cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Protecting the aorta during transcatheter aortic valve replacement: Have we found the answer?

Neurologic injury ranging from transient cognitive dysfunction to catastrophic permanent stroke constitutes the single main morbidity of cardiac surgery and largely affects modern transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Today, the incidence of cerebrovascular events after TAVR ranges from 3% to 7%. In the current report, Samim and colleagues have explored one of the novel embolic protection devices (EPDs) aimed at reducing these extremely pervasive complications that often carry surmountable challenges to the patient in terms of a reduction in functional status and quality of life, and the healthcare provider in the form of increased hospital stay and need for rehabilitation. In this small series, the authors used an embolic deflection device (Embrella; Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, Irvine, Calif) in the aortic arch to minimize cerebral embolization during transfemoral TAVR. They found that the 15 consecutive patients in the intervention group exhibited a significantly higher number of new ischemic cerebral lesions in postoperative diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging when compared retrospectively with 37 patients who underwent TAVR without any EPD in the same institution (a median of 9.0 lesions [4.0-12.0] in the Embrella group and 5.0 lesions [2.0-7.0] in the TAVRonly group, P 1⁄4 .044). The authors are to be commended for the safe use of the EPD because implementation was successful in all cases, no vascular complications were observed, and the use of EPD did not interfere with the primary TAVR procedure. However, the patient series is small and carries an inherent selection bias because no inclusion/exclusion criteria
Applications of network coding in global routing

We study the applications of the network coding technique for interconnect optimization and improving the routability of VLSI designs. Network coding technique generalizes the traditional routing approach by enabling the intermediate nodes to generate new signals by combining the signals received over their incoming wires. This is in contrast to the traditional (routing) approach, in which each intermediate node can only forward the incoming signals. While the traditional methods of interconnect routing have attracted a large body of research, applications of network coding in VLSI design have received a relatively little interest from the research community. Accordingly, in this paper we focus on establishing efficient coding networks for VLSI designs. The paper makes the following contributions. First, we extend the Hanan theorem for multi-net rectilinear coding networks. Second, we present several heuristic solutions for finding near-optimal coding networks. Finally, we perform an extensive simulation study to evaluate the advantage of network coding over the traditional routing solutions and to identify routing instances where the network coding techniques are expected to be beneficial. Our results show that network coding can help to reduce the required wirelenght, in particular in the congested areas and in the presence of blockages.
Predictive Congestion Control Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks

Available congestion control schemes, for example transport control protocol (TCP), when applied to wireless networks, result in a large number of packet drops, unfair scenarios and low throughputs with a significant amount of wasted energy due to retransmissions. To fully utilize the hop by hop feedback information, this paper presents a novel, decentralized, predictive congestion control (DPCC) for wireless sensor networks (WSN). The DPCC consists of an adaptive flow and adaptive back-off interval selection schemes that work in concert with energy efficient, distributed power control (DPC). The DPCC detects the onset of congestion using queue utilization and the embedded channel estimator algorithm in DPC that predicts the channel quality. Then, an adaptive flow control scheme selects suitable rate which is enforced by the newly proposed adaptive backoff interval selection scheme. An optional adaptive scheduling scheme updates weights associated with each packet to guarantee the weighted fairness during congestion. Closed-loop stability of the proposed hop-by-hop congestion control is demonstrated by using the Lyapunov-based approach. Simulation results show that the DPCC reduces congestion and improves performance over congestion detection and avoidance (CODA) [3] and IEEE 802.11 protocols.
Congruence properties for the partition function

Eighty years ago, Ramanujan conjectured and proved some striking congruences for the partition function modulo powers of 5, 7, and 11. Until recently, only a handful of further such congruences were known. Here we report that such congruences are much more widespread than was previously known, and we describe the theoretical framework that appears to explain every known Ramanujan-type congruence.
Understanding Young Children's Health Beliefs and Diabetes Regimen Adherence

Previous studies of chronic illness management in children have focused mainly on parents' health beliefs. However, children's health beliefs also can be an important factor in predicting adherence. Indeed, children 6 to 10 years old spend most waking hours away from home, are under less parental supervision, and are becoming more responsible for their own care. The purpose of this study was to develop a pictorial, multi-item instrument to measure dimensions of the Health Belief Model (HBM) and self-efficacy (SE), designed specifically for children with diabetes, thus making it possible to examine both the parent's and child's health beliefs; to explore the relationship between their beliefs; and to examine the extent to which these beliefs are predictors of adherence and metabolic control.
Solution structure of the carboxyl terminus of a human class Mu glutathione S-transferase: NMR assignment strategies in large proteins.

