cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Scientific Study of Adolescence: A Brief History.

This article provides an overview of the history of research on adolescence. In our view, the history of the scientific study of adolescence has had two overlapping phases and is now on the cusp of a third. The first phase, which began early in the 20th century and lasted about 70 years, was characterized by grand theoretical models that purportedly pertained to all facets of adolescent development. The major studies of adolescence during this period were atheoretical, descriptive accounts. The second phase, which began in the mid–1970s and continues today, has been characterized by more focused hypothesis testing, an interest in developmental plasticity and in diversity, and in the application of science to real-world problems. We are now seeing the emergence of a third phase, in which the field of adolescent development is serving as an exemplar of the sort of developmental science that can be used by policy makers and by practitioners to advance civil society and to promote positive development.
Effects of extreme anchors and interior label spacing on labeled affective magnitude scales

Abstract Three experiments were conducted to examine the effect of the choice of words for the high and low extreme verbal labels for labeled affective magnitude scales (LAM). In the first study, anchors included greatest imaginable like (or dislike) for “experiences of any kind” and for “a fruit beverage.” Anchoring the scale to “any experience” created a compression effect, restricting the range of the scale that was used. However, both versions of the LAM showed equal discrimination of the acceptance ratings of products in a set of five diverse fruit juice beverages. A second study was conducted to examine the scale positions of various high end anchors, including greatest imaginable like (dislike), greatest imaginable liking for foods, beverages and any experience. Using magnitude estimation, more extreme ratings were found for the liking (or disliking) of “any experience” as opposed to simply “greatest imaginable liking” (or disliking) and less extreme ratings for anchoring to foods and beverages. The resulting scale values were used to compare three versions of the LAM, with different end anchors and spacings of the interior nine-point hedonic scale labels. As in the first experiment, the range of scores decreased when the end anchor term included “experiences of any kind” and also when the spacing of the interior hedonic terms was compressed. However, once again the products were differentiated equally well in acceptance scores by all three versions of the scale. With the product set studied here, there is no apparent advantage to the use of an extreme anchor term referring to “experiences of any kind” and use of such an anchor may compress the range of scale values chosen by consumer panelists.
An algorithm for bicriteria optimization based on the sensitivity function

The determination of noninferior points and corresponding noninferior values related to the multicriteria optimization problem is approached through the use of the sensitivity function. The sensitivity function has several attractive properties which provide the basis for efficient generation and representation of points in the set (or surface) of noninferior values, and these are exploited in the development of an efficient bicriteria optimization algorithm.
The siting of emergency service facilities with workload capacities and backup service

By the very nature of the demand that they serve, emergency service systems require that timely service be readily available to those who need it. Yet, the distinct possibility exists that the closest facility will be occupied with another call for service, and when this primary responding unit is busy, a secondary or backup facility must be assigned. The need for backup service is most prevalent in heavily used systems, which are also prone to facility workloads that can be excessive if uncontrolled. The effective design of these systems should address the siting of both the primary responding facility and a designated backup unit, as well as reasonable workload limits on these facilities. In this paper, a model formulation for emergency service systems is presented where facility workload is controlled and backup service for some or all demand points is provided. The model is sufficiently general to allow it to be adapted to several problem settings and decision criteria. An effective solution procedure...
On the geometry of spheres in normed linear spaces

Some simplifications of Schaffer's girth and perimeter of the unit spheres are introduced. Their general properties are discussed, and they are used to study the lp, Lp spaces, uniformly nonsquare spaces, and their isomorphic classes.
The patchworks code editor: toward faster navigation with less code arranging and fewer navigation mistakes

Increasingly, people are faced with navigating large information spaces, and making such navigation efficient is of paramount concern. In this paper, we focus on the problems programmers face in navigating large code bases, and propose a novel code editor, Patchworks, that addresses the problems. In particular, Patchworks leverages two new interface idioms - the patch grid and the ribbon - to help programmers navigate more quickly, make fewer navigation errors, and spend less time arranging their code. To validate Patchworks, we conducted a user study that compared Patchworks to two existing code editors: the traditional file-based editor, Eclipse, and the newer canvas-based editor, Code Bubbles. Our results showed (1) that programmers using Patchworks were able to navigate significantly faster than with Eclipse (and comparably with Code Bubbles), (2) that programmers using Patchworks made significantly fewer navigation errors than with Code Bubbles or Eclipse, and (3) that programmers using Patchworks spent significantly less time arranging their code than with Code Bubbles (and comparably with Eclipse).
Water stress in grasslands: dynamic responses of plants and insect herbivores

