cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intracoenosteal variation in a Devonian stromatoporoid

Fagerstrom, J. A. & Saxena, K. M. L.: Intracoenosteal variation in a Devonian stromatoporoid. Statistical analysis of four different features of coenosteal morphology measured in sixteen randomly distributed vertical and tangential thin sections from a specimen of Syringostroma sherzeri (Grabau) from the Detroit River Group near Ingersoll, Ontario, indicates that although the degree of variation is very high, the variation in a single section is representative of the variation in the entire coenosteum. This discovery may therefore be regarded as a partial vindication of current practice in stromatoporoid taxonomy of baaing identifications on examination of one vertical and one tangential sectior. Furthermore, this study indicates that certain morphological features are less variable than others and are therefore of greater value as taxonomic criteria. In cases where the number of measurements per section is small, tests of the significance of differences based on a comparison of the medians, rather than means, is preferred because such tests do not assume that the data are normally distributed.
Dielectric Measurements on Glass at Very High Pressure

A method of making dielectric measurements in situ under pressures up to 60 kbars is described. This technique has been used to investigate the effect of very high pressure on the activation energy for conduction in an aluminosilicate glass system. The activation energy increased rapidly at first with pressure and then exhibited saturation at pressures above 30 kbars. This investigation also showed a remanent increase in the activation energy in a glass compacted at a pressure of 42.2 kbars. The results obtained are discussed in the light of current models for the charge migration in soda glass.
Role of fecal calprotectin testing to predict relapse in teenagers with inflammatory bowel disease who report full disease control

Background: Teenagers with inflammatory bowel disease undergo regular follow-up visits to watch for symptoms that may indicate relapse. Current disease activity is frequently estimated with the use of the Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis Activity Index (PUCAI) and the Pediatric Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (PCDAI). We examined the capacity of fecal calprotectin and C-reactive protein (CRP) to predict relapse in teenagers who report no symptoms. Second, we examined whether calprotectin and CRP as an ‘‘add-on test’’ improve the specificity of PUCAI or PCDAI to predict relapse. Methods: We collected data of 62 consecutive teenagers (31 with Crohn’s disease and 31 with ulcerative colitis) who scored their degree of disease control between 90 and 100% on two successive outpatient clinic visits. Calprotectin, PUCAI or PCDAI, and CRP were measured at baseline. Primary outcome was symptomatic relapse within 3 months of baseline, necessitating the introduction of steroids, exclusive enteral nutrition, or an aminosalicylate dose escalation. Results: Fifteen teenagers (24%) developed symptomatic relapse within 3 months of baseline. Based on the receiver operating characteristic curve, the optimum calprotectin cutpoint to differentiate high from low risk patients was 500 lg/g. The PUCAI or PCDAI predicted relapse in 42% (11/26) of teenagers with a positive result (score � 10 points), while a negative PUCAI or PCDAI result reduced the risk of relapse to 11% (4/36). Teenagers with a positive calprotectin test had a 53% (10/19) risk of progressing to symptomatic relapse within 3 months, whereas a negative calprotectin result gave a 12% (5/43) risk of symptomatic relapse. A positive CRP result (cutoff 10 mg/L) gave a 50% (4/8) risk of relapse, whereas a negative CRP result hardly reduced the risk compared with the pretest probability (from 24% to 21% (11/53)). As an add-on test after PUCAI or PCDAI, the calprotectin test limited the number of false positives and thus increased the specificity to detect gastrointestinal inflammation: 60% (9/15) of teenagers with positive concordant test results progressed to symptomatic relapse. Negative concordance reduced the risk of relapse to 10% (3/32). CRP contributed little as add-on test after PUCAI or PCDAI: two of five teenagers with positive concordant tests progressed to symptomatic relapse (40%). Conclusions: Unlike CRP, fecal calprotectin as an add-on test after PUCAI or PCDAI facilitates recognition of preclinical relapse. This could help to identify teenagers who require treatment intensification at the time of minimal disease rather than at the time of clinically overt relapse. Further studies are warranted to determine the impact of fecal calprotectin testing on treatment management and outcome. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2012;18:2018‐2025)
g-Planner: real-time motion planning and global navigation using GPUs

We present novel randomized algorithms for solving global motion planning problems that exploit the computational capabilities of many-core GPUs. Our approach uses thread and data parallelism to achieve high performance for all components of sample-based algorithms, including random sampling, nearest neighbor computation, local planning, collision queries and graph search. This approach can efficiently solve both the multi-query and single-query versions of the problem and obtain considerable speedups over prior CPU-based algorithms. We demonstrate the efficiency of our algorithms by applying them to a number of 6DOF planning benchmarks in 3D environments. Overall, this is the first algorithm that can perform real-time motion planning and global navigation using commodity hardware.
A Robustness Study of X Charts with Variable Sampling Intervals

