagating above through an instability mechansim. In this paper an inviscid theory for the initial excitation of these dynamic ripples on a fluidized seafloor is presented.
Bellendenker gen. nov., a new Australian genus of Glandulariini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae).

Bellendenker palpalis gen. et sp. nov. is described based on specimens collected in northeastern Australia. The genus is unique among glandulariine Scydmaeninae in strikingly elongated labial palps, which are longer than the labium; no modifications of labial palps have been known so far in this large tribe. Bellendenker is most similar to the Australian genus Scydmaenozila Jaloszynski, they share similar thoracic structures. Numerous differences in cephalic characters can be used to distinguish these genera; moreover, adults of Bellendenker are wingless and have reduced structures of the elytral base. Fourteen genera of Glandulariini (plus one of unclear status, known only from original description) are currently known to occur in Australia, eight being endemic to this continent.
Nanoparticle photoresist studies for EUV lithography

EUV (extreme ultraviolet) lithography is one of the most promising candidates for next generation lithography. The main challenge for EUV resists is to simultaneously satisfy resolution, LWR (line-width roughness) and sensitivity requirements according to the ITRS roadmap. Though polymer type CAR (chemically amplified resist) is the currently standard photoresist, entirely new resist platforms are required due to the performance targets of smaller process nodes. In this paper, recent progress in nanoparticle photoresists which Cornell University has intensely studied is discussed. Lithography performance, especially scum elimination, improvement studies with the dissolution rate acceleration concept and new metal core applications are described.
Raman Computational and Experimental Studies of Dopamine Detection.

A combined theoretical and experimental analysis of dopamine (DA) is presented in this work with the objective of achieving more accurate detection and monitoring of this neurotransmitter at very low concentrations, specific to physiological levels. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy on silver nanoparticles was employed for recording DA concentrations as low as 10−11 molar. Quantum chemical density functional calculations were carried out using Gaussian-09 analytical suite software. Relatively good agreement between the simulated and experimentally determined results indicates the presence of different DA molecular forms, such as uncharged DA±, anionic DA−, and dopaminequinone. Disappearance of the strongest bands of dopamine around 750 cm−1 and 790 cm−1, which suggests its adsorption onto the metallic surface, is not only consistent with all of these DA configurations, but also provides additional information about the analyte’s redox process and voltammetric detection. On the other hand, occurrence of the abovementioned Raman lines could indicate the formation of multilayers of DA or its presence in a cationic DA+ form. Thus, through coordinated experiment and theory, valuable insights into changes observed in the vibrational signatures of this important neurotransmitter can be achieved for a better understanding of its detection at physiological levels, which is crucial if further optovoltammetric medical device development is envisioned.
Capping Medicaid Funding—Lessons From Puerto Rico

An editorial is presented which addresses the potential capping of U.S. Medicaid health insurance funding as of 2017, and it mentions the U.S. federal government's contribution to the Medicaid program in Puerto Rico. According to the article, 46 percent of the residents of Puerto Rico are enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The U.S. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the American Health Care Act are assessed.
Diagnosis and Management of Fecal Incontinence

The purpose of this review is to highlight current and newer therapeutic approaches to treat fecal incontinence in patients who do not respond to conservative measures. Neurostimulation techniques, injection of bulking agents, and radiofrequency energy delivery to the anal canal have been proposed and tested for fecal incontinence over the last decade. Sacral stimulation is both effective and durable and is now the most popular of the invasive techniques whereas percutaneous tibial stimulation, radiofrequency energy, and bulking agents are either less effective or their evaluation has been handicapped by suboptimal study designs. The precise indications for the new vaginal control device and anal plugs remain to be established. The magnetic anal sphincter is disappointing. Stem cell therapy is a potentially exciting approach, which is in its infancy. There continues to be an unmet need for innovative approaches to patients with fecal incontinence who do not respond to conservative measures. The efficacy of current and future therapies should be assessed using criteria more stringent than has been used in the past to provide a more realistic assessment of meaningful efficacy.
Discrete Dislocation Dynamics simulations of dislocation transport during sliding

Abstract Plastic deformation largely determines the properties of tribological contacts. To modify such contacts, it is thus necessary to understand the underlying mechanisms of dislocation motion and multiplication. In a sliding contact, dislocations do not only multiply, but also follow the moving tip — and are therefore ”transported” by the tip. Three dimensional Discrete Dislocation Dynamics simulations of sliding with a spherical tip are conducted to analyse dislocation transport in an fcc crystal, at stresses below those typically required to nucleate dislocations at a free surface. Sliding direction, glide plane orientation and Burgers vector orientation determine whether a dislocation can be transported or not, and how far the transport leads. A model is proposed to identify the glide systems, on which dislocations are transported.
The long-term results of prospective sibling reflux screening.