Global climate change is altering precipitation patterns. Th e eff ect of water stress on plant – herbivore interactions is poorly understood even though this is a primary ecological interaction that will be altered by climate change. Th is is especially true for grasslands where water is often limiting. In this study we manipulated water inputs in open grassland plots (1 m 2 ) during a severe drought and assessed plant and insect herbivore responses. Th ere were two watering treatments: ambient and supplemented. Supplemented plots received water weekly in amounts that mimicked average seasonal rainfall. For plants, we were interested in how water input aff ected protein and digestible carbohydrate content; previous studies predicted water stress would increase the concentration of these two nutrients. Grasshoppers are the dominant insect herbivores in grasslands and we assessed their responses to water inputs by measuring abundance and diversity. Previous studies suggested grasshoppers would prefer water-stressed plots. Protein and carbohydrate content in bulk grass and forb samples, plus plant biomass and diversity, were measured monthly (May – August). Immediately prior to harvesting plant tissue, we counted and identifi ed individual grasshoppers in each plot. Grass biomass was reduced with water stress, but macronutrient content and species diversity were unaff ected. After three months water-stressed forbs were less protein biased, and diverse, relative to watered forbs; forb biomass was indistinguishable between treatments. Grasshopper abundance and diversity were lower in water-stressed plots as the season progressed. However, grasshopper-feeding biology mattered: densities of mixed-feeders and grass-feeders, but not forb-specialists, decreased over time in water-stressed plots, but not in water supplemented plots. Our results demonstrate the importance of focusing on plant and insect herbivore functional groups and provide valuable new data that can be incorporated into models to explore the eff ects of global climate change in greater detail.
Review : The Role of Schwann cells in Neural Regeneration

The difference in regenerative capacity between the PNS and the CNS is not due to an intrinsic inability of central neurons to extend fibers. Rather, it is probably related to the environment in the CNS that is either repulsive to axonal outgrowth and/or nonsupportive of axonal elongation. In contrast, the PNS both supports and allows for axonal elongation after injury. The Schwann cell, which is the glial cell of the PNS, is strictly required for peripheral regeneration. Here we discuss recent work describing the biology of Schwann cell- dependent regeneration, discuss what is known of the molecular basis of this phenomenon, and how it might apply to the damaged CNS. NEUROSCIENTIST 5:208-216, 1999
Work in progress - a Web-based virtual supersonic nozzle module as a visualization and active learning tool for the undergraduate thermodynamics course

A Web-based visualization tool has been developed and used for teaching undergraduate students about flow and thermodynamic property variations in isentropic (shock-free) and non-isentropic (normal shock embedded) one-dimensional compressible flows in nozzles. The Web-based module simulates these flow regimes by numerically solving conservation laws for mass, momentum and energy, and enables real time visualization of results using an animation program. The module through its interactivity feature permits students to change operating pressure conditions to visualize flow property variations inside a supersonic nozzle by clicking and dragging action of a computer mouse. The module through a variety of visual images of physical phenomenon also provides student the engineering context of underlying engineering principles and governing equations
Electron Microscopy of Ferrites

Some electron microscopy studies are described of magnetic ferrites with special emphasis on LiFe/sub 5/O/sub 8/ and including some results on NiFe/sub 2/O/sub 4/ and SrFe/sub 12/O/sub 19/. Analysis of the crystallography, defect structure, and phase transformations and their relations to magnetic properties, viz coercivity and hysteresis characteristics are discussed.
Terrestrial Versus Aquatic Biology: The Medium and Its Message

Many basic biological functions are constrained by the physical properties of the fluids in which organisms live. Here I explore four selected examples in which physical differences between air and water have contributed to the functional divergence of terrestrial and aquatic organisms. 1. Water is about 800 times as dense as air. As a result, while the cost of locomotion is generally less for aquatic organisms, the hydrodynamic forces they encounter are larger. 2. The combined effects of density and viscosity insure that the capture of suspended particles is mechanically more effective on land than in water. 3. The speed of sound is four times greater in water than in air, requiring aquatic organisms to use higher frequency sounds in echolocation systems. 4. The resistivity of air is 16 orders of magnitude larger than that of seawater, which might explain why aquatic animals use electrical sensing organs to detect prey but terrestrial animals do not.
Optical coherence tomography evaluation of drug-eluting stents: a systematic review.

Aims We performed a systematic review of studies reporting stent strut coverage and malapposition post implantation of different drug-eluting stent (DES), as assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT). Methods A review of publications and online databases in May 2011 retrieved 33 published studies reporting stent strut coverage and malapposition post-DES implantation using OCT: 24 for sirolimus-eluting stents (SES), 13 for paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES), 10 for zotarolimus-eluting stents (ZES), and two for everolimus-eluting stents (EES). The follow-up duration ranged from 3 months to 4 years. Stent strut coverage and malapposition were compared between DES at various time intervals post implantation. Results Significant differences in stent strut coverage and malapposition exist between various DES. The SES had the highest frequency of uncovered struts at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months (13.1%, 10.9%, 8.1%, and 7.5%, respectively), followed by PES (5.5%, 4.4%, and 5.7% at 6, 9, and 12 months, respectively) and ZES (0.7%, 0%, and 0.5% at 3, 6, and 9 months, respectively) (P < 0.001 for all comparisons between stents). Only two studies reported 3.1% uncovered struts at 9 months with the EES. Stent strut malapposition at 6, 9, and 12 months was highest with SES (3.2%, 2.2%, and 1.2%, respectively) followed by PES (1.6%, 1.3%, and 0.9%, respectively), EES (0.46% at 9 months), and ZES (0.7% and 0.1% at 6 and 9 months, respectively). Conclusions SES had the highest rates of uncovered struts and malapposition, followed by PES and ZES. Such differences may explain the different clinical outcomes between various DES. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Impaired posterior frontal sutural fusion in the biglycan/decorin double deficient mice