Strategies to obtain the NMR assignments for the HN, N, CO, C a and C b resonance frequencies for the human class mu glutathione-S-transferase GSTM2-2 are reported. These assignments were obtained with deuterated protein using a combination of scalar and dipolar connectivities and various specific labeling schemes. The large size of this protein (55 kDa, homodimer) necessitated the development of a novel pulse sequence and specific labeling strategies. These aided in the identification of residue type and were essential components in determining sequence specific assignments. These assignments were utilized in this study to characterize the structure and dynamics of the carboxy-terminal residues in the unliganded protein. Previous crystallographic studies of this enzyme in complex with glutathione suggested that this region may be disordered, and that this disorder may be essential for catalysis. Furthermore, in the related class alpha protein extensive changes in conformation of the C terminus are observed upon ligand binding. On the basis of the results presented here, the time-averaged conformation of the carboxyl terminus of unliganded GSTM2-2 is similar to that seen in the crystal structure. NOE patterns and 1 H- 15 N heteronuclear nuclear Overhauser enhancements suggest that this region of the enzyme does not undergo motion on a rapid time scale. # 1999 Academic Press
Separation of quaternary conjugate salt systems by fractional crystallization

A method is presented that synthesizes fractional crystallization separation processes to obtain pure solids from conjugate salt solutions. The method, which includes a procedure to generate phase diagrams by using solubility products, explains how to calculate concentrations of all components in a system given a point on a Janecke projection. Both multivalent ions and species that exhibit complex-ionic equilibrium are considered. For solutions from which only simple salts crystallize, three separation classes are identified. The classification is based on the composition of the feed, the characteristics of the phase diagram, and the product salts. Class I separates compatible salts, Class II incompatible salts, and Class III two compatible salts and one incompatible salt. Process paths and design equations for each class are also presented. Guidelines proposed select the separation sequence and the stream compositions based on the effects of the design variables on stream flows and on total annual cost. The method is applicable to systems in which hydrates and double salts are present. An example given shows how to obtain simple salts from these systems.
Cascaded H-bridge Multilevel Inverter Drives Operating under Faulty Condition with AI-Based Fault Diagnosis and Reconfiguration

The ability of cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverter drives (MLID) to operate under faulty condition including AI-based fault diagnosis and reconfiguration system is proposed in this paper. Output phase voltages of a MLID can be used as valuable information to diagnose faults and their locations. It is difficult to diagnose a MLID system using a mathematical model because MLID systems consist of many switching devices and their system complexity has a nonlinear factor. Therefore, a neural network (NN) classification is applied to the fault diagnosis of a MLID system. Multilayer perceptron (MLP) networks are used to identify the type and location of occurring faults. The principal component analysis (PCA) is utilized in the feature extraction process to reduce the NN input size. A lower dimensional input space will also usually reduce the time necessary to train a NN, and the reduced noise may improve the mapping performance. The genetic algorithm (GA) is also applied to select the valuable principal components to train the NN. A reconfiguration technique is also proposed. The proposed system is validated with simulation and experimental results. The proposed fault diagnostic system requires about 6 cycles (~100 ms at 60 Hz) to clear an open circuit and about 9 cycles (~150 ms at 60 Hz) to clear a short circuit fault. The experiment and simulation results are in good agreement with each other, and the results show that the proposed system performs satisfactorily to detect the fault type, fault location, and reconfiguration.
RESRAD-OFFSITE – A new member of the RESRAD family of codes

The RESRAD-OFFSITE code provides expanded state-of-the art, cost-effective, and user-friendly methods for evaluating the radiological consequences to a receptor located onsite or outside the area of primary contamination. It calculates radiological dose and excess lifetime cancer risk with the predicted radionuclide concentrations in the environment, and derives soil cleanup guidelines corresponding to a specified dose limit. The RESRAD-OFFSITE code is an extension of the RESRAD (onsite) code, which has been widely used for calculating doses and risks from exposure to radioactively contaminated soils. The development of RESRAD-OFFSITE started more than 10 years ago, but new models and methodologies have been developed, tested, and incorporated since then. Some of the new models have been benchmarked against other independently developed (international) models. The databases used have also expanded to include all the radionuclides (more than 830) contained in the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) 38 database. Detailed information on the design and application of the RESRAD-OFFSITE code is presented in its recently published User's Manual.
Medial temporal lobe activity for recognition of recent and remote famous names: an event-related fMRI study.

