cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Should Local Therapy for Invasive Breast Cancer Be Customized on the Basis of Subtype

Microarray analyses have identified intrinsic breast cancer subtypes with distinct gene expression profiles. These subtypes can be approximated by immunohistochemical analysis of markers routinely available in pathology reports, in particular hormone receptors (HR) and HER2. These approximated subtypes can be used to stratify patients with regard to long-term recurrence-free and breast cancer-specific survival, and local-regional recurrence (LRR)-free survival. Patients who are HR−/HER2− have the highest risk of LRR; however, there are no data supporting more aggressive local-regional treatment with surgery or radiation to reduce that risk for this group. It is possible that local-regional therapy could be limited for patients with more favorable subtypes (HR+/HER2−); however, more data are needed to support this strategy.
Disability and social theory: new developments and directions

This collection of essays, appropriately dedicated to the memory of disability activist and theorist Vic Finkelstein, ambitiously draws together 16 chapters written by a wide range of scholarly res...
A Stochastic-Dynamical Approach to the Study of the Natural Variability of the Climate

A method, suggested by Leith (1975), which employed stochastic-dynamic forecasts obtained from a general circulation model in such a way as to satisfy the definition of climatic noise, was used to validate assumptions accounting for the effects of external influences in estimating the climatic noise. Two assumptions were investigated: (1) that the weather fluctuations can be represented as a Markov process, and (2) that changing external conditions do not influence the atmosphere's statistical properties on short time scales. The general circulation model's simulation of the daily weather fluctuations was generated by performing integrations with prescribed climatological boundary conditions for random initial atmospheric states, with resulting dynamical forecasts providing an ensemble of simulated data for the autoregressive modeling of weather fluctuations. To estimate the climatic noise from the observational data (consisting of hourly values of sea level pressure and surface temperature at 54 U.S. stations for the month of January for the years 1949-1975) use of the short time-scale assumption is made. The simulated and observed data were found not to be consistent with either white noise or a Markov process of weather fluctuations. Good agreement was found between the results of the hypothetical testing of the simulated and the observed surface temperatures; and only partial support was found for the short time-scale assumption, i.e., for sea level pressure.
Half-life and gamma abundance ratio measurements of 153Sm

The measurement of the decay of 153Sm was observed by gamma spectrometry, liquid scintillation counting and gas proportional counting in an attempt to confirm the half life and gamma abundance ratios for this isotope. Recent changes in the published nuclear decay data indicate that historical literature values may be biased. The 153Sm was made by the neutron activation of ultra-pure isotopically enriched 152Sm to create 153Sm. The decay measurements were made over a three week period and no other isotopes were detected during this time. The gamma abundance ratio for the 103 keV gamma was measured to be (27.9%) which is 4% lower than the published data. In addition, the half life was 1.9308 days, which is 0.34% lower than the published data.
Sequence generation in prebiological peptide synthesis

Abstract In contradistinction to the suggestion that peptide synthesis occurring nonenzymically on the primitive Earth would be a totally random event, evidence is presented that the interaction of any one given amino acid with another follows well-defined statistics based on the relative reactivity of each amino acid. The effects of environment, pH, side chain, and the characteristics of the portion of the polymer already produced were studied. The results lead to the conclusion that, based on the relative reactivities of the amino acids, a population of polypeptides of specific sequences could have been abiotically produced without the involvement of nucleic acids. The relevance of this observation to prebiotic chemical evolution is discussed.
Mechanics of crack—microcrack interactions

Abstract The paper summarizes recent work done by the authors on the mechanics of two- and three-dimensional crack-microcrack interactions. The mechanics of interactions of a crack with large numbers of microcracks (crack–“damage” interactions) is analyzed by directly solving the interaction problem for a number of sample microcrack arrays—realisations of certain microcrack statistics. Statistical aspects of the problem are examined. It is found that the “short range” interactions (several microcracks closest to the main crack tip) play a dominant role. The interaction effects produced by them are highly sensitive to the exact positions of microcracks. The impact of this dominant “short range” zone on the main crack cannot be adequately reproduced by modelling the zone by an “effective” elastic material of reduced stiffness. Due to a high sensitivity effects to the exact positions of microcracks in the “short range” zone, the interaction effects fluctuate, even qualitatively (from shielding to amplification) from one realization of a given microcrack statistics to another; in 3-D configurations, they also fluctuate along the main crack front. Thus, no statistically stable effect of shielding is found (at least, for the microcrack statistics considered which assume random locations of the microcrack centers). The mechanism of “toughening by microcracking”, if exists, may be due to expenditure of energy on nucleation of new microcracks, rather than interactions with them or due to a statistics of the microcrack centers which is “biased” towards shielding configurations. Stochastic asymmetries in the microcrack field produce noticeable “secondary” modes on the main crack (mode II component on the main crack under mode I loading conditions): this may be partially responsible for crack kinking and irregular crack path in brittle microcracking materials. The interaction effects in 3-D are weaker than in 2-D.
Screening for drugs of abuse: hair as an alternative matrix: a review for the medical toxicologist.