Biglycan (Bgn) and decorin (Dcn) are highly expressed in numerous tissues in the craniofacial complex. However, their expression and function in the cranial sutures are unknown. In order to study this, we first examined the expression of biglycan and decorin in the posterior frontal suture (PFS), which predictably fuses between 21 and 45 days post-natal and in the non-fusing sagittal (S) suture from wild-type (Wt) mice. Our data showed that Bgn and Dcn were expressed in both cranial sutures. We then characterized the cranial suture phenotype in Bgn deficient, Dcn deficient, Bgn/Dcn double deficient, and Wt mice. At embryonic day 18.5, alizarin red/alcian blue staining showed that the Bgn/Dcn double deficient mice had hypomineralization of the frontal and parietal craniofacial bones. Histological analysis of adult mice (45-60 days post-natal) showed that the Bgn or Dcn deficient mice had no cranial suture abnormalities and immunohistochemistry staining showed increased production of Dcn in the PFS from Bgn deficient mice. To test possible compensation of Dcn in the Bgn deficient sutures, we examined the Bgn/Dcn double deficient mice and found that they had impaired fusion of the PFS. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis of RNA from 35 day-old mice revealed increased expression of Bmp-4 and Dlx-5 in the PFS compared to their non-fusing S suture in Wt tissues and decreased expression of Dlx-5 in both PF and S sutures in the Bgn/Dcn double deficient mice compared to the Wt mice. Failure of PFS fusion and hypomineralization of the calvaria in the Bgn/Dcn double deficient mice demonstrates that these extracellular matrix proteoglycans could have a role in controlling the formation and growth of the cranial vault.
Session 14 overview / memory: High-performance embedded memory

Summary form only given. Embedded memory plays a crucial role in today's VLSI applications — from high-performance computing to low-power consumer electronics. While scaling of technology feature size to the 32nm and 28nm nodes has enabled ever larger and higher performance on-die memories, it has also created growing challenges for the embedded memory designer. Growing device variability and power limitations are driving innovative solutions to maintain robustness and area efficiency in such aggressively scaled memories. In particular, peripheral circuit assist features have become the key to maintaining cell read and write margins to enable low voltage operation for dense SRAM caches. New strategies ranging from circuit-level techniques to fundamental changes in array architecture can also enable significant gains in area and power efficiency.
Fungal disease resistance of Caribbean sea fan corals (Gorgonia spp.)

An on-going, Caribbean-wide epizootic affecting sea fan corals (Gorgonia spp.) is caused by the fungus Aspergillus sydowii (Thom et Church). We examined the role of crude extracts in resistance of two species of sea fans, Gorgonia ventalina (L.) and G. flabellum (L.), against A. sydowii and a bacterial pathogen of fish, Listonella anguillarum (MacDonell et Colwell). Sea fans were collected in January 1997 from San Salvador, Bahamas, and in June 1997 and January 1998 from Alligator Reef, Florida Keys, USA. Crude extracts from both species were tested to determine concentrations inhibiting germination of A. sydowii spores. Crude extracts from both species inhibited spore germination at concentrations as low as 1.5 mg ml−1; most samples were active at 5 to 10 mg ml−1. These concentrations are within the range estimated in living tissue and were higher in healthy colonies suggesting their role in mediating disease susceptibility. We also detected within-colony gradients in antifungal activity, which varied with the disease state of the colony. In healthy sea fans, resistance was highest at colony edges and lowest in medial and central regions of the colony. Among sea fans with lesions in the colony center, resistance in tissue from proximal and medial regions was as high as tissue from the colony edge (i.e. distal region). The increase in antifungal activity suggests an inducible response by the coral host to the fungal pathogen. This response is most evident among sea fans with lesions in the colony center and not among colonies with lesions at the edge. Antibacterial activity of crude extracts against L. anguillarum was highest at the colony edge but did not vary with disease state or tissue location.
Noncapturing stimuli during the basic drive shorten ventricular refractoriness