Abstract Previous neuroimaging studies examining recognition of famous faces have identified activation of an extensive bilateral neural network [Gorno Tempini, M. L., Price, C. J., Josephs, O., Vandenberghe, R., Cappa, S. F., Kapur, N. et al. (1998). The neural systems sustaining face and proper-name processing. Brain, 121, 2103–2118], including the medial temporal lobe (MTL) and specifically the hippocampal complex [Haist, F., Bowden, G. J., & Mao, H. (2001). Consolidation of human memory over decades revealed by functional magnetic resonance imaging. Nature Neuroscience, 4, 1139–1145; Leveroni, C. L., Seidenberg, M., Mayer, A. R., Mead, L. A., Binder, J. R., & Rao, S. M. (2000). Neural systems underlying the recognition of familiar and newly learned faces. Journal of Neuroscience, 20, 878–886]. One model of hippocampal functioning in autobiographical, episodic memory retrieval argues that the hippocampal complex remains active in retrieval tasks regardless of time or age of memory (multiple trace theory, MTT), whereas another proposal posits that the hippocampal complex plays a time-limited role in retrieval of autobiographical memories. The current event-related fMRI study focused on the medial temporal lobe and its response to recognition judgments of famous names from two distinct time epochs (1990s and 1950s) in 15 right-handed healthy older adults (mean age = 70 years). A pilot study with an independent sample of young and older subjects ensured that the stimuli were representative of a recent and remote time period. Increased MR signal activity was observed on a bilateral basis for both the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus (PHG) during recognition of familiar names from both the recent and remote time periods when compared to non-famous names. However, the impulse response functions in the right hippocampus and right PHG demonstrated a differential response to stimuli from different time epochs, with the 1990s names showing the greatest MR signal intensity change, followed by the 1950s names, followed by foils. The finding that recognition of famous names produced significant bilateral MTL activation regardless of time epoch relative to foils provides support for the MTT model. However, the finding of a temporal gradient in the right MTL also provides support for the HC model, given the greater MTL response associated with recently famous names relative to remotely famous names.
Food Hoarding by Merriam's Kangaroo Rats: A Test of Alternative Hypotheses

Merriam's kangaroo rats (Dipodomys merriami) store seeds in burrows (lar- derhoarding) and in small clumps in shallow holes dug in the soil (scatterhoarding). We used a large laboratory arena with an artificial burrow for larderhoarding and four sand- filled compartments for scatterhoarding to test several alternative hypotheses about spatial patterns of food caching. The hypotheses were that kangaroo rats prefer to (1) larderhoard seeds in burrows, (2) scatterhoard seeds near burrows, (3) scatterhoard seeds away from burrows, (4) scatterhoard seeds near food sources, or (5) make widely spaced scatterhoards. Three treatments that differed in the distance between the burrow and food source were used to discriminate among hypotheses (2) through (4). There was a substantial amount of variation among individuals in proportion of seeds that were larderhoarded. Subjects initially scatterhoarded seeds close to the food source, but distributed caches more evenly among caching compartments as trials progressed. Increased evenness of cache distribution resulted from harvesting and repositioning of extant caches as well as selective placement of new caches. Initial caching close to food may be adaptive by maximizing harvest rates during flushes of seed production and making seeds unavailable to non-digging competitors (birds and ants). Subsequent redistribution of caches may make them less available to other rodents that locate buried seeds by smell and use area-restricted search to find closely spaced scatterhoards.
Carbon Nanotubes: Fluorinated Derivatives

Ongoing extensive research on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been facilitated by unique physicochemical properties and wide opportunities the CNTs offer for the new field of nanotechnology. Recent studies have shown that for efficient use of the remarkable properties of CNTs, particularly in the design of multifunctional materials for engineering and biomedical applications, they need to be surface modified by attachment of functional groups for improving solubility, processing, and compatability with host materials. It has been shown that fluorination is an efficient way to modify and control the surface properties of CNTs. For instance, fluorine functional groups on the sidewalls of CNTs effectively assist in unroping the nanotube bundles and in dispersion in alcohols and other polar solvents. Weakness of the CF bond and solubility of fluorinated nanotubes (fluoronanotubes) provide an opportunity for the synthesis of a variety of nanotube derivatives by substitution of fluorine through wet chemistry methods. This approach has been applied to preparation of a series of amino, amide, hydroxyl, thiol, and carboxyl group-terminated derivatives. The activated sidewall CC π bonds in fluoronanotubes also permit a solution-phase chemistry leading to addition reactions of free radicals, carbenes, dienes, and other reactive molecules. Functional groups chemically attached to the CNTs effectively assist in the dispersion of CNTs in polymer matrices, crucial for nanocomposites fabrication. “Tailored” chemical modifications are particularly useful for creating multiple sites for covalent bonding of nanotubes to polymer matrices for the enhancement of mechanical properties of epoxy, polyethylene, polypropylene, and nylon. Fluorinated CNTs represent a new family of nanoscale fluorocarbon materials. They enable various applications of functionalized CNTs, derived from fluoronanotubes, particularly in nanocomposites, sensors, nanoelectronic devices, nanoengineered drug delivery systems, and nanolubricants. Keywords: carbon nanotubes; fluorination; reactivity; functionalization; derivatives; solubility
DIFFERENTIAL FORM APPROACH TO THE ANALYSIS OF ELECTROMAGNETIC CLOAKING AND MASKING