Recent theoretical studies have shown that, for all but very large process shifts, control charts using variable sampling interval (VSI) schemes are more efficient in their detection of shifting pr...
Dietary obesity in nine inbred mouse strains

The effect of 7 wk consumption of a diet containing 32.6% of kilocalories as fat [condensed milk (CM) diet] on body composition and energy intake was evaluated in nine strains of inbred mice (AKR/J, C57L/J, A/J, C3H/HeJ, DBA/2J, C57BL/6J, SJL/J, I/STN, and SWR/J). Control animals were fed a high-carbohydrate diet containing 11.6% of energy as fat (Purina Rodent Chow diet). Relative to Chow diet controls, the CM diet significantly increased carcass lipid content in six strains (AKR/J, C57L/J, A/J, C3H/HeJ, DBA/2J, and C57BL/6J), but had no or a marginal effect on adiposity in three strains of mice (SJL/J, I/STN, and SWR/J). The obesity produced by the CM diet in six strains was not due to hyperphagia. Only one of six (AKR/J) of the strains that increased adiposity on the CM diet consumed more energy than controls during the 7 wk of the experiment. The identification of inbred mouse strains that are sensitive to dietary obesity, vs. others that are resistant, provides a useful tool to pursue the metabolic and genetic basis of this trait in the mouse.
Mechanical Stress Analysis and Evaluation of Hybrid Land Grid Array Attached Large Form Factor Organic Modules

Recent industry trends to continue enabling increased server system performance and packaging density has driven the need to implement larger form factor hybrid land grid array (LGA) attached organic modules. In addition, given the need to package multiple modules on a single printed circuit board (PCB) assembly, PCB cross-sections and their corresponding physical properties (e.g., flatness, etc.) as well as module bottom surface metallurgy (BSM) co-planarity require a more detailed understanding of impacts to the compliant as well as the soldered connector interfaces. Lastly, the migration to lead (Pb)-free solders has further complicated the issue given both the change in material properties as well as processing temperatures. In this paper we will discuss the mechanical stress analysis and evaluation tests assessment of a recently developed 50 mm square organic processor module, hybrid LGA attached to a multiple site PCB. The analysis presented will highlight the methodology to identify both connector ...
Get Smart to Go Green? Leed Neighborhood Development and Sustainability

As presently constituted, LEED-ND is unlikely to succeed in the way other LEED rating systems have. The rating system ignores important aspects of the quality of life in modern American suburbia such as security and privacy. If the proponents of smart growth and the new urbanism are to attract ordinary Americans to their quest for traditional neighborhoods, they must incorporate standards that recognize such missing dimensions. The aesthetics of a traditional neighborhood may not be completely congruent with factors which encourage environmental sustainability. LEED-ND ignores technological innovation, such as the implications of the Internet for telecommuting. Moreover, where crime is a problem in the traditional neighborhood, protection of the children trumps the new urbanism, despite its supposedly greener nature. In fact, ignoring such realities smacks of intense, motivated reasoning – ideology that ignores the facts. LEED-ND needs to move in the direction of the Miami 21 Code in order to build real sustainability, eschewing undesired rigid aesthetic prerequisites unrelated to sustainability.
Measurement of Geologic Time by the Rubidium-Strontium Method

The natural radioactivity of rubidium was first reported by J. J. T Homson in 1905 and later confirmed by Campbell and Wood (1906). However, the radioactive isotope of rubidium in nature was not positively identified until 1937. In that year Hahn, Strassman, and Walling (1937) separated strontium from a specimen of lepidolite from the Silver Leaf Mine in Manitoba, and Mattauch (1937) showed by mass spectroscopy that 99.7 percent of this strontium was 87Sr. Since rubidium was known to emit negatively-charged beta particles, it was clear that the 87Sr in this lepidolite had formed by decay of 87Rb. This conclusion was confirmed by Hemmendinger and Smythe (1937), who demonstrated that 87Rb was the only naturally-occurring radioactive isotope of rubidium.
Fungal, Viral, and Parasitic Pneumonias Associated with Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Respiratory illness is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The spectrum of pulmonary disease that can affect patients with HIV is wide and includes opportunistic infection with many fungal, viral, and parasitic organisms. This article reviews the clinical presentation; approach to diagnosis; and management of fungal, viral, and parasitic pneumonias that can develop in patients with HIV including respiratory disease caused by Aspergillus, Cryptococcus, Histoplasma, Coccidioides, Cytomegalovirus, Toxoplasma, and Strongyloides. Because clinical symptoms and radiographic patterns are often insensitive at distinguishing these pulmonary infections, this review particularly focuses on specific host risk factors and diagnostic testing to consider when approaching HIV patients with respiratory illness.
Effects of Age on Response of Eggs of Indianmeal Moth and Navel Orangeworm (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) to Subfreezing Temperatures