AbstractA prospective study was begun more than 10 years ago to identify the incidence of vesicoureteral reflux in the siblings of patients with reflux. A total of 354 siblings of 275 index patients was screened with a voiding cystourethrogram for the presence of reflux. Of the siblings tested 119 (34%) were found to have reflux, including 75% who were asymptomatic. Reflux was present in a significant percentage of younger siblings. No correlation with index patient reflux grade, sex or established renal damage could be related to the likelihood of sibling reflux. A slightly higher rate of reflux was found in the female siblings of female index patients, which is a variation from the initial study. The incidence of renal damage was significantly reduced in the siblings with reflux compared to the index patients, which was also true in the youngest patients, who are believed to be the most susceptible to reflux-mediated renal damage. Sibling reflux screening can be justified due to a high percentage of sib...
Elements of Order-Disorder Theory and Diverse Applications

In the spirit of the lectures delivered at the Winter School, the methodology of order-disorder theory will only “be outlined, and the mathematical details will he skipped. The aim is to present the reader with a survey of this area and to stimulate him to do additional reading on his own.
Caspase inhibition protects nerve terminals from in vitro degradation.

Caspase activation and apoptotic events may take place in terminal regions far removed from the cell body and contribute to synapse loss in neurodegenerative diseases. For examination of events in terminals, we have developed a cell-free assay using quantitative flow cytometric analysis (fluorescence-activated cell sorting) of neuronal particles in a P2 synaptosomal preparation (P-2) from rat brain as a model system. Staurosporine-induced loss of neuronal particles was blocked by nonselective caspase inhibition (z-VAD-fmk) and by calpain inhibition (calpain inhibitor II [ALLM]). Phosphatidylserine exposure was increased in the P-2 by staurosporine treatment, and this increase was blocked by a peptide inhibitor of caspase-3–like activity (Ac-DEVD-CHO). Increased caspase activity in the crude synaptosomal fraction was confirmed by direct measurement with a fluorometric assay. These results indicate activation of both caspase and calpain in the P-2 fraction and suggest a role for these cysteine proteases in the in vitro degradation of nerve terminals.
CT2.0: a collaborative database of examples for teaching informal logic

I propose to create a system of collaborative textbook authorship, review and delivery that would allow for multimedia interactive content and real-life contemporary examples that can take advantage of social networking and other 'web2.0' technologies. The potential for my system is great: the interactivity supported by social-networking frameworks will increase student engagement, the scalable model allows for embedded CT instruction in various disciplines, and the approach allows for a revolutionary model of textbook customization, pricing and distribution.
Impacts and Composition of Urban Stormwater

If construction or development occurs in a watershed, the area of impervious surfaces such as roads, parking lots, and buildings typically increases, with a corresponding decrease in the area of natural pervious surfaces. The result is an increase in stormwater runoff volumes, peak flow rates, and a degradation of runoff quality. The degradation of runoff quality can be observed in increased concentrations and total mass loads of nutrients and other organics, metals, chlorides, bacteria, viruses, hydrocarbons, and other substances, as well as increases in runoff temperature. The increased loading of these substances to receiving water bodies can be quite detrimental. This chapter discusses the most common contaminants found in urban stormwater runoff, their impacts, and typical concentrations.
Evaluation of medical decision making capacity in acute traumatic brain injury rehabilitation

Introduction/Background Concerns regarding medical decision-making capacity (MDC) occur during acute traumatic brain injury (TBI) rehabilitation. Although a majority of providers report MDC as a common concern, the level of training is inconsistent. This presentation provides an overview of MDC assessment and recommendations during acute TBI rehabilitation. Material and method MDC assessment involves a clinical interview, cognitive examination, and record review, although clinical practice varies. Clinical determination of MDC includes “has capacity”, “diminished capacity”, and “lacks capacity”. Four commonly adopted standards for determining MDC are: expressing a choice, understanding relevant information, appreciation of the situation and its consequences, and reasoning through the benefits and consequences of treatment options. While clinical judgment remains the “gold standard” for MDC assessment, instruments have been designed to enhance and support these evaluations. In acute TBI rehabilitation, evaluators should consider how TBI-related changes influence MDC. Appreciation of temporal changes in awareness and cognitive function might require assessment of MDC at multiple time points. Efforts to improve capacity, such as addressing communication barriers or treatment of delirium, might be necessary. Within the acute environment, providers have unique opportunities to assess and observe functional abilities on an inpatient service (e.g., psychology, speech therapy). Given the complexities of MDC assessment, potential “pitfalls” exist in determining MDC. Results Although MDC concerns are common among individuals during acute TBI rehabilitation, there is a dearth of MDC assessment training. While determination of MDC is based upon clinical judgment, instruments enhance MDC assessment. Given the complex dynamic nature of acute TBI rehabilitation, providers should be mindful that chronic and acute factors may influence evaluation of MDC. Conclusion Awareness of MDC standards and TBI factors allow for more accurate assessment of MDC during acute rehabilitation.
Evaluation of GLM and GAM for estimating population indices from fishery independent surveys

