cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
When Entomological Evidence Crawls Away: Phormia regina en masse Larval Dispersal

In criminal and civil legal investigations the forensic entomologist usually assists in providing an estimate of the postmortem interval, which closely couples with the time or period of insect activity. A minimum period of insect activity is often interpreted and estimated by dipteran larval developmental age of the oldest specimens collected at a crime scene and/or autopsy. In entomological evidence protocols investigators are recommended to search a 2-10 m perimeter area for the oldest larvae that may have begun to disperse away from the body for burial and pupation. In this study, we described a case of a large aggregate (> 90% larvae) en masse postfeeding dispersal of blow fly larvae away from replicate swine carcasses serving as models of human decomposition. Larval dispersal was evaluated for a spring and a summer trial, with en masse characteristics only occurring during the latter. This en masse dispersal occurred in five out of six replicate carcasses and masses moved from 2 to 26 m away. These data and observations suggest the importance of performing searches > 10 m from human remains for entomological evidence at crime scenes. By missing the oldest larvae at a crime scene, interpretation of entomological evidence can be compromised and erroneous. Based on these data and observations we recommend the crime scene investigators and researchers consider increasing the search radius around crime scene remains to increase the likelihood that the oldest larvae have been collected for analysis.
Structural control of ore deposition at Kasaan Peninsula, southeastern Alaska

Copper-bearing magnetite deposits and associated copper deposits at Kasaan Peninsula, Prince of Wales Island, southeastern Alaska, have been known for many years and have been mined to some extent for their copper content. At the beginning of World War II, the development of war industries in the Pacific northwest focused attention on the deposits as possible sources of iron ore. From 1942 through 1944 the United States Geological Survey made detailed studies of most of the ore deposits and at a few of the more promising localities diamond-drilling operations were carried on by the United States Bureau of Mines. The deposits are for the most part small and irregular but of relatively high grade. The chief ore minerals are magnetite, pyrite, and chalcopyrite, and the gangue consists largely of skarn minerals, including garnet, epidote, diopside, and hornblende. The deposits are presumably of pyrometasomatic origin, but whereas deposits of this type are commonly replacement bodies in limestone, at Kasaan Peninsula limestone seemingly was a poor host rock for the ore.
Do Teacher Characteristics Matter? New Results on the Effects of Teacher Preparation on Student Achievement.

Research fairly consistently demonstrates that teachers are an important measurable factor in student learning, yet few teacher characteristics are shown to be consistently related to student achievement. Using a state administrative dataset that matches individual students to their teachers over time, I find that math teachers’ undergraduate performance, as measured by GPA (overall, math, and math education) and course hours (math and math education), is predictive of 5th grade math achievement. The effects of the teacher characteristics are mediated by years of experience and vary according to student types.
Analysis of some direct and indirect methods for estimating root biomass and production of forests at an ecosystem level

The relationship of global climate change to plant growth and the role of forests as sites of carbon sequestration have encouraged the refinement of the estimates of root biomass and production. However, tremendous controversy exists in the literature as to which is the best method to determine fine root biomass and production. This lack of consensus makes it difficult for researchers to determine which methods are most appropriate for their system. The sequential root coring method was the most commonly used method to collect root biomass data in the past and is still commonly used. But within the last decade the use of minirhizotrons has become a favorite method of many researchers. In addition, due to the high labor-intensive requirements of many of the direct approaches to determine root biomass, there has been a shift to develop indirect methods that would allow fine root biomass and production to be predicted using data on easily monitored variables that are highly correlated to root dynamics. Discussions occur as to which method should be used but without gathering data from the same site using different methods, these discussions can be futile. This paper discusses and compares the results of the most commonly used direct and indirect methods of determining root biomass and production: sequential root coring, ingrowth cores, minirhizotrons, carbon fluxes approach, nitrogen budget approach and correlations with abiotic resources. No consistent relationships were apparent when comparing several sites where at least one of the indirect and direct methods were used on the same site. Until the different root methods can be compared to some independently derived root biomass value obtained from total carbon budgets for systems, one root method cannot be stated to be the best and the method of choice will be determined from researcher's personal preference, experiences, equipment, and/or finances.
Prevention of Salmonella typhimurium Colonization of Broilers with D-Mannose