The response of eggs of two pyralid moths to exposure to subfreezing temperatures was studied. Egg age at the time of exposure greatly affected the tolerance of Indianmeal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hubner), and the navel orangeworm, Amyelois transitella (Walker), to low temperatures. Indianmeal moth eggs incubated at 28°C for 33 ± 8 h were more tolerant of exposure to temperatures of between -12 and -18°C than eggs 57 ± 8 h old. Additional studies showed that Indianmeal moth eggs between 27 and 51 ± 8 h old and exposed to -15 and -19°C were the most tolerant and that eggs older than 57 ± 8 h were the least tolerant. Navel orangeworm eggs showed a similar response, with eggs between 34 and 74 ± 6 h old being the most tolerant and eggs older than 82 ± 6 h being the least tolerant. Because of their comparative tolerance to low temperatures, middle-aged eggs of both species are most suitable for development for low temperature treatments of between -15 and -19°C.
“America's Boy Friend Who Can't Get a Date”: Gender, Race, and the Cultural Work of the Jack Benny Program, 1932–1946

Jack Benny's comedy program was one of the nation's most popular radio shows from its inception in 1932 until the late 1940s. The widespread appeal of the show, during the period of radio's greatest influence, suggests that it may reveal a great deal about mainstream culture of that period. Operating from the assumption that the show takes positions on pressing issues of the time, this paper will explore the question of what "cultural work" the Benny program was doing. I shall argue that the show's popularity derived from two interrelated ways it dealt with its subject matter. First, the show reflected its social context by representing anxieties that were widespread in depression America, including concerns about consumption and the economy, family dynamics, gender roles, and racial difference. Second, the show attempted to shape listeners' attitudes and ideas by offering temporary ideological resolutions of many of those social anxieties. The show modeled a fantasy world where work and consumption were unproblematic; where white male dominance in the family was unchallenged because married women did not exist; where the chaos and disorder of society were projected onto African-American communities; and where masculinity and a man's status in the family did not necessarily depend on his economic situation. Because this vision conflicted with cultural values celebrating family life, companionate marriage, and (eventually) racial justice, it was partly obscured by a consistent use of foils (contrasting characters) and of ambiguity, which allowed listeners to interpret the show's meanings in various ways. Such structural ambiguity helps explain the show's tremendous popularity; it allowed listeners positioned differently in the culture to choose their own understandings of the show's meanings and to identify with the characters in multiple ways.
United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS). Effects of glucose and blood pressure control on complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) showed that intensive treatment (i.e., glucose-lowering drugs, with a goal fasting blood glucose level of 108 mg/dL) decreases the microvascular complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus. We summarize the key study results and their implications for clinical management of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Double Network Gels and the Toughness of Terrestrial Slug Glue

The terrestrial slug Arion subfuscus produces a defensive secretion that is sticky and tough, despite being a dilute gel. It is unusual in having high stiffness for a gel, yet retaining the high extensibility typical of mucus. In tensile tests, it sustains an average peak stress of 101 kPa, and fails at an average strain of 9.5. This gives the gel toughness; it requires much greater strain energy to fracture than most gels. This toughness may arise from a double-network type mechanism. In this mechanism, two separate, interpenetrating networks of polymers with different properties combine to give toughness that can be several orders of magnitude greater than either network individually. Native gel electrophoresis suggests that A. subfuscus glue consists of two networks: a network of negatively charged proteins ranging in Mr from 40×10(3) to 220×10(3) that can be dissociated by hydroxylamine and a network of heparan sulfate-like proteoglycans. The two networks are not tightly linked, though proteins of Mr 40×10(3) and 165×10(3) may associate with the carbohydrates. Targeted disruption of either network separately, using enzymatic hydrolysis, disulfide bond breakage or imine bond disruption completely disrupted the glue, resulting in no measurable toughness. Thus, the two networks separately provide little toughness, but together they work synergistically to create a tough material, as predicted in the double-network mechanism.
E-048 moya moya syndrome: evaluation and treatment in patients with inflammatory conditions causing a puff of smoke