Biological testing for drugs of abuse has a long history. It has been performed using a variety of different body fluids and tissues and for many different purposes, including historical interest, ...
Three dimensional structure of the chromatoid body of Entamoeba invadens.

A reconstruction of the asymmetric unit of the chromatoid body helix from electron microscopic data corresponds to a particle which in many ways resembles the ribosome.
Growth of some chemoautotrophic bacteria at different oxygen tensions.

Les bacteries suivantes:Nitrosocystis oceanus, Nitrosomonas europaea, Nitrobacter agilis et Thiobacillus thiooxidans ont ete cultivees en milieu solide dans une atmosphere dont on a varie la teneur en oxygene. On a trouve que la croissance de toute ces bacteries a ete arretee en presence d'un exces d'oxygene (90%). D'autre part l'oxydation de l'ammonium du nitrite et du thiosulfate n'a pas ete inhibee par oxygene.
Why Hiroshima Was Immoral: A Response to Landesman

Professor Landesman argues that the bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 was morally justified because it “ended the war and saved lives.” I believe that Landesman is mistaken in this moral evaluation. My view is that the bombing of Hiroshima was an unspeakable act that left an irremovable stain on the character of this nation. The high moral ground that the United States had so gloriously and painfully assumed in its conduct of the war through 1944 was all lost in the bombings of Dresden and Tokyo and Hiroshima and Nagasaki. For the Japanese, the bombing caused mass death and immense suffering. For the Americans, it betrayed ideals of noncombatant immunity that many American soldiers and airmen had given their lives to sustain. That is why so many people, when they hear the word “Hiroshima,” feel only despair and shame. At least 100,000 people perished at Hiroshima. How then could this act have “saved lives”? Professor Landesman argues:
A specific FSH receptor in rat granulosa cells: properties of binding in vitro.

The specific binding of [125I]iodoFSH to granulosa cells collected from immature, hypophysectomized, DES-treated rats, was studied in vitro. Specific binding occurred after 5 min and reached maximum after 3 h of incubation at 37 C. Nonspecific binding was very low (<10% of the total binding). The [125I]iodoFSH remained tightly associated with the receptor at ρH 7.5, but was rapidly dissociated at ρH 5. Unlabeled hFSH competitively inhibited [125I]iodoFSH binding. Kinetic analyses of equilibrium binding experiments gave an apparent association constant (Ka) of 1.34 (±0.31) × 1010M-1 [mean (±SE)] and a number of binding sites per cell of (NB) 1, 130 ± 70 (mean ± SE). Rat prolactin, wheat germ agglutinin, and concanavalin-A did not compete with [l25I]iodoFSH, but hLH, hCG, and rTSH competed at doses 300- to 900-fold higher than those of hFSH. Cranulosa cells isolated from adult DES-treated rats, as well as cells collected from medium and preovulatory follicles of proestrous rats, gave Ka and NB values simila...
Cilia localization is essential for in vivo functions of the Joubert syndrome protein Arl13b/Scorpion

arl13b was initially cloned as the novel cystic kidney gene scorpion (sco) in zebrafish and was shown to be required for cilia formation in the kidney duct. In mouse, a null mutant of Arl13b shows abnormal ultrastructure of the cilium and defective sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling. Importantly, a recent study linked mutations in ARL13B to a classical form of Joubert syndrome (JS), an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by a distinctive cerebellar malformation. In this study, we analyzed the zebrafish arl13b (sco) mutant and gene products in detail. We first demonstrate that Arl13b is a protein that is highly enriched in the cilium and is required for cilia formation in multiple organs in zebrafish, and that knockdown of arl13b leads to multiple cilia-associated phenotypes. We additionally show that multiple regions of Arl13b are required for its localization to the cilium. By means of rescuing experiments with a series of deletion and point mutants, we further demonstrate that the ciliary localization is crucial for the in vivo function of Arl13b. Together, these results strongly support the hypothesis that JS-related disease (JSRD) is a ciliopathy, or a disease caused by ciliary defects, and that Arl13b functions mainly through the cilium.
Potential strategies for process control and monitoring of stabilization of dairy wastewaters in batch aerobic treatment systems