Broiler chickens can be contaminated by Salmonella typhimurium, which is a food safety concern. It has been previously shown that D-mannose blocks S. typhimurium adherence to chicken intestine in vitro. One-day-old broiler chickens were fed normal drinking water or drinking water supplemented with 2.5% mannose for 10 days. On Day 3, both groups were challenged orally with 1 x 10(8) S. typhimurium [ST-10 (Animal Diagnostics Laboratory, Ames, IA)] resistant to Nal and Nov (Sigma, St. Louis, MO). On Day 10 the birds' caecal contents were examined for the antibiotic-marked S. typhimurium. Two additional groups of birds were provided normal drinking water or mannose but were not challenged with the bacteria. Salmonella-challenged control chickens were 78, 82, and 93% colonized whereas Salmonella-challenged mannose-treated chickens were only 28, 21, and 43% colonized. Moreover, the mean log10 counts of control and mannose groups were significantly (P less than .001) reduced by at least 99%. Mannose-supplemented drinking water had no effect on weight gains. Certain carbohydrates may provide a means to reduce S. typhimurium contamination in broilers.
Intra-articular nerve growth factor regulates development, but not maintenance, of injury-induced facet joint pain & spinal neuronal hypersensitivity

Summary Objective The objective of the current study is to define whether intra-articular nerve growth factor (NGF), an inflammatory mediator that contributes to osteoarthritic pain, is necessary and sufficient for the development or maintenance of injury-induced facet joint pain and its concomitant spinal neuronal hyperexcitability. Method Male Holtzman rats underwent painful cervical facet joint distraction (FJD) or sham procedures. Mechanical hyperalgesia was assessed in the forepaws, and NGF expression was quantified in the C6/C7 facet joint. An anti-NGF antibody was administered intra-articularly in additional rats immediately or 1 day following facet distraction or sham procedures to block intra-articular NGF and test its contribution to initiation and/or maintenance of facet joint pain and spinal neuronal hyperexcitability. NGF was injected into the bilateral C6/C7 facet joints in separate rats to determine if NGF alone is sufficient to induce these behavioral and neuronal responses. Results NGF expression increases in the cervical facet joint in association with behavioral sensitivity after that joint's mechanical injury. Intra-articular application of anti-NGF immediately after a joint distraction prevents the development of both injury-induced pain and hyperexcitability of spinal neurons. Yet, intra-articular anti-NGF applied after pain has developed does not attenuate either behavioral or neuronal hyperexcitability. Intra-articular NGF administered to the facet in naive rats also induces behavioral hypersensitivity and spinal neuronal hyperexcitability. Conclusion Findings demonstrate that NGF in the facet joint contributes to the development of injury-induced joint pain. Localized blocking of NGF signaling in the joint may provide potential treatment for joint pain.
Interactive furniture layout using interior design guidelines

We present an interactive furniture layout system that assists users by suggesting furniture arrangements that are based on interior design guidelines. Our system incorporates the layout guidelines as terms in a density function and generates layout suggestions by rapidly sampling the density function using a hardware-accelerated Monte Carlo sampler. Our results demonstrate that the suggestion generation functionality measurably increases the quality of furniture arrangements produced by participants with no prior training in interior design.
The evolution of sexual size dimorphism in the house finch. II. Population divergence in relation to local selection.

Abstract Recent colonization of ecologically distinct areas in North America by the house finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) was accompanied by strong population divergence in sexual size dimorphism. Here we examined whether this divergence was produced by population differences in local selection pressures acting on each sex. In a long-term study of recently established populations in Alabama, Michigan, and Montana, we examined three selection episodes for each sex: selection for pairing success, overwinter survival, and within-season fecundity. Populations varied in intensity of these selection episodes, the contribution of each episode to the net selection, and in the targets of selection. Direction and intensity of selection strongly differed between sexes, and different selection episodes often favored opposite changes in morphological traits. In each population, current net selection for sexual dimorphism was highly concordant with observed sexual dimorphism—in each population, selection for dimorphism wa...
Van der Waals forces in a three‐phase system

An analysis is made of the Van der Waals forces of two different species when separated by a third continuous component. Results show that under certain circumstances, attractions as well as repulsions can exist between the two different species. The theory is applied to a fibrous bed coalescer to determine what type of material would best serve as a coalescence medium.
Use of unbiased MR sensors in a rigid disk file

Unbiased magnetoresistive heads for magnetic recording have been fabricated and shown to operate at better than 10/sup -8/ byte error rate with a modified peak detection channel at low linear density to prevent intersymbol interference. The heads produce unipolar signals from their quadratic transfer curves. Theoretical comparison of the unbiased and biased designs shows that (1) intersymbol interference reduces the unbiased sensor amplitude more than that of the biased sensor, but produces the same amount of peak shift in both, (2) linear equalization cannot remove intersymbol interference for the unbiased head, (3) the unbiased head signal has higher bandwidth because it both doubles the fundamental frequency and has sharper peaks, (4) the unbiased head has improved tolerance to amplitude errors and similar tolerance to peak shift errors caused by crosstalk from adjacent tracks, and (5) the total disk moment to total sensor moment must be three times greater for the unbiased head to have the same amplitude as the biased head for a given read gap dimension. >
Sleepers and workaholics: caching strategies in mobile environments (extended version)