Abstract Studies of ventricular programmed stimulation in animals1 and a recent study in humans1 showed that increasing the stimulation intensity of the basic drive train (S1) shortened the effective refractory period (ERP). This effect was independent of the intensity of the extrastimulus (S2). The mechanism of this shortening of refractoriness by high-current intensity is unknown. The effect disappears when the sites of pacing and extrastimulation are separated by >2 cm,1 suggesting that high-current stimulation shortens refractoriness through changes in the sequence of local activation. Local sympathetic activation may also play a role, because autonomic blockade significantly attenuates the shortening in refractoriness that occurs with an increase in the strength of the current of the basic drive train.2 This study better defines the mechanism by which intense stimulation shortens refractoriness. High-current intensity stimuli were applied during the absolute refractory period of the basic drive train during measurement of ERP. This allowed evaluation of the effect of stimulation intensity on ventricular refractoriness independent of changes in local activation sequence.
Propagation of dutch iris by tissue culture

Abstract Sections of sprouted-bulb flower-stems 1 mm thick placed on nutrient medium containing 1-naphthylacetic acid gave rise to numerous bulbil initials, many of which grew into normal rooted shoots. A propagation rate of 100 plantlets per bulb is possible with a potential rate of up to 1000 or more.
Low-Dose Corticosteroids to Treat Septic Shock: A Critical Literature Review

Septic shock is the 13th leading cause of death in the United States. The rate of severe sepsis nearly doubled and mortality increased more than 60% during the 10-year period ending in 2003. Systemic inflammatory response syndrome has noninfectious and infectious causes. Noninfectious ones include burns, trauma, severe pancreatitis, and therapy with monoclonal antibodies or immunomodulatory drugs such as interleukin 2. Progression from sepsis syndrome to septic shock is caused by a series of immune responses. As an infectious injury progresses, host activation of the coagulation, immunological, and stress response systems ensues, resulting in tissue hypoperfusion and organ failure. Early studies with small numbers of patients suggest that treatment with low-dose corticosteroids has marked beneficial effects on shock reversal, the immune system, and the hemodynamic profile. Low-dose corticosteroids should only be administered to a subset of patients with septic shock who are unresponsive to fluid replacement and vasopressor therapy.
Case---Vermillion OVA1 Test, Part A

Valuing a Medical Diagnostics Test Jacobs et al. (1990) recommend using risk of malignancy indey (RMI) cutoff value of 200 in referring ovarian tumor patients to oncologists. One way in which physicians arrive at recommendations for cutoff values is by plotting the test’s sensitivity (true positive rate) against the false negative rate, calculated as 1-specificity. A plot of a test’s sensitivity versus 1-specificity is called a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) plot.1 An RMI cutoff value can be thought of as a classifier test because it classifies patients into two groups: those whose tumors are likely malignant and those whose tumors are likely benign. A perfect classifier has 100% true positive rate and 0% false negative rate. One way to determine that one test might be better than the other is to compare which test is closer to the (0%1100%) point in the ROC space. Figure 3 shows an ROC plot for different cutoff values from Figure 2 in Part A. Different studies of RMI’s usefulness have reported different sensitivities and specificities for the same RMI cutoff value of 200. A small selection of published studies is presented in Table 2. Part of the difference comes from sampling. However, a significant part of the variation has been attributed to differences in scoring ultrasound images. Differences in equipment and in operator experience imply that the same patient could be assigned different scores depending on the operator and on the ultrasound equipment. An image can also be scored differently by different
Strip Flatness Mechanism Analysis in Single-Stand Cold Mills

Manufacturing high-strength and light-weight (thin gauge) sheet metals presents challenges in the cold rolling processes. Primary reasons are the difficult-to-predict effectiveness of the various flatness control mechanisms, and the associated evolution of roll stress amplitudes. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate simulations that provide insights into the behavior of various sheet flatness control mechanisms, including roll bending and roll shifting on 4-high and 6-high single stand mills. An efficient, static mathematic model is utilized to analyze mill deflections, strip thickness profiles, and roll stresses. While appropriate roll ‘sizing’ is crucial in designing mills to be competitive for intended products, this requires practical insights into flatness mechanism behavior and peak roll stress characteristics. The knowledge gained from the simulations in this work can assist in interpreting results of automated computational sizing optimization models. Further, it may provide better understanding of general mill deflection behaviors, and help identify interesting situations such as when the peak stress location changes, or wedge type strip thickness profile effects are induced incidentally by specific flatness control mechanisms.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Smarter Than Their Machines: Oral Histories of Pioneers in Interactive Computing