This research was conducted to study the relationships between pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), and oxidation–reduction potential (ORP) during low-intensity aeration of dairy wastewaters and to determine potential strategies for monitoring and/or control of this treatment process. The results of this study ascertained that, close to the detection limit of commercially available DO probes (0.1 mg/l), DO is a poor indicator of the oxidation– reduction status of the dairy wastewater during this treatment processes. All the three parameters (ORP, DO, and pH) displayed features defining stabilization of the wastewater and hence all three can be used singly or in combination to monitor and/or to control this treatment process. The study also established strong linear relations between ORP and the log of DO; manifest in the high-correlation coefficients of 0.98 and 0.95 at the aeration rates of 0.067 and 0.034-l [air] l � 1 [manure] min � 1 , respectively. The latter observation confirms the higher sensitivity of ORP over DO at very low-oxygen levels; a fact which indicates the superiority of ORP in the monitoring and control of oxidation–reduction status of the wastewater close to DO detection limit. Finally, both total volatile solids (TVS) and chemical oxygen demand (COD), which are common measures of wastewater stabilization; correlated well with pH, DO, and ORP during the entire treatment process. However, because the measurements of DO are erratic close to the DO detection limit, and because ORP and pH measurements are much more consistent than the DO in the entire range of treatment, these two parameters will be more suitable for monitoring and control especially of extended aeration treatments. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Characterizing podcast services: publishing, usage, and dissemination

In this paper, we aim at characterizing podcast services both from publishers' and users' perspectives, and at analyzing the implications of these characteristics on the design of efficient dissemination systems. Specifically, our goal is to characterize how podcasting content is generated and published, and how users subscribe and consume podcasts. We are also interested in understanding whether podcast episodes are efficiently disseminated to users just using a sporadic direct access to the Internet (which is the current way of downloading podcast episodes), or whether the use of peer-to-peer mobile device-to-device dissemination systems could help enhancing the performance of podcast services.Our study is based on traces of podcast episode releases, subscriptions, and play times from major podcast service providers. An extensive analysis of the traces allows us to develop a comprehensive model of current podcast services, and provide statistics about the type and content of the typical podcasts, the size and the release frequencies of their episodes, as well as their popularity. By studying podcast usage, we show that the service is delay-tolerant, as users may well play podcast episodes a long time after their actual release. An interesting consequence of this delay tolerance is that mobile device-to-device dissemination systems would not be very useful for the current typical podcasts, while they may become more attractive for future interactive podcast services.
Comparative metabolic physiology in the 'omics' era: a call to arms, paws, flippers, and claws.

In nutrition, medicine, and animal science, metabolism research is often focused on solving questions using a single organism. Outcomes are most often linked to translational outcomes, understanding or treating a disease, optimizing nutritional status, improving select qualities of production animals, which have tremendous value to human and animal health as well as economic benefit. There is also value in clarifying basic biological principles and integrative systems that determine how organisms function and deal with their environment. Relevant to both translational and basic research questions, comparative metabolic physiology provides a context by which new “omics” technologies and other approaches can be coupled to multi-species metabolic phenotype diversity. These principles were highlighted at the “Adipose and Lipid Biology: Crossing Taxonomic Boundaries” symposium held at the 2013 Experimental Biology meeting in Boston, MA. By considering differences and shared physiology across a spectrum of phenotypes (especially when considering “extremes” that have emerged from evolutionary processes or breeding selection), one may unmask subtle processes and learn from natural adaptations. Adv. Nutr. 4: 568–569, 2013.
Enumerating Possible Design Options for Integral Attachment Using a Hierarchical Classification Scheme

The proliferation of plastic in parts, and the ability to mold such parts of great complexity at little cost penalty, has resulted in the growing use of integral attachment in the form of snap-fit features in designs. Heretofore, the great diversity in geometry of mating parts and of available integral attachment snap-fit features (e.g., cantilever hooks, compression traps, bayonet-fingers, etc.) has made it appear that assembly design possibilities may be unbounded, and that attempts at optimization might be intractable. This paper enumerates all possible assembly design options using a hierarchical classification scheme. In so doing, it guides new designers and validates choices for experienced ones. The result is great order and simplicity that facilitates better understanding of this assembly joining method, better communication, development of design aids, and improved and extended attachment performance.
On the Anomalously Strong Dependence of the Acoustic Velocity of Alumina on Temperature in Aluminosilicate Glass Optical Fibers—Part I: Material Modeling and Experimental Validation

The thermo-acoustic coefficient (TAC, or the change of acoustic velocity with a change in temperature) of the alumina (Al2O3) component in aluminosilicate core silica clad glass optical fibers is anomalously large. It has been speculated previously that this anomaly is not due to a large alumina TAC, but instead due to the thermal expansion mismatch between the aluminosilicate core glass and the pure silica cladding glass. In this new work, it is shown that the acoustic velocity of the aluminosilicate core glass changes much differently than that for a bulk aluminosilicate glass. In the high alumina content compositional range, it is found that the larger core-region thermal expansion results in a net positive pressure imparted on the silica component in the core. As the acoustic velocity of silica has a strong negative dependence on any applied pressure, this offsets the bulk positive-valued thermal response of silica. Utilizing a modified form of the Winkelmann–Schott additivity model, the effect of the thermal expansion mismatch between the core and clad glasses is incorporated, and the resultant TAC determined for alumina is fully consistent with data found in the literature for bulk alumina. The consideration and incorporation of the thermal expansion of the core and clad glasses adds another degree of freedom to the design of specialty optical fibers for distributed sensor applications. Complementary to this article, Part II describes an efficient computational route for determining selected physical properties of an amorphous analog to a given crystalline form whose physical properties are known.
Building Theory and Making Change: The Challenges of Studying Feminist Activism