In the mobile wireless computing environment of the future, a large number of users, equipped with low-powered palmtop machines, will query databases over wireless communication channels. Palmtop-based units will often be disconnected for prolonged periods of time, due to battery power saving measures; palmtops also will frequently relocate between different cells, and will connect to different data servers at different times. Caching of frequently accessed data items will be an important technique that will reduce contention on the narrowbandwidth, wireless channel. However, cache individualization strategies will be severely affected by the disconnection and mobility of the clients. The server may no longer know which clients are currently residing under its cell, and which of them are currently on. We propose a taxonomy of different cache invalidation strategies, and study the impact of clients' disconnection times on their performance. We study ways to improve further the efficiency of the invalidation techniques described. We also describe how our techniques can be implemented over different network environments.
Analysis and decomposition of spatial variation in integrated circuit processes and devices

Variation is a key concern in semiconductor manufacturing and is manifest in several forms. Spatial variation across each wafer results from equipment or process limitations, and variation within each die may be exacerbated further by complex pattern dependencies. Spatial variation information is important not only for process optimization and control, but also for design of circuits that are robust to such variation. Systematic and random components of the variation must be identified, and models relating the spatial variation to specific process and pattern causes are needed. In this work, extraction and modeling methods are described for wafer-level, die-level, and wafer-die interaction contributions to spatial variation. Wafer-level estimation methods include filtering, spline, and regression based approaches. Die-level (or intra-die) variation can be extracted using spatial Fourier transform methods; important issues include spectral interpolation and sampling requirements. Finally, the interaction between wafer- and die-level effects is important to fully capture and separate systematic versus random variation; spline- and frequency-based methods are proposed for this modeling. Together, these provide an effective collection of methods to identify and model spatial variation for future use in process control to reduce systematic variation, and in process/device design to produce more robust circuits.
Sources of information of women's and infants' health

Just as the conscientious clinician strives to maintain currency in clinical practice, the certified nurse-midwife (CNM) should also be well informed about population-based developments in the state of women's and infants' health and health care. Informative reports on a variety of topics are issued regularly by government agencies and nongovernmental organizations. Currency in this literature can provide the CNM with a sound basis for public education and legislative efforts, as well as a richer context for the care of individual women and infants. In the following article, selected sources of information on women's and infants' demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, fertility and natality, health, and health care use will be identified. Recent publications will be cited to illustrate the types of information available from government agencies and nongovernmental organizations.
Force and torque on a body in an unbounded stokes flow expressed explicitly in terms of respective quadratures of the pressure and vorticity fields

The hydrodynamic force and torque on a body in an external Stokes flow are explicitly expressed in terms of respective quadratures of the pressure and vorticity fields analytically continued into the body interior. These expressions are used to demonstrate that a body cannot experience a force in a uniform pressure field nor a torque in a uniform vorticity field.
IMMATURE STAGES OF FOPIUS ARISANUS (HYMENOPTERA: BRACONIDAE) IN BACTROCERA DORSALIS (DIPTERA: TEPHRITIDAE)

We describe all immature stages, particularly the previously undescribed instars, of Fopius arisanus (Sonan) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), an egg-pupal parasitoid of tephritid fruit flies. This is essential for quality control in mass rearing programs and for physiological studies of host-parasite interactions. Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae) eggs were parasitized for 24 h and serial collections of hosts were made every 24 h until adults emerged. Immature wasps were dissected from hosts and their mouthhooks and body dimensions measured. Scatter plots of the above measurements and scanning electron microscopy indicated that there are three instars. This contrasts with the four instars previously reported. There appears to be no true fourth instar because the stage immediately following the second instar is indistinguishable from that preceding the prepupal stage.
FOUNDER INFLUENCE IN FAMILY BUSINESSES: ANALYZING COMBINED DATA FROM SIX DIVERSE COUNTRIES

This study analyzed a combined sample of 593 family businesses in the United States, Croatia, Egypt, France, India and Kuwait to determine how the influence of the founder(s) relates to certain important family business managerial characteristics. Statistical analyses indicated that founder influence has significant correlations with the percentage of non-family managers, the use of a "team-management" style of management, the formulation of specific succession plans, time spent in strategic management activities, consideration of going public, and the use of equity rather than debt financing. These findings provide partial support to the few earlier writings and studies involving founder influence in family firms. The implications of these findings for family business owner/managers and for consultants to family businesses are provided, and suggestions for future research are presented.
A Comparison of Different Methods for Evaluating Diet, Physical Activity, and Long-Term Weight Gain in 3 Prospective Cohort Studies.