We discuss the relationship between (a) electromagnetic masking or cloaking of objects produced by some metamaterial blueprints and (b) some invariances of Maxwell equations obviated by means of differential forms (exterior calculus). © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 49: 2051–2053, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.22640
Wafer-scale metasurface for total power absorption, local field enhancement and single molecule Raman spectroscopy

The ability to detect molecules at low concentrations is highly desired for applications that range from basic science to healthcare. Considerable interest also exists for ultrathin materials with high optical absorption, e.g. for microbolometers and thermal emitters. Metal nanostructures present opportunities to achieve both purposes. Metal nanoparticles can generate gigantic field enhancements, sufficient for the Raman spectroscopy of single molecules. Thin layers containing metal nanostructures (“metasurfaces”) can achieve near-total power absorption at visible and near-infrared wavelengths. Thus far, however, both aims (i.e. single molecule Raman and total power absorption) have only been achieved using metal nanostructures produced by techniques (high resolution lithography or colloidal synthesis) that are complex and/or difficult to implement over large areas. Here, we demonstrate a metasurface that achieves the near-perfect absorption of visible-wavelength light and enables the Raman spectroscopy of single molecules. Our metasurface is fabricated using thin film depositions, and is of unprecedented (wafer-scale) extent.
Acidic groups docked to well defined wetted pockets at the core of the binding interface: a tale of scoring and missing protein interactions in CAPRI.

Some challenging targets in CAPRI (T24/25 and T26) involve binding solvent accessible acidic residues at the core of the binding interface, where they are always found immersed in crystal waters. In fact, Asp and Glu residues are more likely to form part of the hydrogen bond network of their surrounding crystal water molecules than to form a buried salt bridge. Interestingly, many of the crystal waters mediating the intermolecular interactions of the acidic groups are already present in the unbound structure, reinforcing the notion that some water molecules behave as an extension of the protein structure. This is in contrast to acidic groups found in the periphery of the binding interface that form ubiquitous salt bridges that cement the high affinity complex, while at the same time they are exposed to rapidly exchanging water molecules. Because of this, dichotomy implicit solvent scoring functions fail to properly rank these complexes by prioritizing salt bridges rather than water mediated contacts. A detailed analysis of Target 24, for which our group predicted two out of the four successful homology model complex structures, and Target26 reveal how crystal waters shape the binding cavities of acidic groups prior to binding, in agreement with the theory of anchor residues as mediators of protein recognition. Proteins 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Relative entropy and score function: New information-estimation relationships through arbitrary additive perturbation

This paper establishes new information-estimation relationships pertaining to models with additive noise of arbitrary distribution. In particular, we study the change in the relative entropy between two probability measures when both of them are perturbed by a small amount of the same additive noise. It is shown that the rate of the change with respect to the energy of the perturbation can be expressed in terms of the mean squared difference of the score functions of the two distributions, and, rather surprisingly, is unrelated to the distribution of the perturbation otherwise. The result holds true for the classical relative entropy (or Kullback-Leibler distance), as well as two of its generalizations: Renyi's relative entropy and the f-divergence. The result generalizes a recent relationship between the relative entropy and mean squared errors pertaining to Gaussian noise models, which in turn supersedes many previous information-estimation relationships. A generalization of the de Bruijn identity to non-Gaussian models can also be regarded as consequence of this new result.
Effects of leaf litter on establishment, growth and survival of invasive plant seedlings in a deciduous forest.

ABSTRACT Disturbance often promotes plant invasion. Small disturbances to the forest floor expose bare soil to light which may promote seed germination and establishment. We tested the hypothesis that small disturbances to the litter layer allow invasive species to become established in forest interiors. We found that seedlings of the invasive shrub Lonicera maackii were found in sites with significantly lower leaf litter mass than regularly spaced points along a transect. We then investigated establishment and survival of L. maackii and the invasive biennial Alliaria petiolata in plots randomly assigned to three treatments: litter removed, litter added and control. Significantly more L. maackii seedlings established in the litter removed and control plots than the litter added treatments, but there was no effect on survival. Significantly more A. petiolata seedlings established in the litter removed plots than in the control or litter added treatments. Survival of established A. petiolata seedlings was s...
144. Komplikationen nach Dünndarmausschaltungs-operation wegen hochgradiger Fettsucht

Die 20 + 20 cm Jejuno-Ileostomie zur Behandlung der extremen Fettsucht hat verschiedene Komplikationen.
Self-esteem in Mathematicians

(1990). Self-esteem in Mathematicians. The College Mathematics Journal: Vol. 21, No. 4, pp. 274-277.
Improved Visible Light Harvesting of WO3 by Incorporation of Sulfur or Iodine: A Tale of Two Impurities

