cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Principles of Inference and Their Consequences

What do data tell us about hypotheses or claims? When do data provide good evidence for or a good test of a hypothesis? These are key questions for a philosophical account of evidence and inference, and in answering them, philosophers of science have often appealed to formal accounts of probabilistic and statistical inference. In so doing, it is obvious that the answer will depend on the principles of inference embodied in one or another statistical account. If inference is by way of Bayes’ theorem, then two data sets license different inferences only by registering differently in the Bayesian algorithm. If inference is by way of error statistical methods (e.g., Neyman and Pearson methods), as are commonly used in applications of statistics in science, then two data sets license different inferences or hypotheses if they register differences in the error probabilistic properties of the methods.
A Prospective Study of Immediate Breast Reconstruction with Laser-Assisted Indocyanine Green Angiography.

Background Complication rates following immediate breast reconstruction range from 4% to 60%. Mastectomy skin flap necrosis (MSFN) is often the sentinel event leading to secondary complications. Methods All patients undergoing immediate reconstruction were enrolled. Upon mastectomy completion, the surgeon visually interpreted the skin flaps, performed laser-assisted indocyanine green angiography (LAIGA), and intervened if needed. Patients were followed for 90 days, documenting skin necrosis, infection, seroma, hematoma, implant loss, and reoperation. Results There were 126 patients who had 206 immediate breast reconstructions. The complication rate was 22.3%. The incidence of MSFN was 14.1%. The reoperation rate was 8.7%. There was 1 necrosis-related implant loss. Postoperative surveys were completed on 193 breasts: 137 had visual and LAIGA interpretation of well or adequately perfused, resulting in 5.8% rate of necrosis, 2 reoperations, and no implant losses. Twenty breasts had visual and LAIGA interpretation of marginal or poor perfusion. Sixteen of these underwent intervention. The necrosis rate in this group was 35% with no implant losses. A third group with 26 breasts had adequate visual interpretation with marginal or poor perfusion on LAIGA. Ten breasts had no intervention, and 16 received intervention. The overall necrosis rate in this group was 42.3%, with 4 reoperations for necrosis and 1 implant loss. Conclusions LAIGA can more accurately predict complications from MSFN than surgeon assessment alone. When surgeon decision making is supplemented with LAIGA, it reduces the incidence of MSFN, infection, implant loss, and overall unexpected reoperation rate. LAIGA is a valuable adjunct for intraoperative decision making.
Melody valve in mitral position: Complete fracture causing acute mitral stenosis in a child

We present a case of a 7-year-old boy with a history of multiple mitral valve interventions and subsequent Melody valve placement in the mitral position, who presented with acute mitral stenosis due to complete fracture of the Melody stent. He was born early with severe mitral and tricuspid insufficiency due to valvular dysplasia, and ended up with 4 sternotomies before the age of 2 due to mitral valve dysfunction and recurrent prosthetic valve thrombosis. He then developed mixed stenosis and regurgitation at age 6, and to avoid another sternotomy, valve-in-valve therapy with off-label use of a 20-mm Melody valve was done with hybrid procedure via trans-apical approach. Eight months later he presented with acutely worsened mitral stenosis (mean gradient 20 mm Hg), due to fracture of the proximal stent. While the safety and efficacy of the Melody valve has been well established especially in the pulmonary position, stent fracture is a known and potentially serious complication. As with any novel valve therapy, close follow-up and frequent imaging may be warranted to watch for loss of stent integrity, particularly if clinical symptoms of valve dysfunction occur.
The Effect of “Collective” Regional Intergovernmental Organizations (RIGOs) on Global Security

The purpose of this paper is to assess the effect of “collective” regional intergovernmental organizations (RIGOs) on global security, national (traditional) and human (non-traditional), of the mem...
Fire resistance and burnout resistance of reinforced concrete columns

Abstract This paper quantifies the resistance to complete burnout of reinforced concrete columns under fire exposure. It adopts a new metrics to complement the fire resistance rating that captures the specific effects of the cooling phase and characterizes explicitly the ability of a structural member to survive burnout. The analysis is performed on a dataset of 74 standard fire resistance tests on columns. Finite element modeling is applied first to reproduce the standard tests. The obtained ratio between the computed and experimental fire resistance has an average value of 0.95 with a standard deviation of 0.29. Then, finite element modeling is used to analyze the 74 columns under ‘standardized’ natural fire comprising a cooling phase. The effects of cooling are carefully incorporated in the materials laws including thorough consideration of irreversibility of properties and explicit modeling of transient creep. An iterative computational procedure is applied to subject each column to increasing durations of fire exposure until finding the shortest standardized fire that cannot be survived until burnout, from which the burnout resistance metrics is defined. The duration of this shortest fire increases approximately linearly with the fire resistance of the columns, but with a factor smaller than one, revealing an increased propensity to delayed failure in columns with longer fire resistance. Finally, a simple equation is formulated to estimate the burnout resistance from the fire resistance. Such equation can support design for complete burnout which has benefits for safety of fire brigades and first responders, as well as for property protection and resilience of the built environment.
Parasitism offers large rewards but carries high risks: Predicting parasitic strategies under different life history conditions in lampreys.