Background: The insidious pace of long-term weight gain (;1 lb/y or 0.45 kg/y) makes it difficult to study in trials; long-term prospective cohorts provide crucial evidence on its key contributors. Most previous studies have evaluated how prevalent lifestyle habits relate to future weight gain rather than to lifestyle changes, which may be more temporally and physiologically relevant. Objective: Our objective was to evaluate and compare differentmethodological approachesfor investigatingdiet, physical activity (PA), and long-term weight gain. Methods: In 3 prospective cohorts (total n = 117,992), we assessed how lifestyle relates to long-term weight change (up to 24 y of follow-up) in 4-y periods by comparing 3 analytic approaches: 1) prevalent diet and PA and 4-y weight change (prevalent analysis); 2) 4-y changes in diet and PA with a 4-y weight change (change analysis); and 3) 4-y change in diet and PA with weight change in the subsequent 4 y (lagged-change analysis). We compared these approaches and evaluated the consistency across cohorts, magnitudes of associations, and biological plausibility of findings. Results: Across the 3 methods, consistent, robust, and biologically plausible associations were seen only for the change analysis. Results for prevalent or lagged-change analyses were less consistent across cohorts, smaller in magnitude, and biologically implausible. For example, for each serving of a sugar-sweetened beverage, the observed weight gain was 0.01 lb (95% CI: 20.08, 0.10) [0.005 kg (95% CI: 20.04, 0.05)] based on prevalent analysis; 0.99 lb (95% CI: 0.83, 1.16) [0.45 kg (95% CI: 0.38, 0.53)] based on change analysis; and 0.05 lb (95% CI: 20.10, 0.21) [0.02 kg (95% CI: 20.05, 0.10)] based on lagged-change analysis. Findings were similar for other foods and PA. Conclusions: Robust, consistent, and biologically plausible relations between lifestyle and long-term weight gain are seen when evaluating lifestyle changes and weight changes in discrete periods rather than in prevalent lifestyle or lagged changes. Thesefindings inform the optimal methodsfor evaluating lifestyleand long-term weightgain and the potential for bias when other methods are used. J Nutr doi: 10.3945/jn.115.214171.
Evidence for Mechanisms Underlying the Functional Benefits of a Myocardial Matrix Hydrogel for Post-MI Treatment

Abstract Background There is increasing need for better therapies to prevent the development of heart failure after myocardial infarction (MI). An injectable hydrogel derived from decellularized porcine ventricular myocardium has been shown to halt the post-infarction progression of negative left ventricular remodeling and decline in cardiac function in both small and large animal models. Objectives This study sought to elucidate the tissue-level mechanisms underlying the therapeutic benefits of myocardial matrix injection. Methods Myocardial matrix or saline was injected into infarcted myocardium 1 week after ischemia–reperfusion in Sprague–Dawley rats. Cardiac function was evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging and hemodynamic measurements at 5 weeks after injection. Whole transcriptome microarrays were performed on RNA isolated from the infarct at 3 days and 1 week after injection. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction and histologic quantification confirmed expression of key genes and their activation in altered pathways. Results Principal component analysis of the transcriptomes showed that samples collected from myocardial matrix-injected infarcts are distinct and cluster separately from saline-injected control subjects. Pathway analysis indicated that these differences are due to changes in several tissue processes that may contribute to improved cardiac healing after MI. Matrix-injected infarcted myocardium exhibits an altered inflammatory response, reduced cardiomyocyte apoptosis, enhanced infarct neovascularization, diminished cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis, altered metabolic enzyme expression, increased cardiac transcription factor expression, and progenitor cell recruitment, along with improvements in global cardiac function and hemodynamics. Conclusions These results indicate that the myocardial matrix alters several key pathways after MI creating a pro-regenerative environment, further demonstrating its promise as a potential post-MI therapy.
What have we learned about how the alliance develops over the course of therapy

This is a commentary on Dinger, Strack, Sachsse, and Schauenburg's (2009) study of how therapist attachment styles and patient factors contribute to the development of the therapeutic alliance. I first address whether the research is useful for clinicians, arguing that it is not, and then discuss how the work could be presented to maximize both its scientific and its clinical impact. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).
Aeroelastic stability analysis of damaged helicopter rotor system

The effects of rotor blade ballistic damages on helicopter airworthiness and blade and hub conditions are investigated using a UMARC helicopter aeroelastic analysis code. A finite element formulation based on Hamilton's principle is used for structural analysis, and aerodynamic loads are calculated using quasisteady aerodynamic theory. Each blade is treated as being composed of elastic beams undergoing flap bending, lag bending, elastic twist, and axial deflections. Dynamic responses of multi-bladed rotor systems are calculated from nonlinear periodic normal mode equations using a finite element in time scheme. Results are calculated for a soft in-plane articulated rotor helicopter for both undamaged and damaged blade configurations. Blade damage effects are determined i n terms of blade mode shapes and frequencies, aeroelastic response and rotor hub loads. Blade dissimilarity due to ballistic damage can induce a large l/rev vibratory conlponent on the rotor hub.
What is a juvenile sea urchin? A comparative and phylogenetic survey of post-metamorphic juveniles.