Smarter Than Their Machines -- The Oral Histories of the Pioneers of Interactive Computing is based on oral histories archived at the Charles Babbage Institute, University of Minnesota. Included are the oral histories of some key pioneers of the computer industry selected by John that led to interactive computing, such as Richard Bloch, Gene Amdahl, Herbert W. Robinson, Sam Wyly, J.C.R. Licklider, Ivan Sutherland, Larry Roberts, Robert Kahn, Marvin Minsky, Michael Dertouzos, and Joseph Traub, as well as his own. John has woven them together via introductions that is, in essence, a personal walk down the computer industry road. John had the unique advantage of having been part of, or witness to, much of the history contained in these oral histories beginning as a co-op student at Arthur D. Little, Inc., in the 1950's. Eventually, he would become a pioneer in his own right by creating the computer industry's first successful software products company (Cullinane Corporation). However, an added benefit of reading these oral histories is that they contain important messages for our leaders of today, at all levels, including that government, industry, and academia can accomplish great things when working together in an effective way. This is how the computer industry was created, which then led to the Internet, both totally unanticipated just 75 years ago.
The Calculation of Positron Lifetimes

A recent admirable review by Drachman, 1 given on the occasion of the first conference in this series, contains a helpful section on lifetime calculations. Drachman reviews two interesting techniques for improving the accuracy of calculated lifetimes which are based not upon calculating better wave functions but rather upon operator transformations. In the present review we will concentrate on the former approach: the improvement of wave function accuracy.
Stability of Transverse Field Structures in Two-Dimensional Optical Parametric Oscillators

Near resonance detuning the optical parametric oscillator is governed by a quintic, fourth-order PDE of the Swift-Hohenberg type. The stability of a soliton solutions are studied with an emphasis on inter-soliton interactions.
Reinforcing limbic system stimulation and sodium amytal

The discrete performance decrement sometimes seen with “positive” intracranial reinforcement was reduced, when the site of stimulation was the septal area, the dorsal hippocampus, or the amygdala, by administration of sodium amytal at fear-reducing doses.
Distribution, abundances, and associations of the endophytic fungal community of Arizona fescue (Festuca arizonica).

We documented patterns of species diversity, relative abundances, and associations of the fungal endophyte community inhabiting Arizona fescue (Festuca arizonica), a dominant perennial bunchgrass i...
Understanding order in compositionally graded ferroelectrics: Flexoelectricity, gradient, and depolarization field effects

A nonlinear thermodynamic formalism based on Ginzburg-Landau-Devonshire theory is developed to describe the total free energy density in (001)-oriented, compositionally graded, and monodomain ferroelectric films including the relative contributions and importance of flexoelectric, gradient, and depolarization energy terms. The effects of these energies on the evolution of the spontaneous polarization, dielectric permittivity, and the pyroelectric coefficient as a function of position throughout the film thickness, temperature, and epitaxial strain state are explored. In general, the presence of a compositional gradient and the three energy terms tend to stabilize a polar, ferroelectric state even in compositions that should be paraelectric in the bulk. Flexoelectric effects produce large built-in fields which diminish the temperature dependence of the polarization and susceptibilities. Gradient energy terms, here used to describe short-scale correlation between dipoles, have minimal impact on the polarization and susceptibilities. Finally, depolarization energy significantly impacts the temperature and strain dependence, as well as the magnitude, of the susceptibilities. This approach provides guidance on how to more accurately model compositionally graded films and presents experimental approaches that could enable differentiation and determination of the constitutive coefficients of interest.
The Ingestion of Dry Sugars by Adult Entomophagous Insects and the Use of This Feeding Habit for Measuring the Moisture Needs of Parasites

The belief that adult insect parasites must acquire their foods from liquid or semifluid sources has made it difficult to assess accurately the moisture needs of different entomophagous species. It was found that many adult entomophagous insects can feed upon completely dry sugar. Parasitic Hymenoptera dissolve the dry sugar with a lapping movement of the glossa moistened with salivary fluids. Some adult predators use regurgitated fluids for dissolving the sugar before its ingestion. By comparing the survival of adult parasites supported on dry sugar at 0% relative humidity with that of adults given moist sugar at optimum moisture conditions, the aridity tolerance of a species may be assessed without interference by starvation or by liquid food intake. Examples of the use of this simple method for assessing the moisture needs of four species of parasites are presented.
Nucleus-dependent sarcomere assembly is mediated by the LINC complex

Two defining characteristics of muscle cells are the many precisely positioned nuclei and the linearly arranged sarcomeres, yet the relationship between these two features is not known. We show that nuclear positioning precedes sarcomere formation. Furthermore, ZASP-GFP, a Z-line protein, colocalizes with F-actin in puncta at the cytoplasmic face of nuclei before sarcomere assembly. In embryos with mispositioned nuclei, ZASP-GFP is still recruited to the nuclei before its incorporation into sarcomeres. Furthermore, the first sarcomeres appear in positions close to the nuclei, regardless of nuclear position. These data suggest that the interaction between sarcomere proteins and nuclei is not dependent on properly positioned nuclei. Mechanistically, ZASP-GFP localization to the cytoplasmic face of the nucleus did require the linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton (LINC) complex. Muscle-specific depletion of klarsicht (nesprin) or klariod (SUN) blocked the recruitment of ZASP-GFP to the nucleus during the early stages of sarcomere assembly. As a result, sarcomeres were poorly formed and the general myofibril network was less stable, incomplete, and/or torn. These data suggest that the nucleus, through the LINC complex, is crucial for the proper assembly and stability of the sarcomere network.
Ataxia and Supranuclear Palsy Related to Anti-Ma2 Paraneoplastic Syndrome: A Diagnostic and Therapeutic Dilemma (P4.240)