We report the incorporation of sulfur or iodine into monoclinic tungsten trioxide (S:WO3 or I:WO3 respectively), with the aim to improve its visible light-harvesting ability. Films were synthesized by spray pyrolysis with either ammonium sulfide or iodide added to the aqueous WO3 precursor solutions. Red shifts of the absorption spectra were observed with S and I incorporation (from ∼2.7 to 2.6 and 2.1 eV respectively), likely due to the formation of intragap impurity bands. S:WO3 samples exhibited enhanced photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance at low S concentrations, but this quickly deteriorated with increasing S content. Incident photon conversion efficiency (IPCE) data showed that this initial improvement was driven by improved collection efficiency at longer wavelengths. Conversely, photocurrent decreased at all levels of I addition. IPCE measurements for these films showed only a marginal increase in efficiency at longer wavelengths, indicating that the extra absorbed photons did not contribute si...
Human Rights Internet: In Defense of a New Organization and an Emerging Field

Over the past two years, the field of international human rights has emerged from obscurity to prominence. Indicators of the prominence are many: the fact that social science and humanities (as well as legal) journals are increasingly publishing serious and scholarly research on human rights and that more and more scholars are engaqed in such research on a aystematic basis; the fact that universities, professional schools, and even high schools and junior colleges are developing new teaching courses and materials for the field; the large number of conferences being held across the country and the increasing number of human rights panels at professional meetings; and, of course, the increasing attention given to international human rights problems in the national press.
Influence of a family diet pattern high in linoleic acid on serum cholesterol level: one year study.

SummaryClinically healthy subjects with elevated serum cholesterol levels were placed on a family diet pattern high in linoleic acid for a one-year period. The diet produced a highly significant decrease in serum cholesterol level (from 293 to 230 mg%). The greatest decrease occurred during the first several months; thereafter the serum cholesterol level fluctuated around 230 mg%. The diet produced a marked increase in percentage of linoleic acid in the serum cholesterol esters and triglycerides, with concomitant drops in percentages of saturated and oleic acids. It is concluded that such a dietary regimen for lowering the serum cholesterol level is practical for long periods.
Lateral erosion in an experimental bedrock channel: The influence of bed roughness on erosion by bed load impacts

Physical experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of bed load particle impacts as a mechanism of lateral bedrock erosion. In addition, we explored how changes in channel bed roughness, as would occur during development of an alluvial cover, influence rates of lateral erosion. Experimental channels were constructed to have erodible walls and a nonerodible bed using different mixtures of sand and cement. Bed roughness was varied along the length of the channel by embedding sediment particles of different size in the channel bed mixture. Lateral wall erosion from clear-water flow was negligible. Lateral erosion during periods in which bed load was supplied to the channel removed as much as 3% of the initial wetted cross-sectional area. The vertical distribution of erosion was limited to the base of the channel wall, producing channels with undercut banks. The addition of roughness elements to an otherwise smooth bed caused rates of lateral erosion to increase by as much as a factor of 7 during periods of bed load supply. However, a minimum roughness element diameter of approximately half the median bed load particle diameter was required before a substantial increase in erosion was observed. Beyond this minimum threshold size, further increases in the relative size of roughness elements did not substantially change the rate of wall erosion despite changes in total boundary shear stress. The deflection of saltating bed load particles into the channel wall by fixed roughness elements is hypothesized to be the driver of the observed increase in lateral erosion rates.
Optimum Shapes of Elastic Bodies: Equistrong Wings of Aircrafts and Equistrong Underground Tunnels

Since the times of Plato (424?-347 BC) and Aristotle (384-322 BC), the form has been considered as a fundamental notion of not only the physical universe, but also the spiritual world. The forms and perfect shapes are like jewels in the rock—their search and discovery make up the highest delight to human beings. This is what constituted the motive and driving force of science and scientists beginning from Pythagoras (ca. 570-ca. 500 BC), Archimedes (ca. 287-ca. 212 BC), Euclid (ca. 330-ca. 260 BC) and all that came after. In the introduction to the present article, a brief account of Plato’s theory of forms and Aristotle’s addition to this theory are given; the theory of optimum shapes of elastic bodies can be considered as a footnote to the Plato’s theory. In the framework of the theory of elasticity, the optimal shape of a body is the shape that meets the principle of equal strength or equistrength advanced by this author in 1963. According to this principle, the safety criterion like ultimate or failure stress is simultaneously satisfied in the utmost part of the body—this body or structure is called equistrong in this case. The equistrong structure has a minimum weight for a given material and safety factor, or a maximum safety factor for a given material and weight. As distinct from traditional problems, there are no existence theorems for equistrong shapes—a success in their search depends on skills of a researcher. In the present paper, a summary of common equistrong shapes and structural elements is brought out, namely: equistrong cable of bathysphere, equistrong tower or skyscraper, equistrong beam by Galileo Galilei, equistrong rotating disk, equistrong heavy chain, equistrong pressure vessels, equistrong arcs, plates and shells, equistrong underground tunnels, equistrong perforated plates, and others. A variety of the swept wings of aircrafts is found out to be equistrong; the front and rear edges of such wings are rectilinear in the plan view, and their chord in the flight direction depends on the task of an aircraft; the equistrong design exists for any task, from transport aviation to hypersonic jet fighters. Some new equistrong shapes of elastic solids with any number of infinite branches being pulled out of a body are also discovered for plane strain and plane stress.
Fast and Accurate Causal Inference from Time Series Data