Echinoid development progresses through embryonic and larval stages to metamorphosis and the adult form. Despite vast differences in embryos and larval forms, including bilaterally symmetric echinopluteus larvae, ovoid non-feeding larvae and brooded embryos, all metamorphose into juvenile sea urchins with pentaradial symmetry. The adult sea urchin body plan is initiated as the juvenile rudiment. The rudiment has been called the phylotypic stage for the class Echinoidea, a designation that implies little variation at this midpoint in development (e.g. Raff et al., 1991; Richardson, 1995; Raff, 1996). However, right at metamorphosis (upon eversion of the juvenile rudiment), variations in test symmetry, shape and number of spines, and number of skeletal plates, podia and pedicellariae are present in juveniles. This variation suggests either that there is no phylotypic stage or that such a stage occurs earlier in rudiment formation. To distinguish between these possibilities, I explored the patterns by which the juvenile rudiment is formed as well as the variation among juveniles approximately 1 day after metamorphosis in 19 echinoid taxa covering a broad taxonomic range including cidaroids, diadematids, irregular echinoids (spatangoids and clypeasteroids), arbaciids, temnopleurids, echinometrids and strongylocentrotids. Most of the material for analysis of juveniles was obtained by the author. Additional information was gathered from classical studies of metamorphosis. Data were collected on the number and shape of dorsal pedicellariae, juvenile and adult spines, primary and secondary podia, and juvenile test shape. When possible multiple individuals within a species were examined, revealing no or only minor trait variation. These data were mapped on a well-resolved phylogeny established from adult characters.
Produktlinienanalyse und Ökobilanz

„Produktlinienanalyse“ und „Okobilanz“ sind Synonyma fur eine Methodik, objektive Beurteilungskriterien und -methoden zu entwickeln, die dengesamten Lebensweg eines Produktes in die Untersuchung seiner Umweltbelastung einbeziehen. Am Beispiel der Verpackungen stellt der Beitrag das Prinzip der Okobilanz dar. Die Starke der Produktlinienanalyse liegt imVergleich verschiedener Systeme — hier — fur dasselbe Verpackungsgut. Die Kriterien werden beschrieben, anhand derer der Vergleich bzw. die Beurteilung verschiedener Verpackungsmaterialien oder unterschiedlicher Systeme durchgefuhrt werden soll. Weiterhin wird beschrieben, wie das Problem moglichst objektiv und quantitativ gelost werden kann. Schlieslich wird am Beispiel der Milchverpackung beispielhaft eine Okobilanz skizziert.
CD4 T Follicular Helper and Regulatory Cell Dynamics and Function in HIV Infection.

T follicular helper cells (TFH) are a specialized subset of CD4 T cells that reside in B cell follicles and promote B cell maturation into plasma cells and long-lived memory B cells. During chronic infection prior to the development of AIDS, HIV-1 (HIV) replication is largely concentrated in TFH. Paradoxically, TFH numbers are increased in early and midstages of disease, thereby promoting HIV replication and disease progression. Despite increased TFH numbers, numerous defects in humoral immunity are detected in HIV infected individuals including dysregulation of B cell maturation, impaired somatic hypermutation, and low quality of antibody production despite hypergammaglobulinemia. Clinically these defects are manifested by increased vulnerability to bacterial infections, and impaired vaccine responses, neither of which is fully reversed by antiretroviral therapy. Deficits in TFH function including reduced HIV-specific IL-21 production and low levels of co-stimulatory receptor expression, have been linked to these immune impairments. Impairments in TFH likely contribute as well to the ability of HIV to persist and evade humoral immunity, particularly the inability to develop broadly neutralizing antibodies. In addition to direct infection of TFH, other mechanisms that have been linked to TFH deficits in HIV infection include upregulation of PD-L1 on GC B cells and augmented follicular regulatory T cell responses. Challenges to development of strategies to enhance TFH function in HIV infection include lack of an established phenotype for memory TFH as well as limited understanding of the relationship between peripheral TFH and lymphoid tissue TFH. Interventions to augment TFH function in HIV-infected individuals could enhance immune reconstitution during antiretroviral therapy and potentially augment cure strategies.
Work-related injuries among commercial janitors in Washington State, comparisons by gender.