Title Evaluation of Angiographic appearances of Moya Moya variants and their treatment options Purpose To familiarize the viewer with many of the different disease entities known to cause the Moya Moya angiographic phenotype and help the viewer to identify additional salient imaging findings elsewhere in the body that may help with more precise diagnosis. Approach/methods 1. Review relevant anatomy of the intracranial arterial circulation. 2. Describe the Moya Moya disease findings. 3. Describe several of the known diseases that cause Moya Moya appearance on angiography and give imaging examples of each by angiographic studies. 4. Imaging examples of pathognomonic findings in each disease entity.5. Review of imaging features that correlate with symptomatic disease where treatment is indicated. 6. Discussion of past and current treatment modalities including intracranial angioplasty, stenting and surgical bypass options. Findings/discussion The “puff of smoke” imaging findings described for moya moya can be seen with the classic Moya Moya disease which was first described in Japanese families in the 1950’s. Since that time, we have identified other disease that has similar presentations such as neurofibromatosis, lupus erytmatosis and fibromuscular dysplasia. Evaluating perfusion in asymptomatic patients as well as stroke burden in symptomatic patients have been used to guide need for treatment. Treatment of this condition has been traditionally medical with aspirin as well as surgical through bypass surgery. Endovascular stent angioplasty has been utilized for intracranial stenosis associated with Moya Moya disease although evidence for its efficacy is thin in the current literature. After SAMMPRIS and COSS trial, evidence for benefit from intracranial stents or surgical bypass for intracranial atherosclerotic disease has come into question. Surgical bypass or intracranial angioplasty may offer additional treatment options for Moya Moya disease type patients in the future. Conclusion By describing the angiographic patterns associated with Moya Moya phenomenon as well as associated symptoms we hope to elucidate the nuances of angiographic appearances in this broad clinical setting which may help narrow the differential diagnosis.. We will also discuss the treatment options and the current level of evidence for endovascular or surgical treatment. Disclosures R. Shastri: None. N. Chaudhary: None. A. Pandey: None. C. Roark: None. B. Thompson: None. J. Gemmete: None.
Structural, Electronic, and Magnetic Characterization of a Dinuclear Zinc Complex Containing TCNQ– and a μ-[TCNQ–TCNQ]2– Ligand

A dinuclear zinc complex containing both a σ-dimerized 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) ligand ([TCNQ–TCNQ]2–) and TCNQ– was synthesized for the first time. This is the first instance of a single molecular complex with a bridging [TCNQ–TCNQ]2– ligand. Each zinc center is coordinated with two 2,2′-bipyrimidines and one TCNQ–, and the remaining coordination site is occupied by a [TCNQ–TCNQ]2– ligand, which bridges the two zinc centers. The complex facilitates π-stacking of TCNQ– ligands when crystallized, which gives rise to a near-IR charge-transfer transition and strong antiferromagnetic coupling.
Dynamin 3 Is Differentially Expressed during Human Megakaryocyte Development.

We found that expression of dynamin 3 ( DNM3 ) is increased significantly when human CD34+/CD38 lo cells are induced to develop along the megakaryocyte (MK) lineage. DNM3 is a member of a family of mechanochemical enzymes which participate in membrane dynamics. Of the 3 family members ( DNM1 , DNM2 and DNM3 ), cDNA microarray analysis showed that only DNM3 significantly increased by 9.5±1.8-fold (mean±SEM; p≤0.001). mRNAs for DNM1 and DNM2 were detectable, but their expression levels remained essentially unchanged during MK differentiation. Consistent with our microarray data, real time quantitative RT-PCR confirmed that DNM3 expression levels increased by as much as 20.0±7.3 fold during megakaryocytopoiesis. Western Blot analysis showed that protein expression patterns for each of the 3 dynamins differ in MKs/platelets. DNM3 protein expression levels are greater in MKs than in platelets. DNM1 was not detectable in MKs, but was present in platelets. Although DNM2 protein was detectable in both MKs and platelets, the relative mobility for DNM2 was slightly lower in platelets than MKs. Indirect immunofluorescent microscopy showed that DNM3 was predominantly in the cytoplasm with localization to sites that appear to be regions of pro-platelet formation. The cDNA encoding DNM3 was amplified from culture derived human MKs, cloned and sequenced. Sequence analysis revealed that the cloned product matched a DNM3 transcriptional splice variant in the Ensemble Human GeneView database (i.e. ENST00000367731). Together these results are the first evidence indicating that members of the dynamin family of mechanochemical proteins are present in human MKs and suggest that they may play an important role in MK membrane dynamics.
Cartesian-Space Time Delay Compensation in Leader-Follower Coordination of Two Manipulators using Periodic Time Functions

Different approaches in multi-manipulator control can be classified into those which adopt a leader-follower operation and those which use indistinguished control. Although leader-follower coordination is more efficient to implement, its performance is more susceptible to the leader arm controller performance. In this paper coordinated control of two manipulators carrying a common object using discrete position feedback is developed and tested using a multi-processor architecture and two PUMA robots. Since the research is experimental, leader-follower coordination is used because of its computational efficiency. Computation and other timing delays incur the loss of two sampling intervals. This is where a class of predictive filters is designed to compensate for these delays. These filters are developed using the delayed follower arm desired positions to estimate a model of its desired trajectory using periodic functions of time. Both exact and least squares spline fitting are carried out and the performances of the resulting estimators are compared.
The Social Evolution of South African Society

In this chapter we shall examine the main historical factors which moulded South African society in its development from a colony to a fully-independent Republic governed by a White elite. We shall also outline the main aspects of the social structure as it is at present, particularly in regard to its political and legal characteristics. Understanding of such factors is necessary before we can appreciate the kind of social setting in which social and societal behaviour takes place.
The Cost of Dichotomizing Continuous Labels for Binary Classification Problems: Deriving a Bayesian-Optimal Classifier