Causal inference from time series data is a key problem in many fields, and new massive datasets have made it more critical than ever. Accuracy and speed are primary factors in choosing a causal inference method, as they determine which hypotheses can be tested, how much of the search space can be explored, and what decisions can be made based on the results. In this work we present a new causal inference framework that 1) improves the accuracy of inferences in time series data, and 2) enables faster computation of causal significance. Instead of evaluating relationships individually, using only features of the data, this approach exploits the connections between each causal relationship's relative levels of significance. We provide theoretical guarantees of correctness and speed (with an order of magnitude improvement) and empirically demonstrate improved FDR, FNR, and computation speed relative to leading approaches.
Fetal Compensatory Renal Growth Due to Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction

AbstractTo determine whether fetal compensatory renal growth occurs in response to early gestational unilateral renal obstruction and to help elucidate the characteristics of this response, a fetal lamb model was developed in which unilateral ureteral obstruction was created at 60 days of gestation (term 135 to 140 days) and the effects of the obstruction were studied at varying periods thereafter. Kidneys were retrieved at 2 weeks (75 days in 3 cases), 5 weeks (95 days in 4) and 10 weeks (135 days in 9) after obstruction, weighed and preserved for histology and biochemical studies. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), ribonucleic acid and protein were quantitated using standard assays. Morphometric studies to estimate glomerular number were performed using standard stereological methods.Contralateral kidney weight was increased compared to normals in 55 cases at all ages. The relative difference increased from 75 to 95 days. The fractional increase at 135 days (49.5%, p <0.001 versus normal) was not different fr...
Biological Tests for Cancer

Whereas today the emphasis is on site specific tests for finding cancer early, there has been a long search for a general test which would shorten the period from the development of malignant cells to definitive treatment of the primary site. To some investigators, one of the most attractive of these was the Penn-Hall seroflocculation reaction for cancer supposedly produced when a bile-acid derivative was mixed with serum from cancer patients. However in 1957, Peacock and Williams reported the test unsuitable since it missed too many cancers and included too many false positives. Another test was for the appearance of lactic dehydrogenase isozymes (LDH) in human urine. Wacker and Dorfman found elevated levels of LDH activity in the urines of 19 patients with known cancer but further clinical studies by Riggens and Kiser showed that such elevations were not specific for malignant disease, and Gelderman attributed this to the presence of leukocytes or red cells in the urine.
Rare Book Records in Online Systems

In traditional card-based library cataloging, control of the catalog record meant control of the catalog itself. The cataloger’s decisions determined, for better or for worse, the structure and appearance of the institution’s public catalog. During the first half of the century some of this autonomy, especially in the layout and typography of the individual record, was sacrificed for the sake of efficiency with the widespread use of Library of Congress cards and the increased adherence to national and international cataloging standards. However, the choice of many access points, the order in which the headings were filed, and the reference structure . . .
The life of XLPE cable insulation containing water trees

The most common polymers used as insulation in high voltage power cables, cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), and ethylene propylene rubber (EPR), degrade with time when exposed to moisture and electrical stress. Tree-like growths, known as water trees, appear in the insulation which lower the breakdown strength and cause failures in service. Although there have been extensive studies, the exact mechanisms of the degradation have not been clarified and a valid accelerated aging test has yet to be developed. A good review of the subject has recently been made by Shaw and Shaw [1]. One technique to increase the resistance to water treeing is to incorporate a tree retardant additive in the polymer. This paper will describe the results of tests to evaluate the treeing resistance of miniature cables insulated with conventional XLPE (ST-XLPE) and a tree retardant XLPE (TR-XLPE). Both cables were steam-cured. The effects of heating the cables to 90°C or 130°C prior to electrical aging at room temperature were also examined. Also, tests were performed using laboratory-molded slab specimens.
Mining Community Structure with Node Embeddings

We develop node embeddings, a distributed representation of nodes, for large-scale social network applications. We compute embeddings for nodes based on their attributes and links. We show that node embeddings can effectively reflect community structure in networks and thus, be useful for a wide range of community related applications. We consider node embeddings in two different community related mining tasks.First, we propose a generic integration of node embeddings for network processing in community detection algorithms. Our strategy aims to re-adjust input networks by adding and trimming links, using embedding-based node distances. We empirically show that the strategy can remove up to 32.16% links from the DBLP (computer science literature) citation network, yet improve performance for different algorithms by different evaluation metrics for community detections.Second, we show that these embeddings can support many community-based mining tasks in social networks—including analyses of community homogeneity, distance, and detection of community connectors (inter-community outliers, actors who connect communities)—thanks to the convenient yet efficient computation provided by node embeddings for structural comparisons. Our experimental results include many interesting insights about DBLP. For example, prior to 2013 the best way for research in Natural Language & Speech to gain “best-paper” recognition was to emphasize aspects related to Machine Learning & Pattern Recognition.
Pollen recognition in optical microscopy by matching multifocal image sequences