Abstract We evaluate the performance of generalized linear (GLM) and generalized additive (GAM) models for deriving population indices from fishery independent survey data. Six model types (3 GLMs and 3 GAMs) were formulated that differed in how spatial covariates were represented, with each using one of three alternative ways to include temporal covariates. The models were applied to summer and fall survey data on 127 species from fisheries-independent bottom-trawl surveys conducted by the Southeast Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP) in the northwest Gulf of Mexico. Three response variables were analyzed: occurrence, density, and abundance. The best model (from the alternative temporal representations) were identified for each response variable for each of the six model types and their performance analyzed in more detail. Model performance was based on residual autocorrelation (Moran’s I), prediction error (AIC weights), and predication variance (based on simulated sampling). We examined for patterns in these metrics based on the magnitude of the response variables (i.e., by quartiles). Results suggest that sample size (indexed here by response value quartiles) could be useful for a priori consideration when choosing among GLM and GAM models. GAM models that use geoposition with smoothing as the spatial covariate performed comparable to some of the other models at low abundances and densities (lower quartiles), and significantly outperformed all of the other models at higher densities and abundances (quartiles 3 and 4). We discuss how our results provide guidance on selecting GLM and GAM models for deriving population indices from survey data.
Abstract 19771: Persistent Thrombocytopenia after Myocardial Infarction is Associated with Increased Short- and Long-Term Mortality

Background: Thrombocytopenia (TCP) occurs commonly in patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). It is unclear whether persistent TCP after discharge among AMI survivors is associated with worse outcomes. Methods: We examined the impact of persistent post-discharge TCP on outcomes in a registry of consecutive AMI patients hospitalized between January 2004 and December 2007. In-hospital (IH) TCP was defined by a nadir platelet count Results: Of 842 patients hospitalized for a first AMI, we examined data on 617 hospital survivors who had follow-up within 3 months of discharge and documented long-term outcomes. Of those, 474 (76.8%) patients did not experience IH TCP while 42 (6.8%) and 101 (16.4%) had persistent and resolved TCP, respectively (Table). Patients with persistent TCP were older, had worse comorbidities, and were more likely to have TCP at baseline and discharge. There were no inter-group differences in infarct size, major bleeding complications, revascularization, or ejection fraction at discharge. Mortality following discharge was higher at all time-points among AMI patients with persistent TCP compared to patients with resolved or without IH TCP (Figure). Patients with resolved TCP had comparable mortality to those without IH TCP. Conclusion: Persistent TCP within 3 months after hospital discharge for AMI is associated with significantly increased short- and long-term mortality compared to patients with recovered TCP or without IH TCP.
Justice and Genocide

This paper examines both cosmopolitan and pragmatic arguments for the prosecution of genocide in international and transnational tribunals. While both approaches provide valuable insights regarding...
Early Outcomes and Complications of Synthetic Cartilage Implant for Treatment of Hallux Rigidus in the United States

Background:The aim of this study was to determine the early outcomes and complications following the implantation of a hydrogel synthetic cartilage implant (SCI, Cartiva) for the treatment of hallu...
Abstract 4708: Investigating triple negative breast cancer phenotypic heterogeneity of human and patient-derived xenograft samples using imaging mass cytometry

Tumors are highly heterogeneous populations of cells, and measures of intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH) and diversity correlate with worse prognosis in many cancers, including breast cancer. Emerging studies are highlighting functional interactions between subclones, as well as among subclones and components of the tumor microenvironment. However, these studies have largely focused on soluble factors without interrogating the spatial distribution of subclones defined by activated signaling pathways. Previous work in this area has been severely limited by technical restrictions - existing techniques allowing measurement of many biomarkers simultaneously lose all information about the tissue architecture, while those that do retain spatial information can only assay a handful of markers at once. We will circumvent these limitations by undertaking imaging mass cytometry (IMC), which allows for simultaneous measurement of 30-40 antigens while retaining the spatial organization of the sample. Our objective is to dissect the signaling heterogeneity in tumors from patients and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), through two main approaches: (1) characterization of signaling heterogeneity in tissue microarrays of human tumors and PDX models of TNBC with IMC and (2) modeling cell signaling heterogeneity in cell line-based models to determine mechanisms of cell-cell interaction and communication. We have constructed an IMC panel of antibodies that combines markers for tissue architecture, tumor and immune cell phenotyping, and signaling pathway activation. Profiling of a diverse panel of TNBC PDX models captures the heterogeneity of human TNBC. Analysis of distinct regions within individual PDX tumors demonstrate unique compositions of cell phenotypes between the edge and core of the tumor. Our PDX collection also includes sequential pairs derived from biopsies taken before and after chemotherapy treatment. Comparison of the pre-/post-chemotherapy pairs indicates emerging patterns of pathway activation. Interestingly, while the tumor cells from these models exhibit distinct phenotypes, the stromal cells are largely indistinguishable from one another, suggesting that these models are capturing tumor cell-intrinsic changes associated with chemotherapy response. Ultimately, we plan to use these results to identify novel vulnerabilities in subclonal interactions that can be targeted therapeutically in TNBC. Citation Format: Amanda L. Rinkenbaugh, Vidya C. Sinha, Xiaomei Zhang, Jiansu Shao, Helen Piwnica-Worms. Investigating triple negative breast cancer phenotypic heterogeneity of human and patient-derived xenograft samples using imaging mass cytometry [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4708.