Abstract Introduction We analyzed workers' compensation (WC) data to identify characteristics related to workers' compensation claim outcomes among janitorial service workers in Washington State. Method We analyzed WC data from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) State Fund (SF) from January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2013, for janitorial service workers employed in the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Services Sector. We constructed multivariable models to identify factors associated with higher medical costs and increased time lost from work. Results There were 2,390 janitorial service compensable claims available for analysis. There were significant differences in injury type and other factors by gender, age, and language preference. Linguistic minority status was associated with longer time loss and higher median medical costs. Women were estimated to account for 35% of janitorial service workers but made up 55% of the compensable claims in this study. Conclusions Janitorial service workers comprise a large vulnerable occupational group in the U.S. workforce. Identifying differences by injury type and potential inequitable outcomes by gender and language is important to ensuring equal treatment in the workers' compensation process. Practical applications There were significant differences in injury and individual characteristics between men and women in this study. Women had twice the estimated rate of injury to men, and were more likely to require Spanish language materials. Improving communication for training and knowledge about the workers' compensation system appear to be high priorities in this population of injured janitorial service workers.
The Role of Collective Efficacy in Closing Student Achievement Gaps: A Mixed Methods Study of School Leadership for Excellence and Equity

Previous research demonstrates that collective efficacy positively predicts students' academic achievement (e.g., Bandura, 1993; Goddard et al., 2000). However, unaddressed by the current literatur...
The Design and Performance of a Scalable ORB Architecture for CORBA Asynchronous Messaging

Historically, method-oriented middleware, such as Sun RPC, DCE, Java RMI, COM, and CORBA, has provided synchronous method invocation (SMI) models to applications. Although SMI works well for conventional client/server applications, it is not well-suited for highperformance or real-time applications due to its lack of scalability. To address this problem, the OMG has recently standardized an asynchronous method invocation (AMI) model for CORBA. AMI provides CORBA with many of the capabilities associated traditionally with messageoriented middleware, without incurring the key drawbacks of messageoriented middleware.
72 – Nutrition and the Etiology and Prevention of Prostate Cancer

This chapter discusses the current status of epidemiologic evidence for a role of dietary factors in the development of prostate cancer. In support of the epidemiologic findings, the chapter presents some findings from animal and in vitro studies, and possible mechanisms for the carcinogenic effects of diet. Age is the strongest risk factor for prostate cancer. Men with a first-degree male relative who has had prostate cancer are at a 2- to 3-fold increased risk. Several environmental (exogenous) etiologic agents have been proposed for prostate cancer including occupational exposures (cadmium-containing products, such as paints and batteries; agriculture chemicals, especially pesticides; other metallic compounds); diet, including alcohol consumption; obesity; physical activity; sexually transmitted agents (cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, and human papillomavirus); smoking; and vasectomy. The chapter also discusses evidence pertaining to diet (including alcohol), the most promising area of research into the etiology of prostate cancer. Dietary factors that increase prostate cancer risk include red meat, dairy products, and alcohol. Foods such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, tea, and fish, and food components such as vitamin D, carotenoids, and selenium are inversely related to risks.
An Ideology For Nanoelectronics

The performance limits of conventional integrated circuits will be reached within twenty years. Avoiding these limits requires revolutionary approaches to both devices and architectures that exploit the unique properties of nanometer- sized electronic structures. The casualties of this revolution will include high connectivity architectures, transistors, and classical circuit concepts. One approach, Nanoelectronics, combines quantum coupled devices and cellular automata architectures to provide computing functions that are downscalable to fundamental physical limits. This paper reviews the motivations for nanoelectronics are reviewed, and presents a framework for developing this technology. Some of the issues relevant to nanoelectronic computation are also addressed.
Complex knee injury in polytraumatized patients

In polytraumatized patients severe joint injuries represent a special entity because their management is complex and lengthy. The surgeon must decide if limb salvage is indicated and which further surgical steps have to be instituted. The decision for amputation is based on the patient's general condition and the soft-tissue and neurovascular injury. Scoring systems are useful for decision making. Limb salvage is associated with a multistage surgical approach. Priority is given to restoration of sufficient blood supply and soft tissue repair; the indication for fasciotomy covers a wide field. To avoid further compromise to soft tissue and perfusion, temporary joint and fracture stabilization is required. Definitive surgery has to be delayed until the 2 week period, starting between the fifth and tenth day after trauma.
Neural network analysis of single unit recording from human basal ganglia

There has been a renewed interest in, and application of, the technique of posteroventral pallidotomy (PVP) for the treatment of certain patients with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Pallidotomy was initially developed by Leksell in Sweden in the middle fifties with good but variable results. With recent advances in imaging techniques, stereotactic surgery in general has become much more frequent. At the same time, the physiological recordings of Vitek, De Long, et al. in the thalamus and basal ganglia suggested these techniques could be extended to the surgical theater to produce refinement in the targeting procedures for PVP.
Documentation of Genetic Differences in a Volunteer Grass, Poa annua (Annual Meadowgrass), under Different Conditions of Golf Course Turf, and Implications for Urban Landscape Plant Selection and Management

Poa annua, commonly known as annual meadowgrass or annual bluegrass, is worldwide in distribution (Beard et al. 1978), and is one of the ten most abundant weeds in city allotment gardens (Gilbert 1989). Plants range from an annual bunching habit to a prostrate creeping plant that roots at nodes and tends to be perennial (Beard et al. 1978; Gibeault and Goetze 1972). Particular forms have been found in association with specific habitats and several studies have suggested that differences in populations have a genetic basis.
The Future of 3D Printing in Cardiovascular Disease