We present a novel technique for pollen identification from sets of multifocal image sequences obtained from optical microscopy. Our algorithm analyzes the visual texture of pollen grains for each focal image, and performs identification using a fast sequence-matching algorithm. Although we develop a pollen-recognition protocol, the method is applicable to other microscopy object-recognition tasks. The proposed method requires little manual interaction, and does not rely on specialized imaging procedures such as florescence and deconvolution. We test our method on images of tropical fossil pollen.
Care-Based Citizen Science: Nurturing an Ethic of Care to Support the Preservation of Biodiversity

As science educators we have the unique opportunity to raise student awareness of conservation issues and to nurture within them a commitment to act on behalf of the environment. Here we discuss a specific pedagogy for ecojustice, citizen science projects, and continue conversations about how such projects can be used to develop caring relationships between students and animal species. The purpose of this chapter is to advance understanding about how citizen science projects can be used for ecojustice, through projects we describe as “care-based citizen science.” We introduce Nel Noddings’ philosophy and explain how her ideas on an ethic of care more fully describe the caring relationships with animals and natural environments, which are necessary to support ecojustice. Our work adds to the current body of literature by providing (1) context for care-based work through citizen-science projects, (2) a description of care-based citizen science, (3) specific recommendations for nurturing an ethic of care, and (4) an explanation of how care-based citizen science projects depend on the four vital elements for teaching to support an ethic of care.
Breast Self Examination as a Screening Procedure

Breast self examination (BSE) is widely recommended as an extra-clinical screening modality for breast cancer (Gastrin 1981; Huguley 1981). The procedure is noninvasive, is easily accomplished by women in the privacy of their own homes, and some studies indicate that most breast cancers, many at a premetastatic stage, are detected first by women themselves (Cole 1981; Senie 1981).
Splicing Activation by Rbfox Requires Self-Aggregation through Its Tyrosine-Rich Domain

Proteins of the Rbfox family act with a complex of proteins called the Large Assembly of Splicing Regulators (LASR). We find that Rbfox interacts with LASR via its C-terminal domain (CTD), and this domain is essential for its splicing activity. In addition to LASR recruitment, a low-complexity (LC) sequence within the CTD contains repeated tyrosines that mediate higher-order assembly of Rbfox/LASR and are required for splicing activation by Rbfox. This sequence spontaneously aggregates in solution to form fibrous structures and hydrogels, suggesting an assembly similar to the insoluble cellular inclusions formed by FUS and other proteins in neurologic disease. Unlike the pathological aggregates, we find that assembly of the Rbfox CTD plays an essential role in its normal splicing function. Rather than simple recruitment of individual regulators to a target exon, alternative splicing choices also depend on the higher-order assembly of these regulators within the nucleus.
23 Contributions to depressed affect in latina women: examining the effectiveness of the moms’ empowerment program

Purpose Approximately 35% of Latinas living in the United States experience intimate partner violence (IPV), with known severe negative outcomes. One consequence is depression, which disproportionately affects IPV-exposed Latinas. This study tested the effectiveness of the Moms’ Empowerment Program (MEP), a culturally adapted psychotherapeutic intervention, to reduce depressed affect among IPV-exposed Spanish-speaking Latina mothers. Additional psychosocial predictors of levels of depressed affect over time are examined, including levels of post-traumatic stress, IPV exposure, positive parenting, parental acceptance of children’s negative emotions, and maternal employment. Method Participants (n=72) were Latinas with children who had been exposed to IPV. Women were assigned to a treatment or a waitlist comparison condition, and those in the treatment group completed a 10 week group intervention in Spanish addressing the unique problems associated with IPV exposure, mental health, and parenting among Latinas. Multilevel modelling was used to examine women’s changes in depressed affect over time. Results Results revealed that participation in the MEP was associated with significant reductions in depressed affect. Lower levels of post-traumatic stress and higher levels of positive parenting, maternal acceptance of children’s negative emotions, and maternal employment predicted lower levels of depressed affect. Conclusion The MEP is a culturally adapted, economic, brief, and effective treatment option to reduce depressed affect in IPV-exposed, Spanish-speaking Latinas. Contributions As Latinas are at disproportionate risk for depression following IPV, these findings make an important contribution to violence interventions to improve the lives of Spanish-speaking women experiencing IPV. The MEP’s manualized format makes it appropriate for use in a broad range of community settings, which may increase access to care. Prior studies have shown that depression in this population is more likely to be undiagnosed, the availability of the MEP in agencies serving Latinas who experience IPV may reduce psychopathology that would otherwise have gone untreated.
Ethological approach to social isolation effects in behavioral studies of laboratory rodents.