For the last twenty years, my research has focused on the ways that legal, medical, and community organizations respond to sexual violence in the United States. This research has been informed and, I believe, enriched by my work in local organizations that provide supportive services to survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence and to those seeking access to abortion. When I arrived at Rutgers for graduate school, I was surprised and frustrated at how few of the stories I heard as a service provider had made their way into the academic discussions about feminism, feminist movements, and feminist organizations that I encountered in the political science literature.
The case for pathogen-specific therapy.

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the treatment of microbial diseases is increasingly complicated by drug resistance, the emergence of new pathogenic microbes, the relatively inefficacy of antimicrobial therapy in immunocompromised hosts, and the reemergence of older diseases, often with drug-resistant microbes. Some of these problems can be traced to the switch between pathogen-specific antibacterial therapy and the nonspecific antibacterial therapy that followed the transition from serum therapy to modern antimicrobial chemotherapy. The widespread availability of cheap, effective, nontoxic wide-spectrum antibacterial therapy for almost 75 years fostered a culture of therapeutic empiricism that neglected diagnostic technologies. Despite unquestioned lifesaving efficacy for individuals with microbial diseases, the use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials was associated with fungal superinfections and antibiotic-associated colitis, helped to catalyze the emergence of resistance, and is now tentativ...
Cloning, expression and preliminary X-ray analysis of the dihydroorotase from the hyperthermophilic eubacterium Aquifex aeolicus

Dihydroorotase (DHOase) catalyzes the formation of dihydroorotate in the de novo pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway. The gene encoding the type I DHOase from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Aquifex aeolicus has been cloned in Escherichia coli with a polyhistidine affinity tag appended to the amino-terminal end and sequenced. The recombinant protein was expressed at high levels and could be purified readily in a single step by Ni2+ affinity chromatography. Both native and selenomethionine-labeled proteins were crystallized using the hanging-drop vapor-diffusion technique. Screens of the purified protein identified several conditions that yielded crystals; however, the best crystals were obtained using 1 M Li2SO4, 10 mM NiCl2, 100 mM Tris acetate pH 8.5 as the precipitant. Well formed diamond-shaped crystals appeared within 1 d and continued to grow over several weeks to about 0.5 mm in the largest dimension. The crystals diffract to 1.7 A and belong to space group C2, with unit-cell parameters a = 119.8, b = 88.0, c = 55.2 A, β = 99.0° and a mosaic spread of 0.6°. There is one DHOase monomer in the asymmetric unit.
Applying MetaMap to Medline for identifying novel associations in a large clinical dataset: a feasibility analysis.

Objective We describe experiments designed to determine the feasibility of distinguishing known from novel associations based on a clinical dataset comprised of International Classification of Disease, V.9 (ICD-9) codes from 1.6 million patients by comparing them to associations of ICD-9 codes derived from 20.5 million Medline citations processed using MetaMap. Associations appearing only in the clinical dataset, but not in Medline citations, are potentially novel. Methods Pairwise associations of ICD-9 codes were independently identified in both the clinical and Medline datasets, which were then compared to quantify their degree of overlap. We also performed a manual review of a subset of the associations to validate how well MetaMap performed in identifying diagnoses mentioned in Medline citations that formed the basis of the Medline associations. Results The overlap of associations based on ICD-9 codes in the clinical and Medline datasets was low: only 6.6% of the 3.1 million associations found in the clinical dataset were also present in the Medline dataset. Further, a manual review of a subset of the associations that appeared in both datasets revealed that cooccurring diagnoses from Medline citations do not always represent clinically meaningful associations. Discussion Identifying novel associations derived from large clinical datasets remains challenging. Medline as a sole data source for existing knowledge may not be adequate to filter out widely known associations. Conclusions In this study, novel associations were not readily identified. Further improvements in accuracy and relevance for tools such as MetaMap are needed to realize their expected utility.
Murine Gammaherpesvirus 68 Cyclin D Homologue Is Required for Efficient Reactivation from Latency

Murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV68) is a gammaherpesvirus that was first isolated from murid rodents. MHV68 establishes a latent infection in the spleen and other lymphoid organs. Several gammaherpesviruses, including herpesvirus saimiri, human herpesvirus 8, and MHV68, encode proteins with extensive homology to the D-type cyclins. To study the function of the cyclin homologue, a recombinant MHV68 has been constructed that lacks the cyclin homologue and expresses β-galactosidase as a marker (MHV68cy−). MHV68cy− grows in vitro with kinetics and to titers similar to those of the wild type. BALB/c mice infected with mixtures of equivalent amounts of the wild type and MHV68cy− show deficient growth of the MHV68cy− in an acute infection. Infection of SCID mice with virus mixtures also showed decreased MHV68cy− virus growth, indicating that the deficiency is not mediated by T or B cells. Although mice infected with mixtures containing 100 times as much MHV68cy− had greater splenic titers of the mutant virus than wild-type virus in acute infection, at 28 days postinfection splenocytes from these mice reactivated primarily wild-type virus. Quantitative PCR data indicate that equivalent genomes were present in the latent state. Reinsertion of the cyclin homologue into the cyclin-deleted virus restored the wild-type phenotype. These results indicate that the MHV68 cyclin D homologue mediates important functions in the acute infection and is required for efficient reactivation from latency.
Two-loop amplitudes for gluon fusion into two photons

We present the two-loop matrix elements for the scattering of two gluons into two photons in QCD. These matrix elements will enter into improved estimates of the QCD background to Higgs production at the LHC when the Higgs decays into two photons. The photon mode is especially important if M{sub H} < 140 GeV. We also give the amplitudes for the crossed process, g{gamma} {yields} g{gamma}.
Differences in Biases and Compensatory Strategies Across Discipline, Rank, and Gender Among University Academics

The study of ethical behavior and ethical decision making is of increasing importance in many fields, and there is a growing literature addressing the issue. However, research examining differences in ethical decision making across fields and levels of experience is limited. In the present study, biases that undermine ethical decision making and compensatory strategies that may aid ethical decision making were identified in a series of interviews with 63 faculty members across six academic fields (e.g. biological sciences, health sciences, social sciences) and three levels of rank (assistant professor, associate professor, and full professor) as well as across gender. The degree to which certain biases and compensatory strategies were used in justifications for responses to ethical situations was compared across fields, level of experience, and gender. Major differences were found across fields for several biases and compensatory strategies, including biases and compensatory strategies related to use of professional field principles and field-specific guidelines. Furthermore, full professors tend to differ greatly from assistant and associate professors on a number of constructs, and there were differences in the consistency with which biases and compensatory strategies were displayed within these various groups. Implications of these findings for ethics training and future research are discussed.
Consequence Analysis: An On-line Replication

Sanford and Fawcett (1980) developed an approach for increasing informed public opinion called consequence analysis, in which more thoughtful, better informed opinions appeared to result from a procedure in which respondents were asked to consider, elaborate, and evaluate the multiple consequences of a public policy decision. In this partial replication, 43 persons responded to an internet-based instrument that tested the effects of an online consequence analysis procedure. The results indicated that the procedure produced significant changes in stated opinions in the direction of opinions more consistent with the science of behavior, supporting the initial findings of Sanford and Fawcett, but also that many respondents did not complete the on-line instrument. Implications for further research, and the possible substantial importance of the consequence analysis procedure for expanding "self-reflective society" are explored.
Prey Chemical Discrimination by Tongue Flicking Is Absent in the Texas Horned Lizard, Phrynosoma cornutum

Abstract We tested tongue-flicking responses to food chemicals and control stimuli in the Texas Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum) by presenting chemical stimuli on cotton swabs. No evidence of discrimination between prey chemicals (from the ant Pogonomyrmex rugosus), plant chemicals (romaine lettuce), cologne, and distilled water via the lingual-vomeronasal system was detected despite extremely high statistical power. We conclude that P. cornutum does not use tongue flicking to sample chemicals to permit detection and identification of food. Horned lizards forage by moving between ant colonies, capturing numerous ants at each colony by lingual prehension. Because ants are abundant above ground and mobile, visual search may suffice. Despite the absence of evidence for prey chemical discrimination, the lizards tongue flicked up to 15 times in a 60-sec trial. Because horned lizards do not usually enter crevices likely to contain predators and because they rely on crypsis to avoid detection, they are presum...
Dynamic coarse graining in complex system simulation

The high computational burden in complex system simulation, particularly for a polymer system, prohibits long term simulation that provides information to predict the system attributes. We propose a coarse graining simulation method, stemming from our earlier work on state reduction through a modified local feature analysis (LFA), so that, based on short term system dynamics, one can automatically identify a low number of “seeds” based on correlations in the dynamic motion of all states. The trajectories of the “seeds” are then extrapolated. A simple matrix transformation is proposed to calculate trajectories of the whole system from the extrapolated “seed” trajectories. As the recovered system dynamics are derived from the low dimensional seed trajectories, we call it coarse grained dynamics. Simulation is carried out to illustrate the application of the developed algorithm to the PVC polymer dynamics.
Negotiating Cultures and Identities: Life History Issues, Methods, and Readings