Objective: To report a case of progressive ataxia with supranuclear palsy attributed to Anti-Ma2 antibodies, despite immunotherapy and treatment of the underlying malignancy. Background: Anti-Ma2-related paraneoplastic syndrome is characterized by limbic, diencephalic or brainstem encephalitis, alone or in combination. In young males, this syndrome is highly associated with germ cell tumors, presenting with MRI abnormalities as well as abnormal CSF and EEG studies. Management includes treatment of the underlying malignancy as well as immunotherapy. Methods: Case report and literature review. Results: A 29 year old male presented with several weeks of difficulty looking down, head tremor and gait instability. Neuro-ophthalmic examination was significant for absent saccades, absent smooth pursuit, but normal depression on oculocephalic and optokinetic maneuvers. MRI brain with and without contrast revealed no intracranial abnormalities. Routine EEG was also normal. CSF examination was normal except for the presence of oligoclonal bands. Testicular exam revealed a mass later identified as a mature teratoma with metastasis to one paraaortic lymph node. The patient was treated with 5 cycles of plasma exchange as well as high-dose corticosteroids and orchiectomy, followed by two cycles of bleomycin/etoposide/cisplatin. Initial serum test for Anti-Ma1/Ma2 was indeterminate, but was felt to represent a positive result in the setting of recent plasma exchange. However, repeat testing at 3 and 9 months was negative. Despite treatment of the underlying malignancy and negative whole-body PET-CT scan, the patient’s symptoms continued to worsen, and repeat brain MRI nine months following symptom onset showed new midbrain atrophy and enlargement of the 3rd ventricle. Conclusions: This is an unusual case of paraneoplastic syndrome, with worsening symptoms despite treatment of the underlying malignancy, as well as no abnormalities on initial brain MRI and negative repeat serology for Anti-Ma2 antibodies. These characteristics make it particularly challenging with regard to definitive diagnosis and successful treatment. Disclosure: Dr. Berezovsky has nothing to disclose. Dr. Jillella has nothing to disclose. Dr. Zubairi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Winter has nothing to disclose.
Global functorial hypergestures over general skeleta for musical performance

Musical performance theory using Lagrangian formalism, inspired by physical string theory, has been described in previous research. That approach was restricted to zero-addressed hypergestures of local character, and also to digraph skeleta of simple arrow type. In this article, we extend the theory to hypergestures that are defined functorially over general topological categories as addresses, are global, and are also defined for general skeleta. We also prove several versions of the important Escher Theorem for this general setup. This extension is highly motivated by theoretical and practical musical performance requirements of which we give concrete examples.
Achromatic broadband nulling using a phase grating

In nulling interferometry, an on-axis source such as a star is interferometrically attenuated (“nulled”) so that the surrounding area can be investigated for fainter objects. One challenge in nulling interferometry is to achieve a deep achromatic null with a simple optical system. One such system is a “fiber nuller,” a nulling interferometer in which light from two incoming beams is combined at the tip of a single-mode optical fiber. This Letter describes the use of a diffraction grating to adjust the phase of the light so that achromatic destructive interference is achieved at the fiber tip. A deep (4×10−5) achromatic null was achieved in the astronomical K-band, thus showing a performance with the potential for observing brown dwarfs and bright (young or hot) extrasolar giant planets.
Micro-tomography based analysis of thermal conductivity, diffusivity and oxidation behavior of rigid and flexible fibrous insulators

Abstract Material properties and oxidation behavior of low-density felts used as substrates for conformal carbon/phenolic ablators were compared with those of a rigid carbon fiber preform used to manufacture heritage lightweight ablators. Synchrotron X-ray micro-tomography measurements were performed to characterize the materials’ microstructure at the scale of the fibers. Using the tomography voxels as computational grids, tortuosity in the continuum regime, and room temperature conductivity were computed. Micro-scale simulations of the oxidation of carbon fibers were carried out using a random walk model for oxygen diffusion and a sticking probability law to model surface reactions. The study shows that, due to a higher porosity and lower connectivity, the felt materials have lower thermal conductivity but a faster recession rate than that of the rigid preform. Challenges associated with computations based on micro-tomography are also discussed.
Luciferase-based detection of minimal size metastases