Abstract The aim of the present review is to discuss how housing conditions affect behavioral performance in laboratory rodents from an ethological view. Commonly used laboratory rodents such as rats and mice, are originally captured animals that largely retain species-typical natural behaviors, while have fully adapted to a laboratory setting after long-term domestication. Laboratory settings including caging and artificial group housing are a considerable ethological factor influencing rodents’ behaviors in commonly employed behavioral test paradigms, including emotional and defensive behaviors, learning and memory, and attention-related behaviors. Particularly, isolation rearing, single-housed in a cage, is referred to a deprivation of social relationships with cagemates, has a substantial impact on behavioral performance in laboratory rodents. In this review, we will fully examine the importance of caging related ethological factors, e.g., social relationships and its deprivation, which are essential for unraveling the nature of housing effect in laboratory rodents. These discussions regarding the housing conditions will provide valuable information for appropriately conducting behavioral studies and interpreting data of rodents’ behaviors in neuroscience.
Drug Abuse HIV/AIDS Interventions in Criminal Justice Settings

The U.S. prison population is disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS as compared to the general population. The high prevalence of HIV/AIDS among incarcerated individuals can be attributed to several risk factors both in their environments prior to incarceration and also within the prison environment. In particular, the large number of inmates with drug use and risky sexual behavior histories place this population at risk. This chapter provides an overview of the most effective HIV interventions that work in criminal justice setting to date and their theoretical underpinnings. Promising interventions for criminal justice populations and recommendations for improving them are also discussed. While many HIV interventions have demonstrated significant promise in reducing risk behaviors, the majority of correctional facilities in the U.S. have yet to implement such interventions.
Reoperation for composite valve graft failure: Operative results and midterm survival.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY The replacement of a failed composite valve graft is technically more demanding and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. We present our technique and outcomes for reoperations for composite graft failures. METHODS Between September 2011 and June 2017, 14 patients underwent a redo composite graft replacement. Twelve patients (85.7%) were male, and mean age was 58.4 years ± 12 standard deviation (SD). One patient had two previous root replacements. Indications for reoperation were endocarditis (8), aortic pseudoaneurysm (3), and aortic prosthesis thrombosis (3). Mean logistic EuroSCORE and EuroSCORE II were 30.8% and 14.7%, respectively. RESULTS A mechanical composite graft was used in 12 patients and biological composite grafts were used in two patients. Hospital mortality was 14.3% (n = 2). One patient (7.1%) required reoperation for bleeding, One patient (7.1%) had mechanical ventilation >24 h, and four patients (28.6%) required implantation of a permanent pacemaker. Median intensive care unit and hospital stays were 3 days (interquartile range [IQR] 1-5) and 10 days (IQR 6.5-38.5). One patient experienced recurrent prosthetic valve endocarditis 14 months after operation. On follow-up, 11 of 12 survivors were in New York Heart Association class I or II. Survival at 3 years was 85.7% ± 9.4% SD. CONCLUSIONS Composite valve graft replacement can be performed with acceptable morbidity and mortality with good mid-term survival.
In Vitro Colonization and Resistance of Loblolly Pine Embryos Infected with the Fusiform Rust Fungus

Cronartium quercuum (Berk.) Miyabe ex Shirai f. sp. fusiforme is a macrocyclic rust, requiring both pine and oak or chestnut species to complete its complex lifecycle (Fig. 1). Previously known as Cronartium fusiforme Hedgc. and Hunt ex Cumm. (3), this fungus is the incitant of fusiform rust disease, so named because of the distinctive spindle-shaped (fusiform) galls that often form on the stems and branches of infected pines (6). Infrequently encountered until the advent of pine plantation management in the 1930s, fusiform rust incidence has been increasing yearly (5). Some pine plantations have become 100% infected within 3 to 4 years after establishment (6). Losses occur due to seedling death, excessive branching, and as a consequence of trunk gall formation. Trunk galls decrease wood quality and increase the risk of wind and fire damage (7). Fusiform rust is now considered the most destructive disease of southern conifer forests (8). Although a range of resistance has been noted among various pine species, loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.), the species most frequently planted in the South, is highly susceptible to this disease (9).
Multiple Perspectives on the Development of Adult Intelligence

In this chapter we explore the development of adult intelligence from four different perspectives: the psychometric, cognitive, neo-Piagetian, and contextual. These four perspectives were chosen to review the literature on adult intelligence because they offer a fairly diverse representation of guiding theories to adult intelligence that are dominant in the field at the present time (see Sternberg & Berg, 1992, for a review). Other perspectives on intelligence (e.g., comparative, biological, artificial intelligence) have not had the same presence in the field of adult intelligence as have these four perspectives.