Negotiating Cultures and Identities examines issues, methods, and models for doing life history research with individual Americans based on interviews and participant observation. John L. Caughey helps students and other researchers explore the ways in which contemporary Americans are influenced by multiple cultural traditions, including ethnic, religious, and occupational frames of reference. Using the example of Salma, a bicultural woman of Pakistani descent who lives in the United States, and the story of Gina, a multicultural American, Caughey examines how to capture the complexity of each situation, including step-by-step methods and exercises that lead the student interviewer through the process of locating and interviewing a research participant, making sense of the material obtained, and writing a cultural portrait. Arguing that comparison between the subject's life and one's own is an essential part of the process, the methodology also encourages the investigator to research his or her own social and cultural orientations along the way and to contrast these with those of the subject. The book offers a practical, manageable, and engaging form of qualitative research. It prepares the student to do grounded, experiential work outside the classroom and to explore important issues in contemporary American society, including ethnicity, race, identity, disability, gender, class, occupation, religion, and spirituality as they are culturally understood and experienced in the lives of individual Americans.
A simple QC methodology for common seismic data and data loading problems Or are your seismic data the best they can be? Part 2: Scaling issues

So, you have your seismic data loaded into your interpretation system. What is the first thing you do? Go ahead and start interpreting using your preferential loop and tie method? It makes sense, particularly because the exploration manager is breathing down your neck, waiting for several hundred million barrel prospects from you by the end of the month, right?
Comparative Use of Podcasts vs. Lecture Transcripts as Learning Aids for Dental Students

The purpose of this project was to describe dental students' use of lecture podcasts versus written lecture transcripts as learning aids under three different circumstances: studying for an exam, reviewing an attended lecture, and reviewing a missed lecture. Additional analyses were performed to see whether demographic differences (e.g., age, gender, language skills, and computer skills) or grade differences were associated with preferences for using podcast versus written lecture transcripts of class notes. Fifty-one percent (n=171) of the second-year dental students at the New York University College of Dentistry voluntarily participated in this survey. The major findings were that 1) a high percentage of students (70-92 percent) used one or both aids in all three utilization circumstances with a consistent preference for podcast use, especially when reviewing a missed lecture; 2) course grades were not associated with the preferred use of either lecture aid; and 3) over half the students listened to the podcasts at speeds that were one and one-half or two times faster than normal speech, especially younger students. Further studies are warranted to delve into the current student generation's preferred learning styles and the resultant learning outcomes associated with those preferences.
Gamma Knife surgery: past to Perfexion.

1 The 14th International Meeting of the Leksell Gamma Knife Society was held in Quebec City, Canada, in May of 2008. This supplement to the Journal of Neurosurgery contains some of the most rigorous scientific research presented at the meeting. Since its inception in the 1950s, stereotactic radiosurgery has matured from a fringe therapy to a mainstream treatment for intracranial vascular malformations and benign and malignant tumors. In the process, this discipline has revolutionized the fields of neurosurgery and radiation oncology. There are, however, significant areas that remain to be explored. The field of spinal radiosurgery is relatively new, and the benefits of MR imaging– guided planning and precise radiosurgical dose planning with Leksell Perfexion represent intriguing possibilities. Movement disorders are currently targets of neuromodulation/stimulation procedures and stem cell research. With the combination of highly detailed anatomical images (functional MR imaging, 3-T and higher–field strength MR imaging, and magnetoencephalography), it will soon be possible to either lesion or modulate affected areas of the brain using radiation with great precision. Although the Gamma Knife (GK) has always been a dedicated neurosurgical tool, most centers have long adopted a team approach to GK surgery. Conference attendance and participation by neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists, medical physicists, and other medical specialists such as neuroendocrinologists and neuropsychologists are a testament to this type of approach. Radiosurgery has consistently taken advantage of expertise from diverse areas of medicine including neurosurgery, radiology, physics, and radiation oncology. The multidisciplinary approach affords optimal patient selection, treatment, and follow-up care. Research from these diverse groups of participants is further refining and, in some instances, redefining intracranial stereotactic radiosurgery. The scientific program at the meeting represented a mixture of honoring the past and examining ways to enhance the future outcomes of patients undergoing radiosurgery. The GK Perfexion was the focus of some of the scientific presentations and appears to represent a quantum leap in terms of GK technology. Improvements in clinical outcomes and expanding indications (for example, extracranial or fractionated approaches) with the Perfexion will require further study. The present supplement consists of peer-reviewed manuscripts from the Leksell Gamma Knife Society meeting. Each of these manuscripts details work presented at the meeting. The scientific works reflect a snapshot of current GK pursuits. With hope, this written record from the meeting will lead to widespread dissemination of important studies presented at the conference and to collaboration and innovations for future GK research. (DOI: 10.3171/JNS/2008/109/12/S1) J Neurosurg 109:1
Emerging academic responsibilities and opportunities for promoting regional sustainability