Many pattern recognition problems involve characterizing samples with continuous labels instead of discrete categories. While regression models are suitable for these learning tasks, these labels are often discretized into binary classes to formulate the problem as a conventional classification task (e.g., classes with low versus high values). This methodology brings intrinsic limitations on the classification performance. The continuous labels are typically normally-distributed, with many samples close to the boundary threshold, resulting in poor classification rates. Previous studies only use the discretized labels to train binary classifiers, neglecting the original, continuous labels. This study demonstrates that, even in binary classification problems, exploiting the original labels before splitting the classes can lead to better classification performance. This work proposes an optimal classifier based on the Bayesian maximum a posterior (MAP) criterion for these problems, which effectively utilizes the real-valued labels. We derive the theoretical average performance of this classifier, which can be considered as the expected upper bound performance for the task. Experimental evaluations on synthetic and real data sets show the improvement achieved by the proposed classifier, in contrast to conventional classifiers trained with binary labels. These evaluations clearly demonstrate the optimality of the proposed classifier, and the precision of the expected upper bound obtained by our derivation.
Effectiveness of Occupational Therapy Interventions for Adults With Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Systematic Review

Objective We reviewed the efficacy of occupational therapy-related interventions for adults with rheumatoid arthritis. Method We examined 51 Level I studies (19 physical activity, 32 psychoeducational) published 2000-2014 and identified from five databases. Interventions that focused solely on the upper or lower extremities were not included. Results Findings related to key outcomes (activities of daily living, ability, pain, fatigue, depression, self-efficacy, disease symptoms) are presented. Strong evidence supports the use of aerobic exercise, resistive exercise, and aquatic therapy. Mixed to limited evidence supports dynamic exercise, Tai Chi, and yoga. Among the psychoeducation interventions, strong evidence supports the use of patient education, self-management, cognitive-behavioral approaches, multidisciplinary approaches, and joint protection, and limited or mixed evidence supports the use of assistive technology and emotional disclosure. Conclusion The evidence supports interventions within the scope of occupational therapy practice for rheumatoid arthritis, but few interventions were occupation based.
A remark on translates of a box spline

We prove an express theorem on the stability of integer translates of a box spline and clear proposition 4. 10. 2 in [6] for box spline case. Also, we provide a way to construct a linear projection from Lp to the space of integer translates of a box spline. Consequently, the equivalence among the stability, global linear independence and local linear independence of translates of a box spile follows.
Improving the cost-effectiveness of symbolic testing techniques for transport protocol implementations under packet dynamics

The majority of Internet traffic is transferred by transport protocols. The correctness of these transport protocol implementations is hard to validate as their behaviors depend not only on their protocols but also on their network environments that can introduce dynamic packet delay and loss. Random testing, widely used in industry due to its simplicity and low cost, struggles to detect packet delay related faults which occur with low probability. Symbolic execution based testing is promising at detecting such low probability faults, but it requires large testing budgets as it attempts to cover a prohibitively large input space of packet dynamics. To improve its cost-effectiveness, we propose two domain-specific heuristic techniques, called packet retransmission based priority and network state based priority, which are motivated by two common transport protocol properties. In our experiments using the Linux TFTP programs, our techniques improve the cost-effectiveness of symbolic execution based testing for transport protocols, detecting three times as many faults when the budget is in the range of minutes and hours.
Development and pilot testing of a novel behavioral intervention for adults with type 2 diabetes using intervention mapping

ABSTRACTPurpose: A healthy diet and consistent physical activity (PA) form the foundation for effective self-management in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Behavioral interventions, which target diet and PA, can facilitate effective diabetes self-management practices. Greater clarity regarding the ‘active ingredients’ incorporated into behavioral interventions is needed to inform the evidence base about effective intervention techniques to advance behavioral theories and to improve clinical practice. The use of intervention mapping (IM) to develop a novel diabetes intervention to increase consumption of low glycemic index (GI) foods and to increase moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA is presented.Methods: Determinants from self-regulation and the Health Action Process Approach theoretical framework formed the foundation of the intervention. The IM taxonomy of behavior change methods and strategies from Hope Therapy (e.g. goal maps) were used to guide techniques for changing selected theoretical ...
Convergent Therapeutic Strategies to Overcome the Heterogeneity of Acquired Resistance in BRAFV600E Colorectal Cancer