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 46, 2005 3828 Due to the lack of appropriate experimental models which adequately mimic the progression of human tumors, the field of metastasis research has experienced slow progress during the last decade. Spontaneous and genetic mouse metastasis models can, to some extent, be used to study endpoints of tumor progression. Most of these models, however, are of limited value to study the metastatic cascade as a spatially and temporally dynamic progress. We have towards this end developed novel syngeneic and allogeneic tumor models that can be employed to trace the metastatic fate of injected tumor cells. RenCa (renal carcinoma) cells, B16 melanoma cells, and A375 melanoma cells were transduced with two different retroviral constructs to stably express a luciferase-neomycin resistance fusion protein (either driven by the viral LTR promoter or the human EF1a promoter). RenCa cells were orthotopically injected into the kidney of syngeneic BalbC mice. Likewise, B16 cells were injected intracutaneously into syngeneic C57Bl6 mice. Human A375 cells were xenotransplanted subcutaneously into nude mice or injected into the left ventricle of the heart for systemic distribution experiments. Luciferase activity was traced non-invasively and invasively at different time points. To calibrate the experimental system, luciferase expression per cell was determined using serial dilution experiments, which allowed detection of as few as 9 labelled tumor cells. When luciferase activity in tissue homogenates was quantified, the technique is sensitive enough to detect foci with as few as 100 tumor cells. Likewise, non-invasive imaging of tumor growth and metastasis allows the detection of the smallest metastatic foci at around 500.000 cells. Each of the studied tumor models proved useful for applications in metastasis experiments. RenCa tumors form lung metastases following orthotopic injection, which can be inhibited following treatment with the angiogenesis inhibitor PTK787. Intracutaneous injection of B16 melanoma cells leads to detectable metastases in the lungs, the liver, and the intestine. Intracardiac injection of A375 cells proved to be the most sensitive technique to trace the systemic distribution of tumor cells in the circulation. Taken together, the non-invasive Luciferase-based detection of minimal size metastases is a useful and highly sensitive technique for the study of the molecular mechanisms of metastasis and to employ it as a screening technique for drug development studies.
Coppicing evaluation in the Southern USA to determine harvesting methods for bioenergy production

ABSTRACTWoody biomass is an excellent source of renewable energy in terms of cost-benefit and availability. Short rotation woody crops (SRWC) meet intensive wood demand due to their fast growth and ability to coppice. There are uncertainties related to the feasibility of harvesting multiple-stem coppice trees with current technology. In this study, we investigated the physical attributes of two SRWC species, 2 years after harvest. A logistic regression was fit in an attempt to determine whether the number of surviving stems per stump (2 or fewer; 3 or more) had a relationship with the damage caused during harvest and the diameter classes of the stumps. The species used in this experiment were Eucalyptus urograndis in Florida, and Populus deltoides in Arkansas. Stem crowding and clump dimension was also collected from the coppice trees 2 years after harvest. In addition, the re-sprouting patterns from different seasons of the year (summer and winter) were compared. Results from both species showed that stu...
Thermomechanically Tunable Infrared Metamaterials Using Asymmetric Split-Ring Resonators

We demonstrate a nanoelectromechanical systems-based tunable infrared metamaterial formed with an array of Au/Si bilayer split-ring resonators having two asymmetric arms. The wider arm of the resonator is anchored on the substrate, while the thinner one is free to bend in vertical direction by varying temperature. The bending of the thin arm changes the air gap between the two arms, and thus modulates the optical resonance modes of the resonator. The presented tunable metamaterial has an ultra-small footprint size and provides a relatively large optical signal modulation at 3.6- $\mu \text{m}$ wavelength.
Modeling pollen-mediated gene flow from glyphosate-resistant to -susceptible giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida L.) under field conditions.

A field experiment was conducted to quantify pollen mediated gene flow (PMGF) from glyphosate-resistant (GR) to glyphosate-susceptible (GS) giant ragweed under simulated field conditions using glyphosate resistance as a selective marker. Field experiments were conducted in a concentric design with the GR giant ragweed pollen source planted in the center and GS giant ragweed pollen receptors surrounding the center in eight directional blocks at specified distances (between 0.1 and 35 m in cardinal and ordinal directions; and additional 50 m for ordinal directions). Seeds of GS giant ragweed were harvested from the pollen receptor blocks and a total of 100,938 giant ragweed plants were screened with glyphosate applied at 2,520 g ae ha−1 and 16,813 plants confirmed resistant. The frequency of PMGF was fit to a double exponential decay model selected by information-theoretic criteria. The highest frequency of gene flow (0.43 to 0.60) was observed at ≤0.5 m from the pollen source and reduced rapidly with increasing distances; however, gene flow (0.03 to 0.04) was detected up to 50 m. The correlation between PMGF and wind parameters was inconsistent in magnitude, direction, and years.
INVITED PAPER: THEORY OF ANISOTROPIC MAGNETIC BEHAVIOR IN HYBRIDIZING ACTINIDE SYSTEMS