Academics have had numerous responsibilities during the centuries. However, now with global climate changes and the attendant, looming crises, it is increasingly crucial that administrators, faculty members, graduate, undergraduate students, staff members and alumni work together with governmental.. non-governmental and industrial members in envisioning, societies that are truly sustainable. The visions must then be effectively and efficiently implemented in numerous locations throughout the world in regionally adapted societal experiments that will help to ensure that our children's, children's, children's children and beyond will enjoy this wonderful planet. The UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) is an excellent framework within which academics can increasingly work to make the dramatic changes that are urgently needed. The DESD can then be implemented in the context of the The U.N. Millennium Development Goals" (MDG) and the "Earth Charter" as further framing and challenging inputs to guide our education, research and outreach that will help to ensure sustainable cities and regions within the global context.
Surface and Near-Surface Investigation of the Alteration of the Mount Scott Granite and Geometry of the Sandy Creek Gabbro Pluton, Hale Spring Area, Wichita Mountains, Oklahoma

Surface and subsurface investigation of the spatial relationships between the Cambrian-age Glen Mountains Layered Complex, Mount Scott Granite, and Sandy Creek Gabbro in the Hale Spring Area of the Wichita Mountains, shows that the upper portion of the Sandy Creek gabbro pluton is largely steep-walled, with a blunt irregular subhorizontal roof capped by Mount Scott Granite. In the subsurface, the near vertical sidewalls of the gabbro are presumed to truncate an older subhorizontal contact of regional extent, between the Glen Mountains Layered Complex substrate and the Mount Scott Granite cap. This subhorizontal contact is interpreted as an angular unconformity that developed on the layered complex and was subsequently buried by volcanic deposits of the Carlton Rhyolite Formation prior to intrusion of the Mount Scott Granite sheet. The Sandy Creek Gabbro does contain xenoliths of Glen Mountains Layered Complex and Meers Quartzite, a metasedimentary unit associated with this unconformity. Locally, a thin ledge of gabbro, with an irregular floor, protrudes more than 0.5 km to the south from the main body of the intrusion presumably exploiting this subhorizontal contact. Thus, the Sandy Creek Gabbro is a stock, capped by the floor of the Mount Scott Granite sheet, and only locally spreads laterally along the older unconformity, the contact between the Mount Scott Granite sheet and the underlying Glen Mountains Layered Complex.
Constitutional Collectivism and Ex-Offender Residence Exclusion Zones

The U.S. has often been imperiled by the competing interests of individual states, and while past threats have most frequently assumed economic or political form, this article addresses a different threat: state efforts to limit where ex-offenders (those convicted of sex crimes in particular) can live. The laws have thus far withstood constitutional challenge, with courts deferring to the police power of states. This deference, however, ignores the negative externalities created when states jettison their human dross, and defies Justice Cardozo's oft-repeated constitutional tenet that the "the peoples of the several states must sink or swim together." The article discusses the continued need for this tenet in the face of state expulsionist tendencies and invokes in support the Court's decisions invalidating state laws barring entry of the poor and solid waste. In both instances, the Court, while acknowledging the exigencies motivating states, invalidated the laws because they betrayed the national imperative of dealing with challenges faced by all states. As the article establishes, a kindred understanding and resolve is now necessary as states seek to isolate themselves from the shared national responsibility of offender reentry.
Self-triggered pursuit of a single evader

This paper studies a continuous-time pursuit-evasion problem involving a single pursuer and a single evader on a plane. In contrast to other works that study this problem, we are interested in developing a pursuit strategy that doesn't require continuous, or even periodic, information about the position of the evader. To this end, we propose a self-triggered control strategy such that the pursuer can autonomously decide, based on out-dated information, when new samples of the evader's position is required in order to satisfy desired performance metrics. Our proposed algorithm guarantees capture of the evader in finite time with a finite number of sporadic updates without sacrificing any performance in terms of guaranteed time to capture as compared to classic algorithms that assume continuous information is available at all times. Simulations illustrate our results.
Prognosis of Patients With Stage D1 Prostatic Adenocarcinoma

AbstractOf 44 patients with clinically localized prostatic adenocarcinoma and regional lymphatic metastases proved by staging pelvic lymphadenectomy 11 were treated by radical prostatectomy, 20 received extended field radiationand 13 were assigned to delayed hormonal therapy. The median survival for the entire group was 39.5 months. None of the3 treatments appeared superior in prolonging survival. Furthermore, no enhancement of disease control could be demonstrated in either treatment group. Patients with prostatic adenocarcinoma and positive nodes appear to have equivalent adverse biologic potential and should be considered candidates for treatments designed to produce systemic effect.
Spontaneous splenic rupture associated with apixaban: a case report