Clonal heterogeneity associated with acquired resistance presents a critical therapeutic challenge. Whole-exome sequencing of paired tumor biopsies and targeted sequencing of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from patients with BRAFV600E colorectal cancer receiving BRAF inhibitor combinations identified 14 distinct alterations in MAPK pathway components driving acquired resistance, with as many as eight alterations in a single patient. We developed a pooled clone system to study clonal outgrowth during acquired resistance, in vitro and in vivoIn vitro, the dynamics of individual resistant clones could be monitored in real time in cfDNA isolated from culture media during therapy. Outgrowth of multiple resistant clones was observed during therapy with BRAF, EGFR, and MEK inhibitor combinations. However, ERK inhibition, particularly in combination with BRAF and EGFR inhibition, markedly abrogated clonal outgrowth in vitro and in vivo Thus, convergent, up-front therapy may suppress outgrowth of heterogeneous clones harboring clinically observed resistance alterations, which may improve clinical outcome.Significance: We observed heterogeneous, recurrent alterations in the MAPK pathway as key drivers of acquired resistance in BRAFV600E colorectal cancer, with multiple concurrent resistance alterations detectable in individual patients. Using a novel pooled clone system, we identify convergent up-front therapeutic strategies capable of intercepting multiple resistance mechanisms as potential approaches to suppress emergence of acquired resistance. Cancer Discov; 8(4); 417-27. ©2018 AACR.See related commentary by Janku, p. 389See related article by Corcoran et al., p. 428This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 371.
Insurance Status Affects In-Hospital Complication Rates After Total Knee Arthroplasty

Insurance status has been shown to be a predictor of patient morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of patient insurance status on the in-hospital complication rates following total knee arthroplasty. Data were obtained from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (2004 through 2011). Patient demographics and comorbidities were analyzed and stratified by insurance type. Analysis was performed with a matched cohort comparing complication rates between patients with Medicare vs private insurance using the coarsened exact matching algorithm and multivariable logistic regression. A total of 1,352,505 patients (Medicare, 57.8%; private insurance, 35.6%; Medicaid/uninsured, 3.1%; other, 3.3%; unknown, 0.2%) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The matched cohort analysis comparing Medicare with privately insured patients showed significantly higher risk of mortality (relative risk [RR], 1.34; P<.001), wound dehiscence (RR, 1.32; P<.001), central nervous system complications (RR, 1.16; P=.030), and gastrointestinal complications (RR, 1.13; P<.001) in Medicare patients, whereas privately insured patients had a higher risk of cardiac complications (RR, 0.93; P=.003). Independent of insurance status, older patients and patients with an increased comorbidity index were also associated with a higher complication rate and mortality following total knee arthroplasty. These data suggest that insurance status may be considered as an independent risk factor for increased complications when stratifying patients preoperatively for total knee replacement. Further research is needed to investigate the disparities in these findings to optimize patient outcomes following total knee arthroplasty. [Orthopedics. 2018; 41(3):e340-e347.].
Autonomic Nervous Control of the Intrinsic Cardiac Pacemaker and Its Electronic Analogue Simulator

Influence and participation of the central and autonomic nervous systems on the performance of the cardiovascular system has been a subject of long interest and extensive studies (1–10). One of the parameters in evaluation of the cardiovascular function is the heart rate. Its regulation by the autonomic nervous system has been studied in depth (11–20). Attempts at better understanding the mechanisms of this regulation were made by developing a mathematical model of the heart rate control by the two antagonistically acting subdivisions of the autonomic nervous system, i.e., the sympathetic and parasympathetic (vagus) systems (21–23).Their role in the reflex control of the heart rate was discussed (11,12).
Hemostatic Agents and Their Safety

The pharmacologic management of hemostasis in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass may be accompanied by adverse responses. Evaluating the safety profile of hemostatic agents (eg, lysine analogs, aprotinin, protamine, or even donor blood) should be done objectively. Subsequent to early anecdotal reports, the safety profile of aprotinin, a broad-spectrum serine protease inhibitor, has been thoroughly evaluated in multiple double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter studies. Although associated with decreased fibrinolysis, aprotinin has not been associated with an increased risk of post-cardiopulmonary bypass myocardial infarction, graft closure, stroke, or increased risk of renal dysfunction from US studies. As with any polypeptide, there is a risk of anaphylaxis, which is influenced not only by prior exposure but also by time since prior exposure. In a similar fashion, after early anecdotal reports, evaluations involving large numbers of patients have helped define adverse reactions to protamine. Adverse reactions to blood products also must be considered in any safety comparisons involving hemostatic agents.
Animal test systems to study behavioral dysfunctions of neurodegenerative disorders.