The loss of parasitism in metazoan lineages is often seen as unlikely, but it has occurred in some lineages (e.g., leeches, lampreys). How and why parasitism is lost is aptly addressed by studying lampreys, because extant species include a range of feeding modes and parasitism has been lost repeatedly. An individual-based model was developed to determine whether variations in survival and growth rates in the larval and juvenile stages could favour parasitic or nonparasitic strategies. A realization of the model for a Lampetra spp. population, a genus which includes parasitic and nonparasitic animals, indicated that both strategies could be successful. A different model realization of the nonparasitic species Lethenteron appendix also agreed with expectations, and only nonparasitic strategies were successful. Modelling anadromous Petromyzon marinus produced only parasitic animals, as expected, but suggested two different adult sizes should appear in the population, which has not been reported in the literature. Finally, a realization of an Ichthyomyzon castaneus population, known to be parasitic only, rarely selected for parasitism (c. 7% of model iterations), possibly because the population used to parameterize the model was unusual for the species. The results suggest that nonparasitic lineages in lampreys are common because parasitism, while offering better growth, also has lower survival. Additionally, nonparasitic species may be generated at different rates because growth and survival thresholds in the model favouring parasitism are close to observed estimates in some populations. Loss of parasitism can occur when life stages have different trade-offs in growth and survivability.
A multiscale study of misfit dislocations in PbTe/PbSe(001) heteroepitaxy

In this work, we investigate misfit dislocations in PbTe/PbSe heteroepitaxial systems using the concurrent atomistic–continuum (CAC) method. A potential model containing the long-range Coulombic interaction and short-range Buckingham potential is developed for the system. By considering the minimum potential energy of relaxed interface structures for various initial conditions and PbTe layer thicknesses, the equilibrium structure of misfit dislocations and the dislocation spacings in PbTe/PbSe(001) heteroepitaxial thin films are obtained as a function of the PbTe layer thicknesses grown on a PbSe substrate. The critical layer thickness above which misfit dislocations inevitably form, the structure of the misfit dislocations at the interfaces, and the dependence of average dislocation spacing on PbTe layer thickness are obtained and discussed. The simulation results provide an explanation for the narrowing of the spread of the distribution of misfit dislocation spacing as layer thickness increases in PbTe/PbSe(001) heteroepitaxy.
Noninvasive in vivo mapping of intracellular signaling proteins using a pairing of targeted and untargeted fluorescently labeled small molecule kinase inhibitors

Small molecule kinase inhibitors (SMKIs) drugs have the potential to offer exquisite specificity in controlling aberrant intracellular signaling pathways in cancer and other disease states. However, while nearly 50 SMKIs have been FDA-approved, patient responses have been variable, and sensitive populations not easy to identify. For instance, in non-small-cell lung cancer, only 30% of patients respond to the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) targeted SMKI, erlotinib, yet the level of erlotinib uptake is a poor indicator of treatment efficacy. The development of fluorescently-labeled SMKIs that maintain their viability as drugs has facilitated the use of paired-agent molecular imaging protocols that are able to discriminate, in vivo, between imaging agent uptake and binding. Here we present a mathematical framework of SMKI transport and binding, in vivo, and derive a kinetic model for extracting SMKI binding potential (BP) from kinetic fluorescent-SMKI imaging data-proposed as a more effective indicator of potential therapeutic response than SMKI uptake alone. The accuracy and precision of the SMKI BP kinetic model was demonstrated in simulation studies and in an in ovo xenograft experiment. In simulation, the SMKI BP estimates were within 20 􀀀 5% of expected values over a large range of physiologically relevant blood flow, vascular permeability and cell permeability; and over a range of SMKI affinity, cell membrane permeability, and blood plasma pharmacokinetics. The in ovo experiment bolstered the simulation findings, demonstrating a statistically significant spatial correlation (r > 0.9, p < 0.01) between EGFR concentration measured by a validated extracellular approach and the SMKI BP approach.
Avatar Creation in Videogaming: Between Compensation and Constraint.

Objective: We examine the extent that videogame avatars provide players with opportunities for identity exploration, aiming to test the findings of self-discrepancy theory research on the user/avatar relationship with novel cognitive anthropological methods. Specifically, we examine if avatar traits are idealized (more representative of players' ideal rather than actual self) or actualized (more representative of players' actual self) as a function of players' self-esteem. Materials and Methods: Utilizing cognitive anthropological methods, we examine the relationship between actual, avatar, and ideal selves. We first asked 21 respondents to list traits they associated with their various selves. We then asked 57 new respondents to perform four pile sorts of the salient items from these lists (1 unconstrained sort of like-traits, and 3 sorts of terms indicative of respondents' ideal/actual/avatar self). Analysis of this "free list" and "pile sort" data allowed us to clarify (in a manner sensitive to gamer culture) relationships between respondents' various conceptions of self, including how those relationships were modified by self-esteem. Illustrative quotes from the interviews further clarified these relationships. Results: Paired t-test analysis shows that informants as a whole describe their avatar compared with actual selves with fewer negative terms (idealization). Low-esteem players actualize what they deem as positive traits onto their avatars, while simultaneously idealizing avatars' negative traits by minimizing them. Compared with low-esteem gamers, high-esteem players associate significantly more positive attributes with all their various selves-actual, avatar, and ideal-while describing avatar compared with actual selves with fewer positive terms and comparable numbers of negative terms (the latter a process of actualization). Conclusion: Results point to the necessity of theoretical accounts that recognize that avatars may reflect a complex relationship with the user's actual and ideal self, without assuming that avatar play frees gamers from offline social, psychological, or bodily constraints.
Standardized Reporting and Management of Suspicious Findings on Chest CT Imaging Is Associated With Improved Lung Cancer Diagnosis in an Observational Study.

Background Follow-up of chest CT scan findings suspicious for lung cancer may be delayed because of inadequate documentation. Standardized reporting and follow-up may reduce time to diagnosis and care for lung cancer. Study Design and Methods We implemented a reporting system that standardizes tagging of chest CT scan reports by classifying pulmonary findings. The system also automates referral of patients with findings suspicious for lung cancer to a multidisciplinary care team for rapid review and follow-up. The system was designed to reduce the time to diagnosis, particularly for early-stage lung cancer. We evaluated the effectiveness of this system, using a quasi-experimental stepped wedge cluster design, examining 99,148 patients who underwent diagnostic (nonscreening) chest CT imaging from 2015 to 2017 and who had not received a chest CT scan in the preceding 24 months. We evaluated the association of the intervention with the incidence of diagnosis and surgical treatment of early-stage (I, II) and late-stage (III, IV) lung cancer within 120 days of chest CT imaging. Results Forty percent of patients received the intervention. Among 2,856 patients (2.9%) who received diagnoses of lung cancer, 28% had early-stage disease. In multivariable analyses, the intervention was associated with 24% greater odds of early-stage diagnosis (OR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.09-1.41) and no change in the odds of late-stage diagnosis (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.95-1.14). The intervention was not associated with the rate of surgical treatment within 120 days. Interpretation In this large quasi-experimental community-based observational study, implementation of a system that combines standardized tagging of chest CT scan reports with clinical navigation was effective for increasing the diagnosis of early-stage lung cancer.
Ratemaking application of Bayesian LASSO with conjugate hyperprior

The generalized linear model (GLM) is a well developed statistical model widely used in actuarial practice for insurance ratemaking, risk classification, and reserving. Recently, there has been an explosion of data mining techniques to refine statistical models for better variable selection procedure and for improved prediction accuracy. Such techniques include the increased interest in regularization techniques, or penalized likelihood, to achieve these goals. In this paper, we explore the idea of Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) in a Bayesian framework within a dependent frequency-severity model as a refinement to the dependent GLM developed by Garrido et al. (2016). The LASSO technique is a penalized least squares procedure developed by Tibshirani (1996) and is extended to a Bayesian interpretation framework by Park and Casella (2008). We show that a new penalty function, which we call log-adjusted absolute deviation (LAAD), emerges if we further theoretically extend the Bayesian LASSO using conjugate hyperprior distributional assumptions. While this result has the ease of implementation for variable selection and prediction, we recognize that the use of least squares has been poorly viewed in insurance ratemaking. Instead however, we modify the setting to a penalized dependent GLM within this extended Bayesian LASSO framework. Within such framework, the regression estimates are derived by optimizing a penalized likelihood assuming a hyperprior distribution for the L1 penalty parameter lambda. This has the advantage of obtaining a consistent estimator for the regression coefficients as well as allowing variable selection. We calibrated our proposed model using an auto insurance dataset from a Singapore insurance company where we have observed claim counts and amounts from a portfolio of policyholders.
A Corpus of Spanish Political Speeches from 1937 to 2019.

This paper documents a corpus of political speeches in Spanish. The documents in the corpus belong to the Christmas speeches that have been delivered yearly by the head of state of Spain since 1937. The historical period covered by these speeches ranges from the Spanish Civil War and the Francoist dictatorship up until today. As a result, the corpus reflects some of the most significant events and political changes in the recent history of Spain. Up until now, the speeches as a whole had not been collected into a single, systematic and reusable resource, as most of the texts were scattered among different sources. The paper describes: (1) the composition of the corpus; (2) the Python interface that facilitates querying and analyzing the corpus using the NLTK and spaCy libraries and (3) a set of HTML visualizations aimed at the general public to navigate the corpus and explore differences between TF-IDF frequencies.
Room At The Table

Judicial opinions in structural reform litigation regarding unconstitutional police practices have largely truncated the Federal Civil Rule 24 analysis when evaluating the interests of impacted communities. No decision in police reform consent decree cases has ever granted a community organization’s motion to intervene as a matter of right. The most success achieved by a small few has been permissive intervention or amici status. Input from affected communities is an essential component of the reform process aimed at remedying the effects of unconstitutional policing. The model used by the Department of Justice to elicit the community perspective through newly created hybrid Commissions has largely been frustrating and unable to have a voice with equal weight and authority in the process. This articles seeks to identify a uniform standard for courts to utilize in public law cases when community organizations seek intervention and to propose an alternative approach to the composition and structure of organization(s) so that the voices and input of those affected by police brutality are included in a meaningful way. Section I discusses the standard set forth for intervention under Federal Rule 24, its purpose generally, and the motivation behind the 1966 amendment to the rule. This section also addresses normative questions as to community input in the creation of laws and litigation generally. Section II summarizes community organization attempts to engage in police-related structural reform litigation initiated by the Department of Justice since the enactment of 12601 as well as discuss the basis for which the respective courts’ denied community organizations the intervention as a matter of right. Section III explores the evolution of previous attempts by the Department of Justice to integrate community voice and perspectives into police consent decrees and why those efforts have been less than optimal. Section IV will explore the relevant cases and the courts’ application of the intervention standard. The Article concludes by offering a solution that provides community organizations the right to intervene as a party in DOJ-initiated reform efforts while addressing the practical and representative concerns articulated by the judiciary in prior cases.
Nanostructured Solar Cells

Publisher Summary This chapter addresses the nanostructured solar cells that play an important role in enhancing the efficiency of future generations of solar cells, whether they are III–V, II–VI, or hybrid organic–inorganic cells. There is a great deal of potential in multiple approaches for these nanostructures. Nanostructures can also be composed of arrays of individual nanomaterials. Semiconducting quantum dots (QDs) can be combined in a three-dimensional array, often through the use of selfordering. The discrete-like energy levels of the QDs will combine and form bands of allowed energy states in an analogous way in which atomic energy levels combine to produce the energy bands in conventional solids. The role of a nanomaterial or nanostructure in a given photovoltaic solar cell design can vary dramatically. In some cases, the goal may be simply to provide the means to disassociate excitons throughout a bulk material as in the use of colloidal QDs in organic or polymeric solar cells.
Sir Roger Bannister: The Fastest and Famed Neurologist (P4.9-058)

Objective: Sir Roger Bannister was internationally renowned for the first track record run breaking the four-minute mile barrier. He accomplished this while a medical student, he went on to become an outstanding academic neurologist. Bannister’s accomplishments on and off the track are presented with a special focus on his medical career. Background: Bannister competed in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki. He set a British record in the 1500 meter race but finished in fourth place. He was among several distance runners who attempted to run the mile in under four minutes. The record setting event occurred on May 6, 1954 at Iffley Road track in Oxford, UK. Bannister retired from athletics at the peak of his physical fitness. Running was important to him but neurology was his true passion. After his athletic career he continued medical training and became a distinguished neurologist. He retired in 1993. During his medical career he published over 80 papers. Bannister’s primary focus was on diseases of the autonomic nervous system including multiple system atrophy (MSA). Autonomic Failure: a textbook of clinical disorders of the autonomic nervous system, and multiple editions of Brain and Bannister’s Clinical Nervous System were among his many publications. Banister and his wife Moyra married in 1954 and had four children. He became the first Chairman of the British Sports Council, helping to increase funding for sports facilities. Queen Elizabeth knighted him for his service in 1975. Sir Roger Bannister died on March 3, 2018. He was 88 years old. Design/Methods: NA Results: NA Conclusions: Bannister had a distinguish neurologic career in Oxford, UK. While he is most known for his record-breaking performances on the track, Bannister was more proud of his contribution to medicine then his athletic career. “I worked in medicine for 60 years. I ran for about eight.“ Disclosure: Dr. Mayberry has nothing to disclose. Dr. Massey has nothing to disclose.
A production-scale evaluation of nutritional monitoring and decision support software for free-ranging cattle in an arid environment

Range cattle in semi-arid regions are commonly limited by lack of nitrogen and other nutrients from grazing low-quality forage, with managers needing to monitor diet quality to address nutrient limitations. Near-infrared spectroscopy of faecal samples (FNIRS) is an accurate method used to determine diet quality in grazing animals. When combined with a nutritional balance software such as the Nutritional Balance Analyser (NUTBAL), FNIRS can monitor nutritional status and estimate weight change. We aimed to test the ability of NUTBAL to predict animal performance as represented by body condition score (BCS) in cattle grazing on a semi-desert rangeland. BCS and faecal samples were collected from a Red Angus herd (n = 82) at the Santa Rita Ranch (June 2016–July 2017). Standing biomass and botanical composition were measured before each grazing period, and relative utilisation was measured following each grazing period. During the midpoint of grazing in each pasture, 30 BCS and a faecal composite of 15 samples were collected. Faecal derived diet quality varied between a maximum of 10.75% crude protein (CP) and 61.25% digestible organic matter (DOM) in early August 2016, to a minimum value of 4.22% CP and 57.68% DOM in January 2017. Three NUTBAL evaluations were conducted to determine the likelihood of accurately predicting animal performance: one with typical user defined inputs; one with improved environment and herd descriptive inputs; and one with these improvements plus the use of metabolisable protein in the model. This third evaluation confirmed the ability of FNIRS:NUTBAL to predict future BCS within 0.5 BCS more than 75% of the time. With this information, cattle managers in semi-arid regions can better address animal performance needs and nutrient deficiencies.
A Proposed Forecasting System for Wind Power in Smart Grids

The increased level of embedded wind energy generation systems in smart grids posed increased daily challenges because of the intermittent nature of these systems. Forecasting of the generated power from the wind energy systems helps to deal with these challenges. In this paper, a proposed forecasting system for short term wind power prediction is presented. The proposed system is used to increase the accuracy of the forecasted value by creating multiple small datasets with the same features of the main dataset. A neuro-fuzzy model is created for each dataset. The output of each neuro-fuzzy model represents a forecasting of the wind turbine power (WTP). Thereafter, the output of all models is combined using a combination model to calculate the final forecasted WTP.
Influence of eddy-driven jet latitude on North Atlantic jet persistence and blocking frequency in CMIP3 integrations

[1] The distribution of daily North Atlantic jet latitude is analyzed in 45 CMIP3 integrations. It is demonstrated that models that place the jet equatorward of its observed position have more positively skewed jet latitude distributions, while models that correctly place the jet have symmetric distributions like that of the observations. The jet is shown to be more persistent at equatorward latitudes compared to poleward latitudes, consistent with previous findings in the Southern Hemisphere. There is a robust decrease in annual blocking frequency as the jet shifts poleward with global warming, with larger decreases seen for models with larger jet shifts, consistent with the effect of latitude on jet persistence. These results imply that model biases of jet latitude of 1°–2° could result in large differences in jet variability and frequency of extreme events predicted for the future.
Probabilistic risk assessment and multi-criteria decision analysis for the management of contaminated subsurface environments

Traditionally, environmental decision analysis in subsurface contamination scenarios is performed using a cost-benefit analysis. However, this approach typically has many short-comings including the lack of consideration of health risk issues. This work presents an integrated approach for management of contaminated ground water resources using health risk assessment and economic analysis using a multi-criteria decision analysis framework. The proposed methodology focuses on developing decision criteria that provide insight into the common questions of the decision-maker that involve a number of remediation alternatives. The paper then explores a heuristic approach of importance of the order of criteria for ranking decision alternatives. Through formal ranking procedures, the methodology seeks to present a structured decision analysis framework that can be applied consistently across many different and complex remediation settings. The methodology is demonstrated through a numerical example. The results showed the importance of using an integrated approach for decision-making considering both costs and risks.
Purification and localization of brain-type creatine kinase in sodium chloride transporting epithelia of the spiny dogfish, Squalus acanthias.

The targeting of creatine kinase isoenzymes to specific sites within muscle cells provides a system for the regeneration of ATP in situ from ADP and creatine phosphate. We have recently reported the colocalization of brain-type (B) creatine kinase and the nonsarcomeric mitochondrial creatine kinase isoenzymes in the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle in the rat kidney, suggesting that creatine kinase may regenerate ATP for sodium transport (Friedman, D.L., and Perryman, M.B. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 22404-22410). In order to test the hypothesis regarding the association of B creatine kinase with sodium transport, we examined the creatine kinase enzymes in the rectal (salt-secreting) gland of the dogfish shark which contains high levels of the Na+/K(+)-ATPase. The creatine kinase isoform composition was determined by non-denaturing electrophoresis, immunoblotting, protein purification, and amino acid sequence analysis. The results demonstrate both B creatine kinase and mitochondrial creatine kinase proteins are present in the rectal gland, an isoform composition which is the same as in the mammalian kidney. By using a combination of chromatographic techniques, shark B creatine kinase was purified to homogeneity and partial sequence data was obtained from two cyanogen bromide peptide fragments. One of these fragments contains the active site and is identical at all sequenced residues with the corresponding region from the echinoderm sperm flagellar creatine kinase, and is 96% homologous with both chicken and rat B creatine kinase subunits. The other fragment corresponds to a region near the N-terminal of mammalian creatine kinases and is 89% homologous with B creatine kinase from chicken. The localization of these isoforms was examined by immunocytochemistry using subunit specific antisera. Mitochondrial creatine kinase and B creatine kinase immunoreactivity are detected in all tubules, and is restricted to the basal region of the cells, which is the site of the Na+/K(+)-ATPase. The conservation of creatine kinase isoform expression in excretory tissue, and the localization of creatine kinase immunoreactivity in the basal region of the tubule cells, demonstrate that subcellular compartmentation of B creatine kinase may underly the functional coupling of creatine kinase activity with sodium transport.
The Shame of the Political

Taking a cue from a text by Baltasar Gracian, this essay reconstructs a chapter in the “genealogy of the doctrine of truth” (Badiou) by inquiring into the relationship of truth and vocation in Lacan and Badiou. Read in terms of the specific truth of a vocation, the figure of the analyst in Lacan and that of the militant in Badiou are not so far apart. Truth breaks down the totality of knowledge in different ways for each author, and a corresponding distribution of shame underwrites the rare subjectivity of the analyst or militant as structure, not just as will or fidelity.
Long-term change in ventricular size following endoscopic third ventriculostomy for hydrocephalus due to tectal plate gliomas.

Object Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) is an alternative to shunt placement in children with hydrocephalus due to tectal plate gliomas (TPGs). However, controversy remains regarding the amount of ventricular size reduction that should be expected after ETV. This study investigates ventricular size change after ETV for TPGs. Methods Twenty-two children were identified from a 15-year retrospective database of neuroendoscopic procedures performed at the authors' institution, Children's Hospital of Alabama, in patients with a minimum of 1 year of follow-up. Clinical outcomes, including the need for further CSF diversion and symptom resolution, were recorded. The frontal and occipital horn ratio (FOR) was measured on pre- and postoperative, 1-year, and last follow-up imaging studies. Results In 17 (77%) of 22 children no additional procedure for CSF diversion was required. Of those in whom CSF diversion failed, 4 underwent successful repeat ETV and 1 required shunt replacement. Therefore, in 21 (96%) of...
Abstract 3729: An individualized approach to bladder cancer treatment using patient-derived cell lines to predict response to chemotherapeutic agents

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Introduction: Chemotherapy (both intravesical and systemic) can reduce the risk of recurrence and progression in various stages of bladder cancer. However, recurrence after treatment failure is associated with an increased risk of progression. There are currently no established methods for predicting patient-specific responses to treatment prior to drug selection. In our studies, we have developed a novel protocol for efficient establishment of cell lines from primary human bladder tumors, which enables in vitro drug sensitivity assays using chemotherapeutic agents. Methods: Using an Institutional Review Board-approved tissue acquisition protocol, informed consent was obtained prior to specimen acquisition for all samples. Specimens were obtained during standard transurethral resection of papillary bladder tumors. Following generation of a single-cell suspension, epithelial cells were isolated using immunomagnetic cell separation and used for establishment of adherent cell cultures using a novel protocol. We performed immunohistochemistry on parental tissue as well as cultured cells to confirm that the urothelial cancer phenotype was maintained during serial passaging. For sensitivity assays, cultured cells were passaged and treated with chemotherapeutic agents, followed by assessment of cell viability using MTT assays. Results: To date, seven specimens from patients with papillary urothelial carcinoma have been obtained, resulting in the establishment of six independent adherent cell lines. All established lines have been serially passaged (as high as P10) without significant decline in growth rate, and maintained expression of CK7, uroplakin III, p53, and Ki67 in patterns similar to parental tissue. Cells from line #7 were treated with mitomycin C, docetaxel, gemcitabine, and rapamycin at three different equivalent concentrations, resulting in a unique sensitivity profile that was reproduced in a replicate experiment performed at a subsequent passage. Conclusions: We have established a novel protocol for culture and rapid expansion of primary cells from human bladder tumors for assays of drug response. Ultimately, we envision that this approach will provide a basis for the design of patient-specific therapeutic regimens for bladder cancer. Citation Format: LaMont Barlow, Chee Wai Chua, Ming Lei, G. Joel DeCastro, Ketan Badani, Mitchell Benson, James McKiernan, Michael Shen. An individualized approach to bladder cancer treatment using patient-derived cell lines to predict response to chemotherapeutic agents. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3729. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3729
6Li elastic scattering ON 12C, 16O, 40Ca, 58Ni, 74Ge, 124Sn, 166Er and 208Pb at E(6Li) = 50.6 MeV

Abstract The elastic scattering of 6 Li ions from a variety of targets, A = 12 to 208, has been measured at a bombarding energy of 50.6 MeV. The angular distributions are characteristic of strongly absorbed particles, such as 3 He and heavy ions, and less diffractive than for 4 He. A simple optical model with Woods-Saxon real and imaginary volume potentials is adequate to fit the data. Spin-orbit effects are not apparent in the data.
Workshop on the biodiversity and ecosystems informatics for the Indian River Lagoon

A workshop on biodiversity and ecosystem informatics (BDEI) was held on February 7th and 8th, 2002 at the Doubletree Hotel in Cocoa Beach, Florida. The purpose of the BDEI workshop was to provide the necessary venue and resources needed to foster novel and synergistic interdisciplinary work. Twenty five researchers from diverse fields of biological sciences, ecological sciences, remote sensing, spatial information systems, computer sciences, and intelligent systems met to examine the prospects of advancing the research in biodiversity of the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) incorporating novel techniques in informatics. They discussed the issues and challenges facing the long-term sustainability of the IRL ecosystem and explored possible solutions using computational intelligence and data management techniques. Using these techniques, the wealth of ecological information that exists for the IRL can be integrated into regional land and estuarine management models. The researchers involved in the workshop have considerable expertise in their respective fields.
THE USE OF AMNIOTIC-FLUID CONCENTRATE IN ORTHOPAEDIC CONDITIONS

1. In sixty-eight cases in which amniotic-fluid concentrate has been employed in the treatment of various pathological conditions of joints, the use of the fluid concentrate has not been attended by a single unfavorable reaction. 2. Its action is probably both biological and mechanical. 3. It speeds up a defense-repair mechanism within the joints. 4. The results obtained have been impressive in intra-articular fractures, and encouraging in selected cases of atrophic arthritis, as well as in persistent joint effusions. 5. It successfully prevents the formation of new adhesions after closed manipulation of joints. 6. It is a valuable prophylactic after arthrotomy of any type. 7. Its use both in soft tissues and in other serous cavities is suggested.
Promising New Photon Detection Concepts for High-Resolution Clinical and Preclinical PET

The ability of PET to visualize and quantify regions of low concentration of PET tracer representing subtle cellular and molecular signatures of disease depends on relatively complex biochemical, biologic, and physiologic factors that are challenging to control, as well as on instrumentation performance parameters that are, in principle, still possible to improve on. Thus, advances to the latter can somewhat offset barriers of the former. PET system performance parameters such as spatial resolution, contrast resolution, and photon sensitivity contribute significantly to PET's ability to visualize and quantify lower concentrations of signal in the presence of background. In this report we present some technology innovations under investigation toward improving these PET system performance parameters. We focus particularly on a promising advance known as 3-dimensional position-sensitive detectors, which are detectors capable of distinguishing and measuring the position, energy, and arrival time of individual interactions of multi-interaction photon events in 3 dimensions. If successful, these new strategies enable enhancements such as the detection of fewer diseased cells in tissue or the ability to characterize lower-abundance molecular targets within cells. Translating these advanced capabilities to the clinic might allow expansion of PET's roles in disease management, perhaps to earlier stages of disease. In preclinical research, such enhancements enable more sensitive and accurate studies of disease biology in living subjects.
Data data everywhere – and not a byte of use?

Describes the research and findings of a project aimed at how UK companies use customer information in their marketing today. Today’s technologies allow companies to collect enormous volumes of data and manipulate it in many different ways to bring out otherwise unforeseen areas of knowledge. This can be vital for marketers trying to provide better service to the customer than their competition. But is it in general use? The research was carried out via an e‐mail questionnaire using a sample of companies to gain a broad view of marketing today, and was followed up with interviews of half the original sample and finally writing three case studies of diverse companies. Owing to the small sample size, no definitive answers can be given without further research, but the trend was towards implementation of customer relations management (CRM) practices and more take up of the Internet as a channel to market.
Generalized Discrete Spherical Harmonic Transforms

Two generalizations of the spherical harmonic transforms are provided. First, they are generalized to an arbitrary distribution of latitudinal points ?i. This unifies transforms for Gaussian and equally spaced distributions and provides transforms for other distributions commonly used to model geophysical phenomena. The discrete associated Legendre functions Pnm(?i) are shown to be orthogonal, to within roundoff error, with respect to a weighted inner product, thus providing the forward transform to spectral space. Second, the representation of the transforms is also generalized to rotations of the discrete basis set Pnm(?i. A discrete function basis is defined that provides an alternative to Pnm(?i. On a grid with N latitudes, the new basis requires O(N2) memory compared to the usual O(N3). The resulting transforms differ in spectral space but provide identical results for certain applications. For example, a forward transform followed immediately by a backward transform projects the original discrete function in a manner identical to the existing transforms. Namely, they both project the original function onto the same smooth least squares approximation without the high frequencies induced by the closeness of the points in the neighborhood of the poles. Finally, a faster projection is developed based on the new transforms.
Microscopic studies of the periodontium of the anterior teeth of a 4-year-old boy.

Abstract 1. 1. The changes occurring in the periodontium of the anterior deciduous teeth of a 4-year-old boy were studied. The jaws and teeth were fixed in a formol acetic acid-alcohol solution, decalcified, dehydrated, and embedded in nitrocellulose in the usual manner. 2. 2. As absorption of the deciduous anterior teeth progresses, the lingual alveolar bone undergoes extensive destruction, especially at the crestal region, lowering the latter and weakening the support; finally only spicules of bone remain. 3. 3. At the beginning stages of shedding, the changes in the periodontal membrane are slight; however, they become intensified as the resorptive process continues. During the later stages secondary occlusal trauma is initiated, producing severe degenerative changes to the labial alveolar bone as well as to the periodontal membrane. 4. 4. The microscopic appearance of the gingivae varied from normal to that of gingivitis. Calculus deposits were found in the anterior teeth. 5. 5. Gingival clefts were noted in the interproximal areas of both the upper and lower jaws, and their development has been described. 6. 6. The base of the epithelial attachment was found on the cementum in the anterior central incisors, whereas it was limited to the cementoenamel junction in the other anterior teeth.
Sources and emission time scales in E/A=50 MeV 129Xe+natCu reactions.

Velocity distributions and fragment-fragment correlation functions have been measured as a function of charged particle multiplicity for $^{129}\mathrm{Xe}$${+}^{\mathrm{nat}}$Cu collisions at E/A=50 MeV. With increasing multiplicity, the velocity distributions evolve from a pattern exhibiting targetlike and projectilelike sources to an anisotropic distribution centered near the projectile-target center-of-mass velocity. Emission times extracted from the correlation functions are consistent with the decay of a projectilelike source in low multiplicity collisions, but the time scale for fragment emission in the high multiplicity collisions is too short for a separation of sources to occur.
Steel Slag Aggregate Used in Portland Cement Concrete: U.S. and International Perspectives

The issue of sustainability in the built environment is increasingly important, particularly in the transportation sector. In some cases slags from the iron and steel industries can be used to replace natural aggregates in construction. In this research, laboratory investigations of the use of steel slag as a portland cement concrete (PCC) aggregate were reviewed. Much of this research took place outside the United States. Some limited field cases of the use of steel slag in pavements were found. In at least two cases dramatic pavement failure resulted, but it is not known whether the slag used in the applications had been properly aged as required by modern specifications. Research on the use of steel slag aggregate in PCC has been carried out in Spain, Germany, Canada, Italy, India, and Saudi Arabia. Despite some limited field applications, virtually all research has been done in the laboratory. Much of this work shows that properly aged steel slag can be nonexpansive when used in PCC. When these resear...
Ligand oxidations in high-spin nickel thiolate complexes and zinc analogues.

Oxidations of a trigonal-bipyramidal, high-spin Ni(II) dithiolate complex of a pentadentate, N3S2-donor ligand, N1,N9-bis(imino-2-mercaptopropane)-1,5,9-triazanonane) nickel(II), and the structurally analogous Zn(II) complex, lead to oxidations of the ligand. Oxidation of the Ni(II) complex with I2 produces a novel Ni(II) macrocyclic cationic complex containing a monodentate disulfide ligand (2). Crystals of the I3- salt of the complex form in the triclinic space group P1 with cell dimensions a = 8.508(3) A, b = 9.681(2) A, c = 14.066(4) A, angles α = 90.97(2)°, β = 91.61(3)°, γ = 90.83(2)°, and Z = 2. The structure was refined to R = 6.31% and Rw = 16.63% (I > 2σ(I)). Oxidation of the Ni(II) complex with O2 leads to the formation of a novel pentadentate bis-iminothiocarboxylate complex with trigonal-bipyramidal geometry (3). This neutral product crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/c with cell dimensions a = 13.625(3) A, b = 7.605(5) A, c = 14.902(4) A, angles α = γ = 90°, β = 102.81(2)°, and Z...
Turbulent mixing in a shear-free stably stratified two-layer fluid

Direct numerical simulation is used to examine turbulent mixing in a shear-free stably stratified fluid. Energy is continuously supplied to a small region to maintain a well-developed kinetic energy profile, as in an oscillating grid flow (Briggs et al . 1996; Hopfinger & Toly 1976; Nokes 1988). A microscale Reynolds number of 60 is maintained in the source region. The turbulence forms a well-mixed layer which diffuses from the source into the quiescent fluid below. Turbulence transport at the interface causes the mixed layer to grow under weakly stratified conditions. When the stratification is strong, large-scale turbulent transport is inactive and pressure transport becomes the principal mechanism for the growth of the turbulence layer. Down-gradient buoyancy flux is present in the large scales; however, far from the source, weak counter-gradient fluxes appear in the medium to small scales. The production of internal waves and counter-gradient fluxes rapidly reduces the mixing when the turbulent Froude number is lower than unity. When the stratification is weak, the turbulence is strong enough to break up the density interface and transport fluid parcels of different density over large vertical distances. As the stratification intensifies, turbulent eddies flatten against the interface creating anisotropy and internal waves. The dominant entrainment mechanism is then scouring. Mixing efficiency, defined as the ratio of buoyancy flux to available kinetic energy, exhibits a similar dependence on Froude number to other stratified flows (Holt et al . 1992; Lienhard & Van Atta 1990). However, using the anisotropy of the turbulence to define an alternative mixing efficiency and Froude number improves the correlation and allows local scaling.