Abstract The last three decades have witnessed the birth of the versatile technology of 3D printing. It allows for the rapid and effective fabrication of practically anything, from houses to space equipment. Over the last 10 years, 3D printing applications have moved from other technological sectors into medicine with initial success in the fields of orthopedic surgery, dentistry, and maxillofacial surgery. More recently, cardiovascular specialists have started to recognize its tremendous potential in cardiovascular medicine and surgery. While the technology of 3D printing in the heart is still in its infancy, there is no doubt the future is very bright, and it will become a cornerstone of cardiovascular training and clinical practice. In this chapter, we focus on discussing future potential applications of 3D printing in cardiovascular disease, current challenges, and future directions.
Improving Selectivity of Toluic Acid from Biomass-Derived Coumalic Acid

Selective formation of bioaromatics from renewable sources to access greener alternatives to petroleum-derived aromatics is of great interest in the development of sustainable chemicals. An innovat...
Alpha Blocker Versus Calcium Channel Blocker for Pheochromocytoma

The perioperative management of patients undergoing surgical resection of pheochromocytoma is essential to good outcomes. Historically high mortality rates associated with surgery have been mitigated by perioperative management of hemodynamics. Several options exist for the preoperative medical blockade of patients with catecholamine-producing tumors, including non-selective alpha-receptor blockers, selective alpha1-receptor blockers, and calcium channel blockers. In this chapter, we summarize the available data and provide recommendations for the optimal preoperative medical management of patients undergoing surgical resection of pheochromocytoma.
Towards data-driven vulnerability prediction for requirements

Due to the abundance of security breaches we continue to see, the software development community is recently paying attention to a more proactive approach towards security. This includes predicting vulnerability before exploitation employing static code analysis and machine learning techniques. Such mechanisms, however, are designed to detect post-implementation vulnerabilities. As the root of a vulnerability can often be traced back to the requirement specification, and vulnerability discovered later in the development life cycle is more expensive to fix, we need additional preventive mechanisms capable of predicting vulnerability at a much earlier stage. In this paper, we propose a novel framework providing an automated support to predict vulnerabilities for a requirement as early as during requirement engineering. We further present a preliminary demonstration of our framework and the promising results we observe clearly indicate the value of this new research idea.
A Hybrid Approach to Joint Estimation of Channel and Antenna impedance

This paper considers a hybrid approach to joint estimation of channel information and antenna impedance, for single-input, single-output channels. Based on observation of training sequences via synchronously switched load at the receiver, we derive joint maximum a posteriori and maximum-likelihood (MAP/ML) estimators for channel and impedance over multiple packets. We investigate important properties of these estimators, e.g., bias and efficiency. We also explore the performance of these estimators through numerical examples.
Trends, Causes, and Outcomes of Hospitalizations for Homeless Individuals: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objectives:In the United States, an estimated 553,000 people are homeless on any given night. Few data provide large-scale, contemporary insight with regard to recent patterns of acute illness in this vulnerable population. We evaluated patterns, causes, and outcomes of acute hospitalization among h
Attaché: towards ideal memory compression by mitigating metadata bandwidth overheads

Memory systems are becoming bandwidth constrained and data compression is seen as a simple technique to increase their effective bandwidth. However, data compression requires accessing Metadata which incurs additional bandwidth overheads. Even after using a Metadata-Cache, the bandwidth overheads of Metadata can reduce the benefits of compression. This paper proposes Attache, a framework that reduces the overheads of Metadata accesses. The Attache framework consists of two components. The first component, called the Blended Metadata Engine (BLEM), enables data and its Metadata to be accessed together. BLEM incurs additional Metadata accesses only 0.003% times and removes almost all Metadata bandwidth overheads. The second component, called the Compression Predictor (COPR), predicts if the memory block is compressed. The COPR predictor uses a fine-grained line-level predictor, a coarse-grained page-level predictor, and a global indicator. This enables Attache to predict the compressibility of the memory block before sending a memory read request. We implement Attache on a memory system that uses Sub-Ranking. On average, Attache achieves 15.3% speedup (ideal 17%) and saves 22% energy consumption (ideal 23%) when compared to a baseline system that does not employ data compression. Attache is completely hardware-based and uses only 368KB of SRAM.
Post-Relapse Survival in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) Patients after Experiencing Therapy Failure Following Autologous Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (auto-HCT)