We discuss the magnetic behavior of light actinide (U,Np,Pu) materials in the transitional regime between itinerant and localized f-electron behavior. In this transitional regime, the f electrons interact with the solid-state environment primarily through hybridization (mixing) with band electrons of non-f atomic parentage. In the moderate f derealization regime where the hybridization interaction can be regarded as a perturbation, the hybridization can be represented in terms of resonant scattering of band electrons from f-electron ions. Opening up successive scattering channels in a systematic manner provides a way to treat the sensitivity of the hybridization process to chemical environment. The anisotropic magnetic behavior is a delicate measure of this sensitivity. We use comparison of theory and experiment for PuSb to illustrate these ideas.
Asymptotic Behavior of Approximate Entropy

In this chapter, a new concept of approximate entropy is modified and applied to the problem of testing the randomness of a string of binary bits. This concept has been introduced in a series of papers by Pincus and co-authors. The corresponding statistic is designed to measure the degree of randomness of observed sequences. It is evaluated through incremental contrasts of empirical entropies based on the frequencies of different patterns in the sequence. Sequences with large approximate entropy must have substantial fluctuation or irregularity. Alternatively, small values of this characteristic imply strong regularity, or lack of randomness. Tractable small sample distributions are hardly available, and testing randomness is based, as a rule, on fairly long strings. Therefore, to have rigorous statistical tests of randomess based on this approximate entropy statistic, one needs the limiting distribution of this characteristic under the randomness assumption. Until now, this distribution remained unknown and was thought to be difficult to obtain. The key step leading to the limiting distribution of approximate entropy is a modification of its definition based on the frequencies of different patterns in the augmented or circular version of the original sequence. It is shown that the approximate entropy as well as its modified version converges in distribution to a χ 2-random variable.
Upper Extremity Physical Exam

Examination of the upper extremity is a critical component in the diagnosis and ultimate treatment of conditions which affect the arm and hand. While advanced imaging and other testing such as EMG have an increasing role in diagnosis, physical exam remains the cornerstone of the discovery of upper extremity pathology.
Cost Effectiveness of Screening Atherosclerosis

There remains a significant detection gap for cardiovascular disease that could be reduced provided that screening programs are employed, directed toward at-risk patient populations. However, given the current state of the healthcare system and the spiraling healthcare costs, expansion of current coverage decisions to include screening beyond cancer is incomprehensible. Data are unfolding that current tests are highly accurate at detecting risk and provide significant improvements in our global risk scores, such as the Framingham risk score. This chapter reviews the methods applied toward evaluating the economics of screening including cost-effectiveness principles. In addition to the presentation of screening cost models, this chapter introduces the concept of an early intervention model as a means to avert the enormous burden of symptomatic care in this country. Ongoing dialog about the importance of cost considerations and focused evaluations to consider the benefits and the risks of cardiovascular screening are important steps toward devising a platform for reducing the burden of atherosclerosis in this country.
Exosomes and their implications in central nervous system tumor biology

Abstract Exosomes are 20–100 nm cellular derived vesicles that upon discovery, were thought to be a form of cellular recycling of intracellular contents. More recently, these vesicles are under investigation for their purported significant roles in intercellular communication in both healthy and diseased states. Herein, we focus on the secretion of exosomes associated with glioblastoma, as most exosome studies on brain tumors have been performed in this tumor type. However, we included exosomes secreted from other forms of brain tumors for comparison as available. Exosomes contain intracellular content that can be transferred to other cells in the tumor or to cells of the immune system and endothelial cells. These recipient cells may subsequently take on oncogenic properties, including therapeutic resistance, cancer progression, and angiogenesis. Genetic components (DNA, RNA and miRNA) of the cell of origin may be included in the secreted exosomes. The presence of genetic material in the exosomes could serve as a biomarker for mutations in tumors, potentially leading to novel treatment strategies. In the last decade, exosomes have been identified as having a major impact on multiple aspects of medicine and tumor biology, and appear to be primed for a critical position in cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment.
Stress and Pore Pressure in Mudrocks Bounding Salt Systems

We simulate the evolution of stress and pore pressure in sediments bounding salt systems. Our evolutionary geomechanical models couple deformation with sedimentation and porous fluid flow. We find that high differential stresses develop near rising diapirs and below salt. Salt emplacement induces significant excess pressures that are comparable to the weight of the salt sheet. In addition, we show that the shear-induced component of the excess pressures is significant. We also find that low effective stresses result in low strength, which enables salt growth. We model salt as a solid viscoplastic and sediments as poro-elastoplastic materials, and calibrate the consolidation properties based on experimental testing on smectite-rich mudrocks typical of those in the Gulf of Mexico. Our approach can be applied to design stable well bores and provide insight into macroscale geological processes. Overall, we show that transient evolutionary models can provide estimates of stress and pore pressure in many geologic systems where large strains, pore fluids, and sedimentation interact. We close with a discussion of the need to better understand material behavior at geologic stress and timescales.