The Eighth International Neurotoxicology Conference, Role of Toxicants in Neurological Disorders (1990), evaluated the evidence that chemical exposures may play a role in the development of neurodegenerative disorders. This article describes the major neurodegenerative disorders (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Huntington disease, Parkinson disease, and Alzheimer disease) addressed at the conference, followed by a description of test systems or models developed to study behavioral aspects of these disorders in animals. However, due to the complexity of the disorders and the species in which they are found, fully-developed models in animals of neurodegenerative disorders are lacking. This suggests the need for a clear strategy for selecting behavioral tests in animals to study aspects of any neurodegenerative disorders. Such a strategy is here exemplified for Alzheimer disease (AD) as a prototypical neurodegenerative disorder. Since an animal model cannot provide the full range of effects of human neurodegenerative diseases, particularly AD which produces incompletely characterized cognitive deficits, a rodent model must at this time be drawn from multiple sources, including: (1) Tests currently used to identify in rodents deficits associated with AD; (2) tests to identify Alzheimer-related signs in patients; and, (3) tests that relate to theoretical constructs of human and animal cognition. A battery that draws from those sources could include tests of: (a) Spatial learning and memory (Morris Water Maze and Radial Arm Maze), (b) delayed recall match-to-sample; (c) serial response learning; and, (d) visual discrimination (e.g., vertical vs. horizontal stimuli). This battery will identify behavioral changes characteristic of early-, middle- and late-stage AD, afford the potential to relate the findings to theoretical constructs of cognition, and evaluate learning capabilities not previously studied in rodent models of neurodegenerative disorders.
Information Entropy and Dose-Response Functions for Risk Analysis

Estimating functions to predict dose-response functions below available experimental or epidemiological data is a great cause of controversy and economic impact. Information entropy is used to evaluate different forms of dose-response function for doses below epidemiological and experimental levels. When both the threshold dose and the mean response at some upper-end dose are known, the maximum-entropy dose-response function is found to be a horizontal line at the response related to the upper-end dose. However, when the threshold dose is uncertain as well, linear and various exponential dose-response functions can result.
Environmentally Responsive Dna Bending by the Agrobacterium Tumefaciens Transcriptional Activator OccR

Octopine-type Ti plasmids encode a LysR-type protein called OccR that regulates a 14 kb operon containing genes that direct the uptake and catabolism of octopine as well as a second uptake system and the traR gene, which regulates transcription of the Ti plasmid tra regulon. OccR binds to its operator in the presence or absence of octopine, but octopine shortens the DNase I-protected region and decreases the angle of a DNA bend incited by the protein. Experiments adjusting the phase between this bend and a sequence directed bend show that bend direction is not influenced by octopine, and that DNA is bent toward the protein. Operator resection experiments demonstrate that the right half of the operator is essential and sufficient for protein binding, while the left half contains several sites required for ligand-responsive DNA bending. A constitutive OccR protein was unable to cause as high a bend angle in the absence of octopine as the wild type protein.
Theory of Distrubance-Accommodating Controllers

Publisher Summary In the field of applied control technology, it is a known fact that all realistic control systems operate in environments that produce system disturbances of one kind or another. The term “disturbances” refers to the category of system inputs that are not known beforehand and cannot be manipulated by the control designer, that is, uncontrollable inputs. Disturbances are an important factor in control design problems because they introduce unwanted disruptions in the orderly behavior of the controlled system. If the presence of disturbances is an inevitable feature of all practical control problems, a properly designed control system must be capable of effectively coping with the range of disturbances that might act on the system. A high-performance control system should be designed to maintain the given control design specifications in the face of all disturbances that might act on the system under actual operating field conditions. Modern control technology has been slow in addressing the fundamental problem of how to cope with realistic disturbances in complex multivariable control problems.
Simulating Experiential Learning in Professional Online Courses

Few studies have explored how to simulate the experiential learning of professional knowledge domains in online graduate courses. This paper addresses how to provide the type of deep, socially situated learning that is achieved in professional practice by employing peer and vicarious learning in discussion forums. We start by describing what we have learned about scaffolding peer learning environments from prior studies. We distinguish vicarious learning, which exposes and sensitizes students to situated knowledge based on observation of peer discussions, from peer interactions which engage students actively in co-constructing knowledge about professional practice. Then we present findings from a 10-week graduate course in Information Systems Project Management. Our findings present evidence for vicarious learning from observing peer interactions, and of interactive peer learning that not only demonstrates the co-construction of knowledge across learners but also uncovers a collaborative process based on a sense of community identity. We end with a substantive theory of social cognition in community learning based on our findings. The intention is to provide a framework for the evaluation of collaborative knowledge construction, so that courses may support deep, experiential learning in graduate online professional education.
The revealing history of a revered waterway

Sudipta Sen9s Ganges: The Many Pasts of an Indian River invites its reader across the space and time of this iconic riverscape. Through a sweeping yet carefully textured history, the layers of the Ganges9s past assume a life that is both consequential and contemporary.
On accounting for equipment-control interactions in economic model predictive control via process state constraints

Abstract Traditionally, chemical processes have been operated at steady-state; however, recent work on economic model predictive control (EMPC) has indicated that some processes may be operated in a more economically-optimal fashion under a time-varying operating policy. It is unclear how time-varying operating policies may impact process equipment, which must be investigated for safety and profit reasons. It has traditionally been considered that constraints on process states can be added to EMPC design to prevent the controller from computing control actions which create problematic operating conditions for process equipment. However, no rigorous investigation has yet been performed to analyze whether, when a process is operated in a time-varying fashion, constraints on the process states (rather than states of the equipment behavior itself) are the most appropriate way of preventing unsafe conditions. In this work, we investigate the use of process state constraints for preventing equipment damage due to the operating conditions set up by an EMPC over time when the equipment behavior is modeled within a context based on forces, deformation, and fracture. Through a chemical process example, we elucidate that there are situations in which process state constraints are likely to be adequate for use in preventing an EMPC from setting up operating conditions that may not be desirable, but that there also may be situations when process state constraints are not adequate and constraints on equipment states may be an alternative. We elucidate a number of challenges that remain to be addressed for this proposed method to be practical.
Spatiotemporal heterogeneity of water flowpaths controls dissolved organic carbon sourcing in a snow-dominated, headwater catchment