Introduction The outcomes for DLBCL patients who relapse following auto-HCT have been historically poor. Using data from four transplant centers, we studied the outcomes of DLBCL patients who relapsed following auto-HCT and evaluated whether survival improved in the most recent time period with the advent of novel agents. Methods Eligibility criteria included adult (≥18 years) patients with DLBCL experiencing disease relapse following auto-HCT performed during 2006-2015. The time-period was stratified into two eras (era-1: 2006-2010 and era-2: 2011-2015). The primary endpoint was to determine post-relapse overall survival (PR-OS). Secondary endpoints included a comparison of PR-OS based on the timing of relapse post auto-HCT (early [≤1 year] vs late [>1 year]) and era of transplant (era-1 vs era-2). PR-OS was measured from the date of relapse following auto-HCT to date of death or last follow-up. Results Of the total 700 patients with DLBCL undergoing auto-HCT, 250 patients (36%) (n=113 from era-1 and n=137 from era-2) relapsed following auto-HCT between 2006 and 2015. Patient characteristics are shown in Table with a breakdown between the two eras. The median age was 59 years with male predominance. 92% were chemosensitive (n=230) at the time of auto-HCT. The median time to relapse post auto-HCT was 5.6 months (range: 0.8–96.6 months). Median lines of therapy for post auto-HCT relapse were 1 (range: 0-9), with the most common treatments being allogeneic HCT (21%), lenalidomide (18%) and on clinical trials (17%). Median follow-up of survivors post auto-HCT relapse was 39 months (range: 1-116 months). At 5-year post auto-HCT relapse, the PR-OS for the entire population was 25%, with a median PR-OS of 8.5 months (95% CI=6.3-11.5). Median PR-OS (in months) was significantly better for patients who had late relapse vs early relapse (56.4 [95% CI=23.7-∞] vs 5.5 [95% CI=4.1-7.2], respectively, p Conclusion In DLBCL patients who relapse following auto-HCT, there has been no significant improvement in PR-OS despite the advent of novel agents in the most recent era. More importantly, the outcomes are dismal for patients who relapse within 1 year of auto-HCT representing an urgent unmet need.
A Metabolic Engineering Approach to Incorporate Modified Pyrimidine Nucleosides into Cellular RNA.

The incorporation of modified nucleotides into RNA is a powerful strategy to probe RNA structure and function. While a wide variety of modified nucleotides can be incorporated into RNA in vitro using chemical or enzymatic synthesis, strategies for the metabolic incorporation of artificial nucleotides into cellular RNA are limited, largely due to the incompatibility of modified nucleobases and nucleosides with nucleotide salvage pathways. In this work, we develop a metabolic engineering strategy to facilitate the labeling of cellular RNA with noncanonical pyrimidine nucleosides. First, we use structure-based protein engineering to alter the substrate specificity of uridine-cytidine kinase 2 (UCK2), a key enzyme in the pyrimidine nucleotide salvage pathway. Next, we show that expression of mutant UCK2 in HeLa and U2OS cells is sufficient to enable the incorporation of 5-azidomethyl uridine (5-AmU) into cellular RNA and promotes RNA labeling by other C5-modified pyrimidines. Finally, we apply UCK2-mediated R...
Development of a One Degree of Freedom Mechanical Thumb Based on Anthropomorphic Tasks for Grasping Applications

Our preliminary work on kinematic synthesis of serial chains shows that the curvature requirements of bodies in contact yield geometric task constraints on position, velocity and acceleration to yield design equations that can be solved to determine the dimensions of a mechanical chain. In this chapter, we show a systematic method for using these higher order motion constraints to formulate the synthesis equations for the design of a planar four bar linkage to be used as a thumb of an underactuated mechanical hand, based on an anthropomorphic task. The thumb will be combined with one degree of freedom multi-loop index and middle fingers to form an underactuated robotic hand for object grasping.
Open-label pilot study of oral methylprednisolone for the treatment of patients with friedreich ataxia

INTRODUCTION In this study we assessed the effect of methylprednisolone on safety, tolerability, and ability in Friedreich ataxia (FRDA). METHODS The study was an open-label trial of pulse methylprednisolone on 11 participants with FRDA. All participants followed a 28-day treatment cycle, repeated 7 times. Patients were assessed with the timed 25-foot walk (T25FW), 1-minute walk (1MW), the Friedreich Ataxia Rating Scale (FARS), and the 9-hole peg test (9HPT). Efficacy was tested by comparing baseline and week 26 visits, separated into adult and pediatric groups. RESULTS In comparisons of participants' baseline and week 26 visits, only the pediatric cohort's 1MW score showed change (P < 0.05). The T25FW, the primary outcome measure, did not change significantly. DISCUSSION Pediatric participants improved their gait distance in the 1MW, but did not significantly improve in other measures in this overall negative study. Methylprednisolone was generally well tolerated, suggesting that it may be useful for ambulatory children with FRDA if benefit is found with further study.
Impact of brain metastases on end-of-life health care utilization.

116Background: Patients with brain metastases (BMets) represent a subset of cancer patients who may experience high costs and frequent healthcare utilization. This study aims to assess whether pati...