Spontaneous splenic rupture associated with anticoagulant use is a rare but potentially lethal disorder. Lack of prompt recognition can be associated with poor patient outcomes. The use of novel oral anticoagulants is becoming more common and thus consideration of this disorder while evaluating a patient who presents with abdominal pain while using these agents is extremely important. This is the first reported case of spontaneous splenic rupture associated with apixaban. We describe the clinical case of an 83-year-old white man who complained of sudden severe abdominal pain 5 days into a hospital stay for acute-on-chronic congestive heart failure and exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Neither he nor his wife reported any significant trauma for the past 6 months prior to his admission. His medical history included chronic atrial fibrillation treated with medications including apixaban 2.5 mg twice daily. An urgent abdominal computed tomography scan demonstrated a large splenic hematoma and evidence of intraperitoneal bleeding from which he rapidly declined, developing hypovolemic shock. An emergency splenic arteriogram displayed a patent splenic artery and an embolization was successful in stabilizing him. Due to evidence of recurrent bleeding, an exploratory laparotomy and splenectomy was subsequently performed the following day. The diagnosis of spontaneous splenic rupture is important to consider in a patient using apixaban who presents with abdominal pain and associated signs of hypotension and anemia. For hemodynamically unstable patients, prompt treatment to stop significant bleeding through splenic artery embolization or splenectomy is warranted and may be lifesaving.
Adrenal insufficiency in neonates after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass

Background Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) may lead to adrenal insufficiency (AI). Emerging evidence supports association of AI with morbidity after cardiac surgery. Aims The aim of this study was to define AI incidence in neonates undergoing complex cardiac surgery with CPB and its association with intraoperative post-CPB outcomes. Methods Forty subjects enrolled in a prior randomized control trial who received preoperative methylprednisolone as part of our institutional neonatal bypass protocol were included. No intraoperative steroids were given. ACTH stimulation tests were performed: preoperatively and 1 h after separation from CPB. AI was defined as <9 μg·ml−1 increase in cortisol at 30 min post cosyntropin 1 mcg. Clinical outcomes were collected up to 90 min after CPB. Results 2/40 (5%) subjects had preoperative AI vs 13/40 (32.5%) post-CPB AI, P ≤ 0.001. No significant difference was observed in age, gestational age, weight, CPB time, circulatory arrest, or STAT category between subjects with or without post-CPB AI. ACTH decreased from preoperative values 127.3 vs 35 pcg·ml−1 [median difference = 81.8, 95% CI = 22.7–127.3], while cortisol increased from 18.9 vs 75 μg·dl−1 [median difference = 52.2, 95% CI = 36.3–70.9]. Post-CPB AI was associated with increased median colloid resuscitation, 275 vs 119 ml·kg−1 [median difference = 97.8, 95% CI = 7.1–202.2]; higher median peak lactate, 9.4 vs 6.9 mg·dl−1 [median difference = 3.2, 95% CI = 0.04–6.7]; median post-CPB lactate, 7.9 vs 4.3 mg·dl−1, [median difference 3.6, 95% CI = 2.1–4.7], and median lactate on admission to CICU, 9.4 vs 6.0 mg·dl−1 [median difference = 3, 95% CI = 1.1–4.9]. No difference was observed in blood pressure or vasoactive inotrope score at any time point measured in operating room (OR). Higher initial post-CPB cortisol correlated with decreased cosyntropin response. Conclusions Neonatal cardiac surgery with CPB and preoperative methylprednisolone leads to AI as determined by low-dose ACTH stimulation test in one-third of patients. AI is associated with increased serum lactate and colloid resuscitation in OR. Impact of preoperative methylprednisolone on results is not defined. Benefit of postoperative steroid administration in neonates with post-CPB AI warrants further investigation.
Breaking into public policy circles for the benefit of underserved communities

AbstractStella M. Flores writes about how she learned to participate in the American political process through lessons from her immigrant family. As a quantitative scholar, she documents the commitment to rigorous, evidence-based research on equity noting that not all datasets are without politics or bias. From this perspective, the story of the Latino in the US has only recently begun to be collected. The author describes her development as a female scholar of color in the field of education policy, an identity informed by her experiences growing up in South Texas. She credits role models, mentors, and generational impact from educational opportunity as key reasons for engaging in scholarship aimed to help improve educational attainment rates for underserved students. She argues that regardless of methodological tradition, scholars working toward improving the educational trajectories for all students are in many ways activists for the common good and not necessarily unobtrusive analysts.