The non-uniform distribution of water in snowdrift-driven systems can lead to spatial heterogeneity in vegetative communities and soil development, as snowdrifts may locally increase weathering. The focus of this study is to understand the coupled hydrological and biogeochemical dynamics in a heterogeneous, snowdrift-dominated headwater catchment (Reynolds Mountain East, Reynolds Creek Critical Zone Observatory, Idaho, USA). We determine the sources and fluxes of stream water and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) at this site, deducing likely flowpaths from hydrometric and hydrochemical signals of soil water, saprolite water, and groundwater measured through the snowmelt period and summer recession. We then interpret flowpaths using end-member mixing analysis in light of inferred subsurface structure derived from electrical resistivity and seismic velocity transects. Streamwater is sourced primarily from groundwater (averaging 25% of annual streamflow), snowmelt (50%), and water travelling along the saprolite/bedrock boundary (25%). The latter is comprised of the prior year’s soil water, which accumulates DOC in the soil matrix through the summer before flushing to the saprolite during snowmelt. DOC indices suggest that it is sourced from terrestrial carbon, and derives originally from soil organic carbon (SOC) before flushing to the saprolite/bedrock boundary. Multiple subsurface regions in the catchment appear to contribute differentially to streamflow as the season progresses; sources shift from the saprolite/bedrock interface to deeper bedrock aquifers from the snowmelt period into summer. Unlike most studied catchments, lateral flow of soil water during the study year is not a primary source of streamflow. Instead, saprolite and groundwater act as integrators of soil water that flows vertically in this system. Our results do not support the flushing hypothesis as observed in similar systems and instead indicate that temporal variation in connectivity may cause the unexpected dilution behavior displayed by DOC in this catchment.
Assigning Responsibility for Preventing the Spread of Misinformation Online: Some Findings on Gender Differences

“Fake News” gained major attention throughout all types of media such as print media, broadcast news, and the Internet. This paper utilizes data from a survey of Internet users to compare the perceptions of females and males of the responsibility in preventing the spread of fake news. Those held responsible for taking additional control include public, government, and social media sites. Most respondents (91%) think that made up news stories hinder Americans. Also, most Americans agree that all three players should be more responsible -public (76%), government (73%), networking sites (76%). The results of a regression analysis followed by a t-test revealed that there is no statistically significant gender difference among the means. However, females are more likely to attribute the primary responsibility to the social media sites, when males are more likely to perceive the government as the primary responsible.
A Study on Finding a System of Tie-sets with the Minimum Total Number of Elements

The restoration time to failure recovery in an information network with ring or cycle structure is known to depend strongly on the total number of communication links involved in it. In graph theory, a tie-set is mathematically defined as a set of edges composing a cycle. A previous study has shown a method of finding tie-sets with minimal elements which is an evaluation criterion of tie-sets. However, it is likely to need much computational time in large-scale networks because of the increase of possible tie-sets. Therefore, this paper proposes a faster optimization method for tie-sets in order to minimize the total number of elements on tie-sets.
Protection through participation: Crowdsourced tap water quality monitoring for enhanced public health

Lead contamination in municipal drinking water is a national public health issue and is generally the result of water contact with leaded distribution piping and on premise plumbing. As a result, the US Environmental Protection Agency's Lead and Copper Rule requires point of use sampling methods at a small fraction of consumer taps on the public water distribution system. While this approach is practical, it leaves large gaps of consumers without direct monitoring and protection. In response, a novel contest-based crowdsourcing study was conducted to engage the public in monitoring their own water quality at their home taps and study factors that shaped participation in drinking water monitoring. Participants were asked to collect samples of their household drinking water through social media postings, kiosks, and community events with the chance to win a cash prize. The project distributed approximately 800 sampling packets and received 147 packets from participants of which 93% had at least partially completed surveys. On average, private wells were found to have higher lead levels than the public water supply, and the higher lead levels were not attributed to older building age. There is also no statistical relevance between the participants' perceived and actual tap water quality. Survey responses indicated that citizens were motivated to participate in the project due to concerns about their own health and/or the health of their families. In contrast, participants reported that they were not motivated by the cash prize. This project helps inform future public engagement with water quality monitoring, create new knowledge about the influence of personal motivations for participation, and provide recommendations to help increase awareness of